WEST PINE LACLEDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Minutes: 08.09.16 – draft, pending approval at September meeting
President Harold Karabell called the meeting to order at 7:05 PM.
Harold dispensed with the usual order of business to allow Mark Dangerfield of Evntur to report on the upcoming block party to celebrate ground breaking of 4101 Laclede. Planned for September 15 from 4:00 – 8:00 PM, the party will include current local and future residents and businesses. Known details include:
- Location: Sarah St. from Laclede to The Block restaurant with Sarah closed from Laclede to West Pine.
- Food and beverages provided by Scarlett’s Wine Bar, Scottish Arms, and Urban Chestnut
- Local businesses also contributing support, e.g., Eagle Bank
- Music to include guitar, box drum, and a singer not greatly amplified
- To allow the City and Evntur to set up and take down the party and barricade, the affected block of Sarah will be closed from 7:00 AM on September 15 through the morning of the 16th. The City will clean up the area post-party, and Retreat Gastro Pub will allow use of its dumpsters for clean-up.
- A security guard will be in attendance.
- Expected attendance is 250-300
- City approval of closing Sarah St. is pending.
WPLNA attendees enthusiastically supported the plan; Harold will notify Alderman Roddy of the support, and Susan Anderson will notify Brooks Goedecker.
MINUTES
Minutes for the July 12, 2016 meeting were approved as submitted.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Savings account balance: $1,053.13
Certificate of deposit value: $7,045.34
Checking account balance: $1895.43
BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
Laura Cohen reported the Joel (Park Central Development intern) has inventoried trees in the neighborhood and reported the results the City’s Forestry Department so that it may follow up with pruning, removing and replacing trees as needed.
Laura reminded attendees that the Central West End Public Infrastructure Community Meeting will be held August 11 from 7-8:30 PM at the Schlafly Library – 225 N. Euclid. She encouraged residents to attend this open meeting to ask questions and give input. Susan Anderson will arrange for a report of the meeting to be made available to WPLNA.
SUSAN ANDERSON – PARK CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT
Susan reported the following:
- Businesses in Cortex:
- Tim Hortons at Clayton and Boyle
- Park Avenue Coffee at 4240 Duncan
- Tech Shop at 4260 Forest Park – an open access, Do It Yourself (DIY) workshop and fabrication studio with $1million in tools and equipment. Open membership is available on a monthly basis for entrepreneurs, artists, makers, teachers, and students. The membership fee is $150-200/month and allows access to equipment, office space, etc. throughout the day and into early morning hours.
- 4101 Laclede – Construction will begin in September 2016. Susan is still waiting to learn where construction entrance will be placed. The developers will attend WPLNA’s meeting on September 13 for a Q&A session with attendees.
- Enterprise Carshare – Plans are underway for Enterprise to open another carshare facility in the CWE south of Lindell. Details will follow once the contract is signed. Other locations include Schlafly Library garage, Forest Park, and Cortex.
- Elevation of Forest Park at Kingshighway – To allow time for further study of safety issues for pedestrians and drivers, work will not begin until October, 2016. Susan noted that a neighborhood meeting will be held to review final plans, which will also be posted on the Park Central web site. However, Harold asked that Susan or Ron Coleman report the widespread sentiment among attendees that preliminary plans for the elevation be presented to local residents.
- Reverse in parking at Whole Foods – Construction in the area makes reverse in parking very difficult, and some have complained that signage does not make this parking requirement clear. The City Treasurer’s office has stopped issuing tickets for front in parking until better signage can be provided to make it clear that reverse in is required in this location.
- Restaurant in Cortex Tech Shop building – Tara andMichael Gallina will open Vicia restaurant in the Cortex facility at 4260 Duncan Ave. The plan is to open by year end.
RON COLEMAN and MARSHALL MICHENER REPORT
- Reverse in parking – 4100-4200 block of Laclede – The City is close to final approval for reverse in parking for this block of Laclede. Scarlett’s Wine Bar and 4101 Laclede are sharing the cost of the restriping. The dividing planters will be left untouched.
- Further Cortex projects – Cortex is planning to build a boutique hotel at Duncan & Boyle, a large parking garage next to the Tech Shop, Vicia restaurant (see above), and a four story apartment building.
- Attendees noted that the Metro tracks at Boyle are hazardously uneven for cars and especially bikes.
ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION
Adopt-A-Stop is a bus stop sponsorship program where businesses, organizations and individuals are invited to adopt neighborhood MetroBus stops and help take care of them. The goal of this program is to make bus stops and neighboring the communities attractive and free from litter.
In return for adopting a stop and volunteering time to monitor and maintain it, volunteers can have their names displayed on a special Adopt-A-Stop sign, which will be affixed to the adopted stop. WPLNA residents may wish to volunteer to care for the stop at Lindell & Whittier. See details at http://metrostlouis.org/BusinessCommunity/AdoptAStop.aspx. If interested, contact Laura Cohen at [email protected].
Terry Werner has local honey for sale. Contact him if you wish to purchase. ([email protected])
Terry Van Schaik and Diana Gualdoni have undertaken research into replacing the community garden shed with a larger more attractive shed.
Terry Van Schaik described the SLACO Neighborhoods United for Change project in which WPLNA is participating. She asked that attendees and any interested member or resident contact her for additional information beyond the summary below (see below).
St. Louis Association of Community Organization’s Neighborhoods United for Change (NUC) project grew out of discussions held around the Ferguson shooting and subsequent events. Its goal is to allow people from different neighborhoods to get to know each other’s differences and similarities and ideally find ways to work together to the benefit of each.
The pan:
- WPLNA will participate and be partnered with Better Bevo Now Neighborhood Association.
- On Saturday September 10 at least 5 and up to 10 participants from each association will spend the morning together.
- Kick off meeting at SLACO HQ at 8:30 AM (5888 Plymouth Ave.)
- Tour both neighborhoods
- Receive an information pack pertaining to both neighborhoods, including demographic information and a map
- Travel by chartered bus to the first neighborhood to be explored
- Learn from designated community members about landmarks, assets, and problems
- Take short walking tours of each neighborhood as appropriate and feasible
- Tour second neighborhood
- Share lunch and continue dialogue
- Hear a brief introduction about the relationship between fair housing and concentrated poverty, neighborhood dynamics, the importance of strong neighborhood organizations, and why observed conditions exist in the two participating neighborhoods
- With the help of a team of two facilitators, discuss topics such as bridging racial, economic, and geographic divides and how the two neighborhoods might develop an ongoing conversation and joint projects.
Contact Terry Van Schaik ([email protected]; 314-535-0486; 314-920-10330 to learn more about NUC and to volunteer to participate on September 10.
The meeting adjourned at 7:50 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Terry Van Schaik, Secretary