The Road Less Traveled - 2021

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Mark Kindt
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Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:18 am

Robert Frost Quote - The Road Less Traveled By.png
Robert Frost Quote - The Road Less Traveled By.png (1.07 MiB) Viewed 17244 times


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:15 am

The Year 2020 Has Passed And The Hole Is Only Deeper

First, I want to thank those individuals who have taken the time to call me and to discuss their concerns. Those concerns are valid, but long-ignored officially.

I thank those callers for their sincerity and civic commitment. You know who you are.

This will probably be the shortest post that I will ever write here.

Lakewood is stuck in a "civic vision" hobbled together about a decade or so ago.

Each of us who watch can now see this "vision" for what it is -- a mirage.

It is time to admit that that "civic vision" has failed us miserably as well as failing the elected officials and candidates who embraced it and still embrace it.

The evidence of that failure is both stunning and humbling.

There is now a 6-acre hole in the ground where our award-winning acute care public hospital once served our community.

We know conclusively that our community was and still is ill-prepared to face a pandemic, perhaps years long, due to this demolition and the dismantling of other public healthcare functions.

Prior to its cancellation by the selected developer, elected officials and planning employees understood that the choice of that developer was questionable due to its obvious political ties.

We know conclusively that the 6-acre site was and is so polluted that despite millions of dollars in public funds spent on present and future remediation; that it cannot be redeveloped without multi-million dollar contractual liability assurances to be borne by the public for the benefit of any future developer selected.

In 2020, the "civic vision" and its adherents delivered our public sidewalks and streets to the financial benefit of various private businesses for expanded outdoor dining and liquor service.

For the time being, I will leave it at that.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:16 am

But We All Face It -- The Suffering Is Indeed Genuine

I watch the nightly revelers at the corner of Detroit & Edwards and I contemplate the families of local Covid-19 victims who could not and still cannot publicly mourn for their lost loved ones.

I also think about those patients in intensive care and critical care rehabilitation slowly recovering.

I'm sure that each of you has lost relatives in 2020 or earlier this year, know friends who did, and know of those struggling with rough or enduring cases of Covid.

But even before Covid-19, we knew that the loss and suffering would be a real burden for many in our community. Hell, the City even had medical experts do a study to prove it and they did.

So, why should any of us embrace or encourage a "civic vision" that has been and is so deeply detrimental and destructive to our community?

We cannot continue to pretend that real human suffering has not resulted from policies executed by civic leaders in pursuit of their so-called "vision".

While I have previously written extensively about much of this earlier in other Deck Essays, I now key-in on just one obvious, but detrimental, example.

All the board members of the Lakewood Hospital Association understood that if they closed Lakewood Hospital, then that meant the loss of approximately $7.000,000 in annual charity care provided to the Lakewood community and the broader community served by that mandated charity care.

All of these board members fully understood the nature of the void in care that would result in closing Lakewood Hospital from their own prior studies (required by statute or regulation) and from their own annual reports.

Well before the 2020 Pandemic hit, the impact of pursing the "civic vision" was extreme and most citizens understood how extreme that impact was and would be at the time.

It was delivered to us anyway.

Let me put this another way.

Why are we "cannibalizing" our public assets and public treasure in pursuit of fantasies of economic development when real residents are enduring real suffering from that very same appetite?

Our current civic vision, if not undone, will only bring us more of the same.

When did any of us sign-up for this?


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:43 am

Our Current Civic Vision, If Not Undone, Will Only Bring Us More Of The Same.

This is not merely a slippery slope argument; that if we do "X, Y & Z" we will wind-up here.

This argument is trust your own mature knowledge, experience, and judgment.

This is a "drive-down-the-street-and-see-for-yourself" argument.

Drive by the booze garden at Detroit & Edwards and see for yourself.

Listen to the gunshots at the gin mill just blocks west. This is your new Sunday evening.

The "civic vision" that we've been asked to embrace and are now living is nowhere to be found in our city charter.

Under this civic vision, we will fund developers until we are blue in the face, but at the end of the day we will not have more; we will only have less.

The Covid-19 pandemic must not be used as an excuse by city planners to let holders of Ohio liquor licenses to expand into and onto our pubic spaces.

This is what we witnessed in 2020 and now we've been assured that this originally-temporary program will run for the next two years.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Tue Apr 13, 2021 10:44 am

Just Between Brockley & Bonnieview Are 7 Liquor Licenses

If you drive down Detroit you will see that in just the few blocks between Brockley & Bonnieview are about seven liquor license holders and the small public baseball field for kids.

Folks, when is enough enough?


Mark Kindt
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Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Tue Apr 13, 2021 10:58 am

Sidewalk Dining In The Springtime

Of course its great to see diners packed on the sidewalk in the Springtime near noon, but aside from parked cars not one of these diners had any protection from a motor vehicle accident.

