Mary Dunbar » Restoring Home Values

It’s Official!

Mary Dunbar — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 00:30:15 +0000

After the automatic recount on Monday, December 5, it became official: I won a seat on City Council. It was a close race – basically a three-way tie between Phyllis Evans, Jeff Coryell and me, with Dennis Wilcox firmly in first place. Phyllis came in second, and I was third – good enough to win. All candidates ran impressive races and I know they will stay actively involved in our community, because we all love and are committed to this place.

Thanks again to everyone who supported my candidacy. I am looking forward to doing my best to overcome our challenges and move Cleveland Heights forward in positive ways during my four-year term in office from 2012 through 2015. Please let me know if you could use my help on any City issues or if you have ideas for improvements. You can contact me by sending an e-mail through this Web site. My telephone number is 216/321-1335.

Almost Official

Mary Dunbar — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:14:03 +0000

Thank you again to everyone who voted for me. Now that provisional and late absentee ballots have been counted, I am almost officially a winner. In this round of the election process, Phyllis Evans extended her lead for second place to 47 votes. I won the third City Council seat that was up for election with 64 votes more than Jeff Coryell. That 64-vote difference is close enough to trigger an automatic recount, which will take place and be announced on December 6. Results of the recount are extremely unlikely to change the overall results.

Cleveland Heights has great opportunities. I am dedicating myself on City Council to keeping this the best place to be. I’ve already observed three City Council meetings since the November 8 election and will continue to get up to speed so I can hit the ground running at the beginning of 2012 after I am sworn in.

Here’s what the Board of Elections announced today, November 29:

CLEVE HTS COUNCIL
          Vote for Not More Than  3
              (WITH 37 OF 37 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
           Jeff Coryell  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     6,383   19.48
           Mary Dunbar.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     6,447   19.67
           Phyllis Evans .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     6,494   19.81
           Mike Gaynier  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     4,974   15.18
           Keba Sylla .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     1,337    4.08
           Dennis R. Wilcox .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     7,140   21.78
              Over Votes .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        99
             Under Votes .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    13,515

House Proud! State Board Approves Shaker Farm

Mary Dunbar — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:39:37 +0000

It’s another well deserved tribute to the excellent quality of so many residences in Cleveland Heights. On Friday, November 1, I attended a meeting in Columbus of the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board, which was considering, among others, the application I wrote and assembled with help from neighbors and Cleveland Heights experts proposing the Shaker Farm Historic District for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. I was prepared to defend the application, but board members praised and approved it in a matter of minutes. One board member, Aaron Askew, a Columbus architect, said he had grown up near the district and been inspired by the quality of the residences to study architecture. He was happy to see the district listed. Another, Columbus archeologist Paul Graham, cited the clarity and completeness of the application, which made it easy to understand and approve the proposed district based on its significance. Here’s what the press release said specifically about the Shaker Farm Historic District:

STATE BOARD RECOMMENDS CLEVELAND HEIGHTS’ PROPOSED SHAKER FARM HISTORIC DISTRICT FOR NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Members of the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board have voted to recommend that nominations for four properties in Ohio be forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places for her consideration:

Cleveland Heights / Cuyahoga County: Shaker Farm Historic District, roughly bounded by properties along Fairmount and North Park Blvds. to the south, Fairfax Road to the north, Roxboro Middle School to the west and Ashton Road to the east.

A residential development platted in 1904 on the south side of Cleveland Heights, Shaker Farm occupies 266 acres owned from 1822-1889 by the North Union Shaker Colony. The developer, Shaker Heights Land Company, had limited success selling home sites there until O.P. and M.J. Van Sweringen took over marketing and sales in 1905. While deed restrictions governing the development were already in place, the Van Sweringens embraced them, promising buyers a carefully planned community. House plans had to be approved before construction. Attached houses, row houses and commercial buildings were prohibited, as were billboards and “other unsightly nuisances.” Only one home was allowed per lot and deeds required setbacks of 60 to 100 feet, with ample space between houses. Homes on Fairmount Boulevard required a $7,000 investment, those on Stratford $6,000, and those on Guilford, Islington (later Arlington), Monmouth and Fairfax $5,000. Tree-lined streets followed the lay of the land rather than a more conventional grid plan and led to a wide central boulevard. Generous provision for churches, schools and other amenities — including streetcar service, essential at the time — completed the formula. The first house was built in 1906. About two-thirds date from 1910 to 1919 and nearly all were built before 1929. Architecturally, the development features a range of styles popular a century ago, including Shingle, Colonial, Neoclassical, Tudor Revival, Spanish Revival, French Renaissance Revival, Bungalow and Craftsman, with many examples of work by leading early 20th century Cleveland architects. With some refinements, Shaker Farm became a model for the Van Sweringens’ later development, Shaker Heights. The proposed Shaker Farm Historic District includes a portion of the Fairmount Boulevard Historic District, listed on the National Register in 1974.

Candidates Forum

Mary Dunbar — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:02:43 +0000

A recording of the candidates forum co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters and FutureHeights on October 6 is now available. View video from the forum online at http://vimeo.com/30564868. All candidates for Cleveland Heights City Council were present and participated, so this is a good chance for you to make comparisons. I was the first to give a two-minute speech; after that, candidates responded to the questions in varying orders, so as to be fair. Deanna Bremer Fisher did a great job as moderator.

