CLEVELAND, Ohio - When new Sen. Jon Husted questioned Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his confirmation hearing Thursday, he focused on chronic diseases like obesity.
We’re talking about RFK’s anti-vaccine views and the Department of Health and Human Services on Today in Ohio.
Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with editorial board member Lisa Garvin, impact editor Leila Atassi and content director Laura Johnston.
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Here‘s what we’re asking about today:
Ohio’s new senator had a small role in the confirmation hearing for anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Thursday. How did that go?
Donald Trump issued an executive order to boost school vouchers across the nation Wednesday, but in this case, Trump might be lagging Ohio. Will this impact our state much?
The folks at Digital C keep saying they are doing a great job, even though they missed their benchmarks in a Cleveland contract to spread cheap broadband to the masses. What is the penalty they will pay for that failure?
A Cleveland leader of yesteryear is in the running to be on the Ohio Public Utilities Commission. Who is he, and would he be a break from the industry stooges who have been on the commission during its recent corruption issues?
The Cleveland Police Commission has been, by many measures, an abject failure. More than two years after it was created, it is not doing what voters envisioned when they opted for more civilian oversight on discipline. What did some Cleveland City Council members have to say about that in a hearing this week?
Chris Ronayne, who announced a few weeks ago he would seek re-election as Cuyahoga County executive in 2026, has an opponent, but is the challenge dead on arrival?
Joann, the Hudson-based fabric and craft retailer, has had a lot of ups and downs in recent years, with America increasingly going online for purchases. How many people might lose their jobs as the company goes through bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year?
Just days after health officials were talking about how the flu this season has been much worse than COVID, Ohio sees a significant COVID bump. We’re seeing it among members of our own staff. How much COVID is out there?
I’ve wanted to talk about this next one since it came out last week, and it’s a good one to end the week on. Who in the world would want to live right next to an active railroad line, especially after what happened in East Palestine? A developer in Lakewood thinks people will. What’s the proposal?
More Today in Ohio
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- Ohio lawmakers, no friends of public schools, have some more proposed laws to guide them: Today in Ohio
- Ohio’s Senate tells voters to pound salt and guts the marijuana law they overwhelmingly approved: Today in Ohio
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Read the automated transcript below. Because it’s a computer-generated transcript, it contains many errors and misspellings.
Chris Quinn (00:01.017)
We saw something yesterday I don’t think we’ve ever seen before. We had an airline tragedy that killed 67 people and the U.S. president, instead of doing what U.S. presidents do and helping the nation mourn, blamed DEI, which is obscene because 71 % of air traffic controllers are white, 81 % are men. How that can be a DEI issue, we don’t know. I feel like DEI is the new word for racism.
It’s Today in Ohio, the news podcast discussion from cleveland.com and the Plain Dealer. I’m Chris Quinn here with Leila Tasi, Lisa Garvin, and Laura Johnson. Got lots to talk about. Let’s get to it. Ohio’s new senator had a small role in the confirmation hearing for anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Thursday. Lisa, how did that go?
Lisa (00:50.257)
Well, he wasn’t as hard as some of his colleagues, even colleagues on his side of the aisle on RFK Jr. So Senator John Husted is on the Health, Labor and Pensions Committee and they were the ones grilling Robert F. Kennedy Jr. yesterday.
He asked for assurances that RFK would address the chronic health issues like obesity and take a leadership role across all of the agencies he would oversee and to suggest changes to those agencies. Houston said, our government encourages the production and sale of foods that are creating obesity and other problems that we’re trying to solve. And I really look forward to your recommendations and they would be very much appreciated.
But on the other hand, the committee chair, Dr. Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, he says, you know, RFK has a history of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded misleading arguments about a link to autism. And Cassidy is fearful that confirming him would cast a shadow over the Trump legacy, which maybe isn’t the best reason for that, but anyway.
He says that, you know, many trust you over their own doctors. And he recalled, you know, as a doctor, he recalled treating preventable hepatitis B cases where a vaccine would have helped.
