Louisville District 8 ENews: The 40-Year-Old Version Edition

Press release from the City of Louisville:

September 23, 2020

Welcome: Give Every Day

There are 100 days left in the year 2020 and Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4) and I want to make the most of them. They are the last 100 days of our terms in office. So, as Councilwoman Smith and I continue to work together to make lasting change on issues like public safety budgeting, police use of force and accountability policies, we have also made a to-do list (with the help of Councilwoman Nicole George (D-21)) to build up our city a little bit each day between now and 2021 – and we need your help to get it done.

Given the world as it is, we hope everyone from all local economic sectors can come together and participate in whatever form or fashion they are able. The list includes big and small things. There are opportunities to give of your time, talent or treasure. Barbara and I will be burning up the phone lines and wearing holes in the soles of our shoes, and we invite you to join us. If one or more of the following is a good fit for your family, business or organization, then please contact me so we can count you in and coordinate action. We expect great cooperation and support from the administration and our Metro Council colleagues, so while the list is aspirational it is also achievable. It has been a long, hard year – and it will likely continue to be – but a lot of good can still happen over the next 100 days.

So, as a community, let’s find homes for 100 people; pass Breonna's Law in 100 cities; expunge 100 non-violent criminal records; register 100 voters; mow 100 vacant and abandoned lots; fill 100 potholes; repair 100 sidewalks; clean 100 alleys and 100 blocks; install or repair 100 litter bins; replace or remove 100 damaged street signs; remove 100 graffiti tags; turn on 100 porch lights; pull 100 weeded areas; place plants on 100 porches; deliver 100 blankets, 100 bicycles and helmets and 100 gun locks; paint 100 murals; create 100 jobs; connect 100 black-owned businesses; honor 100 living legends; deliver 100 Dare to Care packages; make 100 mobile market stops; and tow 100 abandoned vehicles.

We can replace 100 burned out streetlights; bail out 100 non-violent offenders; plant 100 trees; give 100 flu shots and 100 COVID tests; donate 100 vehicles and 100 laptops; install 100 hotspots; facilitate 100 dialogues; plant 100 gardens; get 100 people to quit smoking; adopt 100 pets; donate 100 winter coats; bank 100 unbanked people; give 100 small business grants; take 100 first time trips to the zoo; share 100 poems; maintain 100 gravesites; check 100 smoke detectors; remove 100 lead pipes; make 100 dentist appointments; apply for 100 homestead exemptions; support 100 book clubs; find 100 new parks volunteers; and give swim lessons to 100 kids.

We will give 100 physical exams, install 100 rain barrels; give out 100 new library cards; donate 100 musical instruments; install 100 compost bins; enroll 100 college students; read 100 stories to children; donate 100 tax services; give 100 cancer screenings; clean 100 catch basins; identify 100 vacant/abandoned properties; visit 100 new local businesses; make 100 home repairs for seniors; enroll 100 uninsured individuals into health coverage; prepare 100 wills and testaments; support 100 local farmers; run or walk 100 miles for charity; refer 100 people to Code Louisville and 100 people to the Kentucky Manufacturing Career Center; sign up 100 new SummerWorks employers, 100 new Meals on Wheels recipients, 100 poll workers and 100 Co-Immunity Project participants; make 100 new $100 Friends of the Louisville Free Public Library; and facilitate 100 interfaith experiences.

Just imagine when we facilitate 100 workplace racial bias trainings; train 100 people in youth mental health first aid and 100 people in neighborhood leadership; facilitate 100 METCO loans; enroll 100 new business association members; train 100 people in Land Use 101; donate 100 tanks of gas; collect 100 pounds of unused and expired prescription drugs; remove 100 illegal "We Buy Houses" signs; return 100 stolen shopping carts; recycle 100 illegally-dumped tires; enroll 100 people in the Welcome Academy; subscribe 100 people to GlobalLou eNews; hold 100 Silver Sneaker outdoor events; refer 100 people to Thrive Center programs; identify 100 potential local historic landmarks; recruit 100 new Friends of Metro Animal Services; train 100 people to administer Naloxone; get 100 people to give blood; build or stock 100 Little Free Libraries; observe 100 moments of silence; take 100 first time hikers to Jefferson Memorial Forest; recruit 100 new Big Brothers and Big Sisters; remove the boards from 100 buildings; and smile 100,000 times.

