STREET DREAMS

East Cleveland Edition: Turning Community Will into Pavement!

Neighbors of every age and background working block by block, in partnership with our city, county, and state representatives.

💡 A concept neighbors are exploring. This guide is an early idea, and some details may not be 100% accurate. We will confirm everything with the city and county before anything is filed.
What we're doing
  • 🛣️Repave our roads
  • 🧱Fix curbs, driveway aprons and sidewalks where needed
  • 💡Add street lighting

Neighbors decide street by street, costs are spread over 20 years, and state grants can lower everyone's share.

💲 How much will it cost me? →

📸 What our streets look like today

Real photos from our neighborhood. Tap a photo to see it larger.

See all photos (33) →

🤝 How It Works: Four Partners, One Project

  1. 1👥 Neighbors signProperty owners Owners on each street sign a petition. Once owners of 60% of the front footage sign, the whole street shares the cost (ORC 727.06). A strong petition means Council needs only a majority vote (ORC 727.12).
  2. 2🏙️ City approvesCity Council (and the state receiver, for now) Council votes to approve the project and each property's estimated share (ORC 727.12, 727.23), plus an agreement letting the county manage it (ORC 307.15).
  3. 3💰 State may help fundOhio Public Works Commission (OPWC) The city applies for state grants. SCIP can cover up to 90% and LTIP up to 100%, and they’re competitive.
  4. 4🏛️ County buildsCounty Public Works If the county agrees, it manages the engineering, bidding and construction, working with the city.
➜ Streets fixed! Costs are spread over about 20 years on the property tax bill, starting after the work is done. See the full step-by-step roadmap

📍 Target Streets

Needs work 11
  • Cleviden Rd
  • Fenemore Rd
  • Forest Hills Blvd
  • Glynn Rd City has applied for state help (ECL-28-02)
  • Hazel Rd
  • Henley Rd
  • Mt Vernon Blvd
  • Newbury Rd
  • Stanwood Rd (Oak Hill to Hazel)
  • Walden Rd
  • Wyatt Rd
Already repaved 4
  • Brewster Rd
  • Lee Blvd
  • Northvale Blvd
  • Oak Hill Rd May need maintenance (see photos)

Recently repaved; other improvements still possible.

Special case: under review 1

Grandview Terrace

A narrow dead-end street off Oak Hill Rd, between Stanwood and Terrace Rd, with about 8–10 homes and no room to turn vehicles around. It likely needs more than resurfacing to be safe year-round, so we're looking at a separate approach for it.

🗓️ Each street decides for itself We're asking every street that needs work to make a simple go or no-go decision by our target date, the end of March 2027. Here's why: the county and state are expected to open the next round of grant applications (for 2029 funding) around July 2027. Deciding by March gives "go" streets time to gather signatures and have their paperwork ready when that window opens. Grant applications are scored, and the more impact a project has, the higher its priority, so the more streets that say "go" together, the stronger our application can be. "No-go" means that street isn't included for now, with no pressure. Each street's choice is its own and doesn't affect any other street.

📅 Expected grant timeline (FY2029)

When (estimated)What happens
By end of March 2027Each street decides go/no-go (our target)
Spring 2027Petitions signed, city paperwork prepared
Early July 2027County releases grant applications
Late July 2027County holds an applicant workshop
Mid-September 2027Applications due
Early December 2027Preliminary rankings released
Late January 2028County committee picks projects
Around July 2028State sends grant agreements; work can be scheduled after that

Estimated from the County's FY2028 schedule. Actual dates may change. See the official schedule.

🗳️ Is your street interested? Take the 1-minute interest poll. It's not the petition and doesn't commit you to anything.

Take the interest poll →

🗺️ Section 1: The Roadmap to Better Streets

The 7 steps, from first meeting to finished street
Phase 1 · Get Neighbors On Board
  1. Map Your Block Pick the streets to repave, light, or upgrade. Typical items include road resurfacing, street lighting, curbs, and driveway aprons where needed (ORC 727.01). Then measure each property’s front footage. ✅ Good news: chances are neighbors already measured your front footage! Look yours up here.
  2. Establish Street Committee & Goals Form an organizing committee for your street, outline specific upgrades, and host an initial meeting.
  3. Choose Your Pathway Path A · City Fronts Costs: Needs owners of 60% front footage or 75% area (ORC 727.06). Under receivership, this path may not be available right now. Path B · County Builds (most likely path for now): Same petition. City Council approves an agreement letting the county handle this project only (ORC 307.15).
  4. Gather Signatures & File Collect signatures on official forms and submit to City Council.
Phase 2 · Review & Approvals
  1. Official Agreement & Engineering City and county sign agreements (ORC 307.15), complete engineering, and pass Resolution of Necessity.
  2. Notices & Equalization Hearing Owners receive cost estimates and have public hearing rights.
Phase 3 · Construction & Subsidies
  1. Build, Finance & Unlock Subsidies Bidding, construction, and spreading costs over multi-year tax bills while leveraging SCIP/LTIP state grants.

