McGuire on Forest Park/BJC “Deal”

Former Alderman and Director of Parks Dan McGuire has been making the rounds of public meetings letting his thoughts be known on the subject of BJC getting a long-term lease on 12 acres of Forest Park that, due to a road construction project, appear to be “isolated.” Given that most of our city’s 105 city parks (see list) are under 5 acres I just don’t see how you can call 12 isolated but then again the mayor’s office likes to twist things in odd ways.

I first heard Dan McGuire speak on this issue at the May 3, 2006 Planning Commission meeting, a great presentation by the way. He recently updated his comments which you can read here. It is a 5-page PDF document that explains in great detail his background as both the alderman for the area as well as the director of parks.

Last week he sent letters to the small committee looking into the deal. From the letter:

Much has been made of the assertion that this amended lease would provide a “dedicated source” of
revenue for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of Forest Park by combining new revenues from
BJH and matching annual donations from Forest Park Forever (FPF). While, once again, this is a noble
this catchy phrase doesn’t really capture the totality of the deal and, perhaps, simply serves as a
smokescreen.

In this letter he does again into detail talking about the financing and how the plan was to ensure the city maintained funding to Forest Park. He also notes how Forest Park Forever has been working since at least 2001 to create a maintenance endowment for Forest Park so it is not like a new source of funding has suddenly been found. Click here to read the four page letter to the special committee.

And finally McGuire is offering amendments to the city budget to correct the diversion of funds away from Forest Park. Click here to read his presentation to the Ways & Means committee.

BJC apparently approached the city last year to make this happen. Had BJC not approached the city how would the mayor’s office be dealing with maintaining Forest Park?

Even though this deal has been in talks for a while do our leaders have a backup plan just in case?

Until 2001/2002 all of Forest Park had been in one ward but for some reason this section was taken away from the 28th Ward and placed in the 17th Ward during this last round of redistricting. Coincidence or careful long-range planning?

What is the rush? BJC says they don’t have any immediate plans for the site (I’m not convinced) and we’ve not figured out where to relocate all the facilities. Is it too much to ask for our leaders to have their ducks in a row before coming to us with these plans?

In the meantime, it is a hot holiday weekend so get out enjoy some of the city’s great parks.

– Steve

Ald. Florida & Co Submit Revised Site Pan for McDonald’s

As expected, the beleaguered team of McDonald’s, Pyramid Companies and unofficial spokeswoman Ald. Jennifer Florida submitted a revised site plan for the controversial McDonald’s proposed for the old Sears location at 3708 S. Grand. Last month when Ald. Florida told the Board of Adjustment they’d return with a design following Toronto’s excellent urban design guidelines for drive-thrus I was quite skeptical. Based on the new plan, I was right.

They’ve made a few simple changes — mostly good but still a long way from even approaching anything like what is suggested by Toronto’s standards. First, they have reduced the amount of extra paving which permits a planter area along the Southern property line. Similarly, they’ve created a 20ft+ landscape buffer at the alley with plantings and a 6ft high solid wood fence. Curb cuts on Grand have been reduced from 30ft wide each to 26ft wide. The main thing they’ve done is reduce the drive between the building and public sidewalk — this allowed them to move the building closer to Grand. Again, a good baby step but far from urban.

While the building is nearly abutted to Grand it is set back from Winnebego. To be truly an urban form it should conform to the corner. Three curb cuts is one too many. Lighting is from four poles and may potentially create excess light outside the property boundaries. I’d rather see more smaller lights so as to illuminate the parking area but not all the neighbors. All of the neighbor’s valid concerns about noise, pollution, trash and traffic remain unchanged.

If McDonald’s wishes to continue operating in this area they simply need to rebuild on their current location and not inflict their ill on a new set of adjacent homeowners.

– Steve

Patterson & Florida Duke it out in St. Louis Magazine

If you haven’t seen the June 2006 of St. Louis Magazine be sure to find a copy. They did a short piece on the McDonald’s issue going through various issues with a point-counterpoint format with quotes from myself and Ald. Jennifer Florida. In “Round Five: The Opponent” here is what Ald. Jennifer Florida has to say about me:

“He’s a minister of disinformation. A zealot, the take-no-prisoners no compromise type.”

I consulted the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for the term ‘disinformation’ and here is what I found.

Function: noun
: false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth

If I am a “minister of disinformation” I’m doing a lousy job. All those Sunshine Law requests for documents and audio recordings does not look good on the resume of a MoD. Then, to top if off, actually publishing the letters, statements and actual audio to allow people to review the facts themselves. Not to mention publishing a well-read website with my name appearing prominently, not exactly covert. What was I thinking?

