Say NO to REZONE PHASE TWO PLEDGE CAMPAIGN
Paid for by Say No To Rezone PAC
Say NO to REZONE PHASE TWO PLEDGE CAMPAIGN
Paid for by Say No To Rezone PAC
LATEST UPDATES as of Sept 8, 2021
Hello. We hope you are all well and staying safe. Please read the important update below.
We emailed the below information to all Say No To Rezone PAC members :
September 8, 2021
To: Members of the Say No To Rezone PAC
Re: Candidate information to be an informed voter - November 2021 election
Hello. We hope you are all well and continuing to stay safe. We are writing today to give you information about the candidates who are running for Pepper Pike City Council and the Orange School Board. But first, we want to assure you that the two of us are still working to save the Beech Brook property from unwanted development. It has been over two years since we became involved and we are continuously looking for new approaches to reach our goal. As always, we will send you updates as they become available.
Because of the potential rezoning of the Beech Brook property, we have attended almost all the Pepper Pike City Council and Planning Commission meetings, along with several School Board meetings, and have formed the following opinions:
The maintaining of the bucolic character of Pepper Pike and the security of the school campus is endangered by potential unwanted development of the Beech Brook property. There is a lack of transparency from the city and there is poor communication to residents. There is also a lack of a master plan and park commission for Pepper Pike. The city has an inadequate website. A lack of comments/opinions from councilmen also exists at the end of council meetings.
Based on our opinions of these key issues, we sent a questionnaire (attached) to each council candidate and a separate questionnaire to each school board candidate. We have attached each of their unedited responses. (Be sure to scroll down to see all 12 attachments.) It’s a lot to read but we feel that it is vital to the well-being of our community to be an informed voter. Read their responses carefully and decide which candidates reflect your vision and goals.
Now, about the candidates – Five candidates are running for four positions on Pepper Pike City Council:
Cathy Hwang *
Richard Leskovec
Scott Newell *
Melanie Weltman *
Emmy Zatroch *
For the Orange School Board, five candidates are running for three positions:
Scott Bilsky *
Rebecca Boyle *
Nathan Haber – DID NOT RESPOND TO QUESTIONNAIRE
Adam Hedaya – DID NOT RESPOND TO QUESTIONNAIRE
Jeffrey Leikin *
* Denotes candidates who have our personal endorsement.
Early voting begins October 5. Go to https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/en-US/vote-by-mail.aspxfor vote-by-mail instructions. Election day is November 2.
Manny and Judi Naft (treasurers) Manny, cell - 440-567-4390
Say No To Rezone PAC
2632 SOM Center Rd., Pepper Pike OH 44124
Website: www.SayNoToRezone.com
Facebook: Keep Pepper Pike Beautiful Say No To Rezone
LATEST UPDATES as of July 21, 2021
Hello. We hope you are all well and staying safe. Please read the important update below.
We emailed the below information to all Say No To Rezone PAC members and all elected City officials:
July 20, 2021
We are emailing you to share our thoughts on the survey sent out July 20, 2021 by Mayor Bain regarding the proposed multi-purpose trail in the median of Gates Mills Blvd. Please evaluate these comments carefully before you respond to the mayor’s survey.
Originally, Mayor Bain said, “I’m not a survey kind of guy” and we’re extremely pleased he has changed his mind. It appears that input from others caused this welcome reversal of position.
On June 25, 2021 we submitted a letter to the mayor regarding five suggestions and criteria that should be considered while developing this survey. These suggestions were also published in the Chagrin Valley Times on July 1. Unfortunately, it appears that most of these suggestions were not addressed in the survey published by the mayor on July 20.
Some of our concerns with the published survey and accompanying fact sheet are below:
1. Who wrote the survey? Was it written by a professional survey service? Were residents from both sides of the trail issue involved in the development of the survey? Did councilmen review the survey before it was published? Was a criteria threshold set for how to evaluate the responses?
2. We feel the survey is extremely biased in its language and presentation.
a. The conceptual photos do not show the rows of homes on both sides of the trail
b. The first question asks how important physical fitness is to you? Come on, really?
c. The adjectives are overdone and biased: winding trail; leisurely stroll; protected median; natural features; safe, beautiful walkway; enhanced beautification; more inviting environment; spacious median; ample green space; safe, pedestrian-friendly; beautiful park-like space; safe, secure pathway.
d. This is NOT a park; this is a median strip. And since when is the traffic circle at Shaker and Brainard called the Shaker/Brainard Circle Park? It’s not a park; it’s a traffic circle. WE NEED A REAL PARK!