Chris Quinn (02:09.699)
can’t believe we’re at this juncture. Here’s a doctor, a guy who went to medical school, questioning him and making it sound like, yeah, I don’t know if I should vote for you, when he absolutely shouldn’t vote for him. Here’s a man of science. He knows what vaccines do, and he’s looking at a guy who will lead US healthcare policy, who is a complete lunatic, doesn’t know what he’s talking about when it comes to vaccines, will harm people. People will...
Lisa (02:23.004)
Mm-hmm.
Chris Quinn (02:39.065)
die if he is in this job and this doctor is like, am going to call you because I am just not sure. There is no way he should be confirmed. We are running away from science if we confirm him. There is just no way. Can you believe we here? This guy is cuckoo birds. may as be a flat earther. He as well say the Holocaust did not happen. This is conspiracy theory to the nth degree.
Lisa (02:55.648)
No.
Chris Quinn (03:07.367)
So many lives have been saved. So many people are walking on this planet today because of vaccines. Here’s a guy that will cripple that and he could be in charge.
Lisa (03:17.647)
Well, both he and Cash Patel, who’s, you know, looking to be the head of the FBI, they’re both saying they’re denying their past life. And Cassidy called, you know, Kennedy out. says, can you really change your attitude now after decades of criticizing vaccines? Just like Patel is saying, I don’t have a list of enemies. Yeah, right.
Chris Quinn (03:36.751)
Yeah, we have this this movement in in politics now where these Republican guys are all talking about being manly and tough and they never stand up for themselves. Nobody in Congress believes this vaccine nonsense. They’re all educated, intelligent people. This should be a unanimous vote. No, we’re not putting a lunatic in charge of these policies. Our children are too important for the future. And yet.
He could get confirmed and if he doesn’t, it’s going to be close. What does that say for our country? What’s the message we send to places like Africa, which are constantly dealing with outbreaks of horrible disease? We just look like clowns on a national stage. And here’s John Huston being mild in it. Stand up, show some steel. This is wrong and everyone knows it. And they’re all too afraid of Donald Trump to say it. Amazing stuff.
You’re listening to Today in Ohio. Donald Trump issued an executive order to boost school vouchers across the nation Wednesday, but in this case, he might be lagging Ohio. Laura, will this impact our state very much?
Laura (04:46.574)
Well, like so many things we’ve talked about this week involving Trump, I really feel like we need a magic eight ball to answer these questions where we can say, the reply is hazy and ask again later. We don’t have a lot of details. Everyone’s trying to figure out what it means for them, but you’re right. Ohio is already doing what Trump wants and likely this will not change the landscape hugely in Ohio. It definitely won’t hurt the private schools here.
because Trump is giving the US Secretary of Education 60 days to issue guidance on how states can use federal funds to support K through 12 educational choice, also known as private school vouchers. Now, this Linda McMahon, the World Wrestling Entertainment founder, she’s been nominated as education secretary. She’s not in place yet, but this will fall to her. There’s also the Health and Human Services Secretary who gets 90 days to provide guidance on how states that receive childcare and development block grants, and Ohio’s one of them, could use that money
on alternatives to government entities, including private and faith-based options. So maybe we’ll see some movement there. But Ohio’s school voucher program, which approached $1 billion in cost to taxpayers last year, made the state the 10th best according to the American Legislative Exchange Council when it comes to educational freedom. We’ve got about 117,000 students enrolled in private schools during the last school year.
And this obviously we’ve had school vouchers for a very long time, but really this universal thing is very new. Arizona was the first state to adopt it in 2022 and Ohio’s quickly followed suit.
Chris Quinn (06:24.015)
I think there are a bunch of people that would say it’s actually the 10th worst. Those would be the public school advocates and the people that think we should not be funding religious schools and trying to keep that separation of church and state. Clearly, Donald Trump doesn’t agree with those folks.
Laura (06:29.302)
Yes, absolutely.
Laura (06:39.072)
No, and the opponents of this say that this ignores the reality that most American children, including most Ohio kids, attend public schools. Any new policies would likely benefit the wealthy. And in the executive order, Trump notes the scores of students on the nation’s report card, which is based on standardized tests. But the thing is private school students don’t have to take those same standardized tests, which Laura Hancock has pointed out in some really
detailed stories for us. also showed that kids who are taking advantage of these vouchers aren’t necessarily kids who are going to poor performing public schools, but who are already going to private schools in areas where they’re better off. So this is not obviously I want all kids to get a good education, but creating this voucher system really creates some haves and have nots and the private schools can pick who they want to go to their schools, right? They don’t have to accept everyone, which
There’s so many questions here, but it’s not a fair playing field.
