Code,915023
Subject,David Hartt
Date,2012
Interviewer,David Braunlich
Abstract,"David Hartt, a Shaker Heights resident, was an urban planning consultant and served on the city's planning commission and was the commercial areas coordinator.  He  talks about some of the advantages of living in Shaker.  He describes various urban development projects in the ciy of Shaker Heights. He discusses changes in the philospohy of urban planning over the last few decades. Hartt also describes Shaker's struggles in attracting businesses to the city."
Special Notes,
minutes:,
0,Introduction
1,Hartt moved to Cleveland in 1969 and moved to Shaker in 1978. he lived on Braimar? Rd before moving to the Glen Townhosues on Warrensville in 1999.
2,He worked for William Goldman and Ass. His boss lived in Shaker so Hart moved there when he became a partner.
3,The Hartts liked Shaker so they stayed in the city when the moved into a townhouse.
4,Shaker has too many attractions for the Hartts to move away despite the high taxes.
5,"Hartt is an urban planning consultant so from a desgin standpoint, Shaker compares well to other communities. It is urban, well connected."
6,Shaker has good through streets and strong neighborhoods.
7,The schools created the strong neighborhoods. The high quality of the schools and the integretion attracted the Hartts.
8,The integration was one of the reasons the Hartts moved to Shaker and stayed. They wanted to be in an integregated envirnment.
9,Hartt was on the School Facilities Utilization Committee.
10,The Hartts son went to a magnet school for math which was the closest school to the Hartts before going to Woodbury. Their daughter went to Onaway? School closings did not affect the Hartts directly.
11,
12,
13,"While on the School Facilities Utilization Com, they were researching school trends to use the data to make a decsion about shether or not schools should be closed. Even though it was a data driven project, the committee was split 50-50."
14,There was a lot of opposition to school closings mostly because people resisted change.
15,Now the situation is accepted because people got used to it and there are new people in the schools and city.
16,Hartt worked in the Williamson Building on the eastern edge of Public Square where the BP building or the 200 Public Square builsing is. The Hartts only had one car so they relied on public transportation so that was a factor in buying a house.
17,"Luckily, its confortable to walk to bus stop in Shaker. It is a matter of aestheitics and the connectivity of the city."
18,The Hartts often walk to things around Shaker like to parks and resturants. They like the shade and sidewalks.
19,The taxes are the only bad thing about living in Shaker.
20,"Hartt was good at fixing up thier old house but by the time they moved, Harrtt was done with house maintainence."
21,they decided to move somewhere new which is hard to find in Shaker. Glen was closest to their price range. Old houses is another liability in Shaker.
22,The real estate taxes are high not the income taxes.
23,
24,Hartt thinks there aren't enough businesses in Shaker. It is a struggle for the city. Hartt started his own firm out of his house in 1979.
25,"He became the commercial areas coordinator to make more money. In 1991, he was appointed to the Planning Commison and it was a struggle then. He was on the planning commision for 19 yrs."
26,The city continues to try to bring in businesses so they can reduce residential taxes.
27,Higher density residentail areas could also reduce taxes.
28,Shaker is trying various strategies to achieve this .
29,Hartt worked on the redevelopment of Shaker Town Center in the 1980s.
30,"Some wanted to create a neo-traditional shopping center but the time (80s) wasn't right. Today, that would be possible with more of an emphasis on urban planning."
31,"When the economy improves, Shaker may be able to accomplish some of their goals."
32,William Goldman and Associates had a contract to work of Sussex Court and the street reconfiguration. Hartt did sketches proposing the rebuilding of the Van Aken and Warrrensville Rd intersection.
33,"It is finally being done, 45 yrs later."
34,These projects were cost prohibitive.
35,There was a lot of development in previously undeveloped areas and redeveloping in cities is always expensive.
36,There may be more politcal will to do road work now than before.
37,The money dominates these kinds of projects.
38,"15-20 years ago, the mentality was that newer was better and most building was on greenfield sites and suburbs sprwaled outwards. Downtown areas and older suburbs were basically abandoned. The inner ring suburbs organized to prevent the ""downward spiral"" This attutude has changed."
39,
40,Hartt thinks there is a lot of potential for urban renewal if the enconomy improves. There is interest in living a mixed use urban environment.
41,
42,Hartt describes some of the businesses in Shaker.
43,Some businesses may not contribute much to the economy of the city but some are traditions like Shaker Hardware.
44,Hartt doesn't know what would happen to Shaker Hardware if a Home Depot moved into the city.
45,A lot of small local businesses are competing with larger retail chains.
46,Shaker Hardware and Van Aken Hardware charge higher prices than the large chains but they are convienent. Hartt's son lives in Chicago. Their daughter lives with them. She got her master's in England and is living at home while she gets her career going.
47,She was in the Peace Corp and taught English in Korea for a year.
48,Hartt offered the family busisness to his son but he took a job in Chicago.
49,
50,There was oppostion to building a cell tower behind city hall while Hartt was on the planning commission.
51,Block parties are a Shaker tradition.
52,"Friendships are created and strengthened by block parties, especially families with kids."
53,Mayor Pat Burns was a people person and had strong support. She liked to build a conensus.
54,
55,Shaker has fireworks and a parade for the 4th of July. The Hartt's can stay in their yard and watch fireworks but they haven't been to the parade in years.
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