Dear Mariemont Council and Mayor Policastro,
By now you have most likely received numerous emails or phone calls opposing the variance granted to Spinnenweber Builders to remove the West St. sidewalk around the Executive Building and erect a 5 foot fence and rolling, timed gates.
We would like to state for the record that we are opposed to this, and are disappointed that this issue was not brought to public attention before being voted on. We know that at least some Council members were completely unaware that this issue was being considered – including the one whose district this is in! An issue that affects so many Village residents deserves open debate instead of being quietly sent to the Planning Committee for a vote. Pro-active communication is vital to maintaining a healthy, trusting partnership between a government and its residents. We realize Mr. Spinnenweber has the right to build a fence on his property if he chooses, but our experience is that he is aggravating residents by singling out “Moms” for parking in his lots, forgetting that these same parents are some of his tenants best customers! Positions like this give the appearance that he is not concerned about working with the Village to retain and improve walkability. It also gives the appearance that he does not support our schools and childrens’ safety. And the Village giving into his demands – this and others – without public discussion doesn’t make for a trusting environment between residents and their Council/Mayor.
Our arguments against the removal of the sidewalks and putting up of a fence around the Executive Building are in the attached flier here
To add a little bit of personal insight and background to those on Council who are not familiar with this issue…
I (Suzy) vocally opposed this issue, along with other residents and developers and engineers of the new school buildings, during the July 2012 Council meeting where this issue was presented by Mr. Spinnenweber. It was tabled due to opposition and in order to see how the parking and pedestrian flow would be with the new school drop off/pick up lanes. I suggested to Mr. Wolter, and he presented to Council, the idea of chalking tires in the Executive Building lot to catch cars parked there all day. The police used to do this years ago, as Metro bus riders were parking there to go downtown for the day. To date, that suggestion has been ignored. During that Council meeting in July 2012, Mr. Spinnenweber blamed “Mariemont Moms” for taking up all the spaces where his tenants and their visitors needed to park. That is, to my mind, absurd. Parents who park there for 10-15 minutes while dropping off/picking up their child at 8:15 a.m. or 3:15 p.m. are not the culprits to long-term parking issues. And there could not possibly be such a huge influx of visitors to the Executive Office or to the retail establishments during these select times, that every single space in the lot needs to be open.
As for removal of sidewalks, families with children, as well as other residents out for walks and bike rides, use the sidewalks on West St. daily. They are necessary for getting from point A to point B, and connect Madisonville to Wooster Pike. Removal cuts off this main artery, and also creates a safety hazard. Public right-of-ways are a precious commodity in a village like Mariemont. We have recently added several new ones, to the Village’s credit. To reverse course and remove sidewalks sets a bad precedent. Once lost, they would be very expensive to replace in the future.
If parking is the sole issue, would it not be in Mr. Spinnenweber’s best interest to develop the empty grass lot with the semi-trailer into a nice parking lot to aid in parking for his tenants, while working with the Village to fix the sidewalk on the east side of West St. and continue it through that grass lot to the corner Strand shops? Perhaps he and the Village could also work together on a landscaping solution, since removal of all the Gum trees have left it quite unsightly as well. We think it would make sense for the Village to work with Mr. Spinnenweber to chalk tires and ticket anyone parking there for more than a few hours. We think it would be beneficial for Mr. Spinnenweber to act reciprocally about parking, since the school has allowed their lot to be used after 4 p.m. for those frequenting the Strand venues as well as the restaurants and movie theater area (owned by Mr. Spinnenweber.)
We would like to see the Village, the school board and Mr. Spinnenweber come together, along with any residents who would like to voice their ideas, to brainstorm with some solutions to the parking issues. One idea we have is to develop part of the ME field into a parking lot for teachers. This grass field is huge, and was meant to be used for football and other sports WAY back when the building was a high school and jr. high school. Then, the field was used for jr. high football and soccer when they were housed at Dale Park. With the new jr. high in Fairfax having its own sports fields, and with the ME field only being used for a few rec soccer practices that could still be held on a slightly smaller field, this is a very viable option.
This is a small neighborhood with limited parking, and we all need to work together to do what is best for the residents and the Village. Forcefully separating areas and making them unfriendly to pedestrians is not what Mary Emery envisioned and goes against one of the primary reasons people move to Mariemont.
Council, we implore you to consider your constituents’ concerns regarding this variance. In addition, we encourage the Council to work with Mr. Spinnenweber to address his concerns in a manner that satisfies all parties. The Village is a wonderful partner for businesses/developers, but must act with consideration for the tradition and charm of Mariemont.
Thank you,
Suzy Weinland
Link to page with Council and Mayor contact information.
Mariemont.com Staff encourages all interested residents to attend the Village Town Meeting on March 23rd