Showing posts with label Preservation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Preservation. Show all posts
An original and well-preserved Goodyear-built Heights home, this English Cottage-style house constructed in 1920 features 3 bedrooms and 1 bath in a total of 1,282 sq. ft. The stucco exterior exudes lots of charm and much of the interior has been finished in contemporary colors. An updated kitchen includes many gourmet features, including a true professional-level cooktop. Original features like a brick fireplace and handsome staircase hall help this house retain much of its early 20th-century charm, while providing needed modern upgrades.The home features a spacious and shady backyard with 2 patio areas that are perfect for entertaining – with a brick pizza oven, a smoking pit and a separate firepit. Basement has roughed in plumbing for bath
Notes: 490 Saint Leger Ave. Akron, OH 44305/ 3 bedrooms and 1 baths; ready to move in. The home has gas forced air heat and includes Professional Cooktop / Oven & Refrigerator. For more details, click HERE.
Walks will start at Malasia Park, at the corner of Malasia Rd. and Emerson St., and will take approximately an hour. Refreshments will be served at the Gazebo Park after each of the walks and will be provided by R.I.G.H.T. Dogs are permitted on both routes.
If you want to have breakfast before the 10am walk, we highly recommend Julian’s on Pioneer!
We want to clear up any misconceptions that people may have, especially for those who are worried that designation forces you to make improvements to your property. Nothing could be further from the truth; in fact, we chose the approach of National Register designation specifically because it would not add any extra financial burden on homeowners.
That said, we will be providing a wide range of education and informational resources to residents who do want to preserve and restore the historic character of their home and that of the neighborhood. We’ll be offering workshops, booklets, advice and many other resources to encourage our residents to preserve and enhance their home’s value. At some point in the future, we’d also like to work with public and non-profit foundations to offer some additional assistance—like grants and loans for repair and restoration. For additional facts about our effort, you can download a Q&A HERE.
For those who have lived in Goodyear Heights for many years, it’s clear that a lot of the neighborhood conveniences do not exist like they used to—grocery stores being a prime example. But making the most of what we have and encouraging future development on a small, neighborhood scale can go a long way towards enhancing walkability.
How much is that walkability worth?
Having shops and gathering spots like schools and restaurants located within a quarter-mile to one-mile from the homes in your neighborhood can add from $4,000 to $34,000 to home values, according to “Walking the Walk,” a study from CEOs for Cities, a nonprofit that works to improve cities. The rate of increase usually depended on the size of the city, with higher values in larger cities, and more moderate values in smaller cities.
What are walkable communities?
Dan Burden, founder of Walkable Communities, defines them with his a 12-step checklist, which includes:
• Great public places for people to to get together and socialize
• Speed-controlled key streets
• Pedestrian-centric design
• A town or neighborhood center with a wide variety of shops and businesses
To have great walkability, you start with having something worth walking to, such as restaurants, small shops or parks, and a critical mass of people living around those amenities. To make a difference, get your neighbors together and go talk to local officials. Your group can push the planning and zoning board for changes that make your town more walkable, like adjusting zoning to allow limited commercial development where it can do the most good.
Contact groups like the Better Block Foundation, who has organized planning and demonstration projects in North Hill, Middlebury and Kenmore. They are great when it comes to showing residents how they can improve neighborhood commercial areas and make them more pedestrian-friendly. On Twitter, you can connect at @akronbb.
Residents will want to mingle somewhere, too. See how you can support and expand public spaces where you can mix and socialize (think library, park, coffee shop) to increase your neighborhood’s walkability. Goodyear Heights has these amenities available—we just have to make the most of them.
•More and wider sidewalks; bike lanes where practical.
•Lower speed limits; traffic-calming strategies at intersections.
If you’re serious about increasing walkability, gather neighbors and town officials for a walking audit, where the group walks along a particular route and stops periodically to discuss how to improve the walking experience with landscaping, safety improvements, or accessibility improvements. Other things you can do:
•Trim shrubbery that may be blocking the sidewalk in front of your house.
•Pick up trash and litter as you walk along. If you see an eyesore, note it and call the Akron 311 line
•Replace your porch and outdoor lights with LED bulbs and light things up at night. They cost little to use, and it will boost your security and that of the neighborhood.
