Ed Morrison · More on the odd case of Frank Giglio

December 12th, 2009

My mailbox is filling with more on the odd case of Frank Giglio:

Volume 14, Issue 35
Published December 20th, 2006
Letters
Letters
Home Affront

True to political form, Councilman Joe Cimperman is still actively promoting homelessness in Cleveland with his latest campaign against Frank Giglio (“American Scream,” December 6).

In his first Cleveland City Council campaign, I voted for the man after meeting him at the Homeless Art Show in 1997. I wrongly assumed that he might promote creative solutions to the housing crisis. Since being elected, however, he has done pretty much everything he possibly can do to make the lives of unhoused men, women and children more miserable. He was at the forefront of the campaign to demolish the homeless camp at Camelot near East 55th Street and Chester Avenue. He fought efforts to establish a shelter for homeless women and children in Tremont despite the fact that the majority of neighborhood residents voiced support for the proposal at a public hearing. He unsuccessfully pressed a lawsuit against the opening of a new women’s shelter on Payne Avenue, and he shut down Jay Hotel, one of the last flophouse hotels that catered to those on the verge of homelessness. Kicking Frank Giglio out of his house for his own good is just one more piece of the puzzle.

The boarding up of Giglio’s house did not have to happen. Prior to the bulldozing of his yard in 1998, I worked hard to set up a meeting between Giglio and Cimperman to mediate their conflict. Giglio was prepared to do what he could to address legitimate concerns about his property. Cimperman never showed up to the meeting and has proceeded to spread lies about Giglio ever since. If it wasn’t for his systematic campaigns to squeeze the homeless, I may have thought that Cimperman had a personal problem with Giglio and misused his power as a result. Unfortunately the problem is much deeper. Since his election, Cimperman has always done the bidding of the people with the deepest pockets. He follows in the footsteps of many other so-called “progressive” Cleveland politicians.

Dr. Daniel Kerr
Harrisonburg, Virginia

Landmarks Commission saves historic W. 14th Street house from demolition
by Chuck Hoven

(Plain Press, August 2008) At its June 26th meeting, Cleveland Landmarks Commission voted 5-3 with one abstention to disapprove of the demolition a house on W. 14th in the Tremont Historic District. The 1890s era house, at 2288 W. 14th (directly across the street from Grace Hospital), belongs to Tremont resident Frank Giglio. The vote for disapproval of the City of Cleveland’s demolition order came after the Landmarks Commission heard extensive testimony from those for and against the demolition.

Ward 13 Councilman Joe Cimperman, the Cleveland City Council representative on the Landmarks Commission, said, “I’d love to see this house preserved, but it is just not happening.” Cimperman went on to say that he sees no solution available to fix up the property, which he estimated would cost over $250,000. He cited safety issues and called for the demolition of the property. Cimperman said since the day he took office, this house has been a concern. Cimperman said Giglio is not bankable and there is no free money to fix up the property. He expressed a lack of confidence in Giglio’s ability to maintain the property, “If we spent $200,000 fix it up. In ten years it would look like this again,” said Cimperman.

Chris Garland, Executive Director of Tremont West Development Corporation said both the Tremont Local Design Review Committee and the Housing Committee of Tremont West Development Corporation have voted to approve demolition of the house.

Patrick Turner, a Cleveland resident and friend of Frank Giglio, said he believed there is “some sort of political vendetta against Frank.” He wondered why three vacant structures across W. 14th from Giglio’s house that were empty and in various states of disrepair were not being held to the same standard. He testified he had been in Giglio’s house and feels that it is a very solid structure. While it would take a lot of work, he said he believes the house can be fixed up. Turner called what was happening in Tremont, a “classic case of gentrification.”

Ron O’Leary of the City of Cleveland’s Building and Housing Department submitted documentation of the various citations issued on the property over the years and the 30-day condemnation order issued on November 1, 2007. He also submitted the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals’ decision on March 5, 2008 to deny of Frank Giglio’s request for a variance consideration. The decision called for the Building and Housing Department to enforce the violation notice and demolish the structure. O’Leary said the estimated $16,000 cost of demolition would be charged to Giglio or placed on the tax duplicate for the property.

