Q: What sets the Coalition apart from other community organizations with lakefront interests?
A: GRC is focused on the lakefront in its entirety in Cleveland, regionally, and across Ohio. We cut across all stakeholder interest groups from government entities to private concerns (e.g., the Port Authority, yacht clubs, museums, city-owned facilities and power plants).
Q: What is the Coalition’s advocacy tack in Cleveland?
A: The Green Ribbon Coalition was founded around four fundamentals:
Q: Is there too much commercial development on the lake shore in Cleveland?
A: There is a place for commercial development, but not every place. Lakefront development should not mean “building out every square foot of available lakefront land.” We want to change the “default setting” among policy makers to emphasize opportunities for open public green development.
Q: Is the Green Ribbon Coalition anti-commercial development?
A: Absolutely not! We advocate balance between commercial development and open green public space on the lakeshore (in Cleveland, and across Ohio).
Q: What’s the Coalition’s stance on Burke Lakefront Airport?
A: Our starting point is recognition of things as they are on the lakefront. There is no moving or closing the airport at this time, but there may be opportunities to incorporate public green space on fringes of the facility. And if city leaders determine down the road that all or part of the airport footprint could be available for development, we would advocate balance between commercial and open green public uses with emphasis on the latter.
Q: What are examples of green open public development?
A: Parks, recreation and sports areas, gardens, festival grounds, nature preserves, public docks, enhanced and expanded multi-purpose trails, picnic areas and open space near the water to enjoy proximity to the water with epic views of downtown. In addition, green development should be designed and executed to positively impact the economic vitality of adjacent neighborhoods and business districts.
Q: Is the Coalition’s focus exclusively on lakefront development?
A: GRC plays two roles: first, we are an advocate for more open green public lakefront development as described; and as appropriate the Coalition will undoubtedly take positions on such things as best practices in connection with lake water quality, connections to the public space on the lakefront, and issues bordering on the lakefront such as highways, public safety, land use, zoning and the like.
Our second role involves building active support for our advocacy initiatives. We will aggressively seek the involvement of the public, and create opportunities which could include events, festivals, public meetings, committee involvements and more. Within three years our goal is to enlist the support of 5,000 GRC activists and registered voters.
Q: What are the Coalition’s interests beyond the Cleveland lakefront?
A: Our hope for Cleveland’s lakefront extends all along the Lake Erie Shore across Ohio. How this is achieved, and the Coalition’s role are yet to be determined.
