The Preservation Board a Public Hearing or Not?

The new Chair of the St. Louis Preservation Board, Richard Callow, insists the meetings of the Preservation Board are not public hearings — that public input is taken but not required by ordinance. Callow has previously suggested I look at the enabling code, Chapter 24.08. In reading through that section I found this:

D. Subject to the written approval of the Planning Commission, the Preservation Board shall make and adopt, and may from time to time amend, rules and bylaws governing the conduct of its business and providing for the administration of this title.

This begs the question, what are the rules and bylaws that have been approved by the Planning Commission for the conduct of the Preservation Board? The city’s Cultural Resources office website certainly doesn’t list any rules, bylaws or anything else to help the public understand the process of going before the Preservation Board.

In another section of the city code, under demolition review, the law does make reference to a hearing:

The Cultural Resources Office shall immediately refer any application which is the subject of such an appeal, and the Cultural Resources Office’s entire file thereon, to the Preservation Board for hearing and resolution, based on the criteria set out in Sections 24.40.010 to 24.40.050.

Why is this important? Decisions of the Preservation Board impact the entire city but they don’t seem to have any public notice requirements — today’s meeting agenda was just posted today. Furthermore, anyone from the public wishing to speak on an item must arrive prior to 4pm and sign the sheet for that item. This, I believe, places an undue burden on the public and discourages them from becoming more involved in their community.

With the Preservation Board weighing decisions on demolitions, new construction and other concerns in Historic Districts and Preservation Review Districts you’d think there would be some form of advance notice — at least 10 calendar days prior to the hearing. The Cultural Resources Office does produce highly detailed PDF reports on each topic but at the very least they could list the property address in question, what is being decided (demo, new windows, etc…) and what neighborhood it falls under. Having at least this would alert the public in those neighborhoods that something is coming up they may wish to speak on.

Often during the Preservation Board you’ll hear one of the members ask the staff if they’ve heard from the neighborhood group. The answer is almost always no (Lafayette Square excepted). I wonder why? Perhaps because neighbors don’t have a clue a decision is being made about properties near them!

Michael Allen over at Ecology of Absence wrote about this subject last Friday.

Today’s meeting starts at 4pm. The agenda includes 7 items and encompassing hundreds of pages. Better start reading….

Trying to Learn About Ward Organizations in the City of St. Louis

A post on the 15th Ward blog of my friend Steve Wilke-Shapiro got my attention. It was a guest piece written by Jan Clinite, President of the 15th Ward Democrats. Basically this group was started in 2001 when Jennifer Florida didn’t or wasn’t going to get the endorsement of the other 15th Ward group — a “closed” organization whereby the members don’t vote. In closed wards, only the Committeeman and Committeewoman determine the endorsements.

The committee people are elected every four years in the August Democratic Presidential primary. Seldom are these posts challenged. Some, myself included, have questioned the need for such positions as well as the organizations themselves. The mission of these are typically to do the ‘get out the vote’ and to educate voters. My experience, albeit limited, has been that of a small social group. In the 25th Ward in 2005 the committee only had something like 20 paid members, if even that.
… Continue Reading

TGE Police Substation Still Not Open

In April of this year I linked to a KSDK news story about a new police substation in the Tower Grove East neighborhood that was to open soon. The part I talked about was the $14K in Vespa scooters for officers to help them maneuver around the neighborhood, getting places quickly and quietly. From the KSDK report:

Alderman Reed hopes the substation and the scooters will be a crime deterrent in an area that’s known past problems, “It will send a signal to the bad guys that we’re open for business. We’re open to stopping all the bad activity.”

The alderman worked hard to make this happen and purchased the scooters with Ward 6 funds. They cost about $14,000. The bikes can travel more than 100 miles per hour and maneuver between buildings.

Five months later the substation is still not open, it seems the lease details have not yet been worked out with the building owner. Residents, once excited about the substation, are now frustrated at the bureaucracy for taking so long and pointing fingers at other departments. What kind of signal does this send to home owners in the area?

The scooters exist. Well, at least one does. I saw it on the morning after the arson fires in Lafayette Square, also in the 6th ward. Alderman Lewis Reed is considering a run for President of the Board of Alderman in March. Regardless, the 6th Ward seat is up for election at the same time.

Prohibition is Alive, But Not So Well, in the 20th Ward

I’ve known Ald. Craig Schmid (D-20th Ward) about as long as I’ve known any other alderman, a good 8-10 years. He is very hard working and genuinely concerned about his ward. The problem is he continues to act as though it is 1995 — the year he was first elected to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen. At that time every corner had a bar, and not the charming “Cheers” sort of place. No, these bars were the collection place for sorts of bad behavior.

To rid his ward of such places Schmid began a moral crusade to close down the ones that could be closed and to prevent the opening of new ones. This has generally served the ward well but in the last few years it has come under fire from those seeking to turn once fashionable shopping areas like Cherokee Street into a new hip area not unlike “The Loop” along Delmar both in the city (28th ward) and in University City. Much has been written about this controversy and the latest, before this, was Antonio French over at PubDef.

