A day after sharing plans for the private historic-tree trail at Wesley Woods, the Wesley Stump Family Foundation has taken the formal next step: on June 14, 2026, it filed a building and electrical permit with the City of Strongsville to install the security system that protects it.
This is the infrastructure behind the sign that reads Wesley Woods Trail — Private — No Access Permitted. Lamp posts and cameras don't run on good intentions. They run on a code-compliant, permitted, low-voltage system — and the Foundation is building it the right way.
What the Permit Covers
The application describes an Electrical project on the Foundation's private wooded lot at Wesley Woods in Strongsville — the same property at the center of the Foundation's restoration work.
Scope of work:
- Install tall posts with security cameras along the front of the property and near the tree lawn area
- Run low-voltage wiring (approximately 20V) to the top of the elevation in the front yard / tree lawn
- Power the system primarily with solar panels mounted on the posts
- Keep all wiring low-voltage, installed with the minimum necessary tree clearance in the street tree lawn
Estimated project area: 10,000 square feet. Estimated cost: $5,000. Class: Residential.
Trees First, Always
The most important line in the application isn't about voltage or posts. It's about the trees.
The Foundation is aware of existing clearance issues with trees in the street tree lawn area — and it has stated plainly that it prefers not to remove any trees. The plan is to work within the minimum clearance required by code, avoiding disturbance wherever possible. For a property whose entire purpose is protecting historic Sugar Maples and old hardwoods, cutting them down to install cameras that protect them would defeat the point.
That's why the system is low-voltage and solar-first. Less trenching, less conduit, smaller footprint, and far less disturbance to root zones than a full line-voltage installation would require. The solar panels on each post also keep the cameras running independent of a heavy grid connection — fitting the Foundation's interest in low-impact, partly off-grid power.
Working With the City, Not Around It
The permit application is explicit about coordination. The Foundation has committed to:
- Engineering Department approval before any work is done in the public right-of-way / tree lawn
- Full compliance with electrical codes, low-voltage requirements, and right-of-way regulations
- A property survey to clearly identify the private property line versus the public tree lawn / right-of-way
- On-site meetings with inspectors and the Engineering Department to settle the best approach for the wiring and tree clearance
This is the same posture the Foundation has taken on the canal channel and bicycle bridge: file the paperwork, invite the inspectors, respect the right-of-way, and do the work in the open. The tree lawn is public ground, and the Foundation is treating it that way.
Why Security Belongs on a Private Trail
Wesley Woods is private and closed to the public — and the cameras are part of how that stays true. The historic trees on this property are vulnerable to trespass, dumping, and the slow damage that comes from unmanaged foot traffic. A monitored, lit front edge discourages all of it before it starts.
The system is for the land, not against the neighbors. Cameras face the property and its access points, not outward into the street. The goal is simple: keep the historic trees standing and undisturbed, and give the Foundation's stewards a clear record of what happens at the edge of a property that no one is permitted to enter uninvited.
What Comes Next
With permit filed on June 14, 2026, the Foundation will:
- Complete the property survey to confirm the line between private land and the public tree lawn
- Secure Engineering Department approval for any right-of-way work
- Meet on-site with inspectors to finalize the low-voltage routing and tree clearance
- Install the solar posts, low-voltage wiring, and cameras once approvals are in hand
No posts go in the ground until the survey is done and the city signs off. The Foundation will document the process through the season.
"We asked for the permit before we touched a tree," said a Foundation representative. "That's the whole approach. Protect what's old, follow the code, work with the city, and don't disturb a single root we don't have to. The cameras are there so the trees can keep standing in peace."
The sign stays up. The trail stays closed. And now the system that guards it is on the record with the City of Strongsville.