CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — A homeowner in Cleveland Heights is putting a new twist on his struggles with speeding vehicles.
John Gall's home has gained notoriety over the years for the number of times it has been hit by speeding vehicles and his push for the city to make it happen.
The most recent addition to his home at the intersection of Fairmount Boulevard and South Taylor Road is a fortress wall complete with slotted castle parapets along the top. Gall has also added a sign in the front that reads, "Okay. Now do this in concrete on the tree lawn."
News 5 has been following Gall's fight to get a guardrail for years. Three cars flying south down Taylor Road have hit Gall's home over the years.
He's posted dozens of signs lobbying for a guardrail since a car came flying into his kitchen in November of 2021. It started with one sign reading "Where's my guardrail?" to drive home his message, but it hasn't been enough to keep his home safe from erratic drivers.
"I'm kind of living on the edge," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, this house has a giant target on the side, and the city has done nothing to alleviate that."
Gall said he did have a guardrail when he purchased his home in the 1990s, but it disappeared around 2005 during a major road construction project.
Eight months after a crash in November 2021, another crash took out most of his garage, prompting a complete rebuild. City officials responded by placing two granite boulders in Gall's front yard. Those have since done their job with wayward drivers, but Gall said he would still prefer the guardrail.
Gall said he reached out the city again after November's election. The city tells News 5 they're continuing to work on a solution at the intersection.
