Plain Press

  • West Side Market losing vendors, leaving many market stands empty

    by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, February 2019)          A shopper visiting the West Side Market on Saturday, January 19thwould have found many empty stands. Just a few short years ago, it would have been unheard of for there to be empty stands on a Saturday. Many of the empty stands are a result of merchants…

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  • Property tax abatements need re-examination in light of impact on property tax valuations

    by Chuck Hoven (Plain Press, February 2019)          Residents of neighborhoods with a large number of new and substantially rehabbed houses, like Tremont (Southside) and Ohio City say they have been particularly hard hit by recent property valuations that have substantially increased their property tax bills. For many low-or-moderate income homeowners, the increases will cause…

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  • Cuyahoga County Board of Revision taking 2018 property valuation complaints

    (Plain Press, February 2019)          Following the 2018 sexennial reappraisal and concerns from property owners that their property values have risen, Cuyahoga County residents may now submit valuation complaints to the Board of Revision (BOR). Taxpayers have until April 1, 2019 to file a complaint. “Filing a complaint with the Board of Revision is your opportunity…

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  • Property tax discrepancy exists between assessed value and sales value

    To the editor: (Plain Press, February 2019)          How can there be such a discrepancy between what properties are assessed atand what they are actually selling for?  How do we find an equitable meansof determining value?  Further how did we get duped into the mythological mantra of “location, location, location”?  I fail to see the…

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  • Proposed development stirs disagreement over voting rights at Lincoln Heights Block Club Meeting

    by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, February 2019)          Josh Rosen, a partner in Sustainable Community Associates, wanted tostay on message when he presented plans for a new residential housingdevelopment at 1633 Auburn Avenue across the street from the WagnerAwing Building in Tremont. Seated at a large round table in the basement of St. Augustine Churchon…

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  • City of Cleveland presents plans for Fulton Road reconstruction from Clark Avenue to Lorain Avenue

    by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, February 2019)          With the smell of hops in the air, residents of the Fulton/Lorain neighborhood gathered at the Platform Beer production facility Lesly Building on Vega Avenue on January 23rd to hear Councilman Kerry McCormack introduce guest speakers for the evening. Final plans for Phase I of the Fulton…

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  • Cleveland City Scapes

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  • Cleveland Lead Safe Network plans for lead safe ballot initiative

    by Bruce Checefsky (January 2019, Plain Press)           Community activist Tazz Mays is impassioned about lead safe legislation. As a volunteer for the Cleveland Lead Safe Network, a small organization seeking to pass lead safe legislation in Cleveland, he’s committed to getting enough petition signatures to place legislation on the ballot in the November 2019 election.…

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  • Residents seek information on how to challenge property tax assessments

    by Bruce Checefsky (January 2019, Plain Press)           Jordan Perme and Chris Lees bought a one-family home on Literary Road in Tremont five and a half years ago. Their property tax assessment increased 17% over the next four years. This year alone, it increased more than 25%. “I don’t think they did a thorough job with…

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  • Southside resident fears losing longtime family home

    To the editor: (January 2019, Plain Press)           My family has made Tremont/or the Southside our home for over 100 years.  We have had 17 family members born from this home. This is our generational home. My parents, my mother being the eldest, had the birthright of living in the vacant apartment when they were…

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