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Neighborhood Action
Below are links to calls for action and coalition by Louisville Neighborhood Groups. Send us your Neighborhood Action Reports and calls for support and we'll post them here. Neighbors, rally 'round your neighbors!
Click here to find out about the Next Advocacy Committee meeting. Click here for an overview of Advocacy Working Group links.
To submit an action item to be posted, send it to the Louisville Neighborhoods email listserv with a note that you want the item put on the Web Site: Click here to Subscribe and send items to the Louisville Neighborhoods email group
LCON's Advocacy Committee meets regularly. Neighborhoods, individuals, and organizations are welcomed and encouraged to get their issues to neighborhoods through LCON communications, and to build support through the Neighborhoods Coalition for community-wide issues campaigns.
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Action Items:
From Neighborhoods:
Bonnycastle Neighborhood Call for Support on Moratorium
Land Development Code
From Community Groups:
CART and the Bus Riders Union Voter Registration Campaign
Invitation to Neighborhood groups to Participate in People's Agenda
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Bonnycastle Neighborhood Call for Support on Moratorium
From: Schuh <schuh@emainisp.net>
Date: Mon Jul 29, 2002 5:08 pm
Subject: Bonnycastle vs. developers
July 20, 2002
In June, the Louisville Board of Alderman passed a moratorium
on demolition and construction in the Bonnycastle neighborhood
for a period of 180 days. On August 6th at 3:00, a committee of the
Board of Alderman will vote on recommending to the Board of
Aldermen a proposal to rescind this moratorium.
A nine-story building has been proposed to be constructed at
1604 Cherokee Road. The Bonnycastle neighborhood association
wants to see this moratorium stay in effect and applied to this
building for the following reasons:
1. Height. If constructed, the height of the building needs to be
substantially reduced.
As proposed, the building would not conform to existing
homes surrounding it.
It would set a precedent, and lead to more tall structures
bordering the park.
It would block views and detract from the park.
2. Parking and Traffic. All construction and residential traffic
would come through the Bonnycastle Terrace alley.
This alley isn¹t designed to handle a lot of traffic.
How will parking for 15 to 20 cars be handled?
Need proper signs and sight distances
3. Curb cut.
The Neighborhood Association supports the Parks
Department position not to grant a curb cut from Cherokee
Road to the new building.
Such a curb cut would be dangerous.
4. Neighborhood Plan and Cornerstone 2020.
Members of the neighborhood have been very active
in developing a neighborhood plan reflecting a vision of the
neighborhood. After two years of work, it will soon be ready to
be proposed to the Board of Aldermen for adoption.
Any new development should follow this vision.
5. Construction Phase. The construction phase must be managed
to minimize problems of blasting, construction traffic, debris, noise,
dust, etc.
6. Architectural Materials.
The neighborhood association wants assurances that the
materials used will be of proper quality.
Features outside of the building (mechanical systems,
parking structures, service entrances) should be screened and
done in a way consistent with the neighborhood.
Conclusion: We¹re not the saying the building shouldn¹t be
constructed. We¹re just saying many questions and concerns remain,
and demolition and construction shouldn¹t begin, until these are
satisfied. We¹re not unreasonable, but just want true give and take
dialogue with the developer.
ASK THE ALDERMEN / WOMEN ON THE ETHICS AND ZONING COMMITTEE TO KEEP THE MORATORIUM NOW IN EFFECT. THEIR NAMES AND NUMBERS ARE BELOW.
Zoning and Ethics Committee that will vote August 6
Tina Ward-Pugh, co-chair, 1st ward, 574-3908;
Barbara Gregg, co-chair, 2nd Ward, 574-3795;
Dan Johnson, 6th Ward, 574-3850
George Melton, 7th Ward, 574-3918
George Unseld, 10th Ward, 574-3915
Lawrence Montgomery, 11th Ward, 574-3919
Denise Bentley, 9th Ward, 574-3254
Others who may attend and will eventually vote.
Bill Allison, 3rd Ward that represents the Bonnycastle area,
may vote, too, since he represents that area. 574-3797;
Cyril Allgeier, 4th Ward 574-3855;
Steve Magre, 5th Ward, 574-3793;
Cheri Bryant Hamilton, 12th Ward, 574-3905
Greg Handy, 8th Ward, 574-3914;
Mayor David Armstrong
Department of Inspections, Permits, & Licenses 574-3321
Letters to the editor would be quite helpful and greatly
appreciated. Also, we need as many people as possible to be
present at City Hall August 6, 3 pm and August 13, 6 pm.