So far as 100-day-plans go, it is far from perfect but the idea is there. This is how we get better: all hands on deck and making an effort, one day at a time.

For the latest news, resources and government response to the coronavirus pandemic, please visit these local, state and federal websites. For breaking news and information, please follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you have a question or comment, please email me at: brandon.coan@louisvilleky.gov (and copy jasmine.weatherby@louisvilleky.gov) or call: (502) 574-1108. If you have a service request, please call Metro 311 or visit Metro311 online. Visit the District 8 Strategic Plan page here.

District 8 Streets Report: Brass Tactics

In this space, we provide updates on major projects and report on upcoming (scheduled and funded) streets and other infrastructure improvements.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Metro Traffic Engineering continue to review the data and possible alternatives as they begin to implement the Bardstown Road Safety Study. For example, it appears Baxter Avenue (Highland Avenue) to Eastern Parkway has been selected as the primary study area for restriping and turn lanes at the signalized intersections, with the potential of expanding the modifications further once this area has been reviewed and implemented. I am optimistic these and other modifications such as respacing certain bus stops can be made before winter but at the current pace I do not foresee any major, permanent changes until spring, with the potential exception being further enhanced lighting.

Back in summer 2019, my office – led by former intern Spencer Schumacher – engaged the administration (led by Mobility Coordinator James Graham) to pilot designated scooter parking areas along the Bardstown Road corridor to address the haphazard practice of riders leaving their dockless vehicles wherever they darn well please, creating accessibility, tripping and other problems. Happily, after a lot of work, the initial nine scooter parking locations are being installed this week. Watch for these roughly 3’x8’ stencil markings, which can be adjusted depending on the size of the right-of-way. Scooter operators have been provided the GPS coordinates of the parking areas and riders will receive graphical push notifications directing and offering them financial incentives to park accordingly. In the future, geofencing will be used to tighten regulation and enforcement.

In spring 2019, I wrote about the first wave of “stump poles” we got removed in District 8 and elsewhere. Now, thanks to Cherokee Triangle resident Jackie Cobb, we are poised to do one better. Jackie has documented at least a dozen new stump poles on her walks around the neighborhood, which I have routed to the Department of Public Works and the utilities who own the infrastructure. As a result, AT&T had field forces working over the weekend to survey the list of locations we reported and pulled some of the poles. Others can’t yet be removed because other providers’ facilities are still attached but we are following up with an in-the-field meeting to discuss stump pole concerns, update AT&T’s removal efforts and address how best to report newly identified stump poles. We will be doing the same thing with LG&E (and Spectrum and others), which is pulling poles as part of the project, as well. Moreover, we are changing policy. Effective October, the Right of Way Guide & Utility Policy will require that “Unused or abandoned poles shall be removed immediately by the pole owner once the pole becomes unused or abandoned. Poles that have attachments remaining after a replacement pole has been placed nearby shall remove the replaced pole after sixty (60) days. The attachment owners shall be notified of the poles removal and the attachment owners shall make arrangements to move the attachments to the replacement pole.” Along with this, our goal is to have transparency tools for stump pole locations made available by the end of the year.

Last week (9/16), we presented things to consider to the Upper Highlands Neighborhood Association, as stakeholders continue to decide what they would like to see at the “Hayfield-Dundee Pocket Park” site. View the presentation here and complete this survey to share your input with the design team and get involved in the project. Based on the totality of discussions to date, we will deliver two clear plan options for adjacent property owners and neighbors to choose from: one “Trees and Trail” concept and another, more basic green space concept. Whatever the consensus is, we will work hard to bring the best version of the chosen option to life. The survey will close on Friday, October 9 at 5:00pm and I expect to publish the final plans in this space on October 21.

For the second year in a row (May-September), we hired Sweep All to mitigate the litter problem on Bardstown Road. It is a persistent issue that will only really change along with the function, form and culture of the roadway itself; nevertheless, as this report shows, the investment has made a difference. We began this year’s program on May 20 and concluded it on September 2. Due to budget constraints and the impact of COVID-19, the frequency of service was changed from twice a week hand collection to once per week. The service was initially performed on Wednesdays from 2:00-6:00pm by four persons totaling 16 hours; it was later moved to Mondays to better address the trash from the weekend. The street sweeping, however, was increased for the same time period to weekly versus every other week previously and continued to be performed on Wednesdays.

