"SWEET DREAMS" eurythmics

I check in on the Steele Mansion Facebook page to find out what's new and to read the comments posted by the Shamakians and others from time to time.

 Mrs. Shamakian mentioned the council meeting coming up this Monday. In her last post, she stated how optimistic she is about the ultimate outcome. I wish I could share her optimism.

Recently I’ve heard many negative reasons for the Steele Mansion not becoming an inn...everything from ‘injured’ neighbors to the renovation not in keeping with the original structure. Along with the restrictions read at the council meeting, I question who will be responsible to make sure there are only 50 people at a wedding or that a meeting breaks up by the deadline. Are we going to have the Inn Police? Some of these restrictions make no sense to me because if a meeting should run late...are the Shamakians to throw the people out? With no personal knowledge of the provisions proposed by Mr. Callendar (I have no idea what they are) I’m willing to guess that they will be much more restrictive than even the city's. I imagine those proposed restrictions will make running a successful inn impossible. An analogy I ‘ll use is: someone wanting to build a railroad and being told ‘OK’… but you can't use the rails.

Then we have the matter of litigation. It seems pretty obvious that something like this could be tied up in the courts for a long time, especially with one of the neighbors of the inn having a relative in the legal profession (that would probably work pro bono). Meaning that the Shamakians will have to bear the cost of their own legal representation on top of all the other expenses they’ve incurred to bring the Inn back to life . I would imagine there would be some kind of restraint on anything being done until it makes its way through the court system. I wonder if the goal here is to have a 15 unit college dormitory for Lake Erie College rather than a first class Inn....if that happens, it would be interesting to see if the ghost of George Steele will leave 10 cases of beer for the residents every Friday evening.

Be careful what you ask for...you just might get it.

Jamie Callendar of Concord Twp, son of the property owners next door to the Steele Mansion, made a statement at the council meeting “I would like to ask for more time. I don’t think there is an emergency for this. We need more time for compromise to be worked out. The building department has mis handled this from the get-go. We were to be informed. We formed the Painesville Historic District to have some control over what happened to the Steele Mansion.” (Lake County Tribune, 4/27/2012, page A3)

What an interesting strategy.

To the people who comment on the Facebook page of the Steele Mansion...truthfully, it’s not enough. What you folks have to do is show up early and often at these council meetings and let your opinions be known. Not just three or four residents… but 25 or more. With that said, the people who oppose the inn should also state their opinions against the Inn in a public forum at the council meeting. Even though I disagree with Mr Smead and Mr Callendar, at least I give them credit for voicing their opinions at council meetings.

The most interesting reason I have heard in the last two weeks is that Painesville has an Inn...it does not need another one. To that I say Painesville has tons of apartment buildings...do we need another one?

 Please… whatever your position on this...take the time to let city council know your viewpoint. I’d like to think that in 25 years, after I am gone, I will have played a very small part in something positive and unique for Painesville, rather than just another apartment building.

Mrs Shamakian, if for some reason your current dream does not become a reality….I know a person like you will never stop dreaming. I am sure you will have your dream come true…even if it doesn’t happen in Painesville.