💡 Key Takeaway: Fixing a street is an organized journey, and neighbors stay in the driver’s seat.

📊 Section 2: Funding Dashboard & Relief Strategies

How state grants can lower neighbor costs! The numbers below are an example.

💪 Our share can strengthen the application. Cuyahoga County’s grant committee (District 1) gives higher scores to projects that bring more local money to the table, called the “local match.” The neighbors’ share through the special assessment may count as that local match. We’re confirming this with the county. Read the scoring rules yourself in the District 1 applicant manual (see “Local Match”).
Example: how a $1 million project could be split
Total Project Estimate
$1,000,000
OPWC SCIP Grant (up to 90%)
$900,000
Local Match Share (10%)
$100,000
OPWC SCIP/LTIP subsidies (90%–100%) Local assessment match (10%–0%)

State capital improvement grants cover up to 90%–100% of eligible project costs, minimizing resident property assessments.

⚠️ Grant Funding Expectation Disclaimer: State grant funding percentages (up to 90%–100% through SCIP/LTIP) represent maximum potential awards based on competitive scoring criteria through the Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC). Grant awards are subject to regional scoring, district allocation limits, and annual state budget availability; final award amounts are not guaranteed and may require adjustments to the local match share.

🛡️ Plan for the worst case: without grant help. Grants can make a big difference, but they aren't promised. East Cleveland's finances are currently managed by a state-appointed receiver, so the city isn't in a position to pay for street repairs on its own. Before we ask neighbors to sign, we all need to be willing to go forward even if the state, county, or city contributes nothing, with neighbors covering the full cost through the special assessment. Any grant we win is a bonus that lowers everyone's bill.

🔍 Property & Cost Lookup

See estimated cost tiers. Search all 15 streets (410 properties) by address or deeded owner.

💲 How to read the cost tiers Each tier is a possible total cost for your street's project. Your monthly and yearly numbers show what your household would pay at that cost without grant help, based on your share of the street's front footage and spread over 20 years. Use them to see what you'd be comfortable with. Grants come off the top. Neighbors' share = total cost × (100% − grant %). Example: a $250,000 project with a 50% grant leaves $125,000 for neighbors, so look at the tier closest to $125,000. Estimates don't include any financing costs; the county will confirm final figures.
📐 How your share is calculated Your share = your lot's front footage ÷ the street's total front footage, times the project cost, spread over 20 years (240 months). Example: a lot with 80 ft of frontage on a street with 2,000 ft total pays 4% (80 ÷ 2,000). At a $100,000 project cost, that's $4,000, or about $16.67 a month over 20 years. Corner lots: in these estimates, the street your house faces counts at full frontage, and the side street counts at 40% of the lot's depth. The county will confirm its own method.
🤝 Homestead Exemption Assistance Available for Seniors & Disabled Homeowners Eligible residents can reduce property tax liabilities through Form DTE 105A. Neighbors may be able to help you with the application or connect you with someone who can. Cuyahoga County Homestead Details Download Form DTE 105A (PDF)
Enter an address or owner name above to view parcel details.

📊 East Cleveland OPWC Grant Explorer

These are real East Cleveland projects the city has already asked the state (OPWC) to help pay for. These aren't our target streets yet, but they show what's possible and how grants work: the more the state covers, the less is left for neighbors to pay through a special assessment. We’ll work hard to win help, but we build our plan assuming none will arrive. Each project has its own ECL- number, the ID the county uses to track East Cleveland projects on its official lists. Tap a year to see that year's projects.

Loading East Cleveland grant filings...
📄 Full County Reports: FY 2027 Final Rankings Report (PDF) FY 2028 Application Summary (PDF) About Cuyahoga County’s state grant program (County Planning)
🚧 Short-Term Relief for Aging Streets

While organizing for formal special assessment petitions and OPWC grants remains the long-term solution for capital paving, tactical short-term measures provide essential interim relief:

  1. Municipal Pothole Work Orders Action: Coordinate through your Ward Council Member and city service department to aggressively target deep potholes and base failures. Reality check: A temporary band-aid, but vital to prevent total road failure and vehicle damage.
  2. Drainage & Catch Basin Clearing Action: File immediate service requests to clear blocked storm drains and catch basins. Reality check: Standing water accelerates freeze-thaw cracking during winters; keeping drainage clear buys structural lifespan.

