After rehabbing five long-vacant homes as part of the City’s Green Neighborhood Initiative, South Euclid just might be the greenest place in Greater Cleveland.
Four of the homes have been sold; the fifth, on Wilmington Road, has been vacant for about a year and will go on the market this spring. All of the homes meet national “Enterprise Green Communities” criteria for design, site improvements, healthy living features and other requirements after rehabilitation. Proceeds from their sales are deposited back into the program to fund future projects.
Transforming once-troubled homes into environmentally-responsible showplaces is an achievement-but it’s only one part of South Euclid’s greening effort. They are creating two pocket parks in City neighborhoods: one is at 1080 Argon, where “the block group is super-involved,” says Sally Martin, the City’s Housing Manager. The site had been owned by the Cuyahoga Land Bank, which donated it to South Euclid. Neighbors met to decide how they wanted to use the land and the outcome was a 150-signature petition supporting a park.
“They’re very, very excited about this project,” Martin says. “They want to sell pavers with names engraved as a way to raise funds for developing and maintaining the space.”
The second park, at the corner of Colony and Halsey Roads, will overlook Dugway Brook. “It will be a nice little space, landscaped with a path, beautiful plants, places to sit-a place to stop and relax,” Martin says.
And, in the coming months, South Euclid will debut two new community gardens, that will join the three successful gardens already operating in the City. One is located at 4191 Hinsdale Road on the site of a demolished house and the other sits inside Quarry Park. With help from students and faculty of Notre Dame College, the Quarry Park site will be a teaching garden for children.
“They not only teach kids how to grow foods, the students also will learn about organic foods, why we should try to eat locally grown foods and, if they sell their produce at the market, they’ll learn some entrepreneurial skills,” Martin says. The youth initiative engages students in grade school and middle school.