City Sidewalk Parking on KMOX Radio Tonight, 11pm

Following on the excellent report by KMOV Channel 4 TV earlier tonight (see post), I will be a brief guest on the Mark Reardon show on KMOX radio, AM 1120 talking about the same issue.  That will be in the 11 o’clock hour.

City Sidewalk Parking on Channel 4 at 6pm Tonight

KMOV News (Channel 4) will be airing a story tonight on their 6pm news about city employees parking on the public sidewalk along 14th Street (see prior post). I met with KMOV’s Russell Kinsaul this afternoon on 14th to discuss the issue. He gave me a copy of a statement received from Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce. You will recall that I emailed her Friday afternoon prior to posting my story on this subject a couple of hours later. To date, I have not heard back from Ms. Joyce.

I will post a copy of the statement and some additional thoughts after the story airs tonight on the 6pm news, KMOV Channel 4.

UPDATE 1/8/2007 – 6:20pm

This story was Channel 4’s leading story if you don’t count the breaking news of a double stabbing in North St. Louis. As mentioned in their story, and referenced above, Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce issued a statement about this issue:

Thank you for bringing this issue to my attention, as I was unaware that vehicles from this office were parking in this manner.

The Circuit Attorney’s Office has historically been assigned parking spots along 14th Street. My staff has informed me that the parking spots allocated to the Circuit Attorney’s Office on 14th Street are occassionally occupied by other city vehicles. To correct the situation, I will do the following:

• I have directed my staff to never, under any circumstances, park on the sidewalk, even if our spots are illegally occupied by someone else; and
• I have asked and will continue to ask the city police to ticket and tow unauthorized vehicles in our parking spots or on the sidewalk; and
• I will speak to other city agency leaders to request their staff members don’t park in our parking spots on 14th Street.
  

Click here to view the statement in PDF format, with thanks to Channel 4 for providing me a copy of the statement even though I made such a request Friday afternoon. All in all this is a good statement, it says she was unaware of the issue and then lists specific steps that are being taken to address the oversight.

But I want to look at the bigger picture here for a moment. Their office has “historically been assigned parking spots along 14th Street.” Ok, that is nice. Assigned by whom? Does the Treasurer’s office who runs the City’s parking garages and members have authority over all on-street parking? When the Circuit Attorney’s Office moved two blocks East to the other side of Tucker was the parking situation not evaluated?

I love the fact that an elected official must inform her staff that it is not OK to park their cars and SUVs on a sidewalk. This would seem to be common sense in my book. And finally Joyce is going to speak with other leaders and ask them not to park in their spots. This goes back to the question about numbers of spaces, who assigns them and how often this is evaluated. Yet another example of poor parking management downtown.

UPDATE 1/8/07 @ 10pm – link to KMOV story & video.

Some Kudos for the Board of Aldermen

Usually I am complaining about what our elected representatives are not doing, or in some cases things they should not be doing.  They seem to provide an endless supply of material.  Every so often, however, are some good things that deserve recognition.

Two bills warrant such recognition:

The first is Board Bill 175 sponsored by Ald. Matt Villa (D-11th) and Ald. Charles Quincy Troupe (D-1st):

An ordinance pertaining to parking for disabled persons; amending paragraph (A) of Section 17.76.020 of the Revised Code, as enacted in Section One of Ordinance 65142 in order to add “Blindness” to the list of disabilities; and containing an emergency clause.

This came about because the city’s Office on the Disabled would not renew a blind woman’s parking designation in front of her house.  Of course, she didn’t drive but her husband did.  By having a designated parking space it allowed her the comfort of knowing how to get in and out of the house.  Mayor Slay called the woman to apologize on behelf of the City.  The bill, introduced last July, was fully passed and sent to the Mayor for signature.
Board Bill 323 was introduced by Housing and Urban Design Chair Ald. Fred Wessels, (D-13th) on December 15, 2006:

An ordinance directing the Board of Public Service to adopt Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building rating system for all newly constructed and renovated city-owned facilities.

Signed on as co-sponsors were seven other aldermen: April Ford-Griffin (D-5th), Phyllis Young (D-7th), Stephen Gregali (D-14th), Joe Roddy (D-17th), Craig Schmid (D-20th), Bill Waterhouse (D-24th) and Jim Shrewsbury, President of the Board of Aldermen.   This, I believe, is an important step by the city.  The bill, if passed and becomes law, would require new facilities greater than 5,000sf to acheive the silver level.

So kudos to the aldermen listed above for taking some important steps in the right direction.  The first alderman to introduce a bill establishing a new pro-urban form-based zoning code will become my first Alderman of the Year award.

