It’s Friday so I like to end the week with some good news. This morning the Salvation Army will cut the ribbon on their 3010 Washington Apartments project:
For more than a century, the property at 3010 Washington Boulevard has been synonymous with transforming lives of those in the greatest need in St. Louis. Today, The Salvation Army will provide a pathway of hope, deterring homelessness for individuals with special needs in the St. Louis area with the development of 3010 Apartments.
Joining the Veterans’ Residence as a part of the Midtown project,3010 Apartments houses 58 one-bedroom units universally designedfor individuals with a variety of special needs. Each apartmentfeatures a full bathroom, kitchen and living/dining area.
The facility itself also includes amenities such as a computer lab,laundry and 24-hour security. Listed on the National Register ofHistorical Places and located near culture hub Grand Center,the 3010 Apartments will provide residents with a safe spaceto incorporate and build lifelong skills.
It’s nice to see a previously-shaddy emergency shelter becoming renovated apartments for the homeless.
October 2011 photo of the former Salvation Army’s Harbor Light shelter, today is the grand opening of 58 apartments in the building
A home, now matter how small, is better than a temporary cot without security or privacy. I’m looking forward to touring this facility today.
Since I started this blog more than a decade ago pedestrian access & walkability have been a regular theme — especially since I became disabled 7 years ago. Friday I encountered a car parked blocking a ramp. Being a car guy I tend to mention the make of car — it was a Pontiac that blocked a ramp on one of my first outings to the store in a wheelchair in 2008. The car on Friday happened to be a Mercedes.
I said “Mercedes owner blocked a crosswalk I needed at Richmond Hts MetroLink station” on Facebook & Twitter. Click to view on Facebook.I posted this picture of the rear vanity license plate “SCHMUK” on Twitter and in the comments on Facebook, click to view on Twitter.No license plate displayed on the front — as required by Missouri law. No snow or ice — just salt residue
I’m posting this to start a civil discussion about the physical design of the area and how pedestrian amenities are easily ignored.
These three images, above, were taken at 12:11-12:12pm on Friday afternoon, it was 43 °F just before noon. Like everyone, I make mistakes. When I do I admit as much.
Here’s what I got wrong:
The ramp isn’t for a crosswalk, it’s for a passenger loading zone.
It’s near the Brentwood MetroLink Station, not the Richmond Heights MetroLink Station — that’s located one station Eastbound on the Blue Line, which opened in 2006.
Very little discussion on Twitter, but Facebook erupted. Here’s some comments that remained as of yesterday (users deleted others):
Comments from a 23 year-old saying he’s the owner:
Thanks facebookers. This is actually my vehicle. I assure you that it was a clearly marked parking space and a car was actually parked behind me as you can see. The curbs are not marked yellow or anything. I apologize but it says nothing about not parking in that space. My plates are hilarious I know. Thanks dan for telling me about the post! Lets find something new to complain about now!
[After I said I contacted the police] “Omg. Like they don’t have more important stuff to worry about. Sorry you had an inconvenience. Again. The writing on the pavement was still covered in snow and ice.. Also why isn’t the other car being put on a blast? Because it was not a Mercedes!”
Only tacky people use front license plates. Duh.
God my car is beautiful though isn’t it?!
I have apologized multiple times. No clear signs. No curb markers. No lines within the area. Also the other car hasn’t been called out. Just mine. I’m over the whole situation.
From his friends:
I find this city to be wasting more and more time on pointless endeavors that literally amount to nothing more than pessimistic chatter.
Go fight a war, go feed the homeless, save a child refugee…no chance of you becoming something of use to the world because you will all still be on facebook making a fool out of yourselves and the right of freedom of speech. No wonder this city is in turmoil… people being shot over petty crimes and people bitching about where cars are parked on a social media site during their off time. #sillyfirstworldproblems My finger tips were cut off a month ago. THAT is a problem. …get a life.
It’s the principle. I also am annoyed that my friend who is a very kind, successful individual who doesn’t deserve internet slander or harassment was being targeted as som e sort of criminal. It is as I said before petty, a waste of time, and pathetic.
You guys are clearly uneducated morons! Had any of you spent as much time trying to be successful as you do running your mouths and posting stupid stuff on fb, you too could have nice things. Maybe then you wouldn’t have to run your mouth and judge ppl just to fill you free time it looks like a perfectly fine place to park to me!
