What more would you like to see in Greater Cleveland? (Lorain: appointed, sales)

[WRnative]

What attributes and amenities do you think are deficient in Greater Cleveland? Especially, which of these deficiencies cause you to think about relocating elsewhere in the U.S.?


For retirees, some might list winter weather, although many Clevelanders enjoy four seasons of weather, including winter, or just use the winter season to travel.


Some persons might be attracted to lower tax environments, such as Florida or Texas. However, there is a cost to lower services and neglected infrastructure, especially regarding the environment Over the next few decades, IMO the Piper will be paid in Florida and Texas and several other similarly governed states.


Some persons might answer mountains or ocean coasts.


Some younger persons might list a stronger jobs environment, which typically also results in much higher housing costs.


My biggest complaint about Greater Cleveland are inept politicians who particularly do little, both nationally and statewide, to provide Greater Cleveland with its fair share of federal and state spending, or to protect the Lake Erie environment. Our politicians are clueless about the economic harm inflicted on Greater Cleveland by the Republican toll road (massively disparate and increasing tolls on the Ohio Turnpike compared to all other toll-free interstates in Ohio) and by poor federal and state tax policies and economic development policies that discourage manufacturing and free markets.


The $2 billion Intel boondoggle benefiting largely only New Albany is IMO scandalous, and seemingly all Republicans AND Democrats are oblivious to its ridiculousness; President Biden even praised it during his State of the Union address. I admit I haven't sufficiently explained my position on this, but that will change at some point soon.


Ohio's and even Greater Cleveland's inadequate public health policies, as reflected by our above average deaths and likely incidence of long COVID cases compared to all U.S. states, disturb me greatly. Ohio's pro-gun (unrestricted free carry; stand-your-ground laws; limited restrictiions on gun sales by non-dealers) and anti-privacy (e.g., abortion restrictions) legislative efforts also are disturbing to me. Admittedly, for some persons, these may be reasons to move to Ohio and Greater Cleveland.

[216facts]

I've lived most of my life in the Cleveland area and am now approaching retirement. We'll likely stay in the area since our kids and grandkids are here, but I could see going south or southwest for 2 or 3 months during Q1 of each year. So its all about the cold weather for me.

Politics is just an amusement to me. I like the Intel investment, regardless of the corporate welfare, have to accept some of that, IMO. Its important for our national security, so hopefully the Chips Act passes and additional federal funding gets put in place.

[216facts]

Here are few things I am looking forward and/or would like to see:
1. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/...cess-plan.html
2. close Burke and make it into a large lakefront park with some office/residential development
3. Increase investment in neighborhood police stations throughout Cleveland proper, particularly in those areas that are gentrifying and increasing the tax base.
4. Increase trail connections throughout the metro area, very excited to see some of the new paved biking trails that will be coming on line in the next few years
5. Take down the Gorge dam in Cuyahoga Falls opening up a couple miles of unobstructed white water and further cleaning the river. Open up canoe rental throughout the CVNP.

[WRnative]

See post 26 in the following thread, from the thread that inspired this thread.


http://www.city-data.com/forum/cleve...ty-live-3.html

[WRnative]

The future of the Geauga County Park District is one of the most important issues facing Greater Cleveland IMO. While the Cleveland Metropolitan Park District and Lake Metroparks, the two of the give Greater Cleveland metro (county) park districts with which I'm most familiar, have made concerted efforts to preserve natural wonders in recent decades, in recent years the Geauga Park District has been riddled in controversy centered around the Probate Court Judge Timothy Grendell who apparently controls the district to an extent never intended by the Ohio legislature when it authorized probate judges to appoint park district commissioners. Grendell also pushes to put recreational development of the parks on equal footing with nature preservation.



https://protectgeaugaparks.us/2021/1.../#comment-4675


https://protectgeaugaparks.us/author/frankgwirtz/


See "Timeline" under park history.


<<July 8, 2014 – At Mr. Johnston’s first board meeting, the new by-laws, which changed the GPD’s mission to put recreation on an equal footing with preservation and conservation, and which included a long list of permitted park activities, including oil and gas drilling and ATVs, are approved unanimously.>>


https://protectgeaugaparks.us/parks-history/timeline/


<<
There have been many misstatements regarding the separation of the Geauga Park District from Geauga County’s fiscal oversight. On June 28, 2021 the Grendell controlled Geauga Park District unwisely chose to separate from the county’s services and operate independently. Their decision meant that the park district would lose all the services the county had been providing for little or no cost. This included phone service, financial accounting services, payroll and assistance with other accounting services.



