Nearly half the readers that voted in last week’s non-scietific poll picked the two answers that suggest creating a level playing field, a rising tide lifts all boats view. By contrast, just under 16% took the ‘I got mine screw everyone else’ approach. Here are the results:
Q: Chesterfield is unhappy with the St. Louis County sales tax sharing system, what’s the solution? (pick 2)
Consolidate all STL County municipalities into one 36 [25%]
All sales tax into pool, distribute by population 32 [22.22%]
Eliminate the sales tax pool, let municipalities sink or swim 23 [15.97%]
Restrict municipal use of TIF financing 22 [15.28%]
3/4 cent earnings tax so county is less reliant on sales & property taxes 12 [8.33%]
Leave it as is 8 [5.56%]
Other: 7 [4.86%]
Turn 64/40 to blvd
f*ck stl county (edited)
send them to st charles
Simplify the system. The 1% countywide tax gets pooled, the rest doesn’t.
relook at POS & pool cities – times change!
Make it easier for munis to dissolve/merge, but not necessarily into one
Let them go. Might be just the thing to encourage incorporating STL.
Unsure/No Answer 4 [2.78%]
Less than 6% said to leave it as is, which suggests to me St. Louis County needs to have a productive dialog about taxation policy and acting together as a county, not just 90 separate municipalities plus unincorporated areas. Who in St. Louis County could lead such an effort to reach a consensus? Chesterfield Mayor Nation isn’t the right person, he’s already resorted to childish threats of taking his marbles across the river to St. Charles County.
A former elected official from an affluent suburb recently suggested to me that St. Louis County should institute a 0.75% earnings tax to reduce dependance on sales taxes. Get the city to reduce its earnings tax from 1% down to a matching 0.75%, then pool all the earnings tax revenue and distribute by population. This would put St. Louis City & County on a level playing field, where collectively we’d be stronger. Certainly worth examining.
I recently changed buses at the Riverview Transit Center (map) on my way to visit the Lewis & Clark Library and Tower, my first time at this MetroBus Transit Center. I took the #40 (Broadway) from downtown, then caught the #27 (North County Connector) to finish my journey. I’ve changed buses at several transit centers, this is the best I’ve experienced in St. Louis.
The double-loaded aisle is coveredBus bays are marked overheadThe Transit Center has a building with convenience store and public restroomsDiagram of the Riverview Transit Center, click image to view original via Metro
With the notable exception of the restroom, bus riders still aren’t treated as well as light rail riders. The light rail platforms have heaters to keep passengers warm waiting for the next train and all platforms are non-smoking. It would be nice to use public transit without being assaulted by cigarette smoke. Next week I’ll take a look at the Civic Center Transit Center.
In my post last week on the Lewis and Clark Library one person voiced an objection to the line, “This part of St. Louis County has few structures on which residents can take pride.” In the objection the Lewis and Clark Tower, just north of the library, was specifically mentioned. To clarify my original point, there are too few public buildings in North County to be proud of. There are great private buildings throughout the region, including North County, but few you can spend time in. The Lewis and Clark Tower is one of those buildings, it is private condos. The restaurant at the top has been closed for years, and it isn’t in great condition. In January the building was condemned:
The St. Louis County Department of Public Works posted violation notices last week on the elevators, and the city condemned the building. The city also had ordered residents to vacate the premises within 48 hours, citing dangers, especially to children and people in wheelchairs. The mayor on Monday said that the city wasn’t strictly enforcing the evacuation and that the order was meant to draw attention to urgent dangers. (stltoday.com — Agreement reached to repair condemned Lewis & Clark Tower)
The 96-unit tower is owned by 36 condo owners, the commercial wing is owned separately.