Wow! Pretty sure anyone who can afford a Mercedes can most definitely read! So you’re a wannabe photographer, I wouldn’t quit your day job just yet. Parking sucks all over stl & I’m sure that loading zone was so clear thru the ice that even you missed it! You even said so. I am truly nowhere near wealthy & even I have more to do in life than to be so dang petty over something so minimal! Josh is a wonderful person, I’ve known him his whole life! But you all see a Mercedes & automatically go to rich jerk….stereotype much! Sorry, I just think it’s ridiculous to waste this much time of your day venting about something when it would’ve taken 5 extra seconds to walk around the car a foot! They’re not going to give you a Jay walking ticket if there’s obviously a vehicle blocking what you THOUGHT was a crosswalk. Get a life…one where you have a legitimate reason to bash someone, for more than having money bcuz your attitude says that’s all your pissed about. Love ya Josh, glad you could handle this with the class you did, sorry, couldn’t shut my mouth when it’s about my adopted brother!
Wow. I know my friend would never intentionally try to hurt anyone or do wrong, as I’ve known him for eight years. Mistakes happen, and whether or not he parked incorrectly, I don’t think it warrants such persecution. He didn’t get a ticket, did he? Leave the law up to the police, not the Internet.
I love that the fact you’re driving a Mercedes is what is really pissing people off, [redacted]. If you were driving a POS (that’s Piece Of Shit, for you flipping idiots out there), no one would have even posted about this as that shit happens all the time! Find something else to be pissed about people. #youarethespoiledone.
How about using your anger to get the city to install signs on poles that would clearly state Loading zone. Not paint a street that would be covered with salt residue. do something useful instead of petty with your time.
His Dad removed his comments, but the one from his mom remains:
My son has apologized, he is a very caring and loving young man and has always obeyed the law, once again, we apologize for all the inconvenience. Loving Mother
One of his so-called apologies was this internet meme:
Some may consider this an apology, I do not.
Another comment from the thread — from a personal friend:
I understand that it does not alway occur to people that parking in front of the sidewalk ramp prevents someone using a wheelchair from crossing the street– it is a concept that most folks have the luxury of not thinking about. The benefit of this thread is that it has had the potential to increase awareness (for those open to having their awareness increased). However, I don’t think “sorry you are poor” and related sorry-not-sorry apologies count as a sincere apology and referring to “inconvenience” is patronizing.
Friday I wanted to verify what another commenter had said — that it was clearly a loading zone on Google Maps. The aerial was too dark but the August 2012 Street View was clear, I shared the following screen shot in the thread.
In the comments I was accused of photoshopping the words LOADING ONLY even though I included a link to see it on Google — click to view. I couldn’t photoshop the above, much less hack Google.
We were out that way Sunday afternoon so I drove through to check it out from a motorists prospective.
Right off Hanley you see a loading only zone with a solid white line and a sign. He was parked further West, let’s see how it looks.Again, a solid white line that curves back to the curb is a good clue this isn’t for driving or parking. The text is faded and no sign is posted like the previous spot. The ramp is very visible,A close up of the fading text, but the solid white line and ramp are pretty clear.
This entire development is poorly designed — it doesn’t work well for both motorists and pedestrians. After the I-64 rebuild Musick Memorial Dr became a public street, it’s how you get to Westbound Eager Rd from Hanley. From the various comments I got the view that everything East of I-270 is “the city”, with what the rest of us know as the city being downtown. St. Louis has no responsibility for Musick Memorial Dr — that falls to either the developer or City of Brentwood.
If only there was a massive parking garage where he could’ve parked.
December 31, 2014Featured, STL RegionComments Off on Twenty-Fourteen In 63 Pictures
The end of another year…so for the last post of 2014 I’ve selected 63 images from the 800+ I uploaded throughout the year. Enjoy, please be patient as they load.
JANUARY
Fields Foods opened at 1500 Lafayette Ave without pedestrian access, this was soon corrected after my post14th St @ Washington Ave.: Stones pavers & concrete removed so a new bus shelter can be built.At MLK & Taylor I noticed this new storefront because it stood out from how it looked for yearsPipes burst in the upper floors of the YMCA/Centenary Tower buildingWork was still wrapping up on the Tucker projectThe Treasurer’s office began testing different parking meters
FEBRUARY
The Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge opened, thus was seconds after Illinois Gov Quinn & Missouri Gov Nixon cut the ribbonThe St. Louis flag turned 50 as the city turned 250The wrap on the new low-floor downtown trolley buses looks like the original
MARCH
IDOT officials held an open house at the Jackie Joyner Kersee Center in East St. Louis to get input into speeding up Amtrak from Alton to St. LouisSome members of the First Presbyterian in Edwardsville IL opposed the sale of the property to the school district, the church would be leveled for parking. The congregation has worshipped on the same site since the early 19th centuryNew bike lane & pedestrian zone on Chippewa, looking west toward Morgan FordThe Castle Ballroom in midtown was damaged in a storm, later razed.The property to the north had a gate that blocked the public sidewalk, it was later removedIt was announced a park was planned for the north side of the Eads Bridge, to the right of the trucks parked in the alley,To prep for a new Civic Center bus transfer facility, all the trees were cut downFields Foods pedestrian access problem correctedMetro showed of the first of 15 articulated buses they would receive in 2014, mostly for use on the #70 Grand routeCity police had out of town journalists park on the sidewalk during a basketball tournament because…homeland security6th ward residents checked out the Participatory Budgeting project expo
APRIL
On April Fool’s Day I got many people with the announcement of a Trader Joe’s in a new mixed-use building at Grand & OliveInside the “Live” area of Ballpark Village the day before the home openerI proposed returning 9th & 10th north of Washington or Cole into two-way streetsSchnucks closed their North Grand locationAfter two years of not having a car, my then-fiancé and I bought a used car together.The east facade of the Lewis & Clark branch of the St. Louis County Library which was planned to be demolished after a new library was built.On April 29th major equipment was ripping out the unloved center planters on 13th Street between St. Charles St & Washington Ave
MAY
I took at look at the dire economic disinvestment in the north county area at Chambers & Lewis & ClarkI convinced Culinaria to stop filling the entire sidewalk in front of their 9th Street grocery store with cafe tablesPlans for the new Civic Center MetroBus transfer facility were made available.
