FAIRYTAIL OR TRAGEDY?
Those of us who lived in this area in the late 1970`s first heard about the coming of what was then called the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area from the media. They described it in glowing terms.
According to them, the National Park Service was coming to protect our valley from being overrun with housing developments and malls. The park was projected to cover about 28,000 acres. It was estimated that only 26 to 30 homes would be taken, primarily located near the river, as stated in the congressional record.
We were told that scenic easements would primarily be used, instead of taking homes, to maintain the look of the area.
The park service also said that they wanted input from residents at public meetings to help them plan the park. Later we learned that this was the requirement of the congressional act that established the park, and not necessarily the idea of the NPS (National Park Service).
The newspapers, television, and radio were all excited about the creation of a new park, and our political leaders were also enthusiastic. On the other hand we residents had no experience with parks, except state and metroparks, which we thought were just great, so what`s to be concerned about?
We attended some of the public meetings, and there were a great many questions on our part, but few answers from the park representatives. It was after that that I learned that the public hearings were a mandate from congress, not the park service.
The reality is that the creation of the park was political. John Seiberling, our congressman, created it, and it was to serve as his legacy.
The mood was like "Christmas is coming!"
Then the tune changed. Homeowners started getting letters from the NPS saying that their property would be needed to serve the purposes of the park, and an appraiser would be contacting them to arrange a time for him to appraise their property.
I have seen some of these letters, and the owners were never asked if they wanted to sell. It was as though the matter was set, and it was just a question of what price they would receive.
As I was a member of the Cuyahoga Valley Homeowners and Residents Association, I got quite a few calls from frightened residents because our Association was dedicated to represent the residents. They also called Pat and Orville Morse, Lily and Frank Fleder, and Dave Hazelwood, who were also members.
I always asked first if they wanted to sell. If they said no, I asked if they had told this to the park service, and I suggested that they do that. They had questions.
Can I tell them that I don`t want to sell? Yes.
Can they make me sell to them? Yes.
An owner who was agreeable to sell had no problem hiring an attorney who would, for a fee, represent them, and negotiate a price with the park. His money came out of the purchase price. No big deal.
If, on the other hand, they were firm about not wanting to sell, they would need to hire a lawyer who was an expert on constitutional law. Lawyers like that don`t come cheap, and if the owners won their case, they would have to pay the attorney out of their own pockets.
All they could win is the right to keep their property.
Yes, the deck was stacked against them.
At my last count, the park had expanded to 32,000 acres. About 400 owners (not 26 to 28) lost their homes. Our tax base in the township is around ten percent privately owned, yet we maintain the roads, fire and police, and emergency rescue services. The park service gets a free ride.
Readers who are more recent arrivals need to understand the pain that we all felt, and honor the residents that had the courage to try to protect our right to keep our homes, our township, and our village.
It is part of your heritage, and something to be proud of.
| Marty and Marilyn Griffith |