The following comments for the Avon Interchange Project were received through the public involvement outreach and activities process: William S. Svec I remember as a kid my grandfather saying that someday Cleveland to Toledo would be one big city. What great foresight from a man that was a prisoner of war in World War I. It is too bad three committee members do not possess this same foresight for the Avon area in terms of the new interchange and how it can really connect the West side with other Cleveland suburbs. It is a shame it is not seen as an asset as well. I have been reading for the last year about this interchange in Avon and how county committee member’s lacks respect of the citizens it represents due to not wanting to get it started. Evidently Mayor Sutherland and Jackson as well as Mr. Hagan must think that Lorain County residents are all a bunch of dumb farmers with the intelligence of a mule because they have tried over and over to delay this long over due interchange thinking that Lorain county citizens do not notice. Since Crocker Park has congested traffic even more in our area, another interchange is desperately needed to clear up problems on 83 and allow easier access to residents to the highway, then the rest of the area. It is very sad that these three ignorant committee members have found ways to divert progress that would not even cost the citizens of Avon a penny. I can only hope that the voters of Bay Village and Cleveland get these people out of their jobs next election. I will be personally working on this feat myself. This way, their cities can start to blossom instead of being stagnant in growth due to three individuals whom clearly are not in tune with the needs of residents in the area. Their utter lack of respect and due diligence is embarrassing and beginning to affect the lives of people in the area. I urge the rest of the committee to not let the politics of three committee members get in the way of doing true good for the people… which is the true foundation of democracy. Please, vote FOR this interchange for the betterment of all the counties residents and Ohio. Voters can then put the mules out to pasture who are not looking out for the betterment of the people. Respectfully submitted to all but three, Scott Wilson That being said, I am worried about it’s impact Avon Lake taxes. I moved to Avon Lake knowing what the traffic conditions were ahead of time and feel comfortable with the level of taxation that exists today. How will this project impact taxes in Avon Lake in the next ten years? Jason Bryan I am a resident of Avon Lake. I support the idea of a new interchange if it means improved access to I-90 for local residents, and if its construction can be executed in such a way as to reduce overall Crocker/83 congestion due to Crocker Park and Avon Commons (especially during rush hours). In particular, I would like to see adequate 2-way traffic maintained on adjacent affected roads during construction, as the Chester/Nagle intersection is a crucial route for residents of SE Avon Lake and SW Bay Village to Avon Commons, as well as the only way in or out for employees of the Henkel Corporation. Recent development in the area has created progressively worse traffic problems even in areas not adjacent to the existing interchanges (e.g. Bradley/Avon, Bradley/Naigle, Bradley/Clemens, Krebs/Lear, Chester/Jaycox). A new interchange, if designed in a prudent and careful manner, would be a net benefit to the region. Larry Klipstein Do not hold the people of Lorain County responsible for the decay of Cleveland. Their past political machines have done a great job of that. If Cleveland and Cuyahoga county don't want it, then leave and let them point the finger at each other for their losses. Diana Curtis Too bad it's now turned into a political thing! The residents of western Bay would love to have the interchange built due to the traffic mess in western Westlake and Bay. Of course, Mayor Sutherland, who is heading this, doesn't appear to care what the residents of western Bay think. People who live in Avon and Avon Lake need another way of getting to I-90. Also, it's interesting how the City of Westlake is looking into switching their water service to Avon Lake and if it does, the City of Cleveland could lose about $11,000 million annually (per The Plain Dealer). Mayor Sutherland is waiting to see what Westlake does (per The Plain Dealer). Why is it that certain cities in Cuyahoga County may pursue getting water from Lorain County, and if they switch, the City of Cleveland would lose millions of dollars per year, but won't vote on an interchange due to the economic loss of Cleveland/Cuyahoga County? Michael Holleran As a resident of Avon Lake, I cannot tell you how disgusted I am at the strong arm tactics of the politicians in Cleveland, Bay Village and Westlake. Their actions amount to nothing more than extortion. I am starting a movement for Lorain County to withdraw from NOACA and at the same time, organizing a “buy in Lorain County” campaign as a means to encourage residents to boycott making any purchases in Cuyahoga County in general and Westlake and Bay Village in particular. I will fly out of Akron-Canton Airport rather than Hopkins and I, as well as my brother, sister, mother, wife and six children will never spend another penny in any Cuyahoga County community. The abject greed of Cleveland, Westlake and Bay Village amounts to a declaration of war between these communities and the residents of Lorain County. So be it, let the fight begin. My weapon will be the almighty dollar and I, along with many others, will be leading the counter-attack! Timothy Bohn As a resident of Avon and Lorain County, I am outraged by the proposed action to block the interchange. 