For specific inquiries: Stephen Bayers 458-9733.
Thank you for your help and support.
Most Sincerely,
Bonnycastle Homestead association.
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Letter to Courier Journal:
From: "doug lowry" <wiredlow@hotmail.com>
To: cjletter@courier-journal.com CC: wiredlow@hotmail.com
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2002 00:09:44 +0000
The CJ recently ran an article praising GLI for its effectiveness in reaching its goals, but ran an editorial pondering why Bonnycastle wouldn’t want a Cogan hi-rise.
Don’t get me wrong: GLI deserves praise and the Cogan development will be a quality construction, I’m sure.
Five years ago, Louisville set out on a 12-year quest to transform itself from a nice-but-average city into ''one of the most competitive locations for business in the United States.'' It has come a long way toward goal achievement, but it won’t get there without strong effective neighborhoods.
Since the CJ has planted itself editorially as pro-merger and considered the Brookings report so generously, it needs to reconsider its approach to neighborhoods. The Courier could and should do more to help neighborhoods live up to their native role of local control of quality of life and hold others entities accountable for their role in negatively impacting whatever criteria neighborhoods rightly define as their quality of life.
Someone needs to help the CJ understand why a neighborhood such as Fairdale or Bonnycastle feels the way it does (rightly or wrongly) about the Cogan developments. Someone needs to prod the CJ to critique the business community when it works over and around instead of with neighborhoods.
What would it take for the CJ to praise LCON or an individual neighborhood association (like Bonnycastle) for achieving it goals? What critiques did the CJ offer to GLI's measurement of success, given that many of these successes will produce many of the very things the Brookings Institution report warns against?
In my opinion, neighborhoods’ reactions to the Cogan projects are symptomatic of a larger problem. The Bonnycastle Neighborhood Association is doing its part to build quality of life for the City of Louisville, which is now the de jure factor in measuring a city's efforts to build economic vitality. In this model, neighborhoods move from the warm and fuzzy Wednesday part of the paper to the daily business news section.
As a community we seem to be shoving neighborhoods and local interests out of the way as we selectively “develop” our community. What seems like progress and economic development, however winsome to some, doesn't look so great when you are in the shadow of it. Just ask the neighbors of Cardinal Stadium, the airport, or Brownsboro Crossing’s neighbors!
Why didn't the Courier take the time to suppose why neighborhoods like Bonnycastle want to be left out of the “development” plan--look at the Bullitt property development by Oxmoor, the decision to build Ohio River bridges and other massive projects that have grave potential to adversely affect quality of life in Louisville/Jefferson County. Look at the cost and continued negative impact of the airport expansion as an example of “success”. It looks great from an east-end McMansion, but not so nice from Beechmont!
Neighborhoods are skittish on merger and the CJ’s editorial doesn’t help. Although I can understand the tenor of the CJ's editorial position, I am confident that the people who live and invest themselves daily in Bonnycastle know what they do and don't want in their neighborhood. It is clear that neighborhoods believe the operational mentality of the powers-that-be with neighborhoods is more "do to" than "do with".
A better editorial might have asked why certain alderman were not present to cast a vote one way or the other on the moratorium and why alderman did or didn't vote for the continued moratorium, which clearly better fit a neighborhood plan that had been worked on for so long by so many. Since Bill Allison won't be serving the area in January, the CJ should ask if it isn’t incumbent upon other alderman to represent the wishes of the people who live there. Is that the model we want alderman who will become council members to follow? Doesn't the CJ want to encourage the sanctity of local control by the people who live there, especially among the whole body of the Metro Council?
If the Courier is interested in building a better Louisville, then it needs to takes it role of understanding, editorializing, and reporting on its home city's neighborhoods more seriously. The Courier needs to be more critical of the business community and the impact of decisions that are clearly more gut wrenching at the neighborhood level than they are from the editorial offices of the CJ, the aldermanic chambers or the 38th floor of the PNC building. The CJ should ask if development decisions---individually and collectively---pass muster with the general principals that the Brookings report and the principles of neighborliness suggest.
