Safety Committee July Meeting

The Safety Committee met Monday evening and reviewed a wide range of design changes we could make to improve the pedestrian experience in our downtown.

Although I was the only member present I was joined by Council members Angie DeBernardo, Don Gutierrez, and Andrew Rockey, CAO Rob Jamieson, Chief of Police Amber Dacek, and Paul Ciupa and Aleksa Cyvas from CT Consultants (the village engineering firm).

I called this meeting to continue the work that we started at the end of 2023, when council submitted a list of Requests for CT Consultants. We asked for guidance regarding a variety of changes we could implement to make our downtown a safer and more welcoming place for pedestrians.

Arch Support

Watch as the crew from Great Lakes Construction installs the second of thirteen cement arches that will form the southern barrel of Chagrin Falls’ North Main Street Bridge.

This time-lapse video shows an arch being lifted from a flat-bed truck and lowered into position beneath the bridge.

More Delays for Grove Hill Park

With no bids solicited and no contract awarded, the half-finished projects from 2023 won’t even be able to start until the second half of this year, putting the construction of the actual park at risk.

The Grove Hill Park Commission met this morning, where it was announced by Chair Nancy Rogoff that bids for the remaining work to repair the Cottage Street retaining wall and planting to stabilize the adjacent hillsides would not be released until June of this year. Plans for this work were developed, approved, and budgeted for 2023. Part of the wall repair work was completed in the fall of 2023, until it stopped due to the weather.

Yesterday’s Crash at East Orange, North, and Mill Streets

Some progress has been made at the intersection of East Orange, North, and Mill Streets, but it’s still too dangerous for drivers and especially pedestrians.

I’d been working on a follow-up post to my analysis of the intersection at Orange north and Mill Street. I stopped to watch traffic a few times and take video of some of what I’ve seen since July, when the village made some changes. The conclusion I reached so far is that – while cutting back the overgrowth at the northeast corner has improved visibility for drivers and walkers – driver behavior has not really changed for the better. Many drivers are still speeding through this area, not using turn signals, not stopping at the sign, and rolling straight into the crosswalk. All four of these videos were during a five-minute period around lunch time. Only one driver came to a complete stop, and from what I’ve seen I believe it only gets worse during rush periods.

Parks Commission Special October Meeting

The Parks Commission met Tuesday morning in Riverside Park and walked the park to review potential locations for a new pavilion.

After a few stops and a lot of discussion, we settled on a site near the east end of the park with a great view of the entire park. I like it because it hits almost every point on my wish list:

It’s clearly visible from almost anywhere in the park
It’s not too close to the homes on Orange Street
It can be connected to the existing brick path path
It should have minimal impact on the Blossom Time festival

We agreed that the pavilion should be large enough to accommodate four picnic tables, two of which should be wheelchair accessible. Using an estimate of the table dimensions and recommended spacing, we think the structure will be roughly 21 × 21 feet.

Safety Committee July Meeting

The Safety Committee met on July 10 to discuss parking restrictions on South Main Street.

The Safety Committee met Monday night. Members Erinn Grube, Don Gutierrez, and I were in attendance along with village CAO Rob Jamieson, Police Department Lt. Jason Weiskopf, and Council President Angie DeBernardo.

An Analysis of the Intersection of East Orange, North, and Mill Streets

I look into some of the factors that make this intersection dangerous for pedestrians and propose a couple of design changes to make it safer.

A satellite photo of the intersection of East Orange, North, and Mill Streets — A top down view of the intersection

This is the intersection of East Orange, North, and Mill Streets in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The speed limit on all three streets is 25 mph. There is a single crosswalk on Mill Street connecting the eastern sidewalk on North Street to the south (and only) sidewalk on Mill Street. This sidewalk flows uninterrupted to the southern sidewalk on East Orange Street. Within 500 feet of this intersection you’ll find a library, a church, a preschool, a village park, a walking trail, an arboretum, the Chagrin River, and about a dozen residences. We are reviewing this intersection in response to residents’ concerns regarding the safety of the pedestrian crosswalk and the intersection in general. We also anticipate increased vehicle traffic at this intersection during the impending Main Street bridge construction.

Parks Commission Special February Meeting

The Parks Commission held a special meeting to consider a park event application from Valley Art Center.

Valley Art Center proposed a public art installation in Riverside Park from World Art Day to Earth Day (April 15 - 22, 2023). The project – by Cleveland artist Ron Shelton – will be comprised of recycled material installed on the chain link fence overlooking the waterfall.

The plan also calls for the installation to continue on to and up the large sycamore tree. Chairwoman Anne deConingh and I were not in favor of this aspect of the project and preferred that the artist use the nearby lamp post instead, but others Commission members were less concerned. Representatives from the village administration and services department had no objections, based on the fact that the art will be attached with picture wire (no nails or screws) and only remain for one week. I asked that the village inspect and sign off on the installation once it was complete, and the commission voted unanimously to recommend the event to village council at our next meeting.