•Be polite to other drivers and pedestrians when you drive.
And maybe the best walkability tip of all? Just get out and walk.
The home features a spacious and shady backyard and a partially finished basement as well, and is right on the bus line. Also includes a detached, single-car garage.
Responses continue to come in for our Goodyear Heights Resident Survey, and as the weeks go on we’ll be sharing some of the results and highlighting some of the specific questions we asked and the responses we are getting.
As a teaser, we might pass on just a few observations that we gathered on our first look at the results. One thing that stuck out was that a majority of the respondents (55%) have lived in Goodyear Heights for at least 10 years of more—in fact, in our initial 100 responses, 30% of those surveyed had lived in Goodyear Heights for 20 years or more!
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| A cartoon that appeared in The Wingfoot Clan during Goodyear Heights' early years. |
Among the first 100 respondents, almost 80% were homeowners. Most lived in what we would consider the “older” part of the neighborhood. Of the issues they would like to see the city address, crime was by far the primary issue—something that is typical in most of Akron’s neighborhoods.
We’ll also note there was a very high degree of interest in a true grocery store, places to eat and hang out, improved parks and a community garden, and maybe even a regulated dog park. Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at some of those things our residents are suggesting, and consider how we can adapt those ideas into an overall plan to improve Goodyear Heights. Stay Tuned!
We want you to tell us: What are our neighborhood's challenges? What things make it great? What would you like to see, in terms of services, retail, amenities, programs or activities?Plans and ideas don't add up to much without the input of our neighborhood residents. Don't be shy...nothing great will happen unless you provide your input and let us know what you think!
Notes: 1811 Tonawanda Ave. Akron, OH 44305 / 3 bedrooms and 1 bath; ready to move in and enjoy. Central air, forced air heat and detached, 2-car garage. Wood-burning fireplace.
For more details, click HERE.
The process begins with a preliminary questionnaire, which gives a general overview of the nominated area and requires the submitter to provide detailed information about the proposed district. This information generally covers four different criteria, which describe an area’s significance in terms of:
a) Historic significance in terms of key national or local historic events
b) Association with important people of national or local importance
c) Definitive characteristics, representing the work of a master, or distinctive features that make it representative of a type, period or method of design/construction
d) Association or potential for archaeological discovery
While many historic districts have been deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places using just one of these criteria, Goodyear Heights can claim to have significance using three of these criteria; a, b, and c. That provides a distinct advantage in pursuing our application.
Our preliminary paperwork also included a number of photographs, including houses, streetscapes, parks and other images which will provide our SHPO evaluation team with an image of the neighborhood’s current condition. Also important were maps of the proposed district and historic maps of the original phases of the allotment.
It’s a long evaluation process; once the materials are reviewed, a site visit to Goodyear Heights will be made by the SHPO to further research the neighborhood and, providing the submission is approved, they will provide recommendations and guidance for preparing the final application for the National Register of Historic Places. This will be submitted to the National Parks Service.
So – our work has just begun! If you have questions, or would like to offer help if it is needed, we would certainly like to hear from you. In the meantime, be sure to sign our online petition, which will help us as we pursue obtaining assistance from the city of Akron on this project.
On the inside, the home still features most of its original woodwork, though it has been painted to fit contemporary tastes. A small foyer and a rustic craftsman-style brick fireplace lend an air of charm and dignity. The kitchen and baths have all been updated. At 1310 square feet and only $55,000 – this historic home represents a great value, and being in near-original exterior condition, adds significantly to the historic character of the neighborhood.
Notes: 1744 Hampton Rd. Akron, OH 44305 / 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, and a two car garage, also offers a large deck patio in the backyard. Appliances included: Dishwasher, Dryer, Microwave, Range / Oven, Refrigerator, Washer. Detached garage has electricity.
For More information - go HERE.
We understand that residents have questions, too—and we want to be open about the process, what it means for home and business owners, and how this project can have a positive impact on Goodyear Heights over the long term. We also want to hear about your overall vision for the neighborhood; we want to know how you see it today and what you would like to see in the future. We’ll explain the benefits that historic designation and a National Register listing can offer, and explain how the process works.