Chris Quinn (07:40.047)
You’re listening to Today in Ohio. The folks at Digital C keep saying they are doing a great job, even though they missed their benchmarks in a Cleveland contract to spread cheap broadband to the masses. What’s the penalty they will pay for that failure while they keep telling us about their bold leadership and how successful they are?
Leila (07:52.147)
you
Right the penalty honestly not much I mean did digital see was supposed to lose one point seven five million for missing its subscriber goal by twenty percent but city council softened that blow they agreed to pay them seven hundred sixty thousand dollars instead the contract was pretty clear digital scene needed to sign up three thousand five hundred new households in twenty twenty four to get that full funding they only hit twenty eight hundred and nine hundred of those were part of a separate.
Cleveland schools program that didn’t count toward their total. Under the original deal, Digital C would have been paid $500 per new household. Instead, council cut that to 400 and counted 1900 of the signups toward their final tally. Some council members like Chris Harsh argued that Digital C shouldn’t get anything. This was a performance based contract and they didn’t perform. But others, including council president Blaine Griffin, worried that penalizing them too harshly could backfire, making it harder for
Digital C to succeed in future years. So next year, the stakes get higher though. Digital C must sign up 4,700 new households in 2025 with increasing targets through 2027. And if they miss those marks, Councilman Brian Casey warned them there are no more second chances. Digital C is also required to provide digital literacy training for 50,000 residents over four years with $8.25 million tied to that goal.
They hit their 2024 training target and they’ll get a separate $2 million for that work.
Chris Quinn (09:30.529)
How many times have they been told that your last hit this is really this really really really is your last chance until your next last chance next year when you come in again
Leila (09:36.712)
Yeah.
Laura (09:38.126)
It sounds like me trying to harangue my son into not stealing cookies out of the pantry.
Chris Quinn (09:43.759)
It’s just how many times do you have to say, okay, okay, we’re watching you and there’s supposed to be guardians of the tax dollars. Chris Harsh is right. You want to make them perform, make it hard. Say you blew it, we’ve told you that if you blew it, we were going to hold you accountable. Hold them accountable. I bet we’re in the exact same place next year having the same conversation and it’ll be really, really, really, really the last chance.
Leila (10:11.823)
It also feels troubling that Digital C wasn’t open about their failures. They tried to spin it so hard, but they’re clearly in over their head. They missed their first year target by 20%. I mean, they needed a contract amendment to avoid losing even more money and they’re already angling for future adjustments. If they struggle to sign up 3,500 households, how are they going to hit 4,700 next year? I mean, at some point, city council has to ask,
Chris Quinn (10:31.211)
Yeah.
Chris Quinn (10:37.24)
And you wonder...
Leila (10:39.987)
Did we bet on the wrong horse here?
Chris Quinn (10:42.263)
Yeah, that’s what they should be asking now. They shouldn’t be saying, well, well, you know, this is it. It’s no wonder why people have lost their faith in government. You’re listening to Today in Ohio. A Cleveland leader of yesteryear is in the running to be on the Ohio Public Utilities Commission. Who is he and would he be a break from the industry stooges who have been on the commission during its recent corruption issues?
Or would he be in the pocket of that industry again, sticking it to the rate payers?
Lisa (11:12.849)
He certainly stands out because he doesn’t really have any ties to utility companies or anything. state vetting panel recommended former Greater Cleveland Partnership CEO Joe Roman. He was at the GCP from 2003 to 2021. He says that his 40 years of economic development experience would be good for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. He was a
put forward along with current PUCCO member Lawrence Friedman. We’ve talked about him on this podcast. He owns at least a thousand dollars in stock from companies that are parties in PUCCO cases, including Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Verizon. He also worked in regulatory affairs for the natural gas industry before being appointed to PUCCO by Governor Kasich back in 2017.
