Letter to the Editor: School Board, Reconsider Mosdos at Millikin

Dear Editor:

Tonight representatives of the Millikin neighborhood turned out at the School Board Planning Session carrying signs urging the sale of property to a local private school, Mosdos Ohr Hatorah. They had a robust turnout despite the change in time of the meeting but even more impressive were the throngs that turned out in City Hall urging Cleveland Heights Council not to rezone the area for commercial use perserving the neighborhood as residential and the building with it's long tradition of fine education for children playing and learning.

Mosdos has promised to revitalize the playground for all the residents use. Mosdos has offered what is provably fair market value offer. In fact it was characterized as generous. Yet School Board touts an old optimistic appraisal from 2006 before the market downturn and before the Millikin site was allowed to decay as reason to lease the building to a call center. If that happens it will forever change the character of the neighborhood, spoil the building from ever housing a school agian, and lower the property values of an entire commuinty. I urge school board to reconsider. I urge all residents in the area and in the district to tell School Board to accept this offer for everyone's benefit.

Susan Efroymson
Cleveland Heights