Ward 2 Summary – 2020 Norwood Community Survey

The Norwood Community Survey was launched with the goal of bringing more objectivity to our civic life. And while it’s certainly interesting to see the nine things Norwoodians agree about (city-wide), I think the most-interesting takeaways from the survey can be found at the ward level.

If there’s one thing that’s become glaringly obvious to me while analyzing the data from the survey, it’s that each ward of Norwood is its own animal. Sure, we all exist under the banner of Norwood, Ohio, but I think it’s unrealistic to assume that a one-size-fits-all approach is sufficient.

Think about it like this: the City of Cincinnati has 300,000 residents spread across 52 neighborhoods. On average, each neighborhood has about 6,000 residents. At least to me, it’s obvious that different neighborhoods have different needs, and that the city takes a different approach to different areas. They all need love, but that love takes different shapes from College Hill to Columbia-Tusuculm to Lower Price Hill.

In Norwood, we’ve got about 20,000 residents spread across four wards, which means each ward has about 5,000 residents. Yes, we’re a smaller city, but that’s still a lot of people to try and paint with a broad brush. Maybe it’s time we layer in ward-level goals in addition to the city-wide initiatives that are already being worked on.

About the survey

To get a comprehensive overview of how the survey came to be, who participated, and what was asked, you are encouraged to review the detailed overview of the 2020 Norwood Community Survey. In short, it was a 51-question survey that asked about a wide variety of local topics, including: city services, schools, parks, and more.

For this article, the information below is based on the responses provided by 73 residents of Ward 2. I acknowledge that these results aren’t perfect and that not everyone in the neighborhood participated, but I do think they are directionally valid. Read more about the confidence interval in the overview. Interestingly enough, the 73 responses from Ward 2 was the most of any area of the city, despite me NOT following up with residents to ask them for referrals; I didn’t want any ward to be over-represented.

In case you need a refresher, here is the map of Norwood’s wards. Ward 2 is the south quadrant of the city and is highlighted in blue below.

Now, without further adieu, let’s get to the summary of the data, which represent both numerical and open-ended responses.

Disclaimer: The administration of the City of Norwood had nothing to do with this effort.

Your Neighborhood

What could be done to help you feel more safe in your neighborhood?

• More streetlights, more neighbors with lights on
• Address speeding issues on our street.
• It would be nice if the local parks could get cleaned up. Streets are certainly a priority (in my mind) but I’ve witnessed some questionable activity in the more-or-less abandoned parks in Norwood (specifically Burwood Park)
• Painted corner curbs to prevent parking too close to intersections.
• We feel very safe.
• Read all 49 comments submitted by respondents from Ward 2.

What do you like the most about living in your neighborhood?

• Friendly neighbors who are often out walking or on front porches, neighborhood schools, the bike trail, wide streets like floral, the potential of our parks and business district, access to interstates in central locality, old houses and buildings with character
• Location. Great people close by. Relatively walkable to food, groceries, schools etc.
• The quiet
• A great mix of ages, family situations, etc. Everyone is civil to each other. We have good friends here, too.
• Read all 68 comments submitted submitted by respondents from Ward 2.

What is your least favorite thing about your neighborhood?

• The street conditions!! So many pot holes and bad terrible pavement. It’s embarrassing, what do our taxes go to??
• Vacant, run down buildings (especially corner stores and other commercial buildings in residential areas) that I feel have huge potential to improving our neighborhood. Bigger issue: no city planner / no unified vision.
• While the streets are walkable, there aren’t many destinations
• The sidewalks are atrocious and need repaved.
• the drug house across the street and the low lives that the slum lord rents to
• Loud Xavier parties all along Cleneay Ave – the amount of beer cans is embarrassing. Impressive but embarrassing.
• It’s not very racially diverse.
• Read all 69 comments.

Editor’s note: Across all the dimensions of this survey, Ward 2 is often in the middle of the pack with its attitudes. That said, three of the areas where Ward 2 earns city-leading marks are what we just covered — feeling safe, feeling good about cleanliness, and feeling good about the pace of progress. This is a fortunate baseline to be working from, but it’s probably important for Ward 2 residents to be self-aware about this in conversations with residents from other areas of town.

If you were to move away from your current area of Norwood in the next five years, what would be the most likely reason(s) for your move?

• City leadership refuses to create vision and adopt policies that better our city. The loudest voices ignoring newer residents (or younger lifelong residents) and continuing to bemoan the past and how things used to be
• Schools- I feel comfortable sending my kids to the elementary schools, however anything beyond that is not happening. 
• Age-related: ranch vs. multi-level, climate. Decline in attractiveness of neighborhoods.
• smaller house, bigger yard
• Real all 62 comments.

What changes would most improve the neighborhood?