And he has a little tiny bit of a role in HB6, former PUCO chairman Sam Randazzo said he sought Friedman’s reappointment to the commission in 2020 because he’s quote, very cooperative. So go ahead. Right.
Chris Quinn (12:13.991)
He shouldn’t be reappointed. We talked about him before. He has conflicts of interest. It’s inexcusable. Joe Roman had said, this doesn’t make sense to me that he doesn’t have investments over $1,000. I’m not buying that with the money he made as the head of GCP. He’s got to. Maybe it’s not the disclosure point yet.
Roman was a strong leader for GCP for a lot of years. That thing had direction. It was involved in a lot of big conversations in a way it’s really not now. But he was the guy, I mean, it’s the Chamber of Commerce. He was the business guy. Why don’t we ever get a normal rate payer, an electricity user who’s on this commission, even a company that buys a lot of power that has an interest in the rates.
Lisa (12:48.752)
Mm-hmm.
Chris Quinn (13:03.991)
would be better than people that just represent the business side. I don’t know what Joe Roman would do if he’s on the commission. It’s just, would love to see somebody who’s on this commission who cares about the rate payer. Instead, we get a bunch of people who are easily swayable to enrich the utilities.
Lisa (13:24.507)
Well, he did, like I said, he does stand out because he doesn’t, most of the others have, you know, backgrounds and utilities, but we’ll see. I mean, this is something where you just kind of have to wait and see. Governor DeWine has 30 days to choose. They actually gave him four names, but two of those names did not get supporting votes from the vetting panel. So DeWine could say, you know, I’ll take either Roman or Friedman, or I want a whole new list. So we’ll see what happens.
Chris Quinn (13:51.203)
Well, Roman isn’t a cowering simp. He would speak his mind and maybe that would be helpful on the commission. But the other guy he’s going up against, he’s got conflicts. There’s no way he should be on there. That should be just rejected out of hand. You’re listening to Today in Ohio. The Cleveland Police Commission has been, by many measures, an abject failure. More than two years after it was created, is not doing what voters envisioned when they opted for more civilian oversight on police discipline.
Laura, what did some Cleveland City council members have to say about the state of affairs in a hearing this week?
Laura (14:26.03)
Well, they were arguing about drone policies for one, but there’s a lot of back and forth on this. And the Community Police Commission is made up of city residents. This was formed under 2015 under the consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice and then changed to get in 2021 when the voters approved issue 24.
So that gave the CPC this broad authority over police discipline and policies. Right now, nine of the 13 seats on the commission are open. So that gives Mayor Bibb a chance to drastically change the makeup of this board. And council gets to vet new members while digging into the commission’s issues. So eight of these nine nominees appeared before council on Wednesday. They were interviewed in a four-hour meeting. There were no decisions. They’re going to discuss the nominations further. But they talked about this drone policy, this idea the CPC saying you can’t
fly a drone over a protest because that invades people’s privacy. And Councilman Mike Polenski and Charles Slyfe, they both took issue and they said, protests are standing in a public space, do not have a right to privacy. So they’re concerned about the policy, they’re concerned about some of the nominees. There are no members of the Black Shield Police Association, for example, that represents black officers in the Cleveland police force. There are no clergy members from Cleveland’s churches, but it’s a really strict
rules and who can be it. The charter requires that they have to be affected by gun violence and have members from community organizations that are focused on civil rights.
Chris Quinn (15:53.881)
Look, we said from the beginning that the way that that issue was created for the voters, it needed amending, that it wasn’t fully formed. And I thought that after Bibb was elected mayor and the council got to work, that they would put before voters some reforms to make this more workable. I don’t think it’s workable in its current state because of all the things they did with it. And yet we haven’t seen a reform.
Laura (16:00.515)
Mm-hmm.
Chris Quinn (16:20.855)
And we go month after month with total dysfunction. Maybe that’s what what Bibb and the council want. Let’s keep it dysfunctional. It doesn’t work and we can continue to do what we want with the police department. But the voters are not being served. They voted for a reform. The reform wasn’t really well designed. We should fix it.
Laura (16:42.412)
I don’t disagree with that. I don’t think anybody would point to this and be like, this is a model of how government should work.