JUNE
David and I exchanging our vows on Sunday June 8th at the Malcolm Martin Memorial park in East St. Louis, officiated by our friend Chris Reimer.Our reception was brunch at Bevo Mill, Lydia S. drove us in her Tesla.The Melvin Price Locks & Dam celebrated 20 yearsI took a look at the unincorporated area of North County known as Spanish Lake, the Belle Parke Plaza strip mall shown hereFive years since Citygarden opened in 2009
A week ago today the city’s Board of Adjustment ruled the New Life Evangelistic Center homeless shelter must 1) limit beds to the licensed 32 beds 2) seek a new license that would allow more emergency beds or 3) close. Larry Rice, however, wants to continue as he has been — stuffing far more people into a rundown facility after coercing them to do lots of free labor.
NLEC last week, just hours before the decision. The building was originally a YWCA.
Q: Thoughts on the city calling Larry Rice’s NLEC a “nuisance”? (pick up to two)
TIE:
Limiting the licensed occupancy to 32 beds is fair, considering the conditions. 28 [25.69%]
There are other/better alternatives to NLEC available. 28 [25.69%]
Rice’s TV televangelism empire depends on a large visible homeless population 18 [16.51%]
NLEC was there before the condos & apartments 15 [13.76%]
Where will the homeless sleep if NLEC is limited to 32 beds? 10 [9.17%]
NLEC should be able to sleep 300, or more, if they want 3 [2.75%]
Other: 3 [2.75%]
If NLEC had better job training and mental service, open all day Add as a poll answer
it’s high time for NLEC to cease and desist. It’s not a church but a flop house
It and he are nuisances.
NLEC is a religious facility, no government license should be required. 2 [1.83%]
The #2 answer is closest to the truth — Rice desperately needs to maintain the exterior appearance of lots of homeless. Without a visible homeless population he doesn’t have a hook to get donations.
In 2009, court documents estimated New Life has assets between $40 million and $50 million, including radio and television stations. In 2008, the center reported receiving more than $1.8 million in cash contributions. (stltoday.com)
I can assure you other non-profits do more for the homeless with a fraction of the total assets, social workers & researchers are now realizing there is a much more effective & humane way to help the homeless than how Rice has operated NLEC for nearly 40 years:
Permanent housing, not a hard cot in a room crowded with hundreds of men
Hot meals prepared by a trained chef in an inspected kitchen, not sandwiches out of a trunk on the street
Social workers & occupational therapists to find & resolve problems, not free labor & religion
Secure places to store belongings, not encouraged to carry bags to increase visibility
Daytime space & activities, not being out on the street for 12 hours.
Security inside & outside during operations, not ignoring everything that happens just outside.
In these examples the former is how other agencies in St. Louis are trying to end/reduce homelessness, the latter is how Rice maintains the visible problem that keeps millions in coming in. I don’t expect this to be over in May, Rice will fight to maintain his status quo. He misses the old days of vacant warehouses, lack of restaurants, jobs and any sort of measurable economic activity downtown.
Please vote in the poll, located in the right sidebar
Tuesday afternoon the city’s Board of Adjustment, after of 12+ months of hearings on a citizen petition, concluded Larry Rice’s New Life Evangelistic Center (NLEC) was a nuisance:
A city board ruled Tuesday that Rev. Larry Rice’s homeless shelter downtown is a nuisance and will be closed effective May 12, 2015, unless he complies with city terms.
Rice’s occupancy permit allows him to have a maximum of 32 beds. Many nights, Rice allows upwards of 300 people to stay in the shelter. (stltoday.com)
A perfect subject for the final poll of 2014: Thoughts on the city calling Larry Rice’s NLEC a “nuisance”? The poll is in the right sidebar, vote until 8pm.
I have thoughts on this, but I’ll save my views for Tuesday when I post the results.
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