Cleveland Heights · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Cleveland Heights public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Citywide zoning update and Hampshire Park concerns
Council Member Cohen addressed resident worries that zoning changes could eliminate Hampshire Park: nothing happens January 1, the park is a conditional use in any district, and the city may create a park district around it. Public engagement starts with a first look around late February or early March.
Deer management survey
After two public hearings, council gave first reading to a USDA Wildlife Services agreement to cull 200 deer in 2027 at a cost not exceeding $66,907.55 — cheaper than many expected. Culls run January–March and October–December, with meat donated to a local food bank.
Sewer rate increase to offset consent decree costs
About $12.9 million goes to major sewer projects like CH 27 and CH 50 plus catch basin repairs — work largely required by the EPA consent decree and paid through the sewer fund. A water main on Nela View also gets replaced.
Street repaving and traffic safety
After a record 38 streets repaved in 2026, the budget puts another $3+ million into repaving, crack sealing, striping, and pedestrian safety/traffic calming guided by speed data.
Speed Cameras in School Zones
Administrator Reese reported ongoing work with Councilmember Posch and Chief Britton following the October 27 public hearing on cameras in school zones — next steps still to come.
Senior home repair loan program equity
Council approved $400,000 more for the Home Repair Resource Center's exterior repair program — up to $8,000 per homeowner for households at 80–120% of area median income. Funds come from ARPA dollars already earmarked, and there's already a queue of homeowners waiting.
Cumberland Pool Facility Modernization and Rehabilitation
The budget's biggest line item — about $13.7 million — modernizes the Cumberland pool while preserving its historic features. Groundbreaking is planned for after the 2027 swim season, paid with bonds spread over decades. A virtual community design meeting is set for November 10.
Pedestrian safety and oversized vehicles
The committee was scheduled to receive a traffic safety presentation. It could set the stage for future safety measures on city streets.
Declining city fund balances in Q3 2026
The unencumbered General Fund balance is about $17.5 million, roughly $2.5 million under the $20 million target, partly from an unanticipated workers' comp payment. Council is being warned to scrutinize every new spending request that draws from Fund 101.
Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan
Consultants are finalizing the parks master plan with publication expected in May. Council wants input before conclusions are locked in, possibly at a special committee meeting.
Sidewalk Repair
A pilot using ARPA money will fix broken sidewalk panels on streets already being repaved, starting with Greyton and Altamont. Council wants a bigger, possibly assessment-based city program in the 2027 budget, focused first on economically distressed areas.
Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)
Council is finalizing rules to allow ADUs in residential districts: conditionally permitted (not by right), owner-occupied properties only, attached or detached only, with the Planning Commission's recommendation to waive the 5-foot setback for existing structures. A public hearing will be scheduled before a final vote.
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.
Tree Canopy Survey
The city is hiring ArborPro to inventory every city tree and build an Urban Forestry Master Plan. Council members asked that canopy disparities between neighborhoods be prioritized for new planting, that public meetings be advertised beyond email, and whether sidewalk damage from tree roots can be captured in the survey.
Cumberland Pool modernization
Council reviewed the $913,000 DS Architecture contract to design the Cumberland Pool overhaul, chosen from twelve proposals. The project fits within the $110 million pool bond budget and targets a new pool by 2028.
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.
Blanche Avenue Extension Project
Residents questioned whether the $2.5 million Blanche Avenue extension — $850,000 in federal funds — benefits Cleveland Heights taxpayers, and raised concerns about tax abatement for homes and land values of the Hebrew Academy lots. The mayor said no decisions have been made, the project is cost-neutral to the city, and eminent domain is not on the table.
Essex Road traffic calming request
A resident documented nearly 700 vehicles a day on Essex Road, three crashes since 2020, and a killed pet, asking for speed tables, curb extensions and signage under the city's ~$1 million traffic calming funding.
Board and Commission Vacancies
There's one open seat on the Transportation and Mobility Committee and three on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board that council needs to fill.
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.
Noble Road district revitalization (NABA)
Noble Road residents want a supermarket and coffee shop, and council members say density is the key to attracting one. The rewrite would zone the corridor for mixed-use with residential above retail and ease lot consolidation to spur investment.
Greater Cleveland RTA presentation
RTA is heading to the May 2027 ballot for a 0.25–0.50% sales tax increase — its first ask since 1975. The money would fund more frequent buses and trains, airport rail service, and BRT corridors including one through Cleveland Heights. Groceries, rent, medicine, and gas would be exempt, but the county's total sales tax could reach 8.5%.
Landmark Commission ordinance revision
The proposed overhaul would update how historic properties get designated and reviewed — including dropping owner consent in favor of written notice, adding demolition safeguards, an appeal process, and landmark commission comment on construction near landmarks. Council is split on removing owner consent, and a revised draft plus public meeting are planned before any legislation.
Opposition to Ohio House Bills 2642 and 281 and Senate Bill 172
Councilman Posch relayed a warning from State Rep. Juanita Brent about four Columbus bills that would require local agencies to share information with ICE, let ICE into hospitals, and force schools to report students' immigration status. He urged residents to email state legislators.
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.
Dedicated safe-streets budget line item
Council advanced a contract with Chagrin Valley Engineering for the federal SS4A demonstration project — crosswalk daylighting, better lighting, curb extensions, and signal retiming to protect pedestrians and cyclists.
