Nineteen year ago I started this blog as a distraction from my father’s heart attack and slow recovery. It was late 2004 and social media & video streaming apps didn’t exist yet — or at least not widely available to the general public. Blogs were the newest means of …
The new NGA West campus , Jefferson & Cass, has been under construction for a few years now. Next NGA West is a large-scale construction project that will build a new facility for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in St. Louis, Missouri.This $1.7B project is managed by the U.S. Army …
Book publisher Island Press always impresses me with thoughtful new books written by people working to solve current problems — the subjects are important ones for urbanists and policy makers to be familiar and actively discussing. These four books are presented in the order I received them. ‘Justice and …
This post is about two indirectly related topics: the new Siteman Cancer Center building under construction on the Washington University School of Medicine/BJC campus and an update on my stage 4 kidney cancer. Let’s deal with the latter first. You may have noticed I’ve not posted in three months, …
Recently, while riding the #97 MetroBus, I passed by the NW corner of Delmar Blvd & Hamilton Ave (map) just east of the Delmar MetroLink station and noticed signs on a vacant corner.
ABOVE: Pre-construction signs for new apartments on Delmar
Turns out the project will include the renovation of the historic Gotham apartment building in the background dating from 1926 as well as new construction facing Delmar:
Gotham and Delmar Apartments will consist of a substantially revitalized building recently certified by the National Park Service as a historic structure, and a newly constructed building on the same site. The transaction enables the property’s developers, Delmar Properties Management and Construction LLC, to obtain a fixed, low-rate, non-recourse loan for the period of construction and for a 40-year term once the buildings are completed. Many of the improvements being made to the existing building are designed to make the apartment units and public spaces more energy efficient and help reduce residents’ monthly expenses. (source)
The renovation of the Gotham building will reduce its unit count to 54 apartment units from 66, while the new Delmar building will consist of 18 residential units and a number of first-floor commercial suites for office or retail use. (source)
Very good news for a part of Delmar that hasn’t seen the level of development as the other side of the MetroLink line.
ABOVE: Rendering of the new construction to face Delmar Blvd
Hopefully we will see many more new mixed-use buildings planned for Delmar as the Loop Trolley construction begins.
In addition to a new Save-a-Lot the former Foodland site, now known as Jefferson Commons, will have a Blast Fitness. Well, assuming it receives conditional use approval from the Board of Public Service today.
ABOVE: Work has started on Jefferson Commons, a public notice of a zoning hearing is posted
ABOVE: Hearing is this morning regarding zoning.
A hearing is required? To understand why we have to look at the absurdity known as use-based zoning, in this case our G (Local Commercial and Office) zone in Title 26 of our city ordinances:
Chapter 26.44 – G Local Commercial and Office District
Sections:
26.44.010 District regulations.
26.44.015 Purposes.
26.44.020 Use regulations.
26.44.025 Conditional uses.
26.44.030 Parking and loading regulations.
26.44.040 Specific parking and loading regulations.
26.44.050 Height regulations.
26.44.060 Area dwellings.
26.44.070 Front yard–Nondwellings.
26.44.080 Side yard–Nondwellings.
26.44.010 District regulations.
The regulations set forth in this chapter or set forth elsewhere in the zoning code and referred to in this chapter are the district regulations in the G local commercial and office district.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.015 Purposes.
The purpose of the G local commercial and office district is to establish and preserve areas that accommodate a wide range of businesses catering to the personal and home needs of the general public and to provide for employment activity and service to the public which does not detract from nearby residential uses.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.020 Use regulations.
A building or premises shall be used only for the following purposes:
I. Restaurants other than carry-out restaurants that operate as described in Section 26.40.026B provided that carry-out restaurants that meet the site requirements specified in Section 20.40.026B2 shall be permitted;
J. Telephone, outdoor pay, if the proposed telephone is not located on a lot that is located contiguous with or directly across a street, alley, public or private easement from a dwelling district;
K. Tinsmith or sheet metal shops;
L. Wholesale business;
M. Accessory structures and uses customarily incidental to any of the above uses;
N. Temporary buildings for use incident to construction work, which buildings shall be removed upon the completion or abandonment of the construction;
O. Any permitted use exceeding seven thousand (7,000) square feet provided it is not within a commercial structure to be erected, enlarged, structurally altered or moved.
