Mary Dunbar

Shaker Farm Historic District Listed on National Register of Historic Places

Mary Dunbar — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:39:09 +0000

On February 15, 2012, the Shaker Farm Historic District was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I and a team of neighbors, Cleveland Heights residents and our city preservationist started working on the lengthy application process about two years ago. Jack Sulak, Marjorie Kitchell, Ken Goldberg, Bill Collins, Mark Souther, Chris Roy and Kara O’Donnell deserve credit for helping with the application. I couldn’t have done it without them.

Our efforts built on previous research conducted by Leslie Marting and Diane Christ a couple of years before our team started. Leslie and Diane had hoped to encompass a smaller area in their application, but current requirements called for a more sprawling district, with more houses to account for. The application turned into a rather daunting task, but now I am pleased to report that it is done – except of placing some signage to mark a distinguished and architecturally significant part of Cleveland Heights and Northeast Ohio.

Shaker Farm Historic District is the 10th historic district to be partly or entirely within the boundaries of Cleveland Heights. Our community is one of the foremost in Ohio for the number of historic districts listed on the National Register

My Upcoming Lecture

Mary Dunbar — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 18:07:21 +0000

On Sunday, March 4, at 4 p.m., I am giving an illustrated talk about the Shaker Farm Historic District, which will be approved soon on the National Register of Historic Places. This is an opportunity to learn about the history of a gorgeous and architecturally significant part of Cleveland Heights. The new historic district, the tenth to be entirely or partly in Cleveland Heights, includes primarily the Roxboro Schools, the homes east from Roxboro School along North Park Boulevard, the Fairfax Triangle, and the three streets east of Lee Road between Fairmount Boulevard and East Monmouth Road. The talk will be at the Shaker Historical Museum, 16740 South Park Boulevard in Shaker Heights.

Consider the Proposed Cleveland Heights Sustainable Zoning Code

Mary Dunbar — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:03:09 +0000

After two years of work by City employees, the Council and our consultant, the proposed Cleveland Heights Sustainable Zoning Code is now on the City’s Web site for residents’ consideration and input. There will be three opportunities for public input before these additions and changes to our zoning code are adopted by City Council. Here is the schedule (it’s compact, so don’t miss your chance to provide input!):1. City Council introduced amendment and sent it to Planning Commission on February 21. March 26 public hearing date was announced.
2. Planning Commission is briefed on the changes, receives public comment and begins discussion at its March 14 meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
3. City Council holds public hearing on March 26 at 7 p.m. at the Community Center.
4. Planning Commission discusses amendments, receives additional public comment and prepares recommendations on April 11 at 7 p.m. at City Hall.
5. City Council approves amendments April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

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

When Will Election Results Be Final?

Mary Dunbar — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:10:07 +0000

First and foremost, THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me! Though I am an unofficial winner in the November 8 election, results may not be final until December 5 or 6 if there is a recount. The Board of Elections is currently going through absentee ballots that came in after the election (27, I believe) and provisional ballots (611). Usually around 10% of provisional ballots are rejected. That still leaves a lot of votes to count, so the unofficial results of the November 8 vote could change significantly when the “official” results are announced on the Board of Elections Web site around noon on Tuesday, November 29.

If the vote-count difference between the third and fourth candidates is equal to or less than 0.5 percent of all the votes cast for the candidates who came in third, fourth, fifth or sixth (18,599), then there will be an automatic recount, which I believe takes place on December 6, with results announced the same day. Using the unofficial results, that means there will be an automatic recount if the difference between candidates three and four in the race is 93 votes or fewer. Currently, the difference between votes for me, in third place, and Jeff Coryell, in fourth place, is 54 votes. In recent times, recounts have changed the official (final) vote by only a vote or two. Candidates can request a partial or full recount if willing to pay $55 per precinct, or $2,035 for all of Cleveland Heights.

The bottom line is I have no idea what the final result will be, but I am going to the City Council meeting tonight to continue to get up to speed. I remain cautiously optimistic.

I’ve Walked the Length of Every Street in Cleveland Heights

Mary Dunbar — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:14:53 +0000

Between the 2009 campaign, and this one in 2011, I have personally walked the length of every street in Cleveland Heights. I view this as a testimonial to my commitment to serving the interests of Cleveland Heights residents. I targeted the homes of frequent voters – those who voted in three or more of the past four elections – ringing their doorbells or knocking on their doors so that I could meet them and ask them what they would like me to work on, if elected. If no one came to the door, I left information about myself, then headed for the next address.