The Courier seems to lack the capacity to wax reflective on economic development that in Jefferson County is all too often a choice among evils. Neighborhoods are not just about festivals and recipes, but about building the spirit of the community and cooking up successes in its individual corners. The CJ needs to build that spirit, not bash it.
Doug Lowry
5700 Southland Blvd
Louisville, Kentucky 40214
502-500-3482
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Land Development Code
From: "Michael Baugh" <baughfam@bellsouth.net>
Date: Sat Jul 27, 2002 9:41 am
Subject: Re: [Louisville_Neighborhoods] Land Development Code
A repeat on John's reminder that the next meeting to discuss
the Land Development Code is on August 1st at 5:30, and you
can view the current version at
http://www.jefferson.ky.us/PlanDev/LDC.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: johnbaker40206 <Johnbaker@bellsouth.net>
To: <Louisville_Neighborhoods@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2002 11:23 AM
Subject: [Louisville_Neighborhoods] Land Development Code
> Hello! Below is an announcement regarding the draft land development
> code and Clifton's suggested response.
>
> The Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission has held
> three public hearings on sections of the draft land development code.
> The third public hearing, held yesterday on July 18, covered the
> complete land development code, including revised versions of
> sections previously released. This public hearing also covered the
> new Form District Map. The Planning Commission continued this public
> hearing to August 1, at 5:30 p.m. at the Old Jail Building, 514 W.
> Liberty Street. Comments on the draft land development code continue
> to be taken, and can be forwarded to Planning and
> Development Services staff at plandev@co.jefferson.ky.us
> <mailto:plandev@co.jefferson.ky.us>, or faxed to (502)574-8129, or
> forwarded
> to the following address: 531 Court Place, Suite 900, Louisville, KY
> 40202.
>
> The Clifton Community Council strongly urges everyone to respond to
> the DLC. We particularly urge all neighborhood to support
> Neighborhood Plans. Specifically, this means having inserted in
> Chapter 11 - Development Review Process the following:
>
> 11.4.2, 11.5A, and 11.5B: "Change shall be in compliance with the
> established Neighborhood Plan".
>
> Thanks,
> John Baker
> Clifton
>
>
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CART & the Bus Riders Union's Voter Registration Campaign.
> Kathleen Burke is project mgr for CART & the Bus Riders Union's Voter
Registration Campaign.
> We'd like to alert LCON to the campaign & the transportation policy we
are asking candidates to sign.
> It may be that LCON would like to endorse the policy.
> Can the policy & info on the campaign be published on the LCON web page?
> Kathleen, please take over from here.
> Thanks all.
> jackie
>
> Jackie Green
> Executive Director
> Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transportation
> 222 South First Street #200
> Louisville KY 40202
> 502 589 2278
> CART@iglou.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: kathleen burke [SMTP:kathleenmariaburke@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 4:04 PM
> To: jackie green
> Subject: louisville coalit. neigborhoods next mtg.- 9/12 6:30pm
>
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People's Agenda
Invitation to Neighborhood Groups to Participate in ongoing People's Agenda Development
The "Conference for a People's Agenda" was convened August 24, 2002 to develop a common community based People's Agenda for Louisville, Kentucky in the face of the creation of new government under City-County merger.
The conference synthesized several hundred policy proposals in areas such as Civil and Human Rights, Community Governance, Criminal Justice, Economic Development through Community Empowerment, Housing, Education and Youth Empowerment, Environment, Health, Human Services and Workers Rights. Over 32 community organizations participated in the call for the conference, and many more are becoming involved. As organizers point out,
"The event was a major success and was historic because it brought together in a working setting such a wide diversity of people and groups, something that had not happened on this scale in Louisville in anyone's memory - and also because there was a spirit of hope and commitment as participants realized that with all of us working together we really do have the power to shape the future of our community."
To learn how you or your organizations can participate in the development of the People's Agenda, take a look at our Campaign Strategy.
Contact information:
- Telephone
- CompanyPhone
- FAX
- CompanyFAX
- Postal address
- CompanyAddress
- Electronic mail
- General Information:
-
peoplesagenda@iglou.com
web: http://peoplesagenda.org
- Listserv email discussion egroup for "peoplesagenda" - to subscribe, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/peoplesagenda/ or click on the button below to subscribe and submit your email address:
Click to subscribe to peoplesagenda
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