🧰 Section 3: Your Toolkit

Money-saving tips and a block captain checklist
🚰 Utility Cost-Shifting Coordinate with Cleveland Water and NEORSD to fund underground water main repairs prior to resurfacing.
🏠 Homestead Exemption Qualifying seniors and disabled homeowners can file Form DTE 105A with the County Fiscal Officer to reduce overall property tax impact.
Pro-Tip Checklist for Block Captains

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

27 questions neighbors have asked
Deciding & timing
A street is a “go” when homeowners sign the petition in enough numbers to meet Ohio’s requirement: owners of at least 60% of the street’s front footage, or 75% of its land area (ORC 727.06). On a block where lots are similar in size, that’s roughly 60% of homeowners.
The county and state are expected to open the next round of grant applications (for 2029 funding) around July 2027. Deciding by March gives “go” streets time to gather signatures and have their paperwork ready when that window opens.
Grant applications are scored, and the more impact a project has, the higher its priority. More streets moving together can make for a stronger application.
Yes. A special assessment petition can be started almost any time, and a street has two ways to move forward later:
  • With grant help: line up with a future grant round, since grants come around on a schedule.
  • Without grant help: go ahead at any time, with homeowners covering 100% of the cost through the special assessment.
No. A block captain is nice to have but not required. It just makes communication easier for everyone on the street.
Cost & payments
Use the Property & Cost Lookup. Search your address to see your estimated monthly and yearly cost at each price tier.
No. Each tier is a possible total cost for the street's project, and your numbers show what your household would pay at that cost without grant help, spread over 20 years. They're there so you can see what you'd be comfortable with at different price points. Any grant comes off the top: neighbors' share = total cost × (100% − grant %). For example, a $250,000 project with a 50% grant leaves $125,000 for neighbors, so you'd look at the tier closest to $125,000. Estimates don't include any financing costs; the county will confirm final figures.
Ohio law has several protections. Before any work starts, every owner receives a written estimate of their assessment and can object at a public hearing (ORC 727.13–727.17). Final bills are based on the actual cost, so they can go up or down in proportion to the estimate (ORC 727.25). If bids come in 15% or more over the estimate, the law requires extra steps before a contract can be signed, and it limits passing large overruns on to owners (ORC 727.24). Good to know before signing: an assessment normally can't exceed one-third of a property's value, but owners who sign the petition give up that limit, while owners who don't sign keep it (ORC 727.03 and 727.06). We'll ask the county to walk us through exactly how these rules apply.
Special assessments are spread out over a multi-year period (e.g., 10 to 20 years) and added directly to your semi-annual Cuyahoga County property tax bill.
No, it’s different. An HOA charges ongoing dues set by its own private rules. This is a one-time project under Ohio law (Chapter 727): the cost is set once the work is done, spread over a fixed number of years (e.g., 10 to 20) on your property tax bill, and then it ends. You can also pay it off early. Afterward, the streets remain public, and the city is responsible for maintaining them, not neighbors.
Not right away. Under Ohio law, the final assessment is set only after the work is finished and the actual cost is known (ORC 727.25 and related sections of Chapter 727). Before that, owners receive cost estimates and have the right to a public hearing.
We plan as if no grant comes through. The project can still move forward, with neighbors covering the full cost through the special assessment. Any grant we win is a bonus that lowers everyone’s bill.
Good question. Our understanding is that payments don’t start until the work is finished and the final cost is known (ORC 727.25), and grants are decided before construction begins. Cuyahoga County’s committee selects projects in January, and grant agreements go out around July 1 (District 1 applicant manual). So in most cases, a grant should already be counted before anyone starts paying. If a grant ever came in after payments began, whether neighbors would get a credit or a lower payment is something we’ll need to confirm with the county.
It can. Cuyahoga County’s grant committee (District 1) gives higher scores to projects that bring more local money to the table, called the “local match.” The neighbors’ share through the special assessment may count as that local match, which could make our application stronger. We’re confirming this with the county. You can read the scoring rules yourself in the District 1 applicant manual (see the “Local Match” section).
Costs are spread over many years on your tax bill. We’re also looking to work with our city, county, and state representatives to bring in OPWC (SCIP/LTIP) grants and any county funds we qualify for that could help offset the cost. Eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities can apply for Ohio’s Homestead Exemption (Form DTE 105A) to lower property tax liabilities. Neighbors may be able to help with the application or connect you with representatives who can.