What have I learned?I’ve taken notes along the way, which I intend to compile once the election is over. In essence, I’ve conducted unscientific research to serve as job preparation to represent residents’ interests, should I be elected. Not everyone is home or comes to the door. Sometimes kids or visitors answer the door, or the homeowner is too busy to talk. Still, I have had some input on the majority of Cleveland Heights’ 278 streets – sometimes extensive input! The following are general impressions.

First, many people are very happy with Cleveland Heights. Like me, they love living here. Many people can’t – off the top of their heads – think of anything they would like to change. This reaction was more prevalent in some neighborhoods than in others. It’s especially true in the southern part of town.

The biggest reported concerns were taxes, schools, and – especially in some parts of town – houses, either vacancies or issues with rental properties. The behavior of young people (such as walking in the street or, during the summer, the Coventry Road flash mob) and crime were concerns, too, especially in some neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods has very specific issues, such as feral cats. Many voters care about Oakwood; I am glad that South Euclid residents are voting on that issue. Issue 2 comes up sometimes; I signed a petition to get the issue on the ballot, but my focus is Cleveland Heights, so I am not taking a public position on state or national issues.

Cleveland Heights needs to become much more efficient at dealing with its issues. We’ve now had years of problems with foreclosed and vacant homes, as well as with an increased number of rental properties. Addressing these issues is going to take compiling data into usable form for targeted efforts. To speed up the process of dealing with issues, greater coordination among a variety of service areas, from police to our housing department to our schools, social service agencies and courts, as well as regional collaboration. City Council can set the direction and policies for the city manager to get this work done.

If our schools had excellent ratings, and our taxes were competitive with other cities regionally, it would be a game changer for Cleveland Heights. Under the leadership of Superintendent of Schools Douglas Heuer, our schools’ performance is moving in the right direction. That’s why I endorse the levy and want to see more collaboration between our city and schools. While the levy will raise property taxes somewhat (it’s partly a renewal, partly an increase), I believe we have great opportunities for reducing city and school costs through regional collaboration and other means. I will work to achieve those results.

Cleveland Heights is in a good position in many ways. We’re in a great location, and many of our homes and business districts were built to last and are worth preserving. We need to emphasize and build on our strengths, and deal efficiently and effectively with problems, so that we can focus on making this place even better than it already is. That’s what I want to do on City Council.

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.

What the Sun Press Says about Mary Dunbar

Mary Dunbar — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:57:33 +0000

Stating that Mary Dunbar and the other candidates the newspaper endorsed are a notch above their competition, the Sun Press had the following to say about Mary Dunbar:

“Dunbar has lived in Cleveland Heights for 41 years and we believe her when she says she has visited every street in the city, knocking on doors and meeting with residents. She fully understands how the city operates and she has an excellent grasp of the challenges it is facing and what remedies are needed. She acknowledges more programs are needed to address the growing number of foreclosed homes in the city and she is a proponent of more targeted police enforcement to stymie potential problems before they get out hand. After narrowly being defeated for a council seat two years ago, she deserves to be elected this time.”

Here’s a link to the full Sun Press endorsement, citing all candidates: http://www.cleveland.com/cleveland-heights/index.ssf/2011/10/mary_dunbar_phyllis_evans_denn.html

I’m off for even more door-to-door campaigning. Bye!

Blog of Reilly Painting & Contracting Interviews Mary Dunbar

Mary Dunbar — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:10:11 +0000

In the race for election to City Council, I am honored to have the support of Mike Reilly, the founder of Reilly Painting & Contracting, “The Home Mechanics”, and of Reilly Properties. In addition to posting numerous “Elect Mary Dunbar, City Council” yard signs around town and even on his trucks, Mike has had his son, Brook, interview me for the Reilly company blog. Here’s a link to the latest post: http://blog.reillypainting.com/forest-hill-community/vote-mary-dunbar-for-city-council/This all started this past summer when I went to a meeting for Forest Hill residents to discuss neighborhood issues with Cleveland Heights Police Chief Jeffrey Robertson and Housing Program Manager Rick Wagner. Then Mike came to a coffee for me sponsored by one of his neighbors. Convinced of the need for new people with new thinking and new energy on City Council, Mike is supporting me and Mike Gaynier. I’ll be working right up to election day to win over voters. As I do, it’s great to have the support of many outstanding citizens like Mike Reilly who care deeply about our city.