3. The city needs a park commission and a master plan for parks and recreation. This survey is starting in the middle of a process without an overall master plan.
a. Do residents want to spend $700,000 of tax money (the cost to the city AFTER the grant) or put that money toward a REAL park (Beech Brook)? Would you prefer to use a median walking trail or a complete park setting to get your exercise?
b. What will the additional cost be for the “beautification” part of this trail (trees, shrubs, etc.) If the mayor’s goal is to beautify Gates Mills Blvd., why not do it without the asphalt trail?
4. The survey results should reflect the wishes of Gates Mills Blvd. residents separately from other city residents.
5. It appears that the survey was only sent to those residents who are on the city’s email list. This issue should reflect the opinions of ALL Pepper Pike residents, not just those who have access to computers and email.
6. The city owns the Gates Mills Blvd. median and it will always be there; why push the decision now? The Clean Ohio Trails Fund grants have been available for years and will probably continue into the future. Will city officials go forward with this project without grant funding?
7. How will an asphalt trail affect storm water controls?
Please evaluate these comments carefully before you respond to the mayor’s survey.
June 15, 2021
Hello. We hope you are all well and staying safe. Please read the important update below.
Beech Brook Property Update
June 15, 2021
We would like to communicate updates to you about the 68 beautifully wooded acres of the Beech Brook property. Unfortunately, it is still being marketed through CBRE as “commercial land” and “the premier office, residential, and mixed-use development site in Northeast Ohio.”
Our efforts to work with the Pepper Pike councilmen and the mayor to establish a Land Acquisition and Park Commission, while gaining support from some councilmen, has not produced any results in spite of the lengthy report we submitted regarding other park commissions in nearby communities.
Our next step in trying to save this beautiful property as a park or preserve is to have residents of Pepper Pike and surrounding communities raise part of the funds needed to acquire the land. Once adequate funds are raised, we will continue to work with Western Reserve Land Conservancy to strategize an approach to acquire the property.
So…..Phase Two of the Say No To Rezone political action committee has just begun. At this point in time, we are asking only for pledges – no money will change hands. Our request for pledges will only be a list of names and amounts (even written in pencil, not ink!) that we will keep confidential. Actual donations in the future (when there is a contract with Beech Brook) can be cash and/or appreciated stocks. To date, we have pledges totaling $100,000 from 33 families in Pepper Pike, Orange Village, Moreland Hills and Cleveland Hts. Individual pledges have ranged from $100 to $25,000 but a pledge in any amount is meaningful.
If each of the nearly 3,600 Pepper Pike residents who voted against the rezoning could pledge $1,000, we will have raised $3,600,000 toward the acquisition and protection of the Beech Brook property. Now we realize that not everyone is in a position to pledge this much, but we also think that many of you are in a position to pledge much more. Again, at this point in time, this is only a confidential list of names and pledge amounts which we will keep until a firm purchase offer is on the table.
We have approached the Orange School Board about forming a consortium of communities to help the Western Reserve Land Conservancy acquire the Beech Brook property. You can read about our presentation to the School Board here: https://www.cleveland.com/community/2021/06/pepper-pike-couple-asks-orange-school-board-for-help-with-beech-brook-plan.html
Try to imagine the forever impact of saving this land now and for future generations. Please email us with your generous pledge at SayNoToRezone@roadrunner.com
-or-
click on below link to make your pledge.
With sincere thanks,
Manny and Judi Naft (treasurers) Manny, cell - 440-567-4390
Say No To Rezone PAC
2632 SOM Center Rd., Pepper Pike OH 44124
Facebook: Keep Pepper Pike Beautiful Say No To Rezone - RECENTLY UPDATED FOR PHASE TWO
NEWS
ISSUE 34 was voted down by residents by 83% of the votes cast on November 3, 2020.
A heart felt THANK YOU to all the supporters of the Say No To Rezone movement!! It was truly a grassroots team effort by the whole community that enabled us to get the facts out to the public on what was at stake and to achieve the 83% NO vote on Issue 34.
We are now actively engaged in PHASE TWO of this process which is continuing to work with the Western Reserve Land Conservancy to raise funds to purchase the 68-acre Beech Brook property. We are hopeful that Beech Brook will be a good neighbor and set a reasonable price for the property so the WRLC can acquire the property and it can become a land preserve and a park for the benefit of the entire community and environment. This will allow our generation and all future generations to enjoy this natural setting. It would truly be a shame to loose this beautiful and bucolic resource.
Sincerely,
Manny & Judi Naft,
Treasurers of Say No To Rezone PAC
IN THE NEWS as of May 2021
The Beech Brook property is still being marketed through CBRE as “commercial land” and “the premier office, residential, and mixed-use development site in Northeast Ohio.”
May 17, 2021
· What can I do now to help?