Ald. Florida, on the other hand, seems to be making an outstanding run for MoD. For example, deliberately telling Gravois Park they’d not be getting the McDonald’s in their neighborhood while working behind the scenes to do just that. That my friends is disinformation done right (well, wrong… you get the point).

Now ‘zealot’ is a different issue. Typically you see the word religious as a preface and we mostly acknowledge zealot as a derogatory term. I’m quite certain Ald. Florida did not intend to offer a compliment by labeling me a zealot.

Again, from Merriam-Webster:

Zealot:

2 : a zealous person; especially : a fanatical partisan

Zealous:

: filled with or characterized by zeal (zealous missionaries)

Zeal:

: eagerness and ardent interest in pursuit of something :

Ardent:

: characterized by warmth of feeling typically expressed in eager zealous support or activity. synonym: see impassioned.

Impassioned:

implies warmth and intensity without violence and suggests fluent verbal expression (an impassioned plea for justice)

You know, I kinda like the progression above. Perhaps zealot isn’t so bad? An urban zealot, arden urbanist, or impassioned urbanist. What I am about is pretty clear in over 600 postings on this site. Few, if any, agree with me 100% — that is to be expected from thinking individuals. But I have to ask what is it that Ald, Florida is about? What is she impassioned about?

But I am supposedly the “take-no-prisonors no compromise type” of zealot. So my pursuit of this issue is an indication of being excessively ardent. I suppose if I were in Ald. Florida’s awkward position I might agree. From day one people have said the McDonald’s should not be relocated and she has continually said that is not an option — that it will indeed happen and she is just trying to make the best deal. If anyone in all of this is excessive in their position it would be Ald. Florida. She is refusing to even entertain the notion of looking at rebuilding the McDonald’s on its current site. Through many postings here I have continued to illustrate various viewpoints, explain the logic behind them and show viable alternates. To a degree I think Ald. Florida could be willing to seek a compromise but politically she doesn’t want to appear weak. She may well be getting bad advise from higher ups that view her as expendable — better for her to take the fall than themselves.

I do want to end with one more quote from St. Louis Magazine (you’ll need to get a copy to read the rest). From Ald. Jennifer Florida as quoted in St. Louis Magazine:

“This strip has been commercial for 30 years, and, looking at it, it’s all messed up anyway.”

Finally something out of the mouth of Jennifer Florida that I can think is her genuine feeling, “it’s all messed up anyway.”

– Steve

Rundown of May ’06 Preservation Board

Here is a quick look at all the items from last night’s Preservation Board meeting in the order in which there were considered. For the agenda click here.

F: 3524 Victor/Compton Hill Historic District

New property owner buys house for $220K. Proceeds to rip out windows and cornice and replace with poor substitutes —- all without a permit. Staff denies request to keep non-conforming items. At March 2006 meeting he is told he must replace the front windows with appropriate windows as well as redo the cornice differently.

Window issue appears on the April 2006 — even though the board has taken final action and cannot legally take up issue again. Applicant is a no show at meeting but board votes to reaffirm prior month’s decision to require windows to be replaced with some having an appropriate profile.

May 2006 and the window issue is back. Why? The aldermen asked that it be reconsidered even though the law does not provide for such requests. Staff, Board and Board’s legal counsel give in to the request of Alderman to reconsider. Thankfully, board once again rejects the appeal and requires owner to replace windows. Alderman Stephen Conway is up for re-election in March 2007.

A – 1213-21 Dolman Street/Lafayette Square Historic District

Propsal is to build new townhoues with one attached to a very sold single room structure. Everyone, myself included, thinks this is an outstanding and well designed infill project. Board grants preliminary approval.

B: 2736-38 Geyer Ave/Fox Park Historic District

Proposal is to construct a new two unit building and one single unit building. Staff is seeking additional brick return on the sides of the proposed buildings although the ordinance does not require any brick return. A citizen that lives on the block in question raised concerns about the use of brick vs. stone window sills and the detailing on the cornice. Board granted preliminary approval.

C: 1418 Mississippi Ave/Lafayette Square Historic District

Proposal is very complicated. The stunning 2-story house facing Lafayette Square at one time had a third floor. That floor was destroyed in the big 1896 tornado. The owner is seeking to rebuild the original third floor. That much was pretty easy. Where it gets more complicated is the issue of a side porch, fencing and a pool. The owner has a very large side yard that happens to abut a little park located at Mississippi & Park (across from Ricardo’s). Since the side of the house technically faces a park and street the question of this being a public vs. intermediate vs. private facade was raised. The Board voted to defer the matter for now so that staff & the architects could continue working out details before coming back to the Board.