• Paving streets and fixing sidewalks, upgrade parks, better street signage
• improving The Montgomery Road Business district would directly improve our neighborhood.  The general curb appeal of many vacant buildings surely impacts the surrounding areas.  If that in itself improves, it will have a positive impact,
• Putting these old corner store buildings to use
• Park investment, more walkable businesses and, more pedestrian friendly Montgomery road and less front yard partying and trash at the XU rental properties.
• Make it easier for small businesses.  Get rid of old rules to open a business.  Start allowing variances. Zero interest loans for residents to open a business.  
• Read all 68 comments.

Community Involvement & Engagement

Editor’s note: On one hand, Ward 2 residents report above-average rates of Community Participation — a willingness to get out there — but on the other hand, they show the lowest levels of Connectivity and second-lowest ratings for Sense Of Community. So, while Ward 2 residents display optimism and positivity in many of their responses, they seem to currently lack the real-life social network required to sustain that momentum over the long haul.

If you do not participate in community organizations or activities, why not? What would make you more likely to attend in the future?

• I don’t actually know how or when they are organized. Is it published in the Norwood Star or something? How do I get in the know?
• Nothing attracted me. I participate in Cincinnati activities because they are more interesting or fun. I participate in Norwood activities because I think I should — when I know about them..
• The community activities feel outdated; I don’t see other people that look like me being welcome within the community
• We need a centralized way of making people aware of events
• Read all 40 comments.

What types of community activities would you participate in, if they were available?

• Gatherings in the parks, clean up activities, block parties, get to know your neighbors events
• Community clean ups (parks, yard blitz, government owned building improvements)
• Music festival, art show, farmers market
• Family centered ones. Free/affordable. Food truck festivals. Parades. Outdoor concerts at Victory Park, Playing Card Factory, etc. Community improvement projects. Check out Pleasant Ridges Play in the Park summer events
• Any community projects that would improve the impression of Norwood city
• Ministry type activities. Serving others
• Read all 55 comments.

Local Government & Services

What could the Norwood Police Department do to be seen as more favorable in your eyes?

• Never enough community involvement
• Nothing. The Norwood Police have my full support. They’re pretty great.
• Be more racial diverse, follow through with citizens wishes on issues voted on, less complaining about funding
• More presence
• Work on equity and diversity training
• I appreciate our police departments involvement in the community; I do not appreciate the amount of our budget that goes to police/fire. I think the departments are inflated and unnecessarily limiting other needed improvements
• Read all 50 comments.

What could the Norwood Fire Department do to be seen as more favorable in your eyes?

• Similar to police, I do appreciate their involvement in the community, but there are just too many of them. We pay them too much. Moreso than with police, I believe we could rely on the departments of surrounding communities more and they need to accept we are not fiscally able to keep the size of department and benefits we had in “the old days” of GM
• They are great! Very involved in community! Continued attendance at community events.
• Not sure. Seems like we might have more than needed for a city of this size.
• I have had no interaction with NFD, but they seem fine.
• Read all 35 comments.

Parks, Infrastructure, and Local Businesses

What would make you more likely to use the Wasson Way trail? Any other ideas to improve it?

• Good public path that could use better amenities, decor, connectivity to be great
• wayfinding signs…
• Destinations along the path; playgrounds/play spaces in the wide grassy areas, encouraging businesses – especially retail/food – to open/turn toward the trail
• I walk on it almost everyday. Love it!
• We must get a business at Montgomery.. someplace to grab a beer, coffee, bite to eat meet with friends family etc
• I think the trail is awesome.  I think there needs to be a line painted in the path like there is on the Hyde Park side.  We are tying to teach our children bike path etiquette and it is hard to explain to them why there isn’t a distinct line on the Norwood side of the trail.  I have given this feedback to Wasson Way and it fell on deaf ears.
• Somehow Burwood Park should be incorporated into the trail. The park could get new life if it had a connection to the trail where people coming to use the trail saw Burwood park as a Good place to park their cars while going out onto the trail, etc
• Read all 54 comments.

Editor’s note: Of the 12 parks in Norwood, only one is in Ward 2, where residents report below-average rates of park utilization. In contrast, residents report the highest Wasson Way usage rate in the city, which makes sense given the current footprint of the trail. This data point might also explain why Ward 2 residents felt so strongly about blocking Joseph VW from building a 3.5-acre parking lot along Wasson Way.

Do you have other thoughts or comments to share about a possible tax levy for street repairs?