If each of the nearly 3,600 people who voted against the rezoning could pledge $1,000, we will have raised $3,600,000 toward the acquisition and protection of the Beech Brook property. Now we realize that not everyone is in a position to pledge this much, but we also think that many of you are in a position to pledge much more. Again, at this point in time, this is only a confidential list of names and pledge amounts which we will keep until a firm purchase offer is on the table. Perhaps by that time, and with pressure from residents, the City of Pepper Pike (and other communities that are part of the Orange School District), would be willing to contribute funds.
Try to imagine the forever impact of saving this land now and for future generations. Please email us with your generous pledge at SayNoToRezone@roadrunner.com
-or-
click on below link to make your pledge.
MAY 2021 - The Beech Brook property is still being marketed through CBRE as “commercial land” and “the premier office, residential, and mixed-use development site in Northeast Ohio.”
Sierra Club Statement
Northeast Ohio Chapter (click photo to see full letter below)
The Sierra Club is currently involved in environmentally protecting the Beech Brook, New Directions and Parker/Passov properties from the effects of construction, particularly 195,500 sq. ft. of commercial, office, retail and dense-housing development. The Sierra Club states:
“…To be clear, the proposed project degrades a desirable mature forest ecosystem, valued by the community, and a deep, wide one at that, that are even more rare, and that cannot be replaced without great cost and labor,stewarded over the courses of decades. Pepper Pike now has, as nearly a gift, a mature forest that other cities would love to possess-and that attracts home buyers. Natural areas and canopy cover are desirable to buyers, and increasingly so, for aesthetics, health, sustainability and personal enjoyment…”
The Sierra Club is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. They amplify the power of 3.8 million members and supporters to defend everyone’s right to a healthy world. There are almost 70 Sierra Club members who call Pepper Pike home.
Fran Mentch, Executive Committee Chair and Linda Sekura, Conservation Co-Chair of the Northeast Ohio Sierra Club have both taken an active interest in the proposed rezoning issue in Pepper Pike which will destroy at least 73 green and wooded acres in our bucolic community.
Linda Sekura has issued a formal “Statement of Northeast Ohio Sierra Club Regarding the Proposed Development of the Beech Brook Property in Pepper Pike.” The findings should be very concerning to the residents and city officials of Pepper Pike and the surrounding communities.
Linda offered to make herself available for Axiom’s webinar panel discussion on the environment on August 25, 2020 but her offer was declined by Axiom’s Bryan Stone.
About Us: Say NO to Rezone
Did you know that Axiom, a private developer, was trying to rezone Beech Brook/Willey Creek and add a new Zoning Ordinance for Mixed-Use to our City's Zoning Code (Chapter 1271) and amend the Zoning Map?
Did you know that Axiom, a private developer, was trying to rezone Beech Brook/Willey Creek and add a new Zoning Ordinance for Mixed-Use to our City's Zoning Code (Chapter 1271) and amend the Zoning Map?
Did you know that Axiom, a private developer, was trying to rezone Beech Brook/Willey Creek and add a new Zoning Ordinance for Mixed-Use to our City's Zoning Code (Chapter 1271) and amend the Zoning Map?
Axiom was proposing rezoning 3 large separate properties near Lander/Chagrin totaling over 70 acres of land into "Willey Creek Mixed-Use Overlay District."
Did you know that Axiom, a private developer, was trying to rezone Beech Brook/Willey Creek and add a new Zoning Ordinance for Mixed-Use to our City's Zoning Code (Chapter 1271) and amend the Zoning Map?
Did you know that Axiom, a private developer, was trying to rezone Beech Brook/Willey Creek and add a new Zoning Ordinance for Mixed-Use to our City's Zoning Code (Chapter 1271) and amend the Zoning Map?
Axiom's proposal had included ~200,000 sq, ft. of retail/commercial/office space and over 150 attached and detached dwellings and townhomes.
Willey Creek Riparian Corridor--area in Beech Brook property surrounding Willey Creek--PROTECTED BY LAW
Did you know that Axiom, a private developer, was trying to rezone Beech Brook/Willey Creek and add a new Zoning Ordinance for Mixed-Use to our City's Zoning Code (Chapter 1271) and amend the Zoning Map?
Willey Creek Riparian Corridor--area in Beech Brook property surrounding Willey Creek--PROTECTED BY LAW
By law, 75 feet on each side of Willey Creek (which goes thru Beech Brook) MUST be preserved.
Say NO to Rezone
Say No To Rezone is a grassroots political action committee formed by two 35-year residents of Pepper Pike in 9/2019 and is registered with the Board of Elections. We have over 400 supporters.
Our goal is to preserve the character and bucolic landscape of the Orange School District communities.
A Pledge at Any Level is Welcome & Meaningful
Any CONFIDENTIAL PLEDGE will help with the acquisition and protection of the Beech Brook property.
Please email your confidential pledge to:
A pledge at any level is welcome and meaningful.