Neighbors Appeal Planning Commission Decision on Heideloff Home
Last week, the Lakewood Planning Commission voted — in a split decision — that the home at 13474 Edgewater Drive should not be designated a historic property.
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As expected, the neighbors of the 100-year-old Heideloff home filed an appeal regarding the Lakewood Planning Commission’s split decision that denied their request to make the home a historic landmark.
Per the city code, the applicant had 10 days to appeal.
“This is the same board that will hear our appeal,” said Jeff Weber, a neighbor of the Heideloff home and advocate for saving it. “I just don’t know. We’re arguing with the same information.”
Last week, the Lakewood Planning Commission voted — in a split decision — that the Heideloff property should not be designated a historic property.
Neighbors told Lakewood Patch following the meeting that they planned to appeal the decision.
The home at 13474 Edgewater Drive is expected to be demolished to make way for a new $2 million lakefront home.
Members of the planning commission deliberated for about 45 minutes on Thursday, and with a new member encouraged to abstain, the vote ended with a 3-3 decision.
That effectively denied the motion to make the property “historic” under city ordinance.
At the center of the debate was the issue of private property rights versus historic preservation.
The neighbors, not the property owners, submitted the paperwork to make the mansion a historic landmark.
The proposal to the demolish the home at 13474 Edgewater Drive was slated to go before the city’s architectural board of review, however the item had been deferred prior to the meeting.
Mark Reinhold, the architect representing the family that owns the home, said that news of the appeal wasn’t a surprise.
“We assumed they’d appeal,” he said.
Chris
7:23 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
I am so so glad these aren't my "neighbors".
ian king
12:01 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Chris,
You are sooo right on!
There are so many problems in Lakewood today - empty storefronts, crime on the increase, the 117th corridor that is often dangerous, the whole East End of Lakewood experiencing empty apt. buildings, rundown homes, loss of Shuttle Service for the elderly, rising taxes, and on and on. Yet, this group of economically priveleged Lakewood citizens waste government time and money to just advance their very elitist agenda of "not in my backyard." Wouldn't it have been nice if they could redirect their time and energy and $$ resources to helping solve the real problems that Lakewood and its citizen now face? I mean it is soooo obvious, that this is not about granting a home undeserved historical status, but all about maintaining their property values, and limiting/keeping out those who see their neighborhood with 21st century new visions. Shame on Lakewood government if they are allowed to abuse for their own agenda, what should be a rarely used community designation.
Barbara Christyson
8:47 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
If the owners say that it is too expensive to restore this magnificent, historic home, how can they afford to spend two million dollars on building a new house????
ian king
11:54 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
Barbara,
What standards are you applying to call this rather ordinary house magnificent?
Historic? Have you been to Shaker Heights? Cleveland Heights? Many more important architectural and historic homes in these cities that are not designated as landmarks. If this rather dull and historically unimportant house is granted landmark status, it will be very expensive to update it for today's lifestyle. I have toured this home that is dark inside, too many small rooms, outdated kitchens and bathrooms, rotting windows, etc. Perhaps the "not in my backyard neighbors" should have purchased this home when it was on the market for months - but then again, I doubt if any of them would want to live in it as it is now, or would want to spend the money to update/upgrade it. They just want to tell someone else how to spend their money and how to live in their own home. Shame on Lakewood if this mundane house if granted landmark status. Such a mockery of what should be a very honored and important for the community designation.
Bob Beck
12:56 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Because Barbara...it's THEIR money and they don't want to spend it on an outdated floor plan and rebuilding rotted out portions of the neglected interior. Then we all end up with a "historic" property that noone wants to live in worth a million when the City could have had a new home with all the latest innovations in construction (and therefore a much safe home) worth two million. The City and the Lakewood Schools would benefit immensely, as would the neighbors, who are saying that a much lesser valued property would enhance the value of their neighborhood more. Right!
Bob Bellamy
9:27 am on Friday, February 15, 2013
I have a feeling that a new $2M home won't quite be an eyesore! Believe me, I am all for historic preservation, but this is personal property...get out of it neighbors...the city nor the neighbors should have no say in this matter as long as the demolition and new construction meets all current codes.
Alex Vandehoff
12:00 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
"It's old and I like it" seems to be the rationale of people who want to make buildings 'historic.' Just like the Detroit theater, if you like it so much, you should have bought it.
John
2:45 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
This is the same kind of rationale that "preserved" that rotting hulk of an structure at W. 117th and Lake (admittedly in the City of Cleveland) that is the abandoned First Church of Christ Scientist when the then owners of Rego's wanted to build a larger market for their customers in 1991. They abandoned those efforts by 1995 in response to the same kind of knee-jerk preservation being experienced now in Lakewood. This is not the way to "preserve" Lakewood: by prohibiting a property owner from removing an outdated dilapidated structure and replacing it with a substantial investment in the city!
ian king
4:26 pm on Friday, February 15, 2013
Hi John,
You are so spot on! Too many long time residents of Lakewood refuse to accept the reality that Lakewood is on the decline. Yes, we have a few new gas stations, discount drug stores, and a couple more fast food joints, but most new businesses in town are either very iffy - such as an overabundance of restaurants and bars - or not high tax revenue generators. As Lakewood's population declines, its housing and apartment stock deteriorates, Madison Avenue businesses closing more and more, and most citizens experiencing property and income taxes increase, what will be the future of Lakewood that will encourage investment and more home ownership? Seeking inappropriate "landmark designation" for a very unremarkable house will not only make Lakewood a laughing stock for those truly concerned with historic preservation, but will discourage anyone from buying a "historic" house or "vintage" property in a town whose new reputation is that any nonowner/"neighbor" can determine the future of privately owned property/investment - without your consent! Unbelievable in 2013!
Bob Beck
1:45 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Are there two different Lakewoods, Ian? What about the remodeling of the INA Bldg& the Bailey Building with restaurants and the University of Akron. Or the rebuilding of the Discount Drug Mart commercial strip? What about the "Melt?" What about the $3 miilion addition to the church at the corner of Detroit and Marlowe Avenue? What about the renovations all up and down Detroit and the new construction and new businesses? The population in Lakewood is growing Ian. It's over 52,000 and the surplus schools we were going to sell--we may need those. Housing deterioration? You're aware of the new luxury condos on Sloane Ave overlooking the Rocky River? They can't build'm fast enough! Bars and restaurants are not high tax revenue generators? There's the income tax on workers and the City receives a portion of the sales tax generated on all the liquor/food sales. That's why we have so many! The Madison Avenue renaissance is about to begin Ian...there are more articles in the Sun Paper and the Observer every week. What about the new WalGreens and the New Sherwin Williams stores at Warren and Madison? The BP station is getting a renovation in May. The Madison Avenue business owners have formed their own group to promote more business. Soon we'll be dancing in the street on Madison Avenue. Lakewood is home to a lot of entrepreneurs--by definition: high risk Lotsa turnover. You did get the landmark designation debacle right though! Council needs to rewrite that law!