The following conditional uses may be allowed in the G local commercial and office district, subject to the provisions of Section 26.80.010:
A. Any use eligible to be a conditional use in the F neighborhood commercial district;
B. Commercial use similar to those permitted in Section 26.44.020;
C. Any permitted use which exceeds seven thousand (7,000) square feet within a commercial structure to be erected, enlarged, structurally altered or moved;
D. Any permitted or conditional use which utilizes a sales or service window or facility for customers who are in cars except those carry-out restaurants permitted in Section 26.44.020;
E. Carry-out restaurants other than those carry-out restaurants permitted in Section 26.44.020 and that meet the applicable site requirements specified in Section 26.40.026B1;
F. Telephone, outdoor pay, if the proposed telephone is located on a lot that is located contiguous with or directly across a street, alley, public or private easement from a dwelling district.
The parking regulations for uses enumerated in Chapter 26.20 through 26.40 inclusive, except as modified by Section 26.44.040, shall apply.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.040 Specific parking and loading regulations.
In addition, parking space shall also be provided for the following uses:
A. Wholesale, manufacturing and industrial buildings shall provide parking space within one thousand (1,000) feet of the main building sufficient to accommodate one (1) motor car for each ten (10) employees regularly employed at the site, based on the greatest number employed at any one period of the day or night.
B. All hereinafter erected or enlarged buildings having or to have more than five thousand (5,000) square feet of gross floor area and used for manufacturing, storage, warehouse, goods display, department store, wholesale store, and other uses involving the receipt or distribution by vehicles of materials or merchandise shall provide one (1) loading space, at least ten (10) feet by twenty-five (25) feet and having a fourteen (14) foot clearance, for each twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet of gross floor area or fraction thereof in excess of five thousand (5,000) square feet.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.050 Height regulations.
The height regulations are the same as those in the F neighborhood commercial district.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.060 Area dwellings.
For dwellings the area regulations are the same as those in the D multiple-family dwelling district. For other buildings the following area regulations only shall be required.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.070 Front yard–Nondwellings.
The front yard regulations are the same as those in the F neighborhood commercial district.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
26.44.080 Side yard–Nondwellings.
A. There shall be a side yard having a width of not less than five (5) feet on that side of a lot which adjoins any dwelling district.
B. Where dwelling accommodations are hereafter created above any nondwelling use there shall be two (2) side yards each of eight (8) feet in width unless every room within that portion of the structure used for dwelling purposes shall open directly upon a front yard or a rear yard of dimensions as required in the D multiple-family dwelling district.
(Ord. 59979 § 12 (part), 1986.)
Well it is clear the type of feel desired for G zones. You don’t find it clear? Use-based zoning (Euclidean) is a maddening collection of regulations cobbled together over decades that do nothing to create desirable communities. In the early 20th century it was a way to bring some order to land development but as a tool it has outlived its usefulness.
Form-based zoning, on the other hand, is all about creating what the community determines is the appropriate feel for each part of a city. Thankfully we are seeing this new way of viewing land-use regulation in parts of St. Louis City and St. Louis County. It can’t happen fast enough.
Earlier this year Blast Fitness bought 39 clubs from Bally’s, including two in our region. (source)
It’s safe to say St. Louis voters would like to know the vision that both Francis Slay and Lewis Reed have for St. Louis, but it is not clear if we will get that before the March 2013 primary.
ABOVE: Three term Mayor Francis Slay (left) and Aldermanic President Lewis Reed (right) are the two known Democratic candidates for mayor in the March 2013 primary.
A few questions that came to mind for me:
What do each think are the challenges facing the city through Spring 2017 and beyond?
For Slay what did you wan to get done in your first three terms that hasn’t happened yet? Why not? (County reunification anyone?)
For Reed: How would city government be different if you are elected mayor?
Here are the results of the poll:
Q: Thoughts on the 2013 race for St. Louis Mayor?
