Cleveland Heights · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Cleveland Heights public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Community Improvement Corporation board restructuring and property disposition committee
The CIC board decided to keep the corporation alive but mostly on the sidelines, acting as an advisor while city staff handle vacant-property disposition directly. Council legislation and a funding reallocation decision are coming.
Sale or lease of city-owned property
Council rushed through the sale of three vacant lots to Start Right CDC, which is building homes with a $500,000 state Welcome Home Ohio grant that requires completion by June 2028. The deal includes a 12-month construction deadline and five-year owner-occupancy requirement.
Comprehensive Plan for Affordable Housing and Down Payment Assistance Program
The consultants pitched 'social housing' — transferring market-rate apartment buildings to mission-driven owners (CDCs, co-ops, B Corps) that don't need profit margins, potentially cutting long-term rents 25-40%. Council members noted churches with surplus land could be partners.
Park Synagogue development status
The developer paid $250,639 in building permit fees that a prior executive order had waived, so council had to appropriate money to refund them. It's a wash for the city financially, but members criticized that it wasn't anticipated in the budget.
Housing Needs Assessment findings
Early findings show housing gaps at BOTH the low and high ends of the market — higher earners are moving down into mid-band housing, squeezing everyone. The surprise: the city needs more market-rate housing, not just affordable. Council will get preliminary recommendations in late August.
Infill housing and CRA tax abatement
The city has 144 vacant lots and four homes to work with. An RFQ for developers goes out this week, and a separate process for residents wanting to build owner-occupied homes on city lots is expected within a month or two.
Housing and Business Maintenance Code amendments
The city is hiring the International Code Council for $105,100 to overhaul building and housing codes that have barely been updated in decades. Residents have long complained about slow housing enforcement, and council wants public input built into the process.
Alcazar redevelopment 30-year tax abatement and TIF
A 30-year tax increment financing deal for renovating the Alcazar apartments drew scrutiny: Council Member Cobb argued the city's own parking requirements add roughly $10,000 a year in costs that taxpayers then subsidize. Rent protections for long-time tenants were clarified to start at construction completion.
Hillside Dairy Public Works Yard demolition
Bids for the long-awaited Hillside Dairy demolition open May 7, kicking off the plan to redevelop the Noble Triangle; expect contract legislation and a budget amendment on May 18.
Housing Council appointments
The city just learned it must seat a Housing Council, including two council appointees, to review tax incentives and community reinvestment areas before March 31. The committee plans to appoint from the recent Planning Commission applicant pool at the March 3 council meeting.
Severance redevelopment partnership
Mayor Petras announced Avison Young was hired Feb 2 to independently review whether the Severance zoning overlay is right for the community — separate from the citywide zoning rewrite. A deliverable is expected in about five weeks.