Unfortunately, the microphone that I was using was not working properly during the forum, so some people at the back of the room had trouble hearing me. I watched only a part of the video, but the sound for the video recording was certainly working at least at the beginning of the forum. I will assume the recording was working throughout, but let me know if you find otherwise! Back to the campaign trail.

Thank you for your interest.

Get Your Mary Dunbar Yard Sign

Mary Dunbar — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:22:10 +0000

Yard signs are popping up all over town. To request your “Elect Mary Dunbar, City Council” yard sign, click on “Volunteer” above, fill in the electronic form, and check the yard sign box. Your sign will soon be delivered free of charge to your home and inserted in your front yard. Certain placement restrictions apply, and that information will be provided to you. Yard signs are important in a political campaign because……they increase awareness of an upcoming election and build name recognition for candidates so that voters can do additional research to learn about candidates’ positions. Your support of my candidate by posting a sign in your yard will be greatly appreciated.

Phoenix Forum with Mary Dunbar

Mary Dunbar — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 03:25:02 +0000

Come on Tuesday October 11th from 7 pm to 8 pm to the Lee Road Phoenix Cafe for a roundtable discussion with Mary Dunbar, candidate for Cleveland Heights City Council. I have now visited every street in Cleveland Heights, knocked on thousands of doors to meet voters, and talked to hundreds. You are invited to talk with me about the issues that are important to our community: taxes, housing, our schools and sustainability, among others. Bring your questions! Here’s a link for more information: http://phoenixcoffee.com/node/418

Presentation on September 27

Mary Dunbar — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 01:00:41 +0000

Come to the Lee Road Library at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 27, for a public meeting about a new historic district for Cleveland Heights – the Shaker Farm Historic District. The meeting will feature a presentation by a representative from the Ohio Historic Preservation Office on what becoming listed as an historic district on the National Register of Historic Places entails. Because I submitted the application, I will explain the scope and architectural and historic merits of the district.

A team of residents helped me with the application. I couldn’t have done it without the invaluable help of Jack Sulak, Marjorie Kitchell, Bill Collins, Ken Goldberg, Kara Hamley O’Donnell, Leslie Marting and Diane Christ.

Why Bicycles Matter

Mary Dunbar — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:40:28 +0000

Let’s be honest: I have found that the Cleveland Heights Bicycle Coalition could be a full-time job, because there’s so much to do to encourage and facilitate bicycling in our city! Fortunately, lots of people embrace this cause and want to help.

Why is the bicycle coalition important? As I explained in a Heights Observer article in the May 2011 issue, having a lot of bicyclists is a sign of a city that attracts creative thinkers and young professionals seeking vibrant, sustainable communities in which to live and work. After all, bicycles are a perfect mode of transportation for those who are concerned about the environment, their health or their pocketbook. In addition, bicycling can make one feel good physically, and depending on oneself to get around can feel empowering.

I and others have posted many items on the Cleveland Heights Bicycle Coalition’s Web site – www.bikesintheheights.org I invite you to take a look at this Web site. I think you’ll like what you see!

Filmmakers Come to Cleveland Heights

Mary Dunbar — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 02:07:48 +0000

Last night, I went to fascinating presentations at the Superior Schoolhouse celebrating Preservation Month. The Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission, FutureHeights and the Cleveland Heights Historical Society sponsored the talks by Korbi Roberts and Mark Souther on Cleveland Heights’ most recent Historic District to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Grant Deming’s Forest Hill Allotment.

On the way home in the dark, I saw bright lights on Stratford Road between Fairfax and Monmouth Roads and so drove by the most amazing Halloween decorations I’ve ever seen on a half dozen or so of the elegant homes on both sides of the street. Good thing I looked last night, because tonight the police were keeping all of us who came to gawk from entering onto Stratford.

What’s going on? Five films are being made in Cleveland this summer, and Cleveland Heights seems to be favored. Later this summer, another film will be shot on Coventry Road. The people scouting Coventry Road stopped by Tommy’s for a meal. The Greater Cleveland Film Commission wants us to have 2,500 steady movie-related jobs in five years. We’ll have a new – for us – industry here. It’s something we – as a nation – are good at. America is a leader in the global entertainment industry. I want the local film activity to engage and inspire Cleveland Heights authors, actors – our creative class.

It’s all thanks to tax credits. Our state passed the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit in 2009. Now we’re becoming a filming hot spot. Use this link for a Plain Dealer article that will tell you all about it: http://www.cleveland.com/moviebuff/index.ssf/2011/06/tyler_perry_headed_to_clevelan.html

Bicycle Friendly Community Application

Mary Dunbar — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:50:22 +0000

On February 18, 2010, on behalf of Cleveland Heights, I submitted a Bicycle Friendly Community application to the League of American Bicyclists. I had great input and support from Cleveland Heights City Hall, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), and local bicyclists and bicycle advocates, as listed in the application.

The application provides an inventory of Cleveland Heights’ current activities, programs and facilities for bicycling. The League said they would be in contact toward the end of April. All of us involved in this initiative are looking forward to the feedback.