08/06/2024 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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All right. Thank you. We'll now move into audience participation Thank you for attending tonight's Council meeting. Public comment offers the opportunity for members of the public to share information and bring issues and concerns to the attention of City Council members. Those attending City Council meetings should show the same respect to others that they wish to have shown to them. If there is anyone in the audience who would like to address Council, please come to the podium, state and spell your name and address for the clerk. If you live in a city other than North Olmsted, please state the name of that city and proceed with your comments. You will have up to five minutes. Janice Denham: Janice Denham, D -E -N -H -A -M, 5129 East Park Drive. Councilman Chris Glassburn and Mark Madden exercised good judgment when they both voted against the proposed park renovations, citing them as being too costly for the value of the project, because they are. I would like to know on what basis it was determined that the park requires more than double the current number of parking spaces. On 95% of the days in a year, the available parking spaces are more than sufficient. I reasonably estimate that extra parking would be used no more than the remaining 5% of days. I'm counting homecoming, the Westside Flea, concerts and occasional tournaments. So for 5% of the days in a year, current lawn areas will be destroyed and mature trees removed in order to create heat islands, light pollution and rainwater runoff. A parking lot next to the walking path and storybook walk will not only be unattractive, but a danger for children and an area to be avoided. A berm will not keep children out. As a city that touts itself a tree city USA, it is a disgrace to remove mature trees for any reason, much less to expand the parking lot by the senior center. Mature trees provide shade, absorb significant carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Replacing a mature tree with a sapling is not a one-to-one tradeoff. So there will be another unattractive area of the walking path to avoid. I would also like to know if there is something wrong with the current gazebo. Is it damaged? Unsafe? Is the cost to repair the gazebo exorbitant? It's an attractive structure, well elevated and covered. I've attended many concerts and have found it to be more than adequate. But you want what I assume you think is a fancy band shell. I saw pictures of the band shell compared to our current gazebo. It's most unattractive. lust because the Senior Center is in the park is no reason to relocate the pickle ball courts from Springvale. We'll be losing additional green space and gaining noise pollution for residents and all the walkers. Seniors are quite capable of driving to either Springvale or the Senior Center. Why damage more green space, inflict noise pollution on residents and walkers, and make another area of the walking path unappealing? If these so-called improvements to the park are completed, despite living across the street and enjoying proximity to the path, I will be leaving the city to drive to St. John's walking path, a beautiful natural treed area nearly entirely in the shade. I must say I find it curious that it is never mentioned, the cell tower financing for improvements in the park. How many residents have you told of a 140 -foot cell tower? Are they as thrilled as all of you seem to be? Anyone I've mentioned it to in passing doesn't believe me and are appalled to learn it's true. They don't understand how a cell tower improves the park. your 08-06-24 Council Meeting Minutes - Page 9