by Chuck Hoven

(Plain Press, November 2009) Forty residents from throughout the Tremont neighborhood brought their concerns about traffic and parking issues to The Old South Side Community Coalition (OSS) at its October 19th meeting at Jefferson Library. Some residents complained that Tremont West Development Corporation was endorsing the opening of too many businesses in the neighborhood without assuring that they had adequate parking for their patrons. A resident reported that those parking in a church lot because they couldn’t find a place on the street were given notice not to park there anymore.

Other residents brought up concerns about traffic problems in the neighborhood. Marc Dorsey said while riding his bicycle at Literary and Professor he was hit by a vehicle driven by restaurant employee rushing to work. James Mahon pressed the issue of serious traffic problems at the round about on W. 14th.

Jason Beudert said while he agreed that their needs to be a solution to issues such as parking and loud noise, he urged residents to consider the employment brought to the neighborhood by the liquor establishments. He advocated talking to the business owners like human beings in hopes of coming up with a balance between the needs of residents and those of businesses.

Old South Side Community Coalition Co-Chair Jerleen Justus reported there was no progress in getting TWDC to address the issue of parking. She said the Old South Side Community Coalition would create a team of experts called the Resident Action Team Support System (RATSS) to investigate businesses that were not compliant with parking requirements and to work to create enforceable cooperation agreements with those businesses that would be incorporated into their variance agreements with the Board of Zoning Appeals. Justus said a number of establishments in Tremont were using areas where they had promised to create parking spaces for patios. She said if they can’t produce the required parking spaces they should rip out the patios and create the proper parking.

Residents, who say they already have difficulty finding a parking place for church on Sunday, wondered what it would be like if voters in Tremont allow Sunday liquor sales. The issue is on the ballot November 3rd in many of the precincts north of I -490 in Tremont would allow Sunday Liquor sales beginning at 11 am. If the issues pass, Justus promised that RATSS would work to gain cooperation agreements from bars and restaurants seeking Sunday Liquor Licenses. A number of residents expressed hope that businesses could be persuaded not to open until after church services were over on Sunday.

Ward 13 Councilman Joe Cimperman explained that notices would be sent out for every Sunday liquor license applied for by an area business. Cimperman called the Cooperation Agreements – Good Neighbor Agreements. He said if the agreements were not honored by the business they could be challenged before the Board of Zoning Appeals or by the City of Cleveland Building and Housing Department. He said his office, churches, schools, playgrounds and the block club where the business is located would receive notices.

Cimperman said "Good neighbor agreements would be designed specific to block club needs. I will hold every liquor agreement until it goes to the block club."

It was mentioned that not all Old South Side Community Coalition members belonged to TWDC block clubs. Cimperman said, "I will always come before OSS with these issues. I hope for a day when OSS and block clubs are in agreement."

Cimperman reported progress in replacing faded street signs and street signs that had disappeared. He promised that new lines would be painted on Starkweather, Professor and the area surrounding Lincoln Park. He promised safer pedestrian curbs in several locations and said flexible posts would be set up in the round-about to mark the lanes and white 15 mile per hour signs would be posted on the hill by the round-about to allow traffic enforcement.

A Traffic Engineering and Planning Meeting to further address traffic and parking problems in the neighborhood will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 10th at Roosevelt Post 58 of the Polish Legion of American Veterans at 2442 Professor.

Old South Side Coalition continues to address traffic and parking problems