The Observation Deck

From onelakewood.com

PLANNING COMMISSION meeting of February 2, 2012
LAKEWOOD CITY HALL AUDITORIUM
7:00 P.M.

On April 6, 1993 the Lakewood Community Vision was published. This report was the result of 400 hours of work contributed by members of the Planning Commission, city officials and 80 community volunteers. While it has been nearly 20 years since this report was completed, it is still relevant and many of the principals are unchanged. The strategies and action items are in need of updating though. Many of the priorities are as important today as they were in 1993. However, after nearly 20 years since its publication a review of the Vision is appropriate. City Council has requested the Planning and Development and the Planning Commission begin a process to review and evaluate the Vision, the accomplishments and amendments to the Vision over the years and determine if modifications and updates are necessary. This initial worksession is an orientation to the Vision and is the beginning of an iterative process for public review and discussion.

If you love Our City like I do, please show up and participate. This review is long overdue .. and if done properly (including tons of public input) will shape the direction of Our City for years to come. We might even find our collective soul.

Wow I just saw this-- I didn't even know about it. Well unfortunately tonight is spoken for but it sounds like it's the first night of community involvement. Peter-- if you can please check in afterward and let us know how our collective soul is looking.

If you find out when the next meeting is tonight, can you please post it?
Thanks.

Betsy Voinovich

Planning Commmision meetings are posted on Our City's website:http://www.onelakewood.com ... as are all other city council, commissions, advisory boards, etc. meeting. City Hall does a pretty good job at keeping the site up to date and is filled to the brim with useful information.

... and given that only three citizens who were NOT Planning Commission members, Council members, city hall employees, or press attended, I fear for our collective soul.

Oh shoot, I wish I would have know. I will try and make any future meetings.

I’m not sure how the city rounded up 80 community volunteers back in 1993 but I’m sure with a little effort they could do it again. Posting a public meeting notice on their website may not be enough. Searching now, I see it appeared on cleveland.com the afternoon before (and likely in the print edition of the Sun Post Herald) the day the meeting was to take place.

I receive Lakewood City News & Updates via e-mail and recall recently being notified about the Diversity Potluck and Citizens Academy but nothing about this important meeting. I hope citizens will have another opportunity to participate in the review and evaluation process of our Community Vision.

Thank you to Shawn Juris for suggesting the review, recognizing that 20 years had passed and the document may need some tweaking.

Hi Chris,
That would have been great. Your coverage of our City Council meetings is greatly appreciated, I don't know if you get told that enough. I'm glad you will try to be at the next one.



Hi Peter,

I was wondering if since this was an "initial work session--an orientation to the Vision and the beginning of an iterative process for public review and discussion" whether, at its conclusion, anyone mentioned when the next session would be, and what would be done with the information gathered at the first session in terms of sharing it with the public.

I checked the website and there aren't any mentions of the next session, or the next Planning Commission meeting.

How did it end up? What did you come away with besides being disappointed in the turn-out? Did you feel that a vision of 21st century Lakewood was taking shape?

Betsy Voinovich

Betsy -

Your questions ("What did you come away with besides being disappointed?" "How did you feel?) always remind me of laying on a shrink's couch.

It doesn't matter how I feel or what I think ... it's about Our City coalescing. Trouble is -and what I have taken away since being on The Deck- is that there are a pecious few in Our City who even give a crap! I see the same dozen or two people posting here. I KNOW there are plenty of others out there with "boots on the ground" ... tudoring school kids, coaching pee wee football, delivering meals to shut-ins, etc. .. but We need to take a serious inventory of what Our City's assets are and how we unite into an efficient, effective, compassionate community. Sorry ... but gathering and analizing data just doesn't cut it. For every "issue" that manifests itself (burger joints, backyard hens, traffic lights, break ins, etc.) there is a more primal, deep-rooted cause which usually gets overlook or covered with a pretty veneer.

Peter

Where have you been all my life?

This is exactly the mind set we were looking for when the VAL was put together.

.

_________________
Jim O'Bryan
Lakewood Resident

"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg

"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama

@Jim - for the first 27 years we lived here, I pretty much had my head up my butt. So VERY glad I took it out! Haven't been happier!

Peter

Ahhhhhhhh. only 27 years, now I understand the sensitivity.

Love the attitude though.

.

_________________
Jim O'Bryan
Lakewood Resident

"The very act of observing disturbs the system."
Werner Heisenberg

"If anything I've said seems useful to you, I'm glad.
If not, don't worry. Just forget about it."
His Holiness The Dalai Lama