The benefits include:
Recognition of neighborhood’s historic significance at city, state and federal government levels
A prestigious and honorific designation that will promote housing investment, stabilize and preserve property values
No restrictions or requirements for residents in terms of home repairs, maintenance or improvement
Improves neighborhood’s ability to attract investment and funding from public and private resources, including grants for improvement projects
IN ORDER TO BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT, WE ARE HAVING A SERIES OF NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS TO EXPLAIN THE PROJECT, THE PROCESS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP.
TUESDAY, APRIL 25 – 6PM at Reservoir Park Community Room
SATURDAY MAY 6 – 10AM at Goodyear Heights Presbyterian Church
MONDAY MAY 8 – 10AM at Reservoir Park Community Room
WEDNESDAY MAY 10 – 6PM at Seiberling CLC
Join us to find out more!
Questions? Contact the R.I.G.H.T. Committee – 330-784-6623 or sconnor427@gmail.com
Maintaining that historic look? It’s not always easy. People say, “they don’t build them like that anymore” – and it’s certainly true. When most Goodyear Heights houses were built, hardwood floors, oak woodwork, French doors, fireplaces, wood windows and even slate roofs were the norm. If your house still has them, it’s best to try and repair or restore them, if possible—since brand new replacements aren’t cheap.
The same goes for a home’s exterior. If your home still sports its original stucco, brick or wooden shingle/clapboard exterior, it’s always best to make a good, solid repair than to replace or hide a problem with a newer or cheaper material, like vinyl siding.
If you can’t find a match for an original material, or you simply don’t have the budget to repair something the way you’d like, you can still help protect your investment by making smart choices. Here’s a few ideas:
Siding – Replacing old, rotted clapboards is still preferable to re-siding with aluminum or vinyl. Correctly prepared, and using today’s better paints, sections of that old siding can still be fixed and remain easier to maintain. A better alternative than vinyl are wood-like substitutes like Hardie-board, or cement-board, which match wood in appearance but don’t rot. Even some of today’s better vinyl siding is improved over cheap varieties—many types are designed to mimic older styles of wooden siding.
Windows – windows can be a real issue. The original windows in these houses will always look better than any modern replacement, but it’s also true that they were mostly single-pane, true divided-light windows that really don’t meet today’s standards in terms of energy efficiency. If you’re lucky, you may have some original storm windows—but few people like the idea of taking them off and storing them every summer. There are also new types of storm windows that are designed to fit on the inside of the house—and they are much thinner and lighter, too. If replacements are a must, seek ones that look as close to the original as possible, with true divided-lights (or at least removable window grilles) rather than full plates of sheet glass.
Those are just a few tips that can help in your decision-making. As time goes on, we’ll provide more in-depth information and resources that can help you improve and maintain your home in a way that preserves its value and historic character. We’ll get into some other issues, like modern updates, additions and even garages—in the future.
More info available HERE.
Ever since last summer, when we had our Goodyear Heights history walks, organizers on the R.I.G.H.T. Committee and other friends of the neighborhood have been investigating the possibility of having the original allotment officially designated as a historic neighborhood. This designation would include some “branding” by the City of Akron, appropriate historic markers, and providing some helpful assistance in the effort to get a portion of The Heights named to the National Register of Historic Places. It's a critical first step in a process that we believe will lead to a revitalization of this unique Akron neighborhood.
That effort has resulted in new historical research and development of educational information, initial outreach to the community and this website! A preliminary application questionnaire for the National Register is being prepared for submission to the State of Ohio, and a team of volunteers is preparing an action plan to ensure recognition and preservation for the Goodyear Heights neighborhood.
Sign the Petition
One of the best ways you can assist in this effort is to sign our petition requesting the City to provide this official designation, erect appropriate identification signage, and support the effort to secure a place on The National Register of Historic Places. Gathering a large number of signatures will demonstrate that we have strong support in the community and go a long way toward making this all happen! If you need more information about this effort, click here – or email us.
You can sign an online petition, or add your signature to one of the petitions circulating throughout the neighborhood, at R.I.G.H.T. Committee meetings, or at a neighborhood business.
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