D: Forest Park Southeast Demolitions/Preservation Review District

The short version is the staff & applicant (a development arm of Wash U Medical and BJC) agreed to 22 demolitions rather than 32. The board approved those 22 demolitions. I argued before the Board the requirements of the ordinance had not been met by the applicant (financial hardship, verification buildings could not be rehabbed, etc…) and that until such evidence is shown along with something indicating what will replace these houses they should remain standing.

Forest West Properties, the owner, indicated they want to clear the properties for new construction. North of Chouteau they are wanting to do high-density housing. I said I could very well support those demolitions if I could see the alternative but in the absence of such alternative it was hard to support demolishing structures that to the trained eye could be rehabbed.

Mary “One” Johnson, the Board VP, attempted to argue the applicants case for him by saying new housing will help get things going in the area. What they failed to realize is those attempts and level and build new have not been successful in this neighborhood in the past. It was attempted in the 70’s and that new construction didn’t stem the evacuation. New construction in the last five years hasn’t made a huge impact either. Clearing many more houses will only send the message that old modest housing is worthless and the bulldozer will come for your house next.

E: 4961 Penrose St/City Park

This one is a real shame. A very cute house built in 1902 became part of Penrose Park just three years later in 1905. According to the staff report, it was used a park keeper’s house for many decades. The City’s construction administration arm, The Board of Public Service, claims the demolition has been planned since at least 1997. A park road is being re-routed away from Kingshighway to simplify an interchange. But the proposed route for the new road will place it on the East side of the house, not through it. A grass/berm like amphitheater is apparently what is planned for the site of the existing structure. Staff noted the great the condition of the house. Thankfully the Board did not take the staff recommendation and go with the demolition, instead they gave a one month deferral to give time to look at the house more closely.

Personally I’d like to see the house get saved. If they have the funds to raze the structure (a good $20K) they could instead mothball the structure. This would entail boarding the windows from the interior with black plywood to give the appearance of dark windows. Patch the roof as needed to keep water out , some paint and other work along with exterior plantings and you’ve got a viable structure for when a good use & funds become available. Perhaps through a “Friends of Penrose Park” type organization money could be raised to help renovate the structure for use for a kids program such as the one done in Tower Grove Park. It could be used by bicyclists that use the velodrom also located in the park. We’ve got plenty of room for an amphitheater but we’ll never have the funds to rebuild such a great looking structure. Many parks, including Lafayette Square, cherish their old structures. We deserve no less for Penrose Park.

Following this last item they went into “executive session” which is generally only permitted in cases of personnel issues, such as the hiring or firing of someone. I speculate that Kathleen Shea, the Director of the Cultural Resources office, may be ready to retire.

– Steve

Forty Year Anniversary of Last St. Louis Streetcar

Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the last streetcar to operate in regular service in St. Louis. On May 21, 1966 the #15 Hodiamont line ceased operations. From Streets & Streetcars of St. Louis by Andrew D. Young:

“This line opened in 1875 as a narrow-guage steam railroad running northwest on right-of-way from 4000 Enright through Wellston to Florissant.”

For 91 years this line had numerous technical changes but continued to serve the needs to those residents along the line. Many forces following WWII took their toll on streetcar systems: old equipment, GM’s interest in selling buses, road paving & widening projects, bridge replacement projects, and increasing suburban sprawl. While impossible to prove my theory, I believe that had St. Louis updated its streetcar system rather than shutting it down we would not have lost the population we have over these last 40 years. Of course, this assumes many other factors such as something to control sprawl and creative ways to keep lines running while bridges were replaced.

MetroLink, everyone keeps reminding me, is a regional system. While this is nice for everyone far away from the core it does little to benefit me in the core. I want a modern transit system to once again serve the City of St. Louis and it’s inner ring of suburbs. We are a city and we should not be dependent up our cars or typical bus service.

Of course it always come back to money. A regional system is being pushed because St. Louis County can potentially get the money from voters to help fun more of the system. I’m increasingly of the mindset we need to find a way in the city to pay for a localized system of new modern streetcars. I think I’d even settle for one of the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) lines as long as the vehicle that was selected was one that looked more like a rail transit vehicle than a bus.

We need both a regional and core system. The regional system cannot do work of a localized system nor can a local system do the job a regional system is expected to do. Light rail does a great job on the regional level but standard 40ft buses fall short at the local level. I’d like to see the light rail system remain in as much rail right-of-way as possible because that is where it does well. Streetscars, by contrast, are meant for streets.

Forty years is simply too long to have gone without a streetcar running down a city street. Maybe we’ll have enough vision to undo past wrongs.

– Steve