Parking problems continue to plague Tremont
by Jerleen Justus

(Plain Press, February 2010) Permitted and non-permitted valet zones in Tremont have changed the streets of this Historical District into nothing short of an obstacle course. The City of Cleveland's Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses continues to hand out one hundred dollar ($100) permits, and high-end business owners mark off their territory with a display of bright orange cones brandishing "valet" tags near the middle of the street.

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Bus drivers, residents and other travelers, navigating through the orange cone invasion into on-coming traffic, find maneuverability cumbersome and unsafe. During peak business hours, motorists, turning the corners or making their way through intersections on Professor Avenue, are often held up in a traffic jam or crowded into dodging valet cones.

According to Cleveland's Codified Ordinance 451.33, prior to the establishment of any zone, the Division of Traffic Engineering shall establish whether the proposed zone would create or contribute to a traffic flow or traffic congestion problem; whether there is adequate off-street areas for standing or parking vehicles in areas already experiencing traffic congestion; and whether or not the proposed zone cannot be implemented without resolving, accommodating or decreasing traffic congestion.

After investigating and considering all relevant traffic, Traffic Engineer, Rob Mavec, provides a report to Martin Flask, the City's Director of Public Safety, who in turn notifies and advises the Commissioner of Assessments and Licenses on the issuance of a Valet Permit. Tremont residents have begun to wonder if reports actually exist, since the city has issued a number of Valet Permits to restaurants/bars/nightclubs operating within only a few feet of each other. With the parking non-compliance running rampant in Tremont, questions continue to arise as to why the City of Cleveland Department of Building and Housing continues to be so lax with enforcement.

One College Avenue resident, (who wishes to be unidentified) states, "I don't believe that we'll see any changes until the FBI steps in and cleans up the corruption. A good place to start would be in the Dept. of Building and Housing." The long time Tremont resident continued, "Most of these businesses just make a joke out of the Zoning Board."

These zones have not only created problematic and hazardous driving conditions, but is also affecting other long-time businesses in the area. Polish Veterans' Alliance Post #1 (corner of Professor and Literary) Manager John states, "I have to rely on walking customers. There's just no where to park with the valets taking over the whole neighborhood."

With the latest valet zone being permitted at Dante's up-scale establishment, near the corner of Professor and Literary, proprietors of the long-standing Professor Market are also falling victim to the onslaught of Valet Parking Zones surrounding their entranceway. Owner Nash says, "I can see where it's going to be a problem. I'm hoping to be a good neighbor and give Mr. Callichia an opportunity to work something out. I think he needs to go to the community meetings."

Patrons of the thirty-year old store are not feeling quite as generous. One resident witness, Frankie Richards said, I watched in disbelief as the police pulled up and ordered a customer, parking at the 15 minute parking sign, to either move or get a ticket." He further stated, "I overheard the officer tell her that she was too close to the valet zone. With no other place to park, how are we supposed to shop at the store with three valet zones back to back on this corner."

The opening of Dante's on January 9, 2010, refueled the decade old parking war among many residents living on College, Professor, Literary and West 7th Street. Residents returning home in the evening found what they described as a "nightmare" unfolding before their eyes.

While the St. Peter and St. Paul Ukrainian Church parking lot was filled to the max with more than twenty-five vehicles, valet runners also nabbed every empty space they could find on the residential streets. Residents in close vicinity spent more than seven hours listening to car engines, slamming doors and loud yelling. They were forced to endure the sound of tires spinning on the incline to the church lot; and valet's running down the middle of the street, triggering screaming alarms until 1:00am in the morning. Some residents, returning home from a long day of working out in the cold, found themselves parking on the tree lawn or sitting in the street for twenty minutes hoping for a space to become available.

What angered most was the fact that on May 26, 2009, A "Good Neighbor Agreement" (GNA), advocated by Councilman Joe Cimperman as being the way of the future, was agreed to and signed by restaurant owners Giancarlo Callichia, Dante Buccozzi, Tremont West Development Corp. Executive Director Chris Garland, TWDC SII Project Manager/Development Director Sammy Catania and two Central Tremont Block Club co-chairs, was incorportated into and ratified as per the Resolution handed down by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Good Neighbor Agreement states:

"Dante's agrees to using the Parking at St. Peter and Paul as employee parking.

Dante's agrees to provide the most efficient use of the parking lot, including but not limited to striping, plowing, keeping clean as used, lighting, and screening to be determined as best means to distract lights and sound (could be shrubs, screening, both or some application thereof.)

The number of parking spaces legally allowed in both lots be worked on and agreed to by the licensed general contractor and the City of Cleveland's Building and Housing Dept.

If there are more than employees parking at the church lot, they must be valet in and a parking attendant/valet/security guard should be in attendance to not only guard the lot and ensure the cars are safe but to also ensure only valets are using it AND that the security person would be the eyes and ears for the area."

While more than seven months have passed since the signing of the GNA, to date there have been eleven parking spaces striped off in the church lot and a few feet of stockade fencing installed near the middle section. Pointing across the street at the unfinished fence, Amanda Thompson stated, "The spirit of the effort has surely failed."

Inasmuch as most of the valet zones are permitted while others are not, residential denizen Mary Slone says she believes that many of the bars and restaurant owners are still operating under the city's "free pass" system and there's no one to count on for protecting the rights of the residents. Slone said, calling on Tremont West is a waste of time when it comes to protecting people's quality of life issues. They don't care about old people, how much noise and grief we have to put up with; they're only concerned with how much liquor they can pour into this community."

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