Stanley Heading to County with Massive Projected Financial Shortfalls
As previously discussed, St. Louis’ top planner Rollin Stanley is leaving his post with the city and heading to Montgomery County, Maryland. Presumably his position is not one of the ones being frozen due to a looming financial crisis. From yesterday’s Washington Post:
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) announced a freeze yesterday on hiring in the 9,400-person workforce under his jurisdiction, stepping up efforts to close the county’s record $401 million projected shortfall for fiscal 2009.
Leggett’s chief administrative officer, Timothy Firestine, said the county would make exceptions in hiring for public safety jobs, bus drivers and other essential positions for at least the next five months.
The hiring freeze underscores the gloomy outlook for the county’s finances and comes as Leggett has recommended $23.6 million in midyear trims to social services, bus service and overtime for the police and fire departments. The announcement follows Schools Superintendent Jerry D. Weast’s decision to impose a freeze on spending and most hiring. (full story)
Ouch, and I thought we had it bad. Â Although the low-density county has nearly three times the population and over eight times as much land area as St. Louis, their financial situation makes St. Louis seem far more fiscally stable than we are.
Still, if Stanley is given the freedom to actually do some good planning in the county (unlike here where he was kept on a short leash) then it will be a good move for him.
Sounds like California. Great place for progressives and urban planning, but the overally society is all frigged up. Massive budget deficits. Gargantuan suburban sprawl. Biblical traffic jams. Outrageous cost of living. But it’s liberal! And progressive! Makes backwater, anachronistic, parochial, and bricked out St. Louis look pretty darn good. Rollin will no doubt be able to deliver some fine urban-based planning recommendations. But will it make much difference? Ditto that question to all the planning-schooled efforts in places like Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, etc, etc. One nice thing about STL: here, we really can make a difference.
SCOOTER: “Makes backwater, anachronistic, parochial, and bricked out St. Louis look pretty darn good.”
Why are people in STL so down on STL? There is this odd self-deprecation amongst St. Louisans that you don’t see in people from other cities. It’s as if people from STL are embarrassed of that fact. I have spent lengths of time in several other cities around our country and can tell you that the areas with very liberal reputations are really not that liberal. In New England, an area supposedly highly progressive, it is commonplace to hear jokes in public about homosexuals or Hispanics that you would never hear in STL.
Dole, no worries. Those that know me KNOW that I’m one of St. Louis’s biggest supporters. I am!Personally, I think the way we’re backwater, anachronistic, parochial, and bricked out adds to our charm. We’re wierd in a good way. My job is trying to convince the progressives here to learn to love this place instead of butting heads trying to change it. They can’t stand it. But it’s great fun!
“My job is trying to convince the progressives here to learn to love this place instead of butting heads trying to change it.”
Scooter, I admire your efforts but you miss the point. Love isn’t uncritical acceptance. Some critics sneer at the city, and that’s a bad attitude, but many — including myself — love it, defend it AND want to change it.
I was listening to NPR’s StL on the air on 12/27 and they had a bit on city planning for the city of St. Louis which you can listen to again at
http://www.kwmu.org/Programs/Slota/archivedetail.php?showid=2930
it’s all about city planning of St. Louis in the 20th century where the city population went from 900,000 to 350,000.
any who, my take from that show was that the city planner is not a position of any authority or power unless their is strong buy in interest from an invester. The planner sounds more important than he or she is. Where the wealthy want to plant their money to see it grow do all the planning/deciding. I’m not saying I’m happy about that but that’s my take. I think are biggest weakness is that the area is about fractionalization. City vs County. 28 wards in the city and something like 90 municipalities on StL County. It’s too many. Too many hurdles to do smart planning.
Scooter & Michael Allen, I too love STL. My point is that many people from STL mock the city when speaking to others. Here is a quick true story: I was on an airplane from Denver to STL…two 30-something men and a college aged female were behind me. I listened as they talked. The girl was from STL and returning from visiting a friend in Colorado; the men explained they were visiting STL because they got last minute tickets at a cheap price and wanted to go somewhere they had never been, but knew nothing of the city. The men asked the girl about the nightlife, dining, neighorhoods, architecture, etc. The girl responded back repeatedly by saying that it’s a lame city with no good restaurants, lame nightlife, ugly buildings, etc. I was pissed off. If we want people to respect our city, we have to make a public effort to sing it’s praises. When outsiders complain that we don’t have good restaurants…respond with something like “interesting you feel that way, let me tell you about the great spicy food I had at a Thai restaurant the other day!”