Upcoming Events of Interest

The following are events that might be of interest to some of you:
January 9, 2007 – 2nd Annual St. Louis Regional Brownfields Marketplace

The 2nd Annual St. Louis Metropolitan Brownfields Marketplace will take place January 9 from 7:30 AM to noon on UM-St. Louis campus in the J.C. Penny Conference Center, Summit Lounge. The conference is free. The goal of the Marketplace is to offer a one-stop event to bring together the region’s top developers with brownfield/distressed property owners to establish connections, exchange information and initiate future development deals. Keynote speakers will be John Askew, Regional Administrator for the U.S. EPA Region 7and Jim Gilstrap, Missouri DNR Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program.

You will have the opportunity to meet with a diverse group of environmental professionals who can address your brownfield issues at our resource center. You will not want to miss this informative event; it only comes once a year! A feature of the conference will be Speed Networking – Present your brownfield properties directly to brownfield developers in our speed networking sessions. Register at www.stlmetrobrownfields.org. For more information, call Julie Stone at (314) 421-4220 or (618) 274-2750.

January 9, 2007 – 15th Ward Candidates Forum

We will be inviting all Democratic Candidates for President of the Board of Aldermen in the March 6th Primary to our January meeting:

Tuesday, January 9, 2007, 7:00 PM
Carpenter Branch Library (Grand & Utah)

Everyone is invited to attend!

See 15thWard for more information.

January 10, 2007 – St. Louis Community Clean Air Project Hosts Regional Panel to Discuss Reducing School Bus Emissions

The St. Louis Association of Community Organizations’ (SLACO) Clean Air Project is hosting a panel of experts to discuss the advantages for area school districts to reduce damaging emissions into the air. The event is open to the public. School administrators, school health care providers and transportation directors, and bus contractors are especially encouraged to attend. Experts from local school districts, health professionals, government officials and professional engineers will be on hand to discuss ways to implement a successful initiative to reduce school-bus idling and learn new ideas and approaches to this initiative in our area.

Presenters are: Richard Ruhl, Fleet Maintenance Supervisor for the Wentzville School District; Patrick Lanane Assistant Superintendent for the Lindbergh School District; Dr. Raymond Slavin, Medical Educator from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine; and Glenn M. Luksik, Regulations and Funding Consultant for Caterpillar Emissions Solutions. Ruhl and Lanane will discuss how they were able to implement and enforce emissions reductions within their schools – mainly focusing on idle reduction.

This free event will be held at the University of Missouri – St. Louis, JC Penney Building, Room 126, from 4 – 6 PM. Reservations are not required. Parking is available in Lot C. Go to www.umsl.edu/admission/tour/directions.htm for detailed directions, travel options (including MetroLink) and a campus map. For additional information, contact Erica Fendler, SLACO/CAP at (314) 534-9104 or Erica at slaco dot org.

January 11, 2007 – Passive Survivability

Alex Wilson, president of BuildingGreen, Inc. and executive editor of Environmental Building News and the GreenSpec® Directory will make the case for a new design criterion for homes, apartment buildings, schools, and certain other public-use buildings: “passive survivability.” As he uses the term, passive survivability refers to the ability of buildings to maintain livable conditions in the event of extended power outages, or loss of heating fuel or water. The program will be held at Missouri Botanical Garden’s Monsanto Center, 4500 Shaw Boulevard. Networking will begin at 5:30 PM; the program is from 6:15 – 7:30. The program is free to USGBC-STL members and students; $20.00 for nonmembers. To register, e-mail usgbc-stl@mobot.org or call (314) 577-0854. For more information, go to http://chapters.usgbc.org/stlouis/Programs_Events_07.html.

January 12, 2007 – Downtown Partnership Luncheon w/MoDot Director Pete Rahn

MoDOT should soon have a contract signed with the I-64 design-build team, Gateway Constructors, within the next few weeks. More details should then be forthcoming about sequencing and other aspects of the project. Downtown St. Louis Partnership will be featuring MoDOT Director Pete Rahn at its January 12 Issues & Answers luncheon with BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association). This will be an opportunity to hear some of these updated details. The event will be held at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark from 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM. Registration is $35 for members and $45 for nonmembers. For sponsorship and registration information, contact Jennifer Burgnone at (314) 436-6500, ext. 225 or jburgnone at downtownstl dot org.

Registration form — deadline 1/9/07!

January 15, 2007 – Martin Luther King Day – Act for Peace

Please join us in marching for justice and peace in the annual Martin Luther King Day march, Monday morning January 15. Gather
at the Old Courthouse across from Kiener Plaza (Market and Broadway), at 10 a.m. The march to Powell Hall begins at 11 a.m.

There is MetroLink service at both ends of the march (8th & Pine MetroLink station is near the Old Courthouse; Grand MetroLink
station is near Powell Hall.)