Joshua Ehrlick, a former Tremont resident and friend of Frank Giglio, said he had attended several of the hearings on Giglio’s property and was present for one of the inspections. He questioned the standards the house was being held to. He noted that the house was cited for not having grounded electrical outlets. He said, “Outlets in most of the houses in Cleveland are not grounded.”

Ehrlick said health inspectors reported the house was infested with fleas. However, he said he walked with inspectors through the house in shorts and did not have any fleabites. Ehrlick questioned the attitude of inspectors sent to the property by the City of Cleveland, saying they were rude and slamming doors in his face as he accompanied them through the house.

Ehrlick read into the record a letter from another supporter of Giglio. The letter praised Giglio as a member of the artistic community that helped to build community in the Tremont neighborhood. The letter writer said Giglio was being persecuted because he didn’t keep a manicured lawn but instead raised native plants. Many people in the neighborhood appreciated the native landscape and that the house was beautiful and interesting and should be restored, said the letter writer. The author of the letter called on the city to support Giglio in his efforts rather than subjecting him to fines and regulations.

Landmarks Commission member Thomas Coffey, a Tremont resident, spoke strongly in favor of taking the time to look at the possibility of saving Giglio’s house. He said he had talked to Giglio and said, “He is interested in selling the house, but doesn’t want to have the development corporation (Tremont West Development Corporation) tell him whom the buyer will be.” Coffey said Giglio offered to allow him and developer Mike McBride to look at the house.

Coffey described the very intense emotions at the Tremont West Development Corporation Housing Committee meeting when Giglio’s house was discussed. Coffey said he found it peculiar that Second District Commander Keith Sultzer told the committee “if there is any trouble (with Giglio), just call and I will have him arrested.” Coffee, a lawyer, said, “ I thought you had to commit a crime to be arrested.”

Coffey also took issue with Cimperman’s contention that the house was a danger. He said “the house is solid structurally and not in danger of coming down.“ He noted a vacant lot on one side of the structure, I-90 behind the structure and Frank’s mother’s house on the other side (where Giglio now resides.) “Talk about danger here is simply not warranted, “ said Coffey. “I don’t think this is a danger to anyone, “ he emphasized.

Coffey reminded the Landmarks Commission of their mission to consider the historic value of the house. He said, “Once the house comes down. The house is down forever.” In all the discussion so far he noted, “precious little attention paid to the historical nature of the house.”

Frank Giglio, who arrived late at the hearing, complained of uneven enforcement of the building code on W. 14th street. He cited a mansion in disrepair near his house that was never cited by the city and noted other neglected properties left alone by city inspectors while “year after year I have been cited for violations and have corrected them.” He refuted claims that restoration of the house would cost over $250,000 and said the cost would be more like $60,000. He said he is looking for an electrician willing to donate electrical expertise to help out at the site.

Giglio refuted claims by Cimperman that he had been offered help. He contended that the Ron O’Leary of the Building and Housing Department blocked his and his mother’s applications for the paint program. He called his relationship with Councilman Cimperman strained.

Giglio noted an incident in 1999 when the city illegally entered his property and bulldozed the front of it (apparently while working on the vacant lot next door). He recalled being sprayed in the face with mace by a police lieutenant while trying to protect his property. He noted the difficulty of restoring his natural garden after the city’s destructive behavior and expressed his belief that “naturalized green space is very important in this city.”

Countering arguments about the safety threat posed by the property, Giglio noted there are no police calls to the property, no drug activity, and the property had a new roof and new gutters. He noted there was no danger of an electrical fire because the electricity is off.

Giglio said he had lived in the Tremont neighborhood for 25 years. “I love Tremont. But have been ready to leave for some time. I want to sell the house,” he said.

Following Giglio’s testimony, Coffey again spoke up. “I respectfully suggest that something really cool has been allowed to fall into awful shape. There has got to be a better answer than to just tear the house down,” said Coffey.

Speaking of the house, Coffey said, “It deserves restoration and preservation.” He said, “someday we may reach a conclusion that it must be torn down, but we are not even close to that. There are many things we can do to save it,” said Coffey.

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