1) "revenue sharing" with Cuyahoga County amounts to taxation without representation. How can officials of Cuyahoga County control actions in Lorain County? Their interests are not in my best interest. I can not vote for any of those individuals( members of NOACA.) - I have no say. It negates my ability to determine my local government / actions. 2) You are taking revenue from my children and from my community and schools. The County and City of Lorain and City of Avon need that revenue as much as Cleveland does, but has significantly fewer tools to attain that revenue. Why should I work and toil while Cuyahoga County reaps the harvest? 3) This does not support or embrace the concept of "Regionalism". 4) The argument that Cuyahoga County alone bore the cost of the stadium, Jacobs Field, etc... is true, BUT Cuyahoga County benefits from this, Avon does not, nor does Lorain County benefit from these attractions. Businesses in and around Cleveland benefit from this. 5) The study commissioned to evaluate the economic effects of this interchange did not conclude that significant financial harm would come to Cleveland/Cuyahoga County. NOACA is behaving in a manner that is short-sighted and that seems to be creating significant ill-will in Lorain County toward Cuyahoga County, which it can ill afford at this time. Reconsider. Audra M. DiLuciano The additional Avon interchange is sorely needed. As a new Avon resident and someone who works at Wickens, Herzer, Panza, Cook & Batista on Chester Road (right off 83), I can attest to the serious congestion at the 83 interchange. I can also attest to the numerous number of near accidents at the 83/Chester Road intersection as frustrated drivers who have waited through many light changes go through the yellow-turning-red light daily. The admission by the Cleveland consortium that they will veto this project if not for revenue-sharing is an outrage. This project is being privately funded and I do not feel Cleveland should have any say. Cleveland's lack of economic growth is their own doing and they should deal with that problem as the separate issue it is. Attempts to block this interchange will NOT alleviate that problem. What a sad statement that Cleveland feels one additional interchange in Lorain County is going to cause them such a big problem. In any event, blocking this interchange is akin to telling Pepsi to slow down production for Coke's revenues to catch up. This project should be approved based on the needs of the community of Avon, which are clearly evident, and only on that basis. Bill Spellacy I lived in Cleveland for over 25 years and I moved to Avon 3 years ago. I moved to this county because of the lack of leadership in Cuyahoga county. When all was going well for Cleveland in it's hey day there was never any thought of revenue sharing was there! Now that people have voted with their feet by moving to other counties, the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County want to continue to suck the monies out of the peoples hands. Did Lorain County or the City of Avon put up a fight when Crocker Park was on the drawing board? I'm sure that there is some revenue being pulled from Lorain county at that shopping mall. And that garbage that Tim Hagan is spouting about Cleveland and Cuyahoga County building a Sports and Arts venue, maybe he should look back at the taxes that are assessed to finance these projects. I believe it has to do with a sin tax, that covers anybody that purchases those items in Cuyahoga County. If this ramp project does not happen because of the Cuyahoga County/Cleveland goons, then I hope that Lorain County and Avon City pull from any and all futher negotions with the idiot's and we will undergo this task alone. Futhermore we should cancel any plans that Westlake or any other Cuyahoga county suburb has to attach to our water systems. Gerald. J. Barna I have followed the Avon Interchange Proposal evaluation process, reviewed the material from the studies commissioned by the City of Avon and NOACA, and attended all the public forums held to date. The studies, conducted by well qualified and experienced organizations have shown the value and viability of a new interchange. Based on my review of the studies and participation in the forums, I believe that a new interchange is very much needed and will be of benefit to Northeast Ohio. The Nagel Road option has clearly been shown to be the best location for a new interchange. The funding approach proposed is attractive and should serve as a model for future proposals. Avon and NOACA are to be commended for conducting an objective, comprehensive evaluation and it is time to move forward. I urge prompt approval of the Avon Interchange Proposal to construct a new interchange at Nagel Road. First Suburbs Consortium Mayor Georgine Welco, Chair This letter is available as a PDF file. Marshall Wenger To Whom It May Concern, 9 / 15 / 2007 All this debate about an interchange in Lorain County? What is there to debate? Are we going to have progress or are we going to ignore the growth? I read with interest that my mayor in Bay Village has a gripe about the interchange. She lives on a dead-end street in a city with no industry and 7 ways in or out! What qualifications can she possibly possess for this decision? Please go watch a waterspout Ms. Sutherland. Anyone who would