Public Input Sought On ‘Metro South’ MetroLink Extension Impact Statement

Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) sent out the following today:

The St. Louis Metro South MetroLink Extension Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) evaluates light rail transit and other alternatives through South St. Louis County and the southern portion of the City of St. Louis. The DEIS has been reviewed by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, Metro, the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration and is ready for circulation and comment by the public. Your review and comment on this DEIS document is an important part of this study.

The DEIS is being distributed to appropriate local, state and federal agencies, legislative bodies and interested organizations. Additional hard copies of the DEIS are available for public viewing at local libraries and other sites in the study area.

The 45-day public comment period began on November 18, 2005 and ends on January 6, 2006. A public hearing/public open house has been scheduled for December 13, 2005 at the Holiday Inn South County at 6971 South Lindbergh Boulevard in the study area from 4 – 7 PM. Following the public comment period, the Study Team will review all comments and prepare responses to each identified issue. All comments and responses will be reported in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, including any appropriate modifications to the project necessary to respond to the comment.

Written comments about the DEIS can be submitted to the Metro South Study, c/o Vector Communications, 701 N. 15th St., Mailbox 43, St. Louis, MO 63103. All comments are due by January 6, 2006, and will be part of the public record.

To clarify just in case anyone gets the various proposed lines confused, the “Metro South” line would continue into South St. Louis County from the station being completed now in Shrewsbury. It would enter a bit of the City of St. Louis near River Des Peres. This line should not be confused with the “Southside” line which will come out of downtown, make its way through the Hill and then eventually end up at I-55 and River Des Peres. When both lines are finished they would connect. Right now this addresses only the Metro South line extending from Shrewsbury.

The many documents in the DEIS can be found here. If you don’t want to spend hours pouring over lots of technical documents I suggest you start with the Executive Summary and go from there if you need more detail.

I’m still reviewing the executive summary myself. It looks like they have quite a few alternative routes that vary greatly in length, area served and total project cost (in 2010 dollars). I’m planning to attend the public meeting next Tuesday (presentations at 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm) to learn more about the project and I hope to have some clear views following that meeting.

All I know at this point is Metro is going to have to do something different to prove to the public that it can handle another MetroLink expansion project. The budget and time frame must be met.

– Steve

Clang, clang, clang went the trolley

Twenty years from now December 5th, 2005, will be regarded as a significant date in the history of the St. Louis region. Why you ask? Today the ribbon was cut to open two restored trolley cars to the public. We are still a long way from the ridding the trolley cars from the History Museum to the U-City City Hall but this was an important next step.

Cutting the ribbon from left to right is Kim Tucci, Joe Edwards, Desmond Lee, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, St. Louis County Executive Charles Dooley, and University City Mayor Joseph Adams.

Earlier today, generous St. Louisan Desmond Lee contributed $25,000 toward the $32 million dollar project.

I’m not going to go into all the details of the project here. You can read more from Citizens for Modern Transit, Trolleys To Go, and Heritage Trolley.

What I will say is this cannot come soon enough!

… Continue Reading

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Suburbia

Today, while driving out to Manchester & 141, I decided to stop at the Target store in Kirkwood. The parking lot was packed. I bought a new car two weeks ago (Scion xA) so I wasn’t interested in parking close to the door and getting dings.

I backed into a space on the extreme edge because large SUV’s nearby would make visibility when leaving a challenge. As I walked across the large parking lot it really hit me how dated this two-year old store seems since it lacks any underground parking like our city location at Hampton & Chippewa. I don’t visit places with large parking lots often so it was quite a reality check. We’ve really come a long way by having our new Target with the bulk of its parking underneath the building.

I’m still trying to shop locally. I just had to get a new knit cap due to the cold, I spent $1.99 on a new one. I resisted buying anything else. If you know of a local store with good knit caps please comment below.

– Steve

Olivette City Council to Consider Resolution to Limit Eminent Domain

Olivette Missouri City Councilman Andrew Glassberg has introduced a resolution to limit eminent domain. The measure is on their City Council agenda Tuesday, November 22nd, at 7:30pm.

Over the years Olivette has considered a number of big box proposals that would have likely required eminent domain. For various reasons, including citizen objection, these proposals have all failed. Glassberg’s resolution is not intended to block any current proposal but to be a pro-active step to help his city avoid the problems faced by other municipalities.

The following is an introductory letter from Glassberg:

City Manager McDowell, Mayor Zoole-Israeli, and Council colleagues:

I hereby request that an agenda item considering the adoption of a resolution restricting the use of eminent domain be added to the City Council agenda for our November 22, 2005 meeting.

In order to begin the discussion, I am introducing the resolution adopted by the City of Ellisville, and attaching a copy to this email. Obviously, it is my intention to substitute “Olivette” for any reference to “Ellisville.” I request that the attached Ellisville resolution be included with the agenda item in next week’s Council packet.

