my god, let it go.....someone wants to build a 2 million dollar home next to your half million dollar home....waaaaaahhhhhhhhh, i dont wnat my property value increased......have you ever lived in a duplex next to a meth dealer? life is so rough for you socialites.....elitists.

I can understand both points of view, but I have to side with the issue of Property Rights and the Seamaans right to make the decision of what they want to do with their home. I would hate to buy a property for so much money and have the city or my Neighbors tell me what I can and cannot do with my property that I worked and paid for. That's gotta be the worse feeling in the world for the Seamaans and to have to continue to spend money by hiring an attorney to defend their rights to their property is sick! My heart goes out to them....sometimes people get so entangled in material things (like the historic home) and "being right", that they forget what matters most (people.)

From what I have heard, it isn't really about preserving anything. It's about petty control, and sticking their noses where they dont belong. Add to that a bag of money that was burning a hole in one of the "neighbor's" pockets. A neighbor who coincidentally wanted to buy the property but was turn down.

Welcome to Lakewood M&M Semaan - Build to your hearts content!!!

Here is a solution...if a community/city/government wants to declare something a community historic landmark building for community value, then the property should get a tax credit to compensate the owners for the extra work and limits on use. That way the community/government is paying for the benefits it is getting.

Hopefully the City Council will move to amend this ordinance to clean up the issue of who may file for Historic designation and the rights of the property owner.

Right decision by the Commission.

I applaud the city for its decision. The owners said they would sell had it been designated an historic landmark, and who would then want to buy knowing the amount of expense needed to restore. Seems to me it would then be vacant, gone further into disrepair, and ending up on the auction block. That certainly would not
help the property values of the area homeowners!

Why was the new member of the commission encouraged to abstain from voting? It would have broken the tie. Which side "encouraged" the abstention?

He bought the house for $750,000 and found out it would need $600,000 in repairs and they couldn't do it in an "economically feasible" way? How is spending $750,000 for a house only to spend a ton of money to tear it down and then construct a $2,000,000 house in its place "economically feasible"?

Mayor Summers, It seems like you admit to a lot of problems, not doing your research, on a lot of issues when you were a councilman, "The notion of personal property rights and their infringement frankly was not a part of the discussion — I wish it had been.” Why did you support the pit bull ban here when there clearly was infringement on the good owners of these dogs? And let me add, never a pit bull problem HERE in Lakewood. Maybe it is time to rethink this ord. What do say, Mr. Mayor??? A house is a house, which can always be rebuilt, but a dog is family that cannot be replaced once put down (killed) only because of how it looks, not acts...

JUST SAY NO! finally was the right decision here. For the neighbors to continue this fight clearly demonstrates what their real agenda is here - preservation of their so-called property values and limiting redevelopment of any kind in their own backyard.
That the vote was so close - 3 voting to grant landmark designation - is very scary indeed. I would not call this a win for individual owner property rights for Lakewood citizens at all. Just a very lucky win. Lets hope this new member sees the light of day and votes in favor of continued denial of landmark designation for this really rather ugly, outdated, nothing special home.

I also found it amazing that the group fighting to obtain historic landmark designation for this house, compares it to other demolished homes that were once standing in Lakewood. Ok, SO WHAT? What is this fascination certain citizens of Lakewood have with preserving the lifestyles of the rich? What is so wonderful about admiring/desiring/fantasizing about homes of the rich? Will our school children learn anything about democracy or our city or our state or our country if this house is designated landmark status? What does the Heideloff house teach us that is historically important? Is it that the rich live better than us? Is it that the rich can obtain and then deny access to lake front property? What is to be learned from this? I find it sadly ironic that the citizens of Lakewood would become so involved in this issue while many homes in town are in disrepair, empty storefronts on almost every business block, and a whole lot of the east side of town falling into drug/crime hood. Wake up citizens of Lakewood and get over your fascination with relics of the wealthy past. This need to designate this historically unimportant house with landmark status is nothing but prostitution for the rich.

It is frightening that anyone can file an application to designate someone elses property as a historic landmark. with all the restrictions that come with such designation. That unelected and unappointed people can expose the city to what could be extensive liability is simply wrong.

