On Thursday April 13 Ed Hauser, with support from the Gilotta family, made a presentation before the Cleveland Landmarks Commission, nominating the old Broadway Mills building, now homebase to Gilotta Fuels, for landmark status.  Hauser nominated both the building, built in 1894, and the remaining portion of the old central viaduct at the building’s base.  Motivated by a communication from ODOT, sent at 5:33p.m. on the evening before the hearing, a majority of  Landmark Commission members voted to table the nomination until ODOT could make a presentation at the Commission’s next meeting. That’s right, the Commission that is supposed to protect Cleveland’s landmarks decided not to even begin consideration of potential landmark status because of ODOT’s request.

Now, on this Thursday, April 27, at 9:00 a.m. at City Hall, the Landmarks Commission will hold its regular meeting and presumably ODOT will make a presentation.  I think anyone who has concern that ODOT is running the show sans our input but with our money should attend to let ODOT and the Landmarks Commission know that we care about the enormous changes that ODOT’s plans will effect.  We care about how ODOT decides to spend our taxes and expect them to adhere to their stated procedures (their Project Development Process).

It is possible that a well-thought-out alternatives matrix and the promised environmental, engineering and economic impact studies would indicate that we have no choice but to accept ODOT’s chosen route for the new bridge, trench and ramps, etc.  But we don’t have those studies to assure us that the best possible alternative has been chosen.

If you care, be there April 27, 2006, 9:00a.m. City Hall, Room 514.