Chris Quinn (16:48.833)
It seems like it’s going to take another citizen’s initiative to fix it because the government just doesn’t seem interested in it. They’d rather go along with its dysfunction because it keeps them in control. You’re listening to Today in Ohio. Chris Ronane, who announced a few weeks ago he would seek reelection as Cuyahoga County executive in 2026, has an early opponent. But lately, is that challenge dead on arrival because of the way he’s mounting it?
Leila (17:12.691)
I don’t know. You know, we’re so disenchanted with Chris Rene. Maybe, maybe people give this young, young up and comer a shot, but this is Tariq K. Shabazz. I’m sorry, Tariq. My brother’s name is Tariq. So Tariq Shabazz. He’s back in the race for Cuyahoga County executive, but this time he’s ditching the Democratic Party primary and running as an independent in 2026.
He’s frustrated with the two party system. says he doesn’t owe anyone any deals and he promises big changes if he’s elected. His platform touches on familiar issues, affordable housing, workforce development, public health, but he’s also staking out some bold positions. He wants to eliminate public funding for pro sports stadiums, which you know, woohoo, but he’s calling the Browns renovation requests dead on arrival.
He also wants to make the sheriff an elected position, shifting oversight away from the county executive’s office. He is a 30 year old Navy veteran. He lost the 2022 Democratic primary to Ronane, but this time he’s going to bypass that party system altogether. And he’s betting that voters are ready for something different. I mean, whether he can gain traction outside of the traditional primary process will remain to be seen.
Chris Quinn (18:35.243)
No, it’s he won’t. I mean, you’re not going to win in Cuyahoga County if you don’t run as a Democrat. The Democrats win everything. And in this race in particular, I’m a little bit surprised because he did run in the primary before. I do think Ronane is vulnerable. He told everybody I won’t extend the sales tax without a vote of the people. Then he did. I do suspect he will eventually change his position and provide the Brook Park Brown Stadium the money that they want.
because that looks more and more like a done deal with state money likely to come soon. people could run against him for that, that he doesn’t stand for anything, that he tells everybody a slightly different story. And you could mount a strong campaign there about the cost overruns at the jail, which you’re getting astronomical. But the only way you’re going to do it is in the Democratic Party primary. And if you don’t run there, you’re not a serious candidate. I’m just surprised by it.
I almost get the feeling this guy’s run for everything, right? He keeps running for major office without having served in any role in government. I think he likes telling people, I’m a candidate for this. So for the next two years now, everywhere he goes, I’m a candidate for Cuyahoga County executive. Whereas if he ran in the primary and lost, he can only do it for about a year. I don’t think this is the serious way. I hope we get a serious candidate. I hope somebody runs in the Democratic party and goes at him.
Leila (19:33.267)
true.
Chris Quinn (19:59.383)
Ronane is going to have labor. He has embraced labor. He’s embraced Dave Wandelowski, who he said during his first campaign he wouldn’t. But I still think he could be beaten by a good candidate.
Leila (20:13.053)
So I get the skepticism about Tariq Shabazz and running as an independent is a long shot in a county as blue as Cuyahoga, but I wouldn’t write him off as totally unserious. mean, he’s come before the editorial board before, and we thought that he was a smart, conscientious guy with some big ideas. And let’s be real, the Democratic Party here doesn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for young new voices, especially those without deep political connections.
Shabazz ran in the Democratic party last time, got no real support, and he saw firsthand how tough it is to break into that pipeline. So now he’s trying something different. I mean, is it risky? Yes. But it’s also a statement about how broken our local political system is.
Chris Quinn (20:53.591)
Yeah.
You’re forgetting that Chris Ronan was not the party candidate last time. He won in spite of the Democratic Party doing everything they could to get around him. So I don’t think that that’s necessarily true. And I’m just being pragmatic. As an independent, he will not win. He won’t come close to winning. The only way right now, I’m not saying it’s right. I hate the single party rule we have, but the only way to that seat is through the Democratic Party. He will not win. And so what’s the point?
