Cleveland Heights residents still waiting for city to fix brick road
Battered, beleaguered brick begging for a boost
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) - Brick roads are beautiful, when maintained.
“It is really weird looking,” said Anne Billington, a 50-year resident of Exeter Road in Cleveland Heights.
Billington and some of her neighbors have been complaining to the city about uneven bricks, drips, cars bottoming out, and unsightly curbs, putting a petition together calling for a plan more than two years ago.
“There’s this huge manhole that if you run over it, you go like ‘Wah, wha, wah.’ So, if they just do some repairs, I’d be happy with that,” she said.
Mike Eppich and his wife have lived two doors down for the last six years, attracted to the street’s beauty.
“We bought in Cleveland Heights for the history, the 1920s home and the brick road kind of just brings that charm too,” he said. “I’m sure it could be maintained better, but I’m sure there’s a cost to that.”
Two years ago, the city estimated the cost of re-doing the brick at $800,000 when residents signed a petition to have the city fix the road, proposing an assessment of the neighbors for the cost. The city has also suggesting paving over the road with asphalt, something many neighbors oppose.
Kahlil Seren took office as mayor of Cleveland Heights in January and assured residents of his intentions for his new administration regarding preservation of the few remaining brick streets.
“The historic brick streets in Cleveland Heights add great character to our neighborhoods,” he wrote. “My administration is dedicated to working with the residents to maintain the charm and character they love in a sustainable way.”
There is an unintended benefit of the uneven street.
“It slows people down for sure and if it doesn’t slow people down, we all sit here and wait, you wait about three seconds, they bottom out if they’re going too fast,” Eppich said.
Billington has been a catalyst for engaging the city and is looking at re-starting her efforts after COVID.
“It’s worth a try,” she said. “We’ll try it again and maybe have people from the city come to a meeting or something,”
She’ll follow that battered brick road all the way back to city hall.
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