In January 2021, when the park district announced that it would sever ties with the county, the County auditor, Charles Walder made it clear in a letter to the park district that the county, upon separation, could no longer legally provide services to the park district. The auditor communicated to the park district in the letter the many things that they would want to accomplish to have a smooth separation from the county. This was in February 2021. By May 2021 it appeared that the park district had done no planning for separation from the counties’ services. Again Auditor Walder alerted them that there would be problems that would impair the park’s functioning if they did not have a planned strategy. Walder repeated to them that services they were receiving from the county would be terminated because they were no longer part of the county. Walder was bound by law not to provide these services.

Again the Park commissioners appointed by Grendell ignored this. They announced that on June 28 they would separate, which they did. Walder alerted them that the many free county provided services must now be terminated. The Geauga Park administration was turned into chaos and three days later they nearly missed employee payroll and had to pay employees by paper check. It remains unclear whether they were able to make timely payments into the employee retirement system and employee insurance. Then a giant accounting error made by their new fiscal officer cost the Park District 1.9 million of our money. These funds could have been spent on park services.>>



https://protectgeaugaparks.us/2022/0...nto-the-weeds/



https://protectgeaugaparks.us/


What's sad is that Geauga County likely still offers considerable opportunities for sensible parkland expansion, but the price of land there likely is increasingly rapidly. The Geauga County Park District reportedly is somewhere in excess of 10,000 acres in size, but the county covers 400 square miles. Lake Metroparks manages 8,100 acres, but Lake County covers only 228 square miles. Geauga County should be identifying prime property for acquisition and preserving it before the property is developed. This doesn't appear to be a priority of the current regime, especially as it likely would require a land acquisition levy.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geauga_Park_District



https://www.lakemetroparks.com/about-us/conservation



Ohio Land Area County Rank


I would hope that all five of Greater Cleveland's metropark districts would act aggressively to protect desirable natural areas before Greater Cleveland becomes a destination in what I believe is an inevitable climate change migration and these areas are lost forever to development. The situation in Geauga County seems especially problematic and controversial and it will be interesting to see if the Grendell family can oust the current Republican Geauga County auditor in the upcoming primary further cementing the Grendell's control over the Geauga County Park District.



The Greater Cleveland Metroparks are incredible gems that greatly improve the quality of life here, but they still need to be nurtured, protected, and IMO expanded appropriately. I haven't explored the situations in Medina and Lorain Counties, also lesser developed counties in Greater Cleveland.

[216facts]

^^ Great info, agree with your opinion of the Geauga Park district.

[mbowes80]

Greater lakefront access
More greenhouses for wintertime enjoyment, including an expansion of the Rockefeller greenhouse
A really impressive and immersive steel museum in the flats
Less violent crime
Greater property tax controls to prevent displacement in areas of high investment
Greater Cuyahoga River access (i.e., park on Irishtown Bend, etc.)
An opera company
An electronic music scene
High speed rail connectivity to other cities in the area/region
A functional government in Cuyahoga County
Downhill skiing areas that are far better than BM/Brandywine

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by mbowes80

Greater lakefront access
More greenhouses for wintertime enjoyment, including an expansion of the Rockefeller greenhouse
A really impressive and immersive steel museum in the flats
Less violent crime
Greater property tax controls to prevent displacement in areas of high investment
Greater Cuyahoga River access (i.e., park on Irishtown Bend, etc.)
An opera company
An electronic music scene
High speed rail connectivity to other cities in the area/region
A functional government in Cuyahoga County
Downhill skiing areas that are far better than BM/Brandywine

There is the Cleveland Opera. Additionally, CIM and Oberlin have solid opera programs.

[Unicorn hunter]

Originally Posted by WRnative

See post 26 in the following thread, from the thread that inspired this thread.


http:////www.city-data.com/forum/cle...ty-live-3.html

Happy I could inspire a thread and reading some great ideas here!

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Some younger persons might list a stronger jobs environment, which typically also results in much higher housing costs.

I will add a spin on this: I would specifically like more jobs within the urban core.

I am fully remote now, but I would consider returning hybrid if a job were in Downtown, University Circle, or other vibrant urban areas.

I turned down a job in Streetsboro a few months ago because I just couldn't see myself making that drive to an isolated office park. I have skipped applying to jobs at Progressive, in part because of the Mayfield location.