oppose this interchange cannot be fully wrapped, nor have the least bit of common sense in anything to do with development, progress, civilization, or safety, to name just a few considerations. All you have to do is sit at Route 83 and I-90 between 2pm and 7pm to realize there are hundreds of near accidents every day there because of too much traffic at this interchange. It backs up traffic down I-90 westbound, causing catastrophic accidents between stopped vehicles and high speed vehicles. This argument alone is enough to build the new interchange. And soon! Must we wait for more fatalities? There is a huge WalMart that needs to be accessed. Best Buy, Avon Commons, and more stores are being built every day, in case you haven't noticed. If you want to see what happens when you stick your head in the sand and wish it to go away, look at Route 20 through North Ridgeville! What a complete and utter joke! 15+ lights, no timing, no SIDEWALKS, mothers with strollers walking in the street!, All the smart traffic goes down Mill St. and Chestnut Ridge, two residential streets! You would think that North Ridgeville's sole purpose is to block any possible traffic between Cuyahoga County and Elyria. Elyria is losing millions of dollars because of the clusterxxxx that N. Ridgeville and Route 20 represents. Watch what happens when SOMEBODY finally has the sense to open that stretch of state highway into Elyria. The county seat will blossom from the exposure. Is Avon going to continue with the type of planning that was used to cut that loop over to 83 from I-90? If that was surgery, it was a success but the patient died! I just don't get it. I look at it, but I don't get it. Somebody better get on the ball in Lorain County, before any more roads look like the Beverly Hillbillies were in charge. The die was cast when Avon grew 46% in 1999 to rank 2nd in the nation. It's done. Here comes the people and the money. Live with it. It is inevitable. The "open spaces" you enjoyed even 15 years ago are leaving. The strawberry farms on Detroit, the model airplane field on Jaycox, the nudest camp on Walker...they're all going to be history, or already are. Most of us will not be here when it becomes unmanagable in 20 years. We'll move to where someone had the foresight to plan the roads and interchanges to allow for the volume of traffic projected for Eastern Lorain County in the near future. Listen to the movers and planners of East Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Lyndhurst, Parma, Parma Heights, Mayfield, Bedford, Garfield Heights... they all wish they could solve their problems with the addition of an interchange, and have the likes of Jacobs, Carney, DiBenedetto, Kopf, bring their considerable resources to town. Count your blessings Avon! Development is good, and growth is a natural product of a healthy community. The hitching posts have been gone for some time now. You better get to work on widening 83, Detroit Road, 611, and firming up your zoning laws and the enforcement of the ones you have currently. Get some progressive young people in office who don't have their hands out, and believe in bettering the city they live in. Your neighbor, Richard Jacobs The Richard E. Jacobs Group, Inc. This letter is available as a PDF file. Frank P. DeTillio, President & CEO Lorain County Chamber of Commerce This letter is available as a PDF file. Steve Morey, Economic Development Specialist Team Lorain County The Avon Interchange as proposed is good for the economic development of Avon, Lorain County, and the region as a whole. I would like to offer my support to the project. Martin Patton Please approve this interchange. Both my wife and I work in Cuyahoga County and this would help in our commute everyday. Thank You Margery Flint I have lived in Lorain County my entire life and travel the area where the proposed interchange will be built. The new interchange in Avon is needed for continued traffic flow now and in the future. Avon Road, the only connection to Rt. 2 for some in the area; has been in the news many times concerning the possible closing. With this possibility of closure; the interchange is the answer. The folks in Lorain County didn’t get to vote on Cleveland’s sin tax. I don’t understand their objection. The Stearns to Crocker by-pass will bring increased traffic , as well as dollars to both counties; one interchange in the area is not enough to handle the traffic flow. My vote is to let Lorain County prosper and enhance our infrastructure so we may grow and accommodate the future traffic patterns. My vote, build the new interchange in Avon…………… . Todd Shryock I don’t understand what good an interchange would do at the proposed location. If it were just the interchange, it would be great for everyone. But interchanges bring development, and development brings traffic. With developers already owning land around the area, as soon as the interchange is built, businesses will follow. Traffic will flood the area as commuters try to get to the interchange and others try to get to the businesses. The end result is the exact same congestion you already have at SR 83/I-90. People that bought houses in the area that work in Cleveland knew what the traffic situation was when they purchased their home. If their commute is too long, they should have bought a house closer to their job. Invest the money in fixing what we already have. J. Martin Irvine, President/CEO Team Lorain County: I’ve spent over 26 years in the economic development field and moved to Lorain County seven months ago. Most recently I