We couldn’t find anything in the Ohio Revised Code, or any other law, that sets up a reserve fund or grants for individual owners in this situation, and we’re not sure whether the city or county could offer one. That’s a good question for them, and we’ll ask. Meanwhile, we’re targeting state (OPWC) and county funds that would lower the cost for everyone on the street. If an owner can’t afford the payments, Ohio law allows them to ask City Council to defer payment because of financial hardship (ORC 727.251). A deferment postpones the payment but doesn’t cancel it, so the balance stays with the property until it’s paid. Absent owners are assessed just like everyone else, because the assessment is tied to the property, not the person. Any unpaid amount goes on that property’s tax bill and stays with it, so it never falls on the neighbors who pay.
The lookup shows a separate estimate for each street your property borders, based on that street’s frontage, parcel count, and cost tier.
The assessment follows the house. Any remaining balance stays with the property and passes to the next owner.
Smooth streets, safe curbs, and good lighting make a neighborhood more appealing to current residents and to buyers, and many homeowners see that as a long-term investment. We can’t promise any specific change in home values. If you sell before the assessment is paid off, the remaining balance stays with the property, so buyers will see it. Some sellers pay it off at closing.
The petition & the work
Only homeowners can sign the petition, because the assessment is tied to the property. Renters are welcome to share their views with their landlord.
Yes. Every owner can sign, wherever they live. Ohio's law (ORC 727.06) only says the petition must be signed by the owners, and it doesn't mention needing a witness. We expect out-of-state owners will be able to sign by mail: we send the petition page, you sign it in ink with your name as it appears on the deed, and mail it back. Having it notarized where you live is optional but adds extra proof. We're confirming with the city exactly what they'll accept, including whether scanned or electronic signatures are OK.
Once owners of 60% of a street’s front footage sign the petition, every property along that street is included, even owners who didn’t sign (ORC 727.06). It works as a group decision for the whole street. Owners who don’t sign keep extra protection: their assessment can’t exceed one-third of their property’s value, a limit that signers give up (ORC 727.03). Every owner also gets a written estimate before any work starts and can object at a public hearing (ORC 727.13–727.17), and the cost is spread over years on the tax bill. That’s why we ask each street to decide together, with every neighbor having the numbers and facts before anyone signs.
Council votes at three points. First, it passes a resolution saying the project is needed, listing the streets, the cost split and each property’s estimated share (ORC 727.12). After owners get written notice and a chance to object at a hearing, Council votes again to go ahead (ORC 727.23). Once the work is finished and the real cost is known, Council sets the final amounts (ORC 727.25). A strong petition helps: if owners of most of the street’s frontage sign, Council needs only a majority vote instead of three-fourths. While the city is under state receivership, we’re confirming with the city and county who casts these votes for now.
That’s up to the homeowners on each street. You decide what to include. Ohio law (ORC 727.01) lists the kinds of improvements a special assessment can cover, such as repaving, curbs, sidewalks, lighting, and drainage.
They can be. Each street decides what to include. Cuyahoga County’s state grant committee (District 1) treats sidewalk replacement, driveway apron replacement, and curb replacement as part of road work, and road applications can include street lighting changes (District 1 applicant manual). Grants only cover work in the public right of way, so only the part of a driveway apron near the street could be included. That makes it most cost-effective to fix sidewalks, curbs, and aprons at the same time as the road. On streets that were recently repaved, work like sidewalks alone may need to be paid for entirely through the assessment. We’re confirming the details with the county.
We coordinate with Cleveland Water and NEORSD prior to construction so necessary utility upgrades are funded and completed by the utility entities before new asphalt is laid.
Today, when Cleveland Water repairs a water main, it fills the hole, and the city is usually responsible for the final concrete and asphalt (example from Euclid Ave. in East Cleveland). Because neighbors would be paying for these streets over many years, we're asking the city to work out an agreement with Cleveland Water, Enbridge Gas Ohio (formerly Dominion), The Illuminating Company (FirstEnergy), and other utilities so they fully restore any street they dig up, to city standards and with a warranty. We're also asking that old water and gas lines, and underground electric vaults, be checked and repaired or replaced before paving, so new streets aren't torn up soon after. We'll share what we learn.

🗳️ Ready to Build Community Momentum?

If about 60% of neighbors on your block want better streets, we can initiate a formal petition drive. Contact your block organizer today!

🗳️ Take the 1-minute interest poll →

Together, we pave the way. 🌳💡🛣️

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