The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (BOE) on Tuesday certified the final results of the November 3, 2009 general election. The additional 714 provisional and overseas ballots absent from the preliminary totals did not change the outcome of Lakewood’s at-large city council race.

The final standings look like this:

Voter turnout modest at best

According to a 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, Lakewood had a population of about 50,704. In 2000, the Census Bureau reported that around 79% of people living within city limits were 18 years old and older. So, one could estimate that Lakewood has a pool of approximately 40,000 voting-aged residents.

The BOE’s Lakewood voter registration list has around 38,995 names. Although the names of ex-residents are purged on a fairly regular basis, it still contains a lot of outdated information. It’s not an especially great tool to use when gauging voter turnout, but can provide a rough view of who is fulfilling their basic civic duty, and who is not.

Presidential general elections usually bring out high-water marks in voter participation. In 2000, when Bush was elected, 21,651 Lakewoodites voted. Obama’s 2008 victory brought 26,557 residents to the polls. Only 13,839 people chose to vote in the November 2009 election, an overall turnout of 35%.

Here's a map depicting the percentage of registered voter turn-out at the ward precinct level for the 2009 general election. Click on the image for a larger view.

A glance at the percentage of registered voter turnout at the ward precinct level shows people living north of Clifton voted at rates greater than most other parts of the city. Precincts 3-A (between Nicholson and Belle) and 1-H (Clifton Park) had the highest rates of participation at 51.2% and 47.9%, respectively. Alternatively, with the exception of a couple of Gold Coast precincts, residents of Ward 4 had the most dismal results. Precincts 4-E (between W 117^th and Cove) and 4-K (between W. 117^th and Ridgewood) had the lowest rates at 17.65%  and 21.29%, respectively. (Don’t know what precinct you reside in? Check here.)

Here's a map depicting the total number of active voters per ward precinct in the 2009 General Election. Click on the image for a larger view.

Where did the greatest number of voters turn out on Election Day? Four of the top ten precincts were in Ward 2. But the three most active precincts were 3-A (between Nicholson and Belle), 1-J (Maple Cliff to Webb), and 4-A (Gold Coast/Winton Place) with 506, 476, and 455 voters, respectively. How about the lowest number of voters? Four of the least active precincts were in Ward 4. Precincts 4-E, 4-K, 4-G, and 4-C, all along West 117^th, had 153, 188, 192, and 197 voters, respectively. It’s also a disappointment to see precincts 1-F and 1-G, home to all of those apartment buildings in the West End, had just 229 and 275 voters, respectively.

What do the city council election results say?

The slate of candidates aggressively pushed by Mayor Edward O. FitzGerald finished on top. Nickie Antonio was elected to another term. Brian Powers, who had held the position through appointment, gained legitimacy as the second leading vote-getter. Political neophyte Monique Smith bested a couple of more qualified candidates – including former Ward 2 councilperson Ryan Demro – to become the newest member of the go-along to get-along gang. Overall, the election results suggest that the majority of Lakewood residents who voted are satisfied with the direction of their city and trust their mayor.

How did a no name beat an established name by 254 votes?

Love him or hate him, Second Lieutenant Ryan Patrick Demro has an established base of followers and a concrete record of accomplishment. He attended all of the candidate forums and pumped out plenty of mailings, literature drops, e-mails and robocalls. How did he get aced out by Monique Smith, a prefabricated mayoral creation?

Monique Smith's performance by ward precinct. Click the image for a larger view.

Ryan Demro's performance by ward precinct. Click the image for a larger view.

One critical setback was the abandonment of Demro by voters in Ward 2, where he was a councilperson from 2004 to 2007. Smith outpaced him there by 31 votes. Demro also fared exceptionally poorly in the Fighting 4th Ward, where Smith bested him by 200 votes. These two outcomes, combined with a weak showing in Ward 1, sank Demro’s comeback attempt.

Powers for the (wealthy) people

Any ill will created by Brian Powers during the pit bull ban debate evaporated on Election Day. He triumphed big time in the wealthier northern portions of the city. Powers blew the doors off of Precinct 3-A (between Nicholson and Belle) with 347 votes, the most votes any candidate received in a single precinct. Nickie Antonio was a distant second with 242 votes. Precinct 1-H (Clifton Park) granted him 258 votes. Nickie Antonio placed second in the precinct with 195 votes.

Brian Powers' performance by ward precinct. Click the image for a larger view.

Antonio’s future plans don’t bother voters

Nickie Antonio is a political fund raising machine, at least when compared to her city council cohorts. It is a surprise to no one that she is a likely candidate for state representative. What is a bit of a surprise is that the electorate doesn’t seem bothered that Antonio, were she to win state office, would leave city council just one year into her term. In addition to being the leading overall vote-getter, she performed well in the northern precincts and in Wards 3 and 4.

Nickie Antonio's performance by ward precinct. Click the image for a larger view.

Is it something they did?

Despite being the top two vote-getters, neither Powers nor Antonio occupied any of the top three spots in Precincts 2-H and 2-J (South Central Lakewood) and Precinct 1-F (West End apartments). I wonder what the people in those areas know that the rest of Lakewood doesn’t.

Looking for a new career? Well, for just $599,000, you can own Mahall’s bowling alley, a Lakewood institute since 1924, located at 13222  Madison Ave., across from Madison Park.

It’s been up for sale since June. The asking price isn’t much more than the building’s tax value listed on the Cuyahoga County Auditor’s Web site.

