Mariemont residents press council for oversight after Waldorf School agreement for historic chapel and park use

Residents of the Village of Mariemont pressed council on Aug. 25 for clarity and oversight after learning the Thomas J. Emery Memorial Foundation may be transferring day-to-day management of the historic Mariemont Chapel and adjacent grounds to the Cincinnati Waldorf School.

Jennifer Degerberg, who identified herself as a longtime resident and local business owner, told the council she had recently learned the decades-long relationship that saw the foundation handle major capital work and a preservation nonprofit manage maintenance “has come to an end.” She said the arrangement concerns neighbors because, in her view, school-related use of village land and parking has led to repeated maintenance problems and uneven stewardship. “It is atrocious,” Degerberg said of some park and school-adjacent conditions she described.

Other residents recounted similar observations. Louise Schaumber described children playing in a creek and cited erosion and fallen branches; Brad Lockhart urged council to act as stewards for residents and to understand any agreements between the foundation and the school. Marty Zak and other neighbors recounted long-term maintenance issues and said the municipal parking lot is being used daily by school staff.

Council members responded that the chapel, cemetery and some adjacent grounds are privately owned by the Thomas J. Emery Memorial Foundation and that the village’s direct legal authority is limited. Several councilors, however, said the village can and should enforce its building and property codes where violations exist and encouraged residents to file complaints tied to specific ordinances.

Council agreed on an immediate next step: the mayor will arrange a meeting, likely within 30 days, with the school, the Emery Memorial Foundation (the foundation that owns the chapel), representatives of the Mariemont Preservation Foundation and village staff to review expectations for maintenance and to seek a written record of any agreements or enforceable terms. Council also said it will request a legal opinion and that any ordinance or code changes would be pursued carefully to avoid overreach into private-property rights.

Resident volunteer Matthew Ayre said he has served informally as a caretaker for the chapel grounds and offered to continue monitoring the site and report concerns to the Emery Memorial Foundation. Council members said they welcome documentation from residents and asked those with written concerns to provide names and contact information so they can be informed about the follow-up meeting.

The exchange ended with council agreeing to attempt a nonadversarial, documented discussion among stakeholders first and to return to the council with either a committee report or an update at the next public meeting. No enforcement action or ordinance amendment was adopted on Aug. 25; the record shows the council committed to convene interested parties and to explore remedies within the constraints of existing law.