• This should be taken very seriously – Norwood needs a complete overhaul of Streets/sidewalks
• its just amazing to me that we need a specific levy to fix roads when, in my view, these are a core piece of government responsibility
• Money has been raised before for the roads and was spent elsewhere. Longtime Norwood residents do not trust levies for the roads as we feel it will be used for something else.
• When I consider how happy I am with my location, or where I would rather live, driving on streets doesn’t cross my mind. I think about nearby parks and businesses, I long for places I can walk to and more places I can run into neighbors because we have more options of how to spend time close to home, in Norwood, instead of driving to parks, businesses and events outside Norwood. The smoothest streets wouldn’t do anything but make a more pleasant drive out of here to spend money elsewhere.
• Read all 36 comments.

Editor’s note: Of the four wards, Ward 2 shows the most disagreement with the idea that there are businesses within walking distance that residents enjoy supporting. Coupled with that is an above-average desire for more businesses within walking distance. In addition to the Montgomery Road storefronts that need freshened up, many respondents called out the old neighborhood corner stores (IE Old Pawn Shop @ Forest & Williams) as buildings that have a lot of untapped potential.

Editor’s note: When it comes to running errands, getting to work, or just getting around, Ward 2 respondents show the most versatility. Four different methods had 40% or higher adoption rates. By comparison, in Wards 3 only two methods are used by more than 20% of people (car and walking). Interestingly enough, Ward 2 transit usage is only average, despite having – debatably – the most-robust transit access in the city with Routes 4, 31, 51 and Metro+ nearby.

Other Comments

At the end of the survey, participants were given a blank slate to comment on whatever else was on their minds. Here’s what they had to say.

• Absolutely must consolidate all the facebook Norwood stuff, it is beyond ridiculous
• Excited for new government leaders and hope they see their opportunity. Get our finances under control first and then act. Would be great if they made it easier to see their plans, status, and results of what is being done Truly appreciate neighbors doing improvements on their own. Norwood has come along way since I moved to Cincinnati area in 2000.
• I am a loner, but I would take part in cleanup / repair activities, like after the 2016 floods, although I was injured then, sadly.
• I definitely think that Norwood is on the upswing. There is still a lot of work to be done on the part of the city to revamp our finances and correct problems of the past
• I love the neighborhood and want to keep seeing improvements, we have met some great neighbors and like the area. Also I really do not want a car lot in the area between Lexington and Wasson Way the has to be a better use of that land that is more appropriate for the area.
• I think the city should look into creating a Human Relations Commission comprised of residents, city administration, council representative, school board administration and school board representative, Chamber of Commerce representative and small business owners.
• I would love to see Norwood thrive and grow with strong leadership that has a vision that will make that happen!
• I’d like to be involved
• If I were younger I would love to become more involved in Norwood. Unfortunately because of age and not having family near by we will be leaving Norwood within the next 12 month. It will be a sad day as I have lived in Norwood for 70 years and it is home.
• just fix the streets. I would rather have good streets than a full time Fire department. Buy police service from the Sheriff-s Office. Use City of Cincinnati water.
• Not a proponent of murals, but if done tastefully & without political or social content,on privately owned property, and NOT FUNDED BY TAXDOLLARS would be ok.
• Please, no more bars or smoke shops in Norwood….we need coffee shops restaurants and green spaces
• Thank you for organizing this!
• Norwood has tremendous opportunities – will take time and the right people in place to move this community forward
• Norwood is a fine community. Being land-locked &surrounded by a large city is unusual and creates many challenges. However I am optimistic about the future of our city. Thanks for the website. I appreciate the time and effort you give.
• I really want our boards and Council to be strategically minded when making land use decisions that will impact the city for 25, 30, 40 years into the future. I feel like there is a lack of vision and some short sighted decision making happening.
• I would love to see support for small business development, especially along Montgomery Rd. Opening my practice was a flipping nightmare, and it shouldn’t have been. I’m disappointed that Molony was not elected. He is aware of the difficulties faced by potential small business owners. He told me that if elected he was going to assemble a handbook for prospective business owners to help them navigate the process. Our building department needs a complete overhaul. I hope to see quality small business development along the Montgomery corridor, particularly with offerings of affordable good food. It seems that we have choices of filthy chain restaurants, or as in the case of the most recent restaurant that opened- the prices are out of reach for most local residents. Affordable housing is also a concern.
• I would love to see a Norwood newsletter distributed or made available somehow. I’ve heard that one exists, but without receiving it or knowing where to look it’s not very useful to me. Madisonville did a quarterly newsletter like that when we lived there and it was a huge factor in getting me involved with more community events purely because I was aware of them happening.
• mismanagement of tax dollars is pervasive in this city. current landscape of nonprofits assisting city not enough to cover the considerable gaps in city leadership versus cities of similar size.

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Thanks for reading the Ward 2 summary. I’d love to read your thoughts on what was presented. Please feel free to leave a comment with your ideas for bettering the ward.

Also, if you found this interesting, be sure to check out the Ward 1 summary and the Ward 4 summary, which have already been published.