The temporary program never expired as legislated and a year later we see nothing that it would be "safe" as promised.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Tue Apr 13, 2021 2:41 pm

Mark Kindt wrote:Just Between Brockley & Bonnieview Are 7 Liquor Licenses

If you drive down Detroit you will see that in just the few blocks between Brockley & Bonnieview are about seven liquor license holders and the small public baseball field for kids.

Folks, when is enough enough?


Heading west from my office at the corner of Detroit & Cranford:

Bobby O's

Cozumel

Plank

(Small baseball field for children)

Lakewood Truck Park

El Carnicero

Booth's

Game On

Please go see for yourself.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Wed Apr 14, 2021 12:58 pm

In 100s Of Other Posts Here

In hundreds of other posts here, the "civic vision" and its long-term defects have been minutely described, many of questionable legality, the subject of serious litigations, and other legal and ethical disputes.

I will not rehash this here.

Much of the "civic vision" we all know about because we have lived it. A few of its participants and adherents still hold elected office here. Others continue as apologists for it.

We also know that it predates the election of the current Mayor and her new administration.

We should all recognize and thank Mayor Meghan George for her dedication, focus, and purpose during her first full year in office -- a year that was unprecedented in its difficulties due to pandemic conditions.

She has earned our trust and that counts greatly. I support her and wish her great success.

Even when I may disagree.

That's our Democracy.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Wed Apr 14, 2021 12:58 pm

In 100s Of Other Posts Here

In hundreds of other posts here, the "civic vision" and its long-term defects have been minutely described, many of questionable legality, the subject of serious litigations, and other legal and ethical disputes.

I will not rehash this here.

Much of the "civic vision" we all know about because we have lived it. A few of its participants and adherents still hold elected office here. Others continue as apologists for it.

We also know that it predates the election of the current Mayor and her new administration.

We should all recognize and thank Mayor Meghan George for her dedication, focus, and purpose during her first full year in office -- a year that was unprecedented in its difficulties due to pandemic conditions.

She has earned our trust and that counts greatly. I support her and wish her great success.

Even when I may disagree.

That's our Democracy.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Thu Apr 15, 2021 1:50 pm

Now That's Entertainment!

I don't quite know where I am going with this, but along Detroit Avenue in Wards One and Two there are about 20 Ohio liquor licenses (not counting store carry-out licenses); one or two are on just about every block.

--Including a vape shop, a cannabis sativa dispensary (medicinal), and a state liquor store.

I'd say those two wards are pretty well set across all dimensions--booze and buzz!

I'm not suggesting that any ward or precinct go dry (or even smokeless), but I am suggesting that the planning department and the planning commission consider this "partying" density" against the importance of the residential nature of Lakewood in their future planning.

How many bars will these wards need in 2031? --More, less, or the same? Or should we just have fewer residents instead?

I'm not singling out any particular business. Many of these are popular nightspots. Nor am I ever suggesting that the city should or even can pick winners in the private sector.

And, for the time being, I will view recent Sunday night gunshots on Detroit as an isolated incident, unfortunately related to a liquor license.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:46 am

We Have A Planning Commission That Is Impervious To Data

My quantifier friends who read my Deck Essays might find this interesting, very interesting.

http://www.healthyneo.org/indicators/in ... ocaleId=38

There is more than enough data on liquor store density by population in Ohio to underscore my points above.

In Lakewood, there are enough liquor licenses in just two wards (Ward One & Ward Two) for an urban population of several hundred thousands -- nowhere near our actual population size (50,000 approx.)

Why should there be any alcoholic beverage service on public sidewalks, streets, or city parking lots?


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:42 am

Unfortunately in the above post, I posted the wrong link and drew erroneous conclusions. I apologize.

That link relates to liquor store density, not liquor license density.

Time to recalibrate.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:57 am

Link to the Lakewood Ohio Alcohol Permit Quota

Here is the correct link to the Ohio Department of Commerce:

https://www.com.ohio.gov/reports/quota1.txt

If you scroll down through this table you will find the permit quotas for Lakewood and issuance status.

It would be interesting to understand how issued permits co-relate with the conditional-use permits issued by the planning commission for outdoor dining purposes.

That could take some time.


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:14 pm

A Little More On Bar Density

In the short and walkable stretch along Detroit going West from Brockley to Bonnieview, my count is eight (8) liquor licenses for on-site consumption:

Bobby O's

Cozumel

Plank Road

(Baseball field for smaller children)

Lakewood Truck Park

El Carnicero

Booth's

The Proper Pig

Game On

This is one or two on each block!

When I walked these blocks I saw almost no parking other than residential side streets. What's this like at 1am?

Are we really going to have to tolerate alcoholic beverage service on Lakewood's sidewalks and streets on a semi-permanent basis of some kind?


Mark Kindt
Posts: 2637
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:06 am

Re: The Road Less Traveled - 2021

Postby Mark Kindt » Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:46 pm

Mapping The Ohio Department Of Commerce Liquor Permit Data For Lakewood

Here is my first cut at presenting this data:
Lakewood Liquor Permits.jpg
Lakewood Liquor Permits.jpg (215.61 KiB) Viewed 16691 times



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