The weather forecast is cold and clear, so bundle up! Bring your peace and justice signs, wear good shoes and join the celebration, always strong and spirited.

Let our elected officials hear that we demand real change, now! – a rapid end to the disastrous Iraq war, and speedy redirection
of resources to human needs.

“The chain reaction of evil — wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of
annihilation.” — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

January 16, 2007 – Euclid Streetscape Improvement Project

Postcard received in mail indicates the following:

• Final public viewing
• Come Any Time From 5:00-7:30 p.m.
• Brief Presentation at 5:45 and 7:00 p.m.
• The St. Louis Woman’s Club 4600 Lindell Blvd.
• Sponsor: Central West End Midtown Development
• Host: Joe Roddy, 17th Ward Alderman
  

Sorry, no website or other contact information is provided.

January 17, 2007 – APA-SLMS Luncheon: The Mill Creek Valley Urban Renewal Project Revisited

You are invited to attend the American Planning Association-St. Louis Metropolitan Section luncheon to be held in the Community Room on the first floor of the Heritage House Apartments, 2800 Olive St., St. Louis. The luncheon begins at 11:30 AM. Ron Fagerstrom, a local historian, will take a critical look at the Mill Creek Project. St. Louis was one of the most active cities in the federal urban renewal program during the 1950’s and 1960’s.

The largest St. Louis project took place in what was referred to as Mill Creek Valley, an African-American community, in present day Midtown. Perhaps the most extensive urban renewal initiative in the country, the Mill Creek Project involved the total clearance save for four buildings of an area bound by 18th Street on the east, Olive on the north, Grand on the west, and the Mill Creek rail yard to the south. Although now developed, the land remained undeveloped for several years and was locally known as “Hiroshima Flats.” Fagerstrom will discuss how the residents of the neighborhood were shut-out of the planning process and how the fabric of a vital community was destroyed. For Fagerstrom, the Mill Creek Valley Project sheds light not only on development practices of the past, but on the continued razing of low income neighborhoods in areas like Maplewood and Brentwood in the name of the public good.

Please make reservations with entrée choices (Bake Madison Chicken Breast, Roast Beef or Meatless Pasta) by Monday, January 15 to Jason Jaggi, jjaggi at ci.clayton.mo dot us. The cost of the luncheon is $15 for members and $18 for nonmembers.

January 17, 2007 – Free APA Training – Introduction to the Planning Commission

You are invited to attend a free audio/web conference training session: “Introduction to the Planning Commission – Part Two” to be held from 2 – 4 PM, local time at the offices of East-West Gateway, Gateway Tower, One Memorial Drive, Suite 1600, St. Louis. The conference’s two hours of moderated discussion cover: zoning process and variances, plan implementation, subdivision regulation, how plans are amended, citizen engagement and resolving conflict in public meetings, how to work with the public and other appointed and elected officials, the roles and participants in public decision making, concerns of participants, and applicability of sunshine laws. Technical Briefs explaining these concepts are available for conference participants online at www.planning.org/audioconference/ipc2/participant.htm. Anyone with an interest in the subject is welcome to attend.

Please RSVP to East-West Gateway: Karen Kunkel at karen at ewgateway dot org or Gary Pondrom at garyp at ewgateway dot org or call Karen or Gary at (314) 421-4220 or (618) 274-2750. The audio/web conference series is sponsored by the APA-St. Louis Metropolitan Section, the City of Maryland Heights and East-West Gateway Council of Governments.

January 18, 2007 – ULI St. Louis – Meet the Mayor – Francis G. Slay, Mayor of the City of St. Louis

ULI St.Louis – Meet the Mayor Luncheon:
Featuring Mayor Francis G. Slay, City of St. Louis

Thursday, January 18, 2007
12:00 – 1:15 PM

– Location –
City of St. Louis
Mayor’s Board Room
1200 Market Street, Room 200
St. Louis, MO 63103

This is a ULI Members Only Event

Please join ULI St. Louis for our second Meet the Mayor Luncheon featuring Francis G. Slay, Mayor of the City of St. Louis; Barbara Geisman, the Mayor’s Executive Assistant for Development; and Jeff Rainford, Chief of Staff, on Thursday, January 18, 2007 from 12:00 – 1:15 PM.

This will be an invaluable and unique opportunity to spend quality face-to-face time with Mayor Slay and his staff. You will be spending the kind of time with the Mayorthat you won’t get elsewhere, discussing issues of interest to you and getting to know those with whom you will be working in the future.

This event is limited to the first 15 ULI Members to register. You must pre-register no later than January 16 to attend. There will be no on-site registration for this event.

Cost for all sectors: $50

Regisration for ULI Members.