“interesting you feel that way, let me tell you about the great spicy food I had at a Thai restaurant the other day!â€
My experience in barely functional New Orleans is that pretty much everyone can (and, more to the point, will) recite at least as much what they love about it as what’s wrong with it.
Dole, enjoyed your reading about your experience cause I had somewhate similiar experience coming home back from a business trip recently. A couple of guys coming into town for work hitting up a young flight attendent for her take on the town even though she wasn’t from here. Finally, someone mentioned the home of Budweiser and they were happy campers. However, I have a different take. The common thread in our stories. Young men asking young women. Do I need to say more.
“but many — including myself — love it, defend it AND want to change it.” That would be like a restaurant critic decrying a greasy Courtesy Diner burger, and expecting them to change it. They ain’t gonna change it. That’s them – and that’s us. St. Louisans do not like change. It’s part of our DNA. And that’s butting heads part. Sorry. As far as dealing with our local breed of dummasses who take pride in downing STL in public, yeah, that’s a golden opportunity. A few well-timed zingers can quickly change the tone/direction of a pro/con STL discussion. Those travellers from out of town are all ears when they might be privvy to some spicy local recommendations. Know your neighborhoods. Ya all gotta know how to represent STL! It’s amazing how few people really know them. The whole thing’s akin to how bad most folks here are about knowing their way around town. Maybe it’s part of that parochial charm – that ultimately gives newcomers a big advantage. Think about it…there has been a lot of out of town $$$ finding opportunities in downtown STL.
if I hear a co-worker or friend is going, I always talk it up along with the caveat “ya gotta know where to go” and suggest some sources for info and only a few areas outside of the obvious, tailored for who it is I’m speaking to.
mmm Courtesy… actually Scooter, that may put newcomers in an even worse place as it gives them fewer people for asking directions/advice and not being directed somewhere boring.
If I were even a somewhat adventurous outsider in ’88 I’d never have found the Venice Cafe or Pho Grand (still some of the best Vietnamese I’ve found, coast to coast BTW)
a friend and I mused back then, that an entrepeneur with a few concierge connections might pull in a few bucks being a designated driver/tourguide for hapless out-of-towners out for fun.
Good luck Rollin. You will need it. Maybe a miracle too.
As for STL not liking change, I think back to the file footage in the late 1950s’/early 1960’s when they told some elderly folks they were builing one of the largest outdoor steel sculptures in the world and it would be at the base of the river and would change St. Louis dramatically. If those older citizens in 1960 (remember now they would have been born around 1880 – 1890) could accept the concept of the Gateway Arch and the change that it brought….I think there is even hope for you scooter. (What we do with the Arch and its grounds now is another thread for another day)
Ah, but don’t forget, the Arch project was first one of the largest demos of historic buildings in St. Louis, followed by decades of surface parking lots. At the time, St. Louisans wanted all those derelict buildings on the riverfront torn down. See? Things really haven’t changed!
You’re (unfortunately) right about the Arch grounds S, relatives that were around then said it was a seedy area that no one really wanted to go to (I would have! – but then my friends and I used to hang around East St. Louis sometimes back in the 80’s)
somewhat off-topic, but related to planning (not Rollin Stanley however) is an upcoming charette for the associated outdoor spaces of the 14th street mall and Crown Square. Is anyone who typically posts in this blog planning on attending the event?
You would think it would be easy to accomplish something of significance in the the relatively intact urban environment of St. Louis. If Rollin Stanley is able excel at urban planning in Montgomery County, it will be clear evidence of a more open, inclusive planning process than exists in St. Louis. A process that includes innovation.
I think the talent of Rollin Stanley was held in check by the political (and economic) structure of St. Louis, it will interesting to see what he accomplishes in the next few years, under what appear to be more difficult circumstances.
