Strongsville 2017 State Of The City Recap: "We Are Not A Concrete Jungle"

STRONGSVILLE, OH - Mayor Tom Perciak delivered his State of the City address on March 14. His speech highlighted the green space throughout Strongsville and rebuked the perception of the city as a "concrete jungle."

Mill Stream Run Reservation, part of the Cleveland Metroparks, takes up 2,170 acres, including a large chunk of green space in Strongsville. Perciak also wanted residents to be aware of city-held parks and athletic fields, which contribute to a community feeling.

“For anyone to say our community is a concrete jungle is ignoring the facts,” Perciak said during his address, according to a post from the city.

The mayor argued that nearby cities could fit their entire municipality within the space of Strongsville's green areas. The city cited the following towns: Olmsted Falls (2,637 acres), Parma Heights (2,682 acres), Bay Village (2,925 acres), Fairview Park (2,995 acres), Rocky River (3,034 acres) and Seven Hills (3,142 acres) saying they could all fit within Strongsville's green space.

Strongsville residents on Facebook have been arguing that the Metroparks should not necessarily be included in the green space argument, because the green space protection is the prerogative of the Metroparks, not necessarily of the City of Strongsville. Other residents have also been asking for a dog park.

However, green space already makes up a large minority of Strongsville's territory. “Green space comprises 20 percent of all of our land,” Perciak said.

Part of the reason for the perception of Strongsville as a largely business-composed town is the diverse base of companies that have brick-and-mortar locations in the city. While those businesses do need to take up physical space in the city, their presence also means lower residential taxes for residents. Instead, the city uses income taxes to fund services like police and fire personnel, Perciak said.

Thus, Strongsville has to find a balance between creating and fostering green spaces throughout the city and encouraging the development of the business community in Strongsville. Perciak credits the city's AAA bond rating for stable financial conditions that he believes attract businesses to the city.

He wrapped up his speech by saying that people would not move to Strongsville if the city did not have its diverse tax base. The money generated by taxing companies in the city allows Perciak's administration to pursue a variety of beautification efforts, he said.

Photo from Chris Mosby, Patch