WPLNA MEETING 7/11/23 at 7:00 pm

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WPLNA MEETING ON TUES. 7/11/23  AT 7:00

The West Pine Laclede Neighborhood Association will meet on Tuesday, July 11 at 7 pm at Northwest Coffee, 4251 Laclede (at Boyle).  All are welcome!

OUR FEATURED SPEAKER WILL BE MICHAEL DAUPHIN, THE ASSESSOR FOR THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS WHO WILL ADDRESS THE RECENT PROPERTY TAX REASSESSMENTS.

The minutes from our May and June meeting and copied below and will be presented for approval at the upcoming meeting.  Please note that to save on paper and ink, only a minimal number of hard copies will be printed for review and approval, so you are encouraged to read the minutes on line prior to coming.

We hope you will attend this important meeting!

 

West Pine Laclede Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes

June 13, 2023

7:05 PM President Harold Karabell called the meeting to order. We began with introductions.

Terry Werner Treasurer Report

  • $2,712.04 Checking
  • $2,070.77 Savings
  • $4,467.28 Time deposit
  • Dues are being collected.
  • We paid for island irrigation system maintenance.
  • We offered assistance to Bob Kramer’s memorial service, to be held later this month.

Harold Karabell Elections of WPLNA Officers

All officers were unanimously re-elected.

Michael Browning Development Committee Report

A recent article in the St. Louis Business Journal discussed 41 Lindell. Only the developer was interviewed.

No deals have been reached. All is in limbo, contingent on developer’s (MW Development) agreement with WPLNA easement issue, ABNA Building. Michael Browning, Harold Karabell and Daniel Hellmuth will meet next week to discuss how to approach the developer. There is nothing in motion currently to move forward with building. Negotiations with ABNA building are ongoing.

SLDC Scorecard will be used to determine abatement. Developer would have to qualify according to these guidelines.

Increase in City Water Rates

A 40% increase in rates was passed in by St. Louis City Infrastructure Committee.

Rate has not been raised in 13 years, so this is much needed.

Why the increase?

Water main breakage is frequent.

Water Division is an enterprise fund – meaning it operates by rate increases.

Water reserve is down to 20%.

The Committee understands that there will be a strain on people of modest income.

Assistance will be offered in the Collector’s Office.

The City will be managing the engineering of new infrastructure.

There will be two increases of 20%, totaling 40%.

There are no funds to replace lead water mains.

Ron Coleman Neighborhood Development

  • The Optimist’s Club and the Engineers Club (4359 Lindell) buildings will be preserved as apartments.
  • A question was raised about the buildings that are falling apart south of 40 on Kingshighway. The Building Commission is aware of this. There is a plan for these buildings.

Lorraine Simpson Beautification Committee

  • Neighborhood will consider how to remove dead tree in garden island on corner of Sarah and Laclede.
  • We have hired Tony Trotter to water the new trees. The projected amount of water is 20 gallons per week. Neighbors are asked to water new trees identified with a pink ribbon.
  • The memorial for our beloved Bob Kramer will be on June 21 at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The service begins 10:30 and will followed by a light lunch at Tower Grove Stone Shelter Pavilion (4490 Northwest Drive). Thanks to Lorraine Simpson for helping to organize the reception following the service.

8:05 The meeting was ended by President Harold Karabell.

Minutes submitted by Secretary Catherine Swanstrom.

Thanks to Northwest Coffee for graciously providing space for our meeting

West Pine Laclede Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes

May 9, 2023

7:06 President Harold Karabell began the meeting with introductions

Welcome and Introductions

Welcome to our new Alderman, Michael Browning

We welcomed presentation for Independence Center new residential building at 4221 Forest Park Avenue

Trish Holmes, Executive Director of the Independence Center

Trish offered an introduction to the Independence Center and spoke to the need for housing for people struggling with mental illness.

Presentation by Eric McMahon of  ND Consulting Group – Partners with the Independence Center Senior Apartments

Provided a handout with plans for the Independent Center to build a new 38-unit residential facility & 52 parking units for senior residents (age 55+). All units are one bedroom and adaptable. Independence Center members to be subsidized to accommodate varying income levels. There will be a tax abatement for this project.

Karl Grice, Principal architect for the project.

Karl has degrees in Architecture and Social Work from Washington University.

Harold asked about curb appeal.

What is the rationale for the Nichiha panel color scheme? Would terra cotta be a more compatible color scheme?

Response: The red terra cotta shades are very bright and not complementary to the local terra cotta shade found in neighborhood buildings.

Could ornamentation from existing buildings be incorporated in the new structure?

Response:

This would be unrealistic. It isn’t easy to do this and it adds to the cost. Asked cultural resource office about the Allied Structure is not valuable.

The support of the Neighborhood Association is part of the score card prepared by the SLDC.

Following the presentation, the Association held a discussion about the project.

Harold asked whether anyone was opposed to the project.

The response was No, no one is opposed to the project.

Our recommendations:

  • Yusef Scoggin questions the aesthetic appeal of the building.
  • Lorraine Simpson expressed concern that the developers should create a building with historic appeal that does not look like “public storage.”
  • Karen Karabell  would support the project simply because the IC have been good neighbors. She expressd that the financial arrangement. Alderman Browning addressed this concern.
  • Could we have a street side drawing?
  • What would parking look like?
  • Could we request more landscaping to shade and soften the view from the streetscape?
  • There is a motion to request to incorporate some of the ornamentation from “deconstruction”
  • in a streetscape.
  • What is the lighting design coming into adjacent properties?

We support the project and have recommendations

  • Enhanced landscaping for optimal curb appeal
  • Environmentally friendly reductions to the “heat island” effect of the new building.
  • Maintaining as much ornamentation as possible and to reuse
  • Deconstruction materials staying in St. Louis rather than being sent out of state

A vote was taken and by consensus the WPLNA in agreement for the proposition.

Alderman Browning spoke to the 4140 Lindell project, which has returned to the scene with a revised design. They are requesting a variance on the alley setback and tax abatement. Design still wraps around the ABNA building. There is litigation around this.

The sewer main would run under the new building.

Terry Werner reports that there is a decrease in membership.

Please encourage neighbors to join.

The meeting ended at 8:35 PM

Thanks to Northwest Coffee for graciously hosting our meeting.