I am introducing this particular version because it was specifically recommended by the Olivette-Creve Coeur Chamber of Commerce to the City of Creve Coeur. I also like the fact that it references the use of eminent domain over both residential and commercial properties in a way that both protects property rights and facilitates development.

One item missing from the Ellisville ordinance is any provision regarding the use of eminent domain allowing its use to prevent a small number of holdouts from stopping an otherwise worthwhile project. While I will want to introduce language to that effect I believe it would be useful to hold a discussion regarding the specifics of what such language should look like.

Here is the text of a resolution unanimously passed by the Ellisville City Council in August:

SPONSORED BY THE ENTIRE COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 08-17-05A
INTRODUCED BY MAYOR KHOURY

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ELLISVILLE, MISSOURI THAT STATES THE CITY COUNCIL’S INTENTION TO LIMIT THE USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN.

WHEREAS, the City Council desires to express its intention that the use of the power of eminent domain with regard to residential properties for the benefit of a private developer solely for a private economic development project having no other public purpose is contrary to principles of sound government; and

WHEREAS, to reassure the residents of Ellisville of the City Council’s position in this regard, we put forth our intention not to authorize the use of eminent domain by a private developer solely for a private economic development project having no other public purpose in a residentially zoned area. The city reserves the right to use eminent domain for those traditional areas in which eminent domain has always been used such as building of roads, development of parks and other public uses; and

WHEREAS, before authorizing the use of eminent domain in connection with any redevelopment project in a commercial or industrial zoning district, the city will first seek the partnership of local interest in areas contemplated for redevelopment and will proceed only with the concurrence of substantial numbers of the affected parties or if necessary to eliminate conditions that the City Council considers to be harmful to the public welfare; and

WHEREAS, while no existing Requests For Proposals state that the City will authorize the use of eminent domain, nonetheless any such Request for Proposal shall be deemed amended to exclude use of eminent domain except as stated herein; and

WHEREAS, the city has not previously used and will not in the future use its power of eminent domain to blight residential property solely for private economic development purposes.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ELLISVILLE, MISSOURI, AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1: The City Council will not grant a private developer the use of eminent domain in a residential district solely for a private economic development project having no other public purpose as set out above.

SECTION 2: The City Council will consider amending the Ellisville Home Rule Charter to protect the private property rights of all Ellisville residents.

SECTION 3: The City Council pledges to partner with our State Representatives to seek equitable legislation that would create a level playing field for all Missouri property owners.

THIS RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ELLISVILLE, ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI, ON THIS 17th DAY OF August , 2005.

Eminent domain is the big issue of 2005 with valid points on all sides of the debate. Although it might be nice to try, completely eliminating eminent domain as a tool for development probably isn’t realistic or even advisable. Similarly, allowing eminent domain (or just the threat of eminent domain) to continue unchecked is unjust.

Many people, when faced with the loss of their home and/or business, simply resolve themselves they are the little guy and can’t win a fight. Therefore, most agree to sell without the actual use of eminent domain — the threat is sufficient enough. In most municipalities the process starts with blighting an area — setting the stage for eminent domain if it comes to that. So the real culprit is not eminent domain but the blighting process which leads to the threat of eminent domain.

The Olivette City Council meeting is located at 9473 Olive Boulevard (map). The meeting is open to the general public, including non-residents.

– Steve

City To Blight An Entire Block Downtown

When you first read the headline you probably assumed the City of St. Louis, right? Wrong. The city faced with blight in their downtown is the City of Clayton. Don’t let the expensive restaurants and valet parking fool you, Clayton is full of blight. So much so they are ready to give tax breaks to a company already located in Clayton.

From a KSDK story:

I had dinner last night a few blocks away from the blight. I didn’t see any boarded up windows or anything but with all that blight I was careful as I walked from my car to the restaurant. If something happened because of the blight would the valet across the street parking someone’s Range Rover be able to help? Doubtful. As I left the restaurant I drove past the blighted block, doors locked of course. What amazed me were some of the businesses located among the blight — a couple of high-end restaurants, some fast food places in urban storefronts, a fancy jeweler, a title company, and two real estate brokerages. Clayton’s blighted area contains an interesting mix of building types and materials. Maybe that is why it is considered blight — because it is not one big long boring block like so many of the others in downtown Clayton. Could it be blighted due to the fact MetroLink mass transit will come to Clayton in about a year. Perhaps the critics of mass transit are just getting ahead of the curve and blighting areas before mass transit arrives rather than waiting and blaming it on the type of ‘element’ that doesn’t have their own Lexus?

The City of Clayton should not blight this block for a number of reasons. First, this is a big block with multiple buildings that adds interest to an otherwise sterile area. Second, just because the area doesn’t have a brand new building on it doesn’t make it blighted!!! I really wanted to use an expletive in that last sentence — took all my strength not too.

Those of us in the City of St. Louis should look for the positive side to all this. Clayton’s old buildings can’t even come close to competing with the old buildings we have left. Also, we are on the upswing with a number of new condo projects not receiving tax abatement. Looks like the tables have just been turned.

– Steve