Cedar Taylor Development Association to hold June 23 meeting

The Cedar Taylor Development Association (CTDA) will host a meeting for residents and merchants on Monday, June 23 at 8:30 a.m. at Melt Bar & Grilled, 13463 Cedar Road. Attendees will have an opportunity to view and discuss an improvement plan for the Cedar Taylor Business District.

CTDA comprises residents, business owners and property owners who have a vested interest in the Cedar Taylor neighborhood that spans both Cleveland Heights and University Heights. Representatives of both cities will be at the June 23 meeting. 

In 2013, the association was awarded funds from the City of Cleveland Heights Community Development Block Grant and hired local planner Michelle Bandy-Zalatoris to develop a streetscape study. On June 23, Bandy-Zalatoris will present concepts on a wide range of topics, including traffic pattern changes, parking, and streetscape improvements such as plantings, signage, public art and lighting.

"We are excited to present this to area merchants and residents to get their thoughts," said Kevin Smith, president of the CTDA Board of Directors. He said that after the meeting, the board will convene to prioritize near-term and long-term initiatives.

“One of the greatest assets of this district,” said Bandy-Zalatoris, “is that so much of it is intact. It has an authentic feel and is populated with a good mix of independent businesses, with very few vacancies.”

“Initially, one of the biggest impact projects would be a better approach to traffic management,” said Bandy-Zalatoris. “A dedicated left-turn lane, bike lanes, and pulling parking back from the intersection would simplify the traffic pattern and create a lane of continuous traffic going through the district.”

CTDA plans to fund the improvements from a variety of sources: donations from businesses and property owners, donations from local residents, funds from the municipal governments and grants from local organizations. Cleveland Heights City Council has awarded CTDA up to $11,000 from its 2014 CDBG allocation—$5,500 up front and an additional $5,500 if CTDA matches the initial amount dollar for dollar.

"We purposely hadn't asked for any money until this point, because we really hadn't done anything yet," said Smith.

CTDA was incorporated in 2013 as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation. Its mission is broadly defined as "initiating activities that will foster a supportive and engaging environment for both commercial and residential stakeholders." 

For more information about the June 23 meeting, the streetscape study or CTDA, contact Kevin Smith at smithkp@gmail.com.

Ilene Schwartz

Ilene Schwartz is a CTDA board member and resident of University Heights. 

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Volume 7, Issue 7, Posted 11:20 AM, 06.17.2014