lived in the fast growing Charlotte, NC region where they had to constantly address the increase in passenger as well as commercial vehicle use. They had to address a 20% increase of vehicles every five years, or another way of saying that is one in every five vehicles down there wasn’t even on the roads five years earlier. This region itself is not growing that quickly but due to the continuing growth in residential development in this portion of Lorain County (Avon recently listed as 67th fastest growing community in the nation plus the growth in North Ridgeville and Avon Lake) and the increase in business activity which adds more delivery trucks, etc.; that from a safety factor alone this interchange is needed. I hope you rule favorably to allow this interchange to be built. The overall economy of this region will benefit from your positive action. Brian Frederick, President/CEO Community Foundation of Lorain County: I have had the opportunity to review the details of the proposed Lear/Nagel Road interchange and I heartily endorse the build option of the project. I-90 is a key component to our regional infrastructure and this exchange is necessary for an increasing demand from a growing population. We know that a significant portion of our population works in a county other than where they live and until rail and/or bus service is expanded, we need to increase accessible automobile routing. As our economy strives to enjoy a more regional identity, transportation and accessibility will become an increasingly important asset. Oliver C. Henkel, Jr., Executive Director, Division of Government and Community Relations, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation: The Cleveland Clinic's letter can be viewed as a PDF file. Steve McQuillin: If a new Avon interchange is approved, it needs to be carefully planned not only to be attractive but also to consider indirect impacts. First, development should be controlled to avoid traffic congestion. Creating green space around the interchange could help. Second, historic preservation needs to be a consideration. Historic buildings along Detroit Rd., are being lost to development. Strengthening Avon's landmarks law to require saving historic buildings or funding moving and renovating them is a good solution. Finally, there needs to be a plan for Detroit Rd. Westlake calls for a 5-lane roadway while Avon favors 3 lanes. Widening Detroit encourages more sprawl and congestion, while degrading its residential character. Plans should be made for bike lanes and sidewalks along Detroit Rd. in Avon. NOACA needs to address these issues as part of the Nagel Road interchange plan. Jason Rittenhouse: I am a resident of North Ridgeville. I was recently reading the Sun Newspaper, and it contained an article about the debate about this proposed interchange. I currently work downtown at the Cleveland Clinic, and an additional interchange in Avon would make my commute downtown easier. I am consistently stopped on interstate 90 waiting to exit in Avon on my commute home. I am also considering changing jobs to a hospital in Lorain county to avoid the traffic jams that I continue to find myself in. I hardly think that the 3.5 million dollar projected difference in revenue is worth the debate. Especially if the Medical Mart and New Convention Center are built downtown. The interchange would only make it easier for west side residents in Avon, Avon Lake, North Ridegville, Sheffield Village, and Sheffield Lake to travel to Downtown Cleveland. This interchange would help me on a daily basis traveling to work, it would also help thousands of other west side commuters get to their jobs in Cleveland. When making your decision remember the people who travel this route on a daily basis. Thomas St. Clair: NOACA, GO AWAY. Eastern Cuyahoga county has hot and cold running freeways for those in the know. How can you BLOCK Avon interchange. Hypocrites. Only poor work folk will use the interchange so lets block it. Just like this E-check tax you ninnies wrapped around our necks. Obfuscation here leads to more dough going else where. Thanks for Nothing, Carl Buccieri: NOACA is being UNFAIR to the city of Avon, Ohio. Why is it that NOACA wants an economic study for the I90 interchange @ Nagle in Avon? This has NEVER been asked of any other city project. Why Avon? Something is fishy. Cuyahoga County is worried it will lose people and businesses to Avon, HA!! Cuyahoga County is losing both anyway. An interchange will not stop the exodus out of Cuyahoga. The county commissioners are stoking the exodus by RAISING TAXES in the poorest county in the USA ( they were afraid to let the people decide). If Cuyahoga County wants to prosper it better get it's act together!! You DO NOT tax the poor without their consent. Do SOMETHING about the crime, drugs and thugs. An interchange in Avon will not effect Cuyahoga County, The county leaders are doing that themselves. Wengel: Be careful what you wish for. An interchange at Nagle Rd. will only shift the current problems from one area to another. Not once was any consideration given to the residents immediately adjacent to this area in Avon Lake in regard to increased traffic flows through the neighborhoods. This is no solution for poorly designed interchanges and arterial roads like Crocker/Bassett and RT. 83. The Avon City planners are the root cause of current traffic woes and seem hell-bent on selling out to the highest bidder. Buyer beware. Please notify us if you would like to be added to our e-mail notification list for future updates.