Otherwise he is just collecting a paycheck.
while it may not be relatively easy, I think we MUST accomplish something of significance otherwise those who read our posts and hear our frustrations and passions will say we only complain while expected others to solve our problems. It begins with the citizens of St. Louis, and perhaps of Rollin Stanley had some backup from the likes of the people who post at this excellent blog, we wouldnt be talking about his new assignment in Montgomery County. Rollin obviously never had much of a chance in a city where the stumbling political structure of the city and numbing apathy toward urban decay from the county assured him of a doomed venture. I’m relatively new to this city, but I don’t think it’s impossible that the type of folks who post in a blog such as UR couldn’t make some noticable difference. One thing that is for sure is that hoping for an appointed city planner to alone solve our urban woes will guarantee the same result that has Rollin Stanley heading east. Somewhere, someone in this blog lamented that fact that we always talk about what’s important in the blog, only to leave it in the blog.
I don’t agree, the blog is part of the answer, it may be central to the answer. Talking, in a democracy, may be the most important thing you can do. Certainly diplomacy is better than war.
The structure of the City of St. Louis has some dysfunctional problems, it is successful in other areas. Change will occur. Hell, a better informed electorate is a good start.
But what I’m saying is that talking alone is not the limit of the power that democracy can offer. The diplomacy starts with expecting results rather than hoping that those we present with ideas will simply accept and allow. You can’t expect diplomacy to work if you don’t have some compelling reason for others to listen. I’m not sure what you’re implying with the remark about war. because I’m not suggesting being confrontational is an effective way to gain acceptance. Change can occur if we make certain that it occurs. There will be an organized charette for the public spaces that adjoin the developing 14th Street Mall and Crown Square soon, and participating in such events is a great start.
same result that has Rollin Stanley heading east.
*****
Rollin is a talented and personable planner whose St. Louis resume (which includes some national and international recognition for things happening here) got him a much better paying job in a larger community. If he can do the same things there, he will get what he really wants: a really big city that’s a blank planning canvas.
I’m betting on Rollin.
Rollin’s accolades, at least for being the passionate advocate for what is a time-tested and highly successful urban form (very evident in his engaging speeches) are deserved, however, I believe this city could not find a way to empower him to influence the shape of St. Louis. If Montgomery County will give Rollin the power and allow him at least a fighting chance, it would be hard to bet against him.
A little background on Montgomery County, from someone who lived there up until a year ago. Montgomery County is one of two counties that surround Washington, DC on the Maryland side. The county is one of the wealthiest in the country, but has a horrible time spending its money responsibly. Much of the northern half of the county is protected from development in what is known as the Agricultural Preserve, where development is sparse and very rural in nature. The portion down near DC is some of the ugliest urban sprawl in the country, and I’ve seen ugly urban sprawl all over the country. The county has a severe problem with a shortage of affordable housing, and much of it is poorly built. This is the county where you can own a 400K house and still have to worry about gang members living next door to you (a true story of one of my friends). You will read about how wonderful MoCo, as the locals call it, being so wonderful, but basically only if you’re a millionaire. I left the East Coast because I was tired of living in overpriced, crime ridden suburban style neighborhoods. The positives were that MoCo was doing a fairly good job of developing pedestrian friendly neighborhoods around the Metro stops, and in particular around Silver Spring, where I lived. However, most of the restaurants and stores that moved into these “town centers” are your standard suburban corporate chains. Did I mention that a friend of mine recently bought a 600 square foot condo for 300K in Silver Spring, and that was the cheapest place she could find?
Which leads us into our discussion about how people in St. Louis always rip on the city. My experience, living in St. Louis, Washington, DC and Baltimore, is that everybody says that everywhere. St. Louis IS NO MORE poorly run, racially divided or perceived to be boring than any other average city. As for that young woman on the plane who said there’s nothing to do in St. Louis, she is an idiot, intellectually weak, and devoid of any ability to see what wonderful things that are in St. Louis.
Chris has a fairly accurate take on “MoCO” I would add that Rollin is going to face many of the same challenges there (20+ years arguing whether the Inter County Connector – a hub connecting Metro spokes – should run just inside or just outside the Beltway for example)
re the young woman on the plane, I’m reminded of my mother’s refrain “only boring people get bored” which is one of my favorite things about places like STL, if you’re not having fun, make it fun. In too many places people expect their entertainment to be spoon-fed.
sorry, the ICC’s not a hub, but a rim.
anyway, I’m sure all of you recognize there is a great DIY spirit in St. Louis and the real estate is relatively cheap enough to allow that. And if anyone in any city says there’s nothing to do, immediately discount anything else they have to say.