Why go through all this effort for the next two years just to have it be a fait accompli? If he ran in the Democratic Party and he ran aggressively, I agree with you. He’s an impressive guy. He’s lacking in lot of experience, which is a tough thing to overcome.
Leila (21:32.839)
That’s true.
Leila (21:42.803)
But I think the Democratic Party needs to, they should take note of him. They should groom him, help him find his footing and help him find his way into elected office somehow because it’d be a waste to just let him go.
Chris Quinn (21:49.764)
Yeah.
Chris Quinn (21:57.464)
I agree.
Chris Quinn (22:01.321)
I I agree. I just think it’s a shame. When I first heard he was running, I thought, okay, good. You know, well, that could be. But then when I saw it was an independent, it’s like, okay, well, who’s going to be the real challenger here? You’re listening to Today in Ohio. Joanne, the Hudson-based fabric and craft retailer has had a lot of ups and downs in recent years with America increasingly going online for purchases.
How many people, Lisa, might lose their jobs as the company goes through bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year? could be a lot of unemployment in Northeast Ohio.
Lisa (22:34.353)
Yeah, in paperwork they submitted to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, Joanne is warning that at least a thousand Northeast Ohio employees could lose their jobs as early as late March. So they said that 661 jobs at the corporate office in Hudson are at risk, 359 at the Hudson Distribution Center, and also 116 potential layoffs at their fulfillment center, which is in West Jefferson near Columbus.
They’re currently searching for a buyer to emerge from their second bankruptcy filing since last spring. These layoffs could be partially or fully avoided depending on who the buyer is. If the buyer continues to operate that retail similar to their current model, it would be okay. But any changes or consolidation or closures could spur these layoffs. Joanne was established in 1943 in Cleveland. They currently have 850 stores in 49 states.
but they are $615 million in debt. That said that Gordon Brothers Retail Partners LLC is said to have made an attractive bid for Joanne, but if higher bids are made, then this will go to a public auction. But Gordon Brothers also bought Big Lots, which is another Ohio based company, but that company is going out of business.
Chris Quinn (23:54.287)
I don’t know. I’ve gotten in Joanne a few times looking for something specific. I never find what I want and have to go online. And over the holidays, I was with a couple of people who do a lot of crocheting. You know, I’m a journalist. I’m asking a million questions about what goes on there. And I was surprised to learn that neither of them buy their yarns in the United States. They can’t get what they want. They buy it from overseas. And I think that’s the kind of thing that if you’re Joanne, if you’re not providing what people are looking for,
people don’t have a reason to come to your stores.
Lisa (24:25.147)
But on the other hand, my friend who makes dolls for a living, there Joanne and Worcester closed permanently the first time around. She is struggling to find the fabric and stuff that she needs to make her dolls because of this. So that’s the other side of the, no. You know, or she needs it quickly, you know, and can’t wait for the shipping. Yeah. So it’s, it’s, that’s the other side of the coin. A lot of jobs.
Chris Quinn (24:40.417)
She can’t find it online.
Hmm.
Chris Quinn (24:52.215)
a lot of jobs. mean, that will have an impact on our unemployment rate in Northeast Ohio. You’re listening to Today in Ohio. Just days after health officials were talking about how the flu this season has been much worse than COVID, Ohio sees a fairly significant COVID bump. Laura, we’re seeing it among members of our own staff, how much COVID is out there all of a sudden.
Laura (25:15.182)
Right now we’re at 5,374 cases in Ohio this week. That was reported by the Ohio Department of Health. That’s an increase of about 900 from last week. this is the first tick upward in the last month. It was falling after Christmas. But it’s much lower than it was at the same time last year where we had more than 7,000 cases. And obviously take these numbers with a grain of salt because a lot of people who get COVID are not reporting it.
And yeah, at this point, think everybody knows somebody who has COVID. And I just found out a friend told me somebody else did. And it’s like, OK, so they’re isolating in their home. And it still spreads because everybody’s at home inside.
Chris Quinn (26:00.259)
Yes, I did intentionally go to the one person on this podcast for this question who has not had COVID.
Laura (26:06.638)
As far as I know, I’ve never had COVID. It seems unbelievable at this point, but no members of my immediate family that we know of have had COVID.