January 23, 2007 – Transit Oriented Development

Citizens for Modern Transit will be hosting an informational program on Transit Oriented Development at 4 PM at the Des Lee Auditorium of the Missouri Historical Society, Forest Park. The featured speaker will be G.B. Arrington of Parsons Brinckerhoff Place Making. He is Parson Brinckerhoff’s most senior practitioner in the field of linking transit and land use. For the last 20+ years, he has played a key role in the Portland, OR region’s innovative experiment to reinvent the American dream of a livable community by
marrying transportation and land use. In the past year Arrington has lead three TOD policy studies of national significance – the Governor’s Task Force on Transit Oriented Development for Maryland, the California Statewide Study of Transit Oriented Development and the Mayor’s Special Transit-Oriented Development Task Force for Washington, D.C. His work with station area planning received a national award of excellence from Progressive Architecture and a First Place in the Livable Communities Initiative Transit Design Competition from the Federal Transit Administration.

The program also will feature updates on how Clayton and Shrewsbury are approaching TOD. The program will be followed by a reception and informal discussion. Registration will be $20 for CMT members and $25 for nonmembers. Go to http://www.cmt-stl.org/news/story_22.html for additional program information and to make your
reservation.

February 14, 2007 – Great Streets Design Workshop

East-West Gateway invites you to the Great Streets Design Workshop on Wednesday, February 14 from 8 AM – 12 noon. The workshop will be held at the Eric P. Newman Education Center, 322 S Euclid Avenue, St. Louis. This workshop will provide information on how to use the Great Streets Digital Reference Guide and how to obtain assistance on planning and designing a Great Streets project in your
community. The workshop cost is $25, with parking available for an additional $5. The Central West End MetroLink station is one block south of the Center. Advanced registration is required. Workshop information available and the registration form can be downloaded and printed or you can register on-line by going to www.ewgateway.org. For questions or additional information, contact David Wilson at david.wilson at ewgateway dot org or (314) 421-4220 or (618) 274-2750.

March 29, 2007 – APA St. Louis Metro Section 2007 Planning Workshop

SAVE THE DATE: APA SLMS has arranged for distinguished land-use attorney, planner, and author Dwight H. Merriam, FAICP, CRE to be the highlight this year’s Planning Workshop. Mr. Merriam will not only present the evening’s keynote address on eminent domain, but will also be heading up a technical workshop earlier that day. Mr. Merriam is a partner with the law firm of Robinson & Cole LLP in Hartford, Connecticut, where he practices land use law. He represents developers, local governments, landowners, and advocacy groups in land development and conservation issues. He has published over 180 professional articles on land use law, co-edited Inclusionary Zoning Moves Downtown, co-authored The Takings Issue, and authored The Complete Guide to Zoning. He is a Fellow and past president of the American Institute of Certified Planners, a former director of the American Planning Association and a previous chair of APA’s Planning & Law Division. He is also a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and The
Counselors of Real Estate, and he teaches land use law at Vermont Law School.

Sidewalk Reserved for Circuit Attorney’s Office

Walking along 14th Street between Market and Walnut, across from the Kiel Opera House/Scottrade Center one finds an unusual sight, cars parked on a sidewalk. This is not, by the way, some fluke I happened to catch. No, this is routine parking for city employees, mostly those in the Circuit Attorney’s office. I have driven past this numberous times and not really noticed but recently Ecology of Absence did a post on this subject so while I was down there today I snapped a few pictures (ok, 24 in total).

Above you can begin to see cars along the sidewalk, taking up more than half its width. Vehicles are also parked in the right turn lane. The adjacent Municipal Courts building (left in above image) is currently vacant and awaiting renovation into a hotel.

In total six vehicles were parked along this stretch of sidewalk, all displaying a notice on their dash indicating “official business.” All were from the Circuit Attorney’s office except for a couple which were from the Sheriff’s office and one from the St. Louis Redevelopment Authority. The SUV above was my favorite, the owner did a great job of centering the vehicle so as to make it hard for someone using a wheelchair or mobility scooter to get by.

Above is an example of the type of authorization shown on the dashboard of these vehicles. I can see allowing some liberty on the streets when out on official business but not as a license to park on the sitewalk.

This is the best shot, the sign reads, “Reserved Parking Circuit Attorney’s Office Only. Tow-Away Zone.” So you or I should not park on the sidewalk or we might get towed for preventing other vehicles from parking on the sidewalk. All this across the street from the home of the St. Louis Blues and a block from a major transit hub, what must visitors to our city think of us?

I sent an email to Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce before 3pm this afternoon asking for any comment on this issue, at this time I have not heard back from her.

[UPDATE 1/8/07 @ 3pm: St. Louis’ KMOV Channel 4 is doing a story on this issue on their 6pm news (1/8/07).  See follow-up post.]