December 15, 2016 [Sue Boros, West Life]
After being turned down earlier this year, city officials will again try to secure a county grant for turning vacant land at the corner of Wooster Road and Shoreland Drive into a neighborhood park.
At City Council’s committee of the whole meeting Dec. 5, Councilman at Large Chris Klym said the bid for $150,000 from the Cuyahoga County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program “looks to be identical to the request made last year.” He added the application must be submitted by Dec. 23.
When the city’s first request was turned down in February of this year, Mayor Pam Bobst stated projects involving infrastructure improvements usually score higher on the point system used by the county to determine which projects will receive grant funding.
The land under consideration lies at the corner of Wooster and Shoreland and was purchased by the city for $154,000 when an auto repair shop on the property closed. Shortly after, a grant from the Cuyahoga County Land Bank was secured to raze the building and clean up any hazardous wastes resulting from the vehicle repair business.
Once a part of the 93-acre estate of brewery owner and businessman Leonard Schlather, city officials have discussed making the area a “passive park” offering historical information and a neighborhood gathering spot.
Bobst said the property needs to be appraised, and some neighboring residents have requested purchasing a few feet as an addition to their own lots.
In related business, council also introduced legislation to apply for a Cuyahoga County Community Development Supplemental Grant (CDSG) for a sign, signal and pedestrian safety project on the west side of Wooster. The maximum funding would amount to $50,000.
Ordinance sponsor, Ward 1 Councilman Tom Hunt, remarked the upgrade would improve pedestrian crossing in the area with better signage and signals.