According to the real estate listing, everything is included:

“This is an excellent night club concept just waiting to be exploited! Mahall’s bowling alley. 20 lanes, 6 pool tables in separate pool hall. Full complete kitchen, cocktail lounge with D5/D6 liquor license. Large party room, 4 bed. Apartment on top floor. Sale includes all inventory, supplies, liq. lic… Turn key business Stay open till 2:30 am each and every day. Large space complete with plenty of room for a band and dancing”

A view of the proposed Social Security Administration building from Detroit Ave.

Revisions to the proposal for construction of a new Social Security Administration office building at 17513 Detroit Rd., current site of Lakewood Christian Church, were discussed at the October 8th meeting of the Architectural Board of Review (ABR). (See prior post on the subject).

Project developer John Pavone of Flint, Michigan-based West Second Street Associates and Lakewood-based architect John Waddell of Waddell & Associates have worked over the course of the last couple of months to address some concerns of nearby residents.

The changes include dumpster relocation, fence line modification and the addition of benches. Discussion over how to best alter the plain appearance of the building’s Detroit Rd. exit door is ongoing. The city and the ABR continue to push for an upscale door design. Pavone has said the federal government’s building design requirements limit his flexibility to make such changes. (See .PDF of a rendering of the building from Detroit Ave. See .PDF of a rendering of the building from all directions. See .PDF of a rendering of building’s floor space.)

Detroit Ave. is located at the top of the image. Spring Garden on the left and Roycroft is on the right.

Potential for parking lot ‘nuisance’

Roycroft homeowner Jeff Foye, who lives directly next to the apartment building across the street from the proposed site, wondered how the construction project would affect off-street parking. He noticed construction of the Dunkin’ Donuts on Spring Garden temporarily eliminated several parking spots. He said renters sometimes illegally park in his driveway, and was concerned the situation could worsen when the Social Security project commences. A representative from the Division of Housing and Building said he would work with the Department of Public Works to examine the issue.

West Clifton resident Richard Sicha felt the Social Security Administration building’s 63-spot parking lot should be gated or chained after hours in order to block the inevitable flow of bar patrons and apartment renters looking for convenient parking. Otherwise, “This is just being set-up to become a neighborhood nuisance,” he said. “This is just a mess waiting to happen.”

One resident still not happy

Roycroft homeowner John Graham, who lives directly on the southern project border, had earlier expressed worry that the proposed perimeter fence would inhibit his ability to safely pull out of his driveway. In response, the developer stopped the fence 16-feet short of the right-of-way, and moved it two feet off of the property line. Graham was appreciative of the change, but not entirely satisfied. “I’m just not happy with it,” he said.

Graham was also mildly miffed that the developer didn’t have plans to cut down a nearby tree on property it will acquire — one he never liked — that had belonged to his elderly neighbor. “What, was I going to tell him, ‘I hate your tree.’?” he said.

Odds and ends

AT&T had service capacity issues in the area and has installed an additional jumbo Lightspeed U-Verse box on the property. It will be screened from view with landscaping. The board and the city want some relatively minor changes to the western-facing employee entrance to give it more character. The developer indicated the site’s mature trees will be preserved. In an effort to avoid disturbing tree roots, the dumpster will be kept in a wooden enclosure instead of a concrete container. The board wondered if any nighttime building façade lighting would be used. The developer said it was possibility. The ABR deferred a decision on any Social Security Administration building issues because they didn’t have quorum – one member was absent, and the other recused himself because he is the project’s architect. The next meeting is scheduled for November 12^th.

Absence of building permit costs Birdtown property owner

When Rich Bovaro began the process of evicting tenants from the 4-unit building he owns at 2030 Robin, he noticed the structure was in bad shape and needed immediate repair. His subsequent renovation work drew the attention of someone who complained to the building dept. on July 13^th. The property was inspected on July 14^th and July 17^th.

Due to the pending eviction, Bovaro requested an extension. When the city next examined the property on September 17^th, it noticed he had pulled apart one of the upstairs bedroom suites (which was once a front porch) without having the proper building permits.

As a result, he was not aware his 4-unit building was grandfathered into an area zoned only for single and two family homes. Once the unit was altered, it lost its exception and needed to return to its original function as a front porch. Bovaro, who operates a realty company based in Aurora, expressed some disbelief at the situation. A city representative suggested the next step would be to bring the issue to the zoning board.

Due to a lack of quorum, the issue was deferred until the next meeting.

Lakewood Phoenix looks to add new signage, remove siding

Julie Hutchinson presented a request to add signage and remove ugly storefront siding (formally known as T1-11) at 15116-18 Detroit. The board was very pleased the siding would be removed. Due to a lack of quorum, however, the issue was deferred until the next meeting.

Other than the lady on Beach Rd. who reported human remains (later picked up by the coroner) floating near her dock and the unlucky guy on Halstead who survived a night in his own house of horrors, Halloween in Lakewood was mostly calm.

11/1/09 – 7:05  a.m. Neighbor from 2145 Halstead is on the complainant’s front porch stating his roommate held him hostage all night at gun point. Victim is in the rear of the house at 2117 Halstead. Another caller stated a white male in a white sweater is walking down the street with a gun. Male also had on black pants. 211 is speaking with the victim and he stated that the male never had a gun, but he had a large knife. Out with a party in the backyard. Officers in the house. Suspect in custody. Requesting squad for the victim. Victim also said the male was setting small fires throughout the house. Male arrested for kidnapping, felonious assault, aggravated menancing, and disorderly conduct.

The crime calendar has been updated.