Schmid stubbornly sticks to his no bar ban, with an exception for an establishment with 50% of sales in food. I’m no restauranteur but I have read a few things. Namely, the failure rate among restaurants is high. The trick is figuring out the right mix to make the place succeed. The 50% of sales from food rule seems rather arbitrary in my mind. I can see a corner tavern that sells food & beer with say 52% coming from food sales being a bigger nuisance than a place that perhaps does only 48% of its sales via food. In legislation you must draw the line somewhere. But what is so magical about 50%? Is this based on some great research that shows a distinction at this point or was it just pulled out of thin air?

Steve Smith, owner of The Royale on Kingshighway, wants to open a new place on Cherokee. Given the debate it would seem he is admitting that less than 50% of his total sales would come from food. Looking at his menu I see a burger costs $8. Have a couple of beers with that and you are probably at 50/50. I’d probably order the $14 Ahi Tuna and water so that would offset a few drinkers. Still, others will come in and order an appetizer and have a few drinks over the course of a few hours. I’d be curious what percentage of his sales are from alcohol. Frankly, I don’t really care it is is only 10% or if it is 80% — he does a damn nice job! So do many of our other local restauranteurs. The Royale is exactly what we need on Cherokee along with a City Diner, a Mangia, and a few others.

Of course, the many Mexican restaurants and stores are wonderful and they should stay and thrive as well (I simply need to learn a bit of Spanish so that I can order something vegetarian). For Schmid I don’t think he is concerned about gentrification — making the area so trendy current residents are forced out. As long as he continues having this ban on bars, we may never have to worry about gentrification and rising real estate values.

Cherokee Street in the 4-6 blocks west of Jefferson probably has the highest potential of any of our underperforming old commercial districts. The scale is excellent and only a few buildings have been lost. The current ethnic diversity is great. What this street is lacking is vision. I don’t know that Schmid has any vision for this street or others. If he does have a vision, it most likely doesn’t include any bars — dirty old taverns or hip places such as The Royal. This is really a shame. Schmid’s prohibition on bars is really a prohibition on revitalizing the area.

My vision for the street is an eclectic mix of shops and patrons. While the Loop is very college crown and Euclid is very upper crust, I’d like to see Cherokee be the green crowd, the young and old hippies: the Haight-Ashbury of St. Louis. Well, not today’s generic chain store Haight-Ashbury but the bohemian version of not that long ago. I don’t really want to see a Gap store on Cherokee. I can see Cherokee having various artists selling their painting on the street and in small storefront galleries. I visualize people doing street performances on the corners. The trick is not to make it such a destination that you make it a tourist trap that attracts a Gap store. Future problems should be lack of parking. Solutions should be planned now — a rubber tire shuttle bus to eventually be replaced by a modern streetcar. Run along Cherokee and connect with South Grand on one end and take Jefferson & Gravois to connect with downtown (and MetroLink) on the other end.

As much as I like Schmid, I think his 12 years have been well served as a ‘get rid of the problems’ type of aldermen but now I we need an ‘I’ve got revitalization solutions’ type of alderman. If Schmid can transform himself then great. But, I don’t see that happening.

New York’s Not My Home

Please indulge me while I talk about someone that has nothing to do with St. Louis or urbanity. It was 33 years ago this week the world lost one of the most talented signer-songwriters: Jim Croce.

Born in Philadelphia it seems Croce was never at home in the city (per online sources). He and his wife lived in NYC for a while but he later wrote a song, “New York’s Not My Home.” Croce, along with musical partner Maury Muehleisen, was killed in a plane crash at the peak of his musical career in 1973. This common man (he was truck driver at times) knew how to tell a good story and his lyrics have such depth.

From I Got a Name:

And I’m gonna go there free
Like a fool I am and I’ll always be
I’ve got a dream, I’ve got a dream
They can change their minds but they can’t change me
I’ve got a dream, I’ve got a dream
Oh, I know I could share it if you want me to
If you’re going my way, I’ll go with you

From Car Wash Blues:

So baby, don’t ‘spect to see me
With no double martini in any high-brow society news
‘Cause I got them steadily depressin’, low down, mind messin’
Workin’ at the car wash blues

From Rapid Roy:

Oh, Rapid Roy that stock car boy
He the best driver in the land
He say that he learned to race a stock car
By runnin’ ‘shine outta Alabam’
Oh the Demolition Derby
And the Figure Eight
Is easy money in the bank
Compared to runnin’ from the man
In Oklahoma City
With a 500 gallon tank

From You Don’t Mess Around With Jim:

Uptown got it’s hustlers
The Bowery got it’s bums
And forty-second street got big Jim Walker
He a pool shootin’ son of a gun
Yeah, he big and dumb as a man can come
But he stronger than a country hoss
And when the bad folks all get together at night
You know they all call big Jim ‘boss’…just because

From Next Time, This Time:

If you get to feelin’ all alone
When your good time friends have all got up and gone
Don’t come knockin’ around my door
Because I’ve heard your lines before

Croce’s career peaked after his death in 1973 but his music has continued to be popular with later generations who appreciate the authenticity of his work. The lesson here is that we often don’t appreciate something until many years later and long after the original creator is gone. Saving quality work for subsequent generations to appreciate should be a goal in our cities. Many craftsmen labored for decades in our city yet we continue to casually toss aside their work. While I appreciate the high art of the rare genius it is the everyday artist such as a singer-songwriter like Croce, our many brick masons, or skilled carpenters that leave a lasting impression on me long after the pop artist has faded from their 15 minutes of fame.