I suggest the ordinance be amended to require that any non-owner who files an application accompany it with a bond sufficient to make the owner whole if the application succeeds. If the application succeeds, the owner should have the option of selling the property to the city for the amount of the bond, or retaining the property, with his legal costs paid from the bond, the remainder of the bond to become revenue to the city.

I know where that house is it sits way in the back and is all alone. there is a street with 7 -10 houses to the left and another street with more houses to the right what is historic about that 20 peoples houses back up to your property

Final comment to the city's planning commission members who voted in favor of landmark designation: as a very high paying tax citizen of Lakewood, why would you grant this home such important status? will I and my children be able to visit this home and see what is it so important historically? will I be able to tour the inside and see the so-called grand staircase? does this make it historically important to the citizens of Lakewood? what will be the benefits to Lakewood if this house is given this should be rare designation? or will we be able only to drive by and gawk at a so called mansion from afar and envy the lifestyles of the rich = is this historically worth preserving? Please explain your vote in favor of abusing what should be a very rarely used designation - that being granting landmark designation.

I love your comments ian king. Never stop!

As a neighbor of the property I have to point out that the majority of us have no issue with the Semaans. We have lived next to an empty and decaying property for several years now and are happy to have someone who loved Lakewood enough to take on this property. Lakewood once had some stunning lakefront mansions. This house is the least of them. No one else wanted it and I have found it odd that no one tried to obtain the designation when it was for sale for more than two years and now, suddenly, it's a big deal.
Ian, I have seen the inside of the house. You aren't missing much. I'm sure the staircase and a few other nice features could find a new home if the new house doesn't reuse them. We need to put this behind us and move on. It makes Lakewood and some of its residents look ridiculous.

I think we need to take a lesson from the Europeans and start protecting our historic buildings and period structures. Like it or not Lakewood is known for its antique architecture and historic past. Protecting that reputation is everyone's responsibility. Anytime you cover that beauty with aluminum siding or replacing a beautiful piece of architectural trim on a house you downgrade the city. There are plenty of areas where a 2 million dollar house could be built and welcomed. If you let this one go, you stand the chance of turning Edgewater, Lake and all the side streets into cluster homes and out of place modern structures that add nothing to the ambiance of our city. Look at Detroit Ave. This was once a charming street of churches, locally owned small shops, theaters and family owned restaurants and taverns. How many more drug stores, fast food, banks and strip malls do we need here? If this continues we will start looking like Rockside Rd. at I-77. Keep that house standing as a part of our heritage. Send the Semaans to Avon or Westlake where they belong. And shame on you Mayor for blocking the designation.

This whole situation is completely and utterly bizarre. I've never in my life come across a group of neighbors wanting to fight against their fellow neighbor's property. Lakewood is undoubtably a historic community, and the qualities of most of the homes residing in lakewood can be considered "historical" and in need of "preservation" .... Why pick on this house in particular? Clearly, when this home was sitting vacant for years, doing nothing but taking up space and slowly eroding away, nobody took interest in attempting to repair the house or submit an application to turn this home into a historical landmark.. But when someone becomes interested in this property because they see potential in developing this old vacant house into something beautiful, all of a sudden an uprising stirs? Where were you people when this home was rotting away? I have attended many of these meetings and have seen these neighbors go against the semaans plan to develop this unused & unwanted property into something beautiful, suited for the family and admired by passerby. I am disgusted with the behavior of these neighbors, as they are putting a bad name on for Lakewood and making us seem as if we are an unwelcoming and malicious place prone to accepting change and modern development. I was more than thrilled to have heard that this worn down house was actually being adopted into the possession of a new family.

This property is nothing close to be labeled as a mansion, as the interior is nearly a disaster with the exception of a few newly repaired areas, but in all this home possesses extreme physical damage almost beyond repair. I hope Lakewood residents, realize that this is NOT acceptable behavior should not be tolerated by city council or the rest of our community. this obserd and cruel abuse of such a law that was created to protect homeowners and their property, was not intended to be used against those wanting to start fresh and expand our city. I see absolutely nothing wrong with the semaan's proposal, and I send my heart out to them for having to go through this amount of trouble. I wish you and your family nothing but the best and I hope all goes your way, and others will realize that history is meant for the past, and we need to accept that you can't hold on to the past in a place where our only hope is to continue to move forward. Best of luck to the semaan family!