Horseshoe Lake Park and Army Corps review
A resident reported that 2,000 trees will be cut down as part of the Shaker Lakes sewer project and delivered a petition with 500+ signatures asking for a pause and real dialogue with council members.
Cumberland Pool Design
Designers showed a plan keeping the historic bathhouse and main pool (fixed to true 25-yard lap lanes and a safer diving well) while adding a new leisure pool with zero-depth entry, a lazy river, and a splash area. Construction would start after the 2027 season so the pool reopens in 2028 without losing a summer.
City Council Application and Job Description
Council filled its vacant seat with Sarah Stone, a retired nonprofit/higher-ed executive, 5-1. Several members acknowledged the appointment reduces the council's racial diversity in a diverse city and pledged to build a pipeline of candidates from all backgrounds.
Short-Term Rentals Ordinance
More than 140 STRs operate in Cleveland Heights with no local rules. The draft ordinance creates registration, neighbor notification, nuisance penalties, and a 3% transient occupancy tax that Airbnb may collect directly. Look for public hearings and final action in early September.
Flock safety cameras privacy concerns
Council passed new rules for the Flock cameras: 30-day data retention, no immigration-enforcement data sharing without a warrant, and restricted third-party access. Supporters cited solved hit-and-runs and fraud cases; critics said the city should cancel Flock entirely over hacking and data-sharing concerns.
2026 Tax Levies and Appropriations
The council was scheduled to consider accepting the Budget Commission's tax rates and certifying levies to the county, plus an ordinance amending 2026 appropriations. These set the city's property tax rates and spending adjustments for the year.
ARPA spending at 86% with Noble corridor investments detailed
With 89% of $30.8 million spent, about 11% of ARPA money remains, some of it unencumbered and likely headed to Cain Park restrooms. Council member DeWitt-Foy pressed for something — possibly lighting or maintenance — for the Cedar Fairmount and Lee Road districts that got nothing from the original business assistance allocations.
2026 City Appropriations Ordinance
An amended ordinance adjusting the city's 2026 spending plan was up for second reading. These mid-year tweaks keep department budgets aligned with actual needs.
Cain Park Restrooms Renovation Project cost increase
The bathroom renovation at five Cain Park locations more than doubled in cost to $1.01 million, but it's all paid with federal ARPA money that gets forfeited if not spent by December 31. The upgrades also fix ADA compliance problems that have already cost the city in lawsuits.
Nelaview Water Main Replacement Project
The city got bids for replacing water mains under Brinkmore, Mount Laurel, and Altamont — roads with terrible pavement scores that had to wait for water main funding first. Terrace Construction was low bidder on both projects.
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 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.
Semi-annual city administrator report
The city administrator's report showed real progress: 38 streets repaved this year versus 13 last year, tripled pothole crews, more snow plows, the Denison splash pad open, and audits caught up with a bond rating reinstatement hoped for in early 2027. Residents were most dissatisfied with roads and code enforcement in the city's satisfaction survey — and the 2027 budget is being drafted with that in mind.
City Hall elevator repair and maintenance
The City Hall elevator was fire-damaged. The low bid is about $130,000, but council is waiting on an insurance engineer's report. Councilmember Cuda pushed for a long-term maintenance strategy for all city elevators and buildings, and the mayor agreed one is being developed.
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.
NEORSD Community Cost-Share Funding for Street Sweeper
Council boosted street construction spending by a few million dollars this year, aiming toward the roughly $6 million a year an engineer said is needed to catch up on road repairs. The real long-term number still needs work.
Planning Commission review of Park District changes
Residents are demanding a pause on the Horseshoe Lake/lower parklands project, saying it would remove about 1,000 trees and bulldoze 26 acres of a historic, nationally registered landscape with no independent evaluation of alternatives. Several speakers suggested involving Cleveland Metroparks. The mayor countered that tens of millions are being invested and that the city has talked with Metroparks.
Unexpected expenses straining the 2026 budget
The city's finances look healthier than last year — spending exceeded revenue by about $1.7 million through July versus $6.6 million at the same point in 2025. Court fine reporting is behind due to a system transition but should catch up by end of September.
Economic development assistance applicant
The city committed a $750,000 grant and a $750,000 loan to the Park Synagogue project back in October, but the developer's closing slipped to this year. Council had to pass an emergency appropriation now so the funds are available at closing. The loan is 30 years at 2%, interest-only for the first ten years.
Property Assessment
Cleveland Heights is hiking the tree service fee on your property tax bill, meaning you'll be shelling out a bit more cash this year. It's a noticeable bump that directly impacts your local housing costs.
Flock license plate reader contract
Council passed rules clarifying how the city's Flock cameras operate, including barring data sharing for civil immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. Residents and some council members want stronger limits, noting other agencies on the Flock network may access data.
Street lighting and street improvement assessments
The tree assessment would rise for the first time since 2014 — from $0.45 to $0.60 per half-foot, about $26 a year on an average lot — because costs have outpaced the frozen rate. Council held it for a second reading so residents can weigh in before the county deadline.
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.
Zoning Code Review Council Engagement
The city is rewriting its entire zoning code with consultants ZoneCo. Council wants changes rolled out in digestible pieces — starting with non-controversial fixes like permitting processes — and a public engagement plan using interactive story maps. Roughly half of existing lots don't comply with the current code, which makes infill housing hard to build.