08/17/1971 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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--.k . N . . Page 2 new enclosed mall shonDing center must be built" and recortunends that the region around the Great Northern Shopping Center and the new mall be de- velaped as "the downtown of North Olmsted. Another recommendation is for the adoption of an Urban Renewal program for Lorain Road. Presumably this wauld be for the purDose of elustering business at Great Northern. An intriguing proposal is that the City become a tenant at Great NorthPrn by acquiring a vacant storeroom to be used as a Youth Center. The Commfttee further recommends that all apartment construction be con- centrated at shopping center areas and be limited to high rise construction. Obviously, Great Northern is the only shopping center having space for apartments. Although recommending adoption of the Comprhensive Plan, which calls for re-soning much of Lorain Roaa to 11fulti-family Residential7 the Committee's recommendations for concentrating business and apartments in the Great Northern area can only mean that the City should freeze all corrimercial and apartment clevelopment on Lorain Road. The Secretary of the Citizens' Advisory Committee an Land Use is Yrs. Frances Bracy, who as Secretary of the Great Northern I:erchants( Associa- tion represents that group on the Citizens' Committee. Acting also as Secretary of a1l the Sub-committees, T?rs. Bracy has eai.ted the minutes to a considerable extent and has misquoted statements of individuals to twist the meaning to the opposite of what was intended. Although these errors might possibly be excused as honest misinterpretations, there is a distinet indieation that Mrs. Bracy has exercised some control in the steering of the Committee, to the end that the Cor.lrlittee has become a sounding board for the sDecial interests of the Great Taorthern Partnership There may be some members of the City Council and the Administration who honestly believe that "what's good for Great Northern is good for North Olmsted", but I doubt there are any who will adopt tY??at as a political slogan. However, that sZogan may we11 be the campaign issue in the coming election unless there is a general renudiatzon of the5e recommendations of the Citizens' Committee that are so obviously a nandering to special interests.