A section of the city's zoning code adopted prior to 1978 allows a 100 foot front yard setback for houses on 37 city streets.

PRESENTED BY TONY ZUBEK AT THE APRIL 16, 2007, COUNCIL MEETING.

"Mr. President...members of Council...Mayor....while watching the televisied presentation of the April 2 council meeting, Mrs. Betty Myers raised an issue that has brought citizens to this podium since at least 2003 without any resolution of the disruption of their privacy while sitting in their back yards.

During the last audience participation portion of the last council meeting...Mrs. Betty Myers of 19355 Bowman Drive, Strongsville raised concern that a home being built at 19623 Bowman was HUGH...FAR UP ON THE GRADE and because Bowman is an older street and the orginal set back for building on the street in 1962 was 50 feet...the present 100 fet set back forces Mrs. Myers to see the whole new house from her deck and destroys the privacy in her back yard and thus also in her neighbors back yard.

The building commissioner responded that the 100 feet set back meets the zoning code set back; therefore, no law has been broken, and PERHAPS MORE IMPORTANTLY THERE IS NO ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW REQUIRED FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.

The issue of the "destruction" of back yard privacy IN OUR OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS is now a problem for several home owners located in older neighborhoods AND IS GOING TO BE AN EXPANDING PROBLEM AFFECTING PRIVACy and potentially values in our older nieghborhoods...

On Saturday afternoon I drove from Boston Road north to Howe---west on Drake to Prospect---North to Lunn---East to Pearl---Pearl to Shermer...AND FOUND 12 LARGE HOMES SET BACK FAR ENOUGH TO CAUSE A LOSE OF BACKYARD PRIVACY TO AT LEAST 224 OWNERS OF OLDER HOMES.

On Bowman Drive there are two large homes on the north side of the drive---two on the south side of the street--that means 8 additional home owners have lost privacy and maybe resale value.

...........TO ASSURE THE NATURE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING STOCK WILL NOT BE CHANGED TO THE DETREMENT OF THE OWNERS OF HOMES IN OUR OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS...

Chapter 1246 ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD states ..."shall assist and advise the Planning Commission on the Design...

Chapter 1246.08 REVIEW OF BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATIONS....(b) Multi-family, Institutuions, Business Commercial and Industrial Buildings....

TO PROTECT THEM...TO PROVIDE A PROTECTIVE UMBRELLA TO THE HOME OWNER IN OUR OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS...WE NEED TO CHANGE 1246.08 (B) AND ADD SINGLE FAMILY HOMES....to secure the backyard privacy of ther homeowners in our older neighborhoods."

For the complete text of Tony Zubek's remarks review the official council minutes for the April 16, 2007 meeting.

E-mail friendsoftonyzubek@hotmail.com