The Lewis & Clark Tower on 367 at Chambers RdAerial of Lewis & Clark Tower and Lewis & Clark Library (bottom) from Apple Maps, click to view in Google Maps
Few have written more about North County than my friend Toby Weiss, from October 2007:
In 1966, the place was 100% jumping with at least 7 floors of wedge-shaped residential apartments (now condominiums,) each with two sliding doors out to the continuous balcony, with its own swimming pool and gym in the basement. Businesses on the first two floors of the Tower included Alpha Interior Designer, Donton & Sons Tile Co., Figure Trim Reducing, King’s Tower Pharmacy and a Missouri State License office. (Top of the Towers)
Looking north toward the tower, the parking lot goes down to reveal the lower level that faces westThe asphalt is in very poor conditionThe west entry to the Lewis & Clark Condo tower, one level below the east main entryA one-story commercial center faces Lewis & Clark Blvd (367)Stelmacki is a small but clean store, the first I’ve seen selling greens by the caseView from near Chambers Rd, my suspicion is the vacant lot on the right was intended for a future 2nd tower.Completing the trip back in time is a pay phone, but I failed to check if it had a dial tone. A 2nd tower would’ve fit on this siteFrom Chambers Rd we see the west/lower side of the retailAccording to Toby Weiss’ 2007 post the lower level contained a bowling alley and a movie theater, now only a flea market operatesView looking back toward Chambers Rd, the former retail center across the street is now a self storageFormer theater, now flea marketLooking out at the massive parking lot, most part of the commercial partLooking at the tower from Chambers Rd & Castle DrThis former Denny’s was built in 1976, not sure how long it has been closed.
The thing I observed is the commercial arterials in this part of North St. Louis County are pretty depressed, but the adjacent residential streets are still nice. However, I can’t see the neighborhoods remaining nice forever with such awful commercial property surrounding them. How do you attract a commercial developer to the area when the condo owners are struggling to keep the tower habitable? In the early 20th Century planners in St. Louis viewed the poor condition of tenements much the same way — a blight that’ll continue to spread. Their solution was Urban Renewal — demolition and start over, an expensive flop. So what then?
Before the residential neighborhoods deteriorate I think the “retrofitting suburbia” way of thinking should be applied to the commercial areas. This starts with public planning to attract & guide private development, likely subsidized to some degree. The costs of not doing anything at all will be much higher.
I hadn’t written about this subject before because I’d never been to the Lewis & Clark branch, but that changed Friday. I took the #40 (Broadway) MetroBus to the Riverview Transit Center, then the #27 (No County Shuttle) directly to the library. I spent some time inside both levels, and outside.
Here is an incomplete list of arguments for both sides:
Arguments in support of replacement:
Over 50 years old, old plumbing & electrical. etc.
Poor relationship to neighborhood, main street
Windows are inefficient
Doesn’t meet ADA guidelines
Can remain open while new building is built
Arguments in support of renovating/adding on
Only branch in St. Louis County considered architecturally significant
Designed by Frederick Dunn
Design still looks good, fresh
Reusing the existing structure more sustainable than dumping it into a landfill
This part of St. Louis County has few structures on which residents can take pride.
The interior of the main room.The drinking fountains on the lower level don’t meet the ADA, still not a reason to discard the rest.Looking back toward the bus stop we need more ADA issues. Site issues, however, don’t require new building to be addressed.
Based on my observations, the library is too small by today’s standards. It seemed busy during my morning visit, much more space is needed. ModernSTL proposed a pretty predictable addition, which copies the original design. Good additions to historic buildings don’t mimic or repeat the original. That said, the idea is right. New entry connecting old & new wings.
Concept from ModernSTL with original on the left and addition on the right. Click image to view their original post
I do like the idea of turning the entry toward Lewis & Clark Blvd(367), and getting St. Louis County/MoDOT to put a public sidewalk along the west side of 367 from Chambers Rd to Berwyn Dr, roughly 3/10 of a mile. This would connect users of the #61 MetroBus route on Chambers Rd to the library site. Currently only a shoulder exists. Better pedestrian connection in the area should be considered and planned for regardless if a new building is built or the existing structure gets a needed addition.
I don’t think the St. Louis County Library board has given any thought toward renovating this historic structure, which is a real pity. We need leadership that considers retention of historic structures, especially when it is their only one!
A little roadside stand occupies the NE corner of Gravois Rd & Mackenzie Rd (map). St. Louis County property records indicate the building only occupies 702 sq ft.
This roadside stand at 9529 Gravois was built in 1948, it has been a Dairy Queen for years nowIt looks like St. Louis County took part of the parcel for traffic, but hasn’t taken the building — yetMost of the buildings at this corner have nice details, 9522-26 (left) was built in 1944 and 9530 (right) in 1930The beautiful detailing is best appreciated in person
These buildings all date from the early age of the automobile, when a family might have one car. Parking was just off the roadway, not the gigantic parking lots of today. By today’s standards these buildings are urban, too close to the street. Yet the relationship is poor in terms of road/sidewalk/building. The idea of how to retrofit this intersection to be more walkable is an appealing challenge.
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