Chris Quinn (26:07.703)
Ha ha ha.
Chris Quinn (26:14.753)
Lisa and I finally tumbled to it last year. You’re listening to Today in Ohio. I’ve wanted to talk about this one since it came out last week, and it’s a good one to end the week on. Who in the world would want to live right next to an active railroad line, especially after what happened in East Palestine? Lela, developer in Lakewood thinks people will. What’s the proposal?
Leila (26:36.019)
I was interested in this story too, especially when you see the rendering that shows the homes facing the tracks. mean, you know, so Lakewood City Council is set to vote on a unique housing project that would transform a long narrow lot between Donald Avenue and Thoreau Road into a townhouse development right up against the railroad tracks. They call this the Railside Park Subdivision.
And the plan calls for 10 townhomes and one single family home with three store units featuring two car garages. Originally, the access road was set to run along the train tracks, but after input from the planning commission and the architectural board, it was moved to the north side to create more distance from neighboring homes. So the development also includes a public walking path connecting Donald and Thoreau to an existing trail leading to Cove Park.
Officials say this kind of housing, is denser than single-family homes, but more permanent than apartments, that it fills a gap in Lakewood’s housing market. Of course, the elephant in the room is living that close to an active railroad. The city planners point out that plenty of Lakewood homes already sit near the tracks and they don’t see it as a deal breaker. But I probably would. mean, what do you think, Chris? Is this a smart, creative use of land?
Chris Quinn (27:55.765)
No way, no way, no.
Lisa (27:56.837)
Well, I’m going to jump in here because my Houston condo where I lived for 17 years was about 25 yards from some very active Union Pacific railroad tracks. And there was one derailment in all the 17 years that I lived and it was only a couple of cars. So yeah, I mean, and people wanted to live in my condo development. mean, so I’m just saying, you know, I’ve done it. I’ve been there.
Leila (28:08.659)
Mm-hmm.
Chris Quinn (28:24.44)
I get it.
Leila (28:24.499)
I’ve been there too. wanted to, I, I, during our home renovation, we rented a house along the railroad tracks in Bay and it was kind of cool at first. mean, there’s something cinematic about hearing the distant rumble of a train in the night, but as someone who’s naturally pretty anxious, I found it a little bit unnerving. mean, you’re looking straight down the tracks from your living room at night and you see that bright headlight coming toward you. And I mean, it’s not very relaxing.
Lisa (28:34.609)
Mm-hmm.
Lisa (28:38.894)
Mm-hmm.
Leila (28:52.711)
And then there’s the whistle factor. Where exactly does the engineer decide to blow the whistle? Because if it’s anywhere near your bedroom window, mean, good luck sleeping through it.
Lisa (29:01.013)
that’s true. And we had terrible problems with, like I said, 30 trains a day, all blowing their whistles. But then they instituted a quiet zone because I’m on the edge of one of the most, one of the most rich subdivisions in Houston. And so, you know, they didn’t like those horns. So they instituted a quiet zone.
Leila (29:09.363)
Mmm.
Laura (29:10.382)
Mm-hmm.
Leila (29:17.115)
Right.
Chris Quinn (29:19.897)
Yeah, I just don’t see it, but we’ll see. We’ll see how many people want to buy them and live next to all that noise.
Leila (29:26.417)
I mean, what’s interesting is that the homes are facing the tracks. I mean, that’s like, you know, big front row seat to watch some rusty graffiti covered rail cars go screaming past, but you know, all day.
Chris Quinn (29:29.848)
Right.
Lisa (29:30.597)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Laura (29:35.95)
Hahaha
Chris Quinn (29:36.655)
All day long, every day. Yeah, I can’t see it, but the developer must have some studies showing he’ll sell. You’re listening to Today in Ohio. That’s it for January. We have finished this God-forsaken month. We only have one real month of winter left, and it’s looking like we’re going to be warm. We’re supposed to be up to near 60 next week.
So maybe we’re out of this miserable wretched stretch and I don’t care if you go skiing every day, Laura. Thanks, Leila. Thanks, Lisa. Thanks, Laura. Thank you for listening to Today in Ohio. We’ll be back Monday talking about the news.