Hopefully we’ll get to see their visions rather than just negative ads of the other 33 [24.44%]
Slay’s reelection war chest will ensure he wins 19 [14.07%]
It’ll be a very close race 15 [11.11%]
With a good ground game Reed can overcome Slay’s money advantage 14 [10.37%]
It won’t be a close race, a 10+ point spread 12 [8.89%]
It’s good to have two qualified candidates to pick from 12 [8.89%]
I liked it better when Slay didn’t have a serious challenger 10 [7.41%]
Other: 10 [7.41%]
Too early to think about it 4 [2.96%]
Unsure/No Opinion 3 [2.22%]
A 3rd candidate could muddy the choice for voters 3 [2.22%]
No mayor has won a 4th 4-year term 0 [0%]
The “other” answers were:
Same ol’, same ol’
Its time for Mayor Slay to step down.
Reed is nothing but a racebaiter and hopefully he will not win.
The only thing different about these two is the color of their skin.
It will become a racial race, white vs black,
slay must go!!
Paul McKee wins big if Lewis Reed unseats Slay.
poor poor stl what terrible options you have
GO SLAY!
How are they different again?
Both Slay & Reed are seasoned politicians so it will take effort from the media and public to demand substance from them.
Since it opened in August 2006 I’ve only been to the Sunnen MetroLink Station a few times. If you haven’t been you are not going to recognize it.
ABOVE: The view to the west of the Sunnen MetroLink station in Maplewood is radically different now, the equipment used to clear the area was parked close on my visit last month.
Before I get into what’s happening let’s take a quick look at what it looked like before the bulldozers started working.
Nearly everything between Hanley Rd and the MetroLink line has been razed.
ABOVE: Older well-maintained apartments next to the station were great for those who liked to live near transit. June 2011
ABOVE: Another apartment complex, this one between Laclede Station Rd and MetroLink, was also razed. June 2011
You are thinking such older structures have to go in order to build a more dense transit-oriented development. True, but that is not what is being built.
ABOVE: You can now see the Sunnen station from Hanley Rd.
ABOVE: Turning to the right we see the first new building going up in the redevelopment area. What could it be?
ABOVE: A new Mini auto dealership next to a light rail station! Seriously!?!
We should not built expensive rail transit infrastructure, light rail or streetcars, through municipalities until they adopt zoning requiring new development nearby to be dense and walkable.
It’s now been six months since I sold my car. Once before I didn’t have a car (2007) but I had a 49cc Honda scooter, so I got around pretty well on my own schedule. Now I have a power wheelchair and a bus pass, not as convenient.
ABOVE: The 30-day pass is different than the monthly pass in that it can span into two months, just depends on start date.
Don’t get me wrong, I love public transit (bus & rail) but I also love cars. I have numerous books on European cars, auto magazines from the early 1970s, etc. I read articles on the Motor Trend iPhone app daily. I’m a car guy without a car!
What I’ve noticed over these last six months is I think differently about time than I ever have since I got my driver’s license nearly 30 years ago (gulp). Just a couple of years ago I would compare how long a trip would take me on the bus to how long it would take me to drive. It doesn’t take long to get most places driving in the St. Louis region and the car was always faster, much faster just a few more miles away. A week ago I visited friends living near Loughborhough and Hampton and it took an hour to get there from downtown. Yes, an hour!
But that’s my new normal, surprisingly so it didn’t seem long. A trip to the Target at Hampton & Chippewa takes 40-45 minutes just on the bus, plus additional time getting to the stop and back home. Same for my doctor’s office, also on Hampton.
I’ve learned to make productive use of my time, often taking pics out the bus window, returning emails, making notes, keeping up on Facebook, etc. I feel I’m just as productive as with a car, I just schedule things differently. Granted, I’m single and on disability so I’m not dropping kids off at school before going to work. I’m not trying to convince you to give up your vehicle, just note that.
In July I went on an 8-day vacation that included Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Oklahoma City. Amtrak got me to my destinations and Greyhound got me home, I was able to see so much more on the trip because I wasn’t driving.
I’ve gotten a couple of rides with friends these last six months but I’ve not had to get a taxi to get somewhere, as I thought I’d have to.
Once you don’t have a car for a while your view of time and mobility changes.
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