Remove Dam At Horseshoe Lake, Shaker City Council Says

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — Shaker Heights City Council and Mayor David Weiss indicated their support for a plan to remove the dam at Horseshoe Lake on Monday night.

The council's resolution — passed with a majority vote — supports the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's plan to remove the dam, restore two stream channels of the Doan Brook and rebuild the dam at Lower Lake. The project will cost $28.3 million, based on estimates from the sewer district.

The dam was previously found to be in critical danger of failing, based on the sewer district's analysis. Should the dam fail, they said, it could create a danger to both people and property in the surrounding area.

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Five public meetings were held on the proposal, and on the city's stance toward the project. Many Shaker Heights residents spoke out against the sewer district's plan, instead calling for a restoration of the dam. A public petition, with more than 1,500 signatures at the time of writing, called for the sewer district's plan to be shot down. A Facebook group also coordinates residents unhappy with the plan.

Ultimately, the dam's impending failure motivated Weiss's support, the mayor said on Tuesday morning.

"As a paramount duty to our community, I have concluded that we need to take action now to protect life and property. I believe the Sewer District’s recommendations are the right long-term solution when weighing the key considerations of safety, the environment, financial sustainability, regulatory compliance and addressing regional issues through regional solutions," Weiss said.

The city has already contacted AECOM Technical Services to develop plans for emergency mitigation repairs should the dam fail before the project is completed. Among the emergency plans are a controlled breach of the dam, to reduce the possibility of failure in the short-term.

Work on that project should begin in mid- to late-October. Additional information will be released about construction soon, and Weiss promised community engagement forums on long-term plans for Horseshoe Lake.

“As is the tradition in Shaker Heights, residents engaged in a thoughtful and thorough debate about the merits of this recommendation. We are grateful for the input. After careful consideration, we feel the urgent need to make a decision to ensure public safety and move toward an environmentally and fiscally sustainable solution," said Shaker Heights Vice Mayor Tres Roeder.

Three other groups with vested interest in Horseshoe Lake — the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, the Doan Brook Watershed Partnership, and the Shaker Historical Society — all issued statements supporting the sewer district's plan.