PARMA, Ohio — Ridgewood Lake near Downtown Parma is a big topic of discussion in the city right now, and the future of it could look a bit different.
“It would be devastating to us, we look out every morning and this is our view,” said Nicole Panza. “It’s beautiful it’s in the heart of the city.”
Panza said she has lived near the park for over 15 years.
The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and the city of Parma are exploring the option of turning the lake into a stormwater retention basin, the goal is to address the city’s longtime flood issues.
“This should've been brought to the entire city’s awareness, there should’ve been a public forum,” said Panza. “Instead 750 of us received a letter from the sewer district telling us that it was going to be a live PowerPoint presentation online.”
Homeowners said their concerns about the retention basin are not being addressed, referencing fears of plummeting real estate values and beautification issues.
“It’s really nice rendering, we think it will enhance that park,” said Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter. “There will still be water even when it's dry out, there will still be a stream.”
DeGeeter said the sewer district is investing its own funds into the project, all while mitigating flooding in the area by about 40%.
“This is a piece of the puzzle and it knocks out a high percentage of homes that have continuously flooded,” said DeGeeter. “The sewer district will do other work elsewhere, but this is where they started with.”
The mayor said the city council plans to vote on the project next week.
“There's no compromise,” said Panza. “We want more time, I keep telling the mayor to let the city vote.”
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