WEST PINE LACLEDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

Minutes: 04.12.16

President Harold Karabell called the meeting to order at 7:02 PM.

SUSAN ANDERSON – PARK CENTRAL DEVELOPMENT REPORT

Susan Anderson reported the following:

1. Renovations
   1. Optimist Building (4494 Lindell): Still pending.
2. New Construction
   1. 32-40 N. Euclid (Koman project): Demolition is complete. Shake Shack will be the commercial tenant.
3. For Sale Properties
   1. John McElwaine properties: No changes.
   2. 215-21 N. Sarah proposed townhouses by Lawrence Group: No date set yet for hearing on variance.
   3. 4101 Laclede: Web site is live and developers are progressing with pre-sales (25% sales required for start of construction).
4. Business updates
   25. Whole Foods: Opening date now set for May 25. Orion apartments are 75% leased.
   26. Gerhard Lofts (3900 Laclede/1-17 Vandeventer) Narwahl’s bar will be a commercial tenant.
   27. Scarlet Wine Bar: No update; owners awaiting approval of liquor license.
5. CWE Infrastructure
   1. Pedestrian streetlights 4400 West Pine: No update
   2. East side of Euclid between Forest Park and Laclede: Work stalled because of sewer issues at Euclid and Laclede but received approval of the fourth plan revision and work should resume by April 18.
   3. Elevation of Forest Park at Kingshighway after Fourth of July celebration: No updates.
   4. Forest Park SE Dog Park at Chouteau and Newstead: No updates. Interested CWE residents may contact Hannah at 314-678-7761.
6. “CWE live”
   1. The site is now live on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
   2. With a focus on the area south of Lindell, the cite provides reports on the Euclid streetscape, development projects, and business news and events.
7. Upcoming events
   1. Park Central Gala: April 23 at Moto Museum at 3441 Olive.

MINUTES

Minutes from the March 8, 2016 meetings were approved as corrected.

TREASURE REPORT

Savings account balance: $1052.26

Certificate of deposit value: $7022.51

Checking account balance: $1,352.98

Member dues are due now and carry the member through to March 31, 2016 in accord with WPLNA’s fiscal year, which is April thorough March..

BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE

Laura Cohen reported that volunteers have committed to maintain local corner planters (Laclede, West Pine, and West Pine/Sarah). Volunteers may be needed for Laclede and Newstead. Diana Gualdoni continues to manage the community garden at Laclede and Boyle.

Laura and Diana met early March w/ head of Forestry but follow up by the Forestry Department has been nearly non-existent despite promises to be more thoughtful and responsive. Laura is willing to turn this responsibility over to another volunteer.

SECURITY COMMITTEE

Marshall Michener reported that a homicide occurred in a home on the 4100 block of West Pine, and no suspects have been arrested. A number of robberies have occurred at the Luyties building. A shooting occurred at the Barnes Jewish Children’s campus.

Jim Whyte (CWE Neighborhood Security Initiative) attended the meeting and provided additional information about recent crimes:

• The homicide at 4236 West Pine (the Emperador Apartments) appears to be by someone who knew the victim. Police will make this a prosecutorial offense.
• Two SLU students were robbed at gun point at 4200 W. Pine. Review of video surveillance camera has shown assailants.
• Elite Detailing was robbed recently.
• Car break-ins happen often in CWE.
• Additional surveillance cameras are being added to the 4000 block of W Pine. These additional cameras are being moved from the Growing Green and Corner Stone properties.
• An active robber(s) in the area “specializes” in bike robberies particularly high end bikes. Jim assembled a collage of videos of the robberies that have helped establish a picture of the robber.
• U-locks are the best lock for using on bikes.
• The security company that replaced Hi-Tech is providing more patrols than ever (e.g., 2,500 bike patrols/ year). St. Louis City tries to use bike patrols as much as possible because such patrols are more likely to be engaged in the community and seeing local activity. Additional neighborhood patrols are funded by the CWE Tax District via its $150,000 2016 budget, which is slightly higher than last year’s.
• The STL police force is about 100 officers understaffed, so overtime is an option for officers to earn more than they earn doing CWE bike patrols. Mayor Slay maintains that CWE’s use of bike patrols doesn’t mean the city can reduce coverage by regular paid officers.
• CWE is most densely populated district in the city with approximately 1,400 new housing units and the most extensive development in the city. Therefore, its need for police patrol differs from that other neighborhoods, but efforts are somewhat fragmented. For example:
  • Cortex is doing some things to heighten security for its growing campus.
  • Washington U Medical Center and BJC would like to have it WU’s Danforth Campus officers pulled into BJC.
  • The city transit office wants to establish its own patrolling.
  • WU paid for research done on its campus regarding crime and security; the report is yet to come.
  • Residents are encouraged to install private camera systems. Burglar alarms are becoming obsolete because cameras provide more detailed information. Trail cameras are relatively inexpensive (e.g., about $150 at places such as Cabela’s). These cameras are very low tech and run about nine months per battery.

All this being said, Mr. White noted that CWE crime today is 50% lower than crime in the 1993-1994.

BLOCK CAPTAINS

Block captains help communicating WPLNA activities and reports. Diana Gualdoni is the captain for the Laclede block from Boyle to Newstead; Laura Cohen is captain for the West Pine block from Sarah to Boyle. Harold will ask both to continue as captains. Four additional WPLNA blocks need captains; contact Harold if you are willing to assume this role, which is very minimally time consuming.

BRIGHTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UP

Saturday April 30 is the date set for the annual Brightside sponsored neighborhood clean-up. Brightside provides all the tools needed for volunteers who work throughout the neighborhood. Volunteers are very welcome and meet at the corner of Boyle and Laclede at 9:00 AM. Laura Cohen will send an email announcement.

TERRY WERNER – ADDITIONAL ITEMS

• WPLNA Constitution: Contact Terry Werner if you would like to receive one (terryfwerner@gmail.com)
• Terry receives complimentary stamps monthly from Eagle Bank where WPLNA has its accounts. Some will be used to mail dues notices to contacts without known email addresses.

RON COLEMAN REPORT

• Speeding seems to have increased on Laclede along with development in the area. Speed bumps may help slow drivers; per hump cost is $8000-9000, and the humps are temporary. Angled striping on the Vandeventer-Sarah block of Laclede was paid for by the Gerhart Loft development and seems to have helped slow traffic. Angled parking is planned if the 4101 Laclede project goes forward.
• Parking meters may be installed on Sarah from West Pine to Forest Park.
• 4308 Laclede – Mr. and Mrs. Strunk (the owners of the home to the west of this site), Alderman Roddy, and Harold met with the owner-developer. The latter has agreed to put up $75,000 cash bond to be held in escrow to indemnify the Strunks against any damage to their property resulting from construction at 4308. Work on west side is being done without a city permit despite a stop work order having been served. The Strunks will contact Ron Coleman with concerns about who is working on the property. The trench on the property is a safety hazard; a security fence needs to be installed around the around the perimeter for safety.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 7:45 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Terry Van Schaik, Secretary