Over the course of the program, approximately thirty-four (34) 45-gallon full bags of trash were handpicked from the hardscapes, adjoining landscape and curbs. This marked a reduction from 6-7 bags per week last year to an average of two large bags per week this year, excluding the first two weeks of the program when four and three bags were removed, respectively.

The road was swept from E. Broadway to Harvard Drive on a weekly basis. Due to the reduction of bar and restaurant business, the amount of roadway debris was approximately one quarter (25%) of the volume from the past year, totaling an estimated 5-6 cubic yards versus 20 cubic yards previously.

There are four areas where trash is the heaviest: the southwest corner at Eastern Parkway; the Mid City Mall bus stop; the northeast and southeast corners at Grinstead Drive (although, the entire intersection is a problem); and the 900 block of Baxter Avenue. The issues range from overflowing litter bins to homelessness and, so, we will target and tailor our response accordingly in partnership with human services providers, the Division of Solid Waste Management Services and local businesses. We are getting better at this, though, and continue to receive positive feedback from business owners, customers and even commuters. Please help us keep the Highlands clean and healthy!

Over the Next Two Weeks

Paving

Beverly Rd; Cross Rd; Ingleside Dr* (Woodbourne-Brookside); and Woodbourne Ave (Valetta-Cherosen)

*Ingleside Drive, which is concrete from Brookside Dr to Dead End, will be completed later this season, along with the rest of the FY 2021 Paving Plan.

Sidewalks

2108 and 2120-2130 Baringer Ave; 1615-1625 Beechwood Ave; 2230 Blvd Napoleon; 2124-2136 Cherokee Pkwy; 1828 Deer Park Ave; 1508 Goddard Ave; 2501 Grinstead Dr (concrete pad/litter bin); and 2171 Winston Ave (concrete pad/litter bin).

Scheduling information is subject to change. Visit the District 8 Streets Information page here.

District 8 Development Report: The Slow Build

In this space, we report on District 8 planning and zoning activity from the past two weeks and, also, preview activity scheduled for the next two weeks. All information is as of today’s date. Please Subscribe & Stay Informed to receive Notification of Development Proposals via email or text and never miss the opportunity to participate in the development process.

Over the Last Two Weeks

On September 14, the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BOZA) approved a proposed variance to allow a proposed hotel to exceed the maximum height of 45 feet by up to 4.75 feet at 1125 and 1131 Bardstown Road. 20-VARIANCE-0066

On September 16, the Architectural Review Committee approved a proposal for a retaining wall at 927 Cherokee Road. 20-COA-0113

Over the Next Two Weeks

All meetings will be held online: https://louisvilleky.gov/gover...

On September 28 at 1:00pm, BOZA will hold a public meeting to review a variance to allow a structure to encroach into the required front yard setback on an infill lot at 1613 Rosewood Ave. 20-VARIANCE-0094

On October 1 at 1:00pm, the Planning Commission will hold a public meeting to review a proposed change in zoning from R-5, single-family residential to R-6, multi-family residential with detailed district development plan and landscaping waiver at 1616 Rosewood Avenue. 20-ZONE-0058

Click here to view meeting agendas, download supporting documents and live-stream all planning and zoning public meetings. Visit the District 8 Development Information page here.

District 8 Crime Report: IOU

The Crime Report relies on 5th Division Weekly Crime Updates provided by LMPD. Unfortunately, they have experienced technical and other difficulties over the reporting period 9/6/20 - 9/19/20, so we commit to catching up on these data and sharing the report via social media and/or otherwise as soon as possible. In the meantime, please refer back to this June report for instructions on how to use the resources below that we are able to provide at this time. I am sorry for the inconvenience.

2020 over 2019 District 8 CompStat Data (Period 2020 37)

CrimeMapping.com

2020 District 8 “Unlocked” Crimes Tracker through 9/5/20

Q3: 37/110 = 33.6%

Q2: 38/138 = 27.5%

Q1: 50/157 = 33.8%

2019: 182/492 = 37%

2018: 206/581 = 35.5%

If you have any questions or want to discuss anything in these crime reports, please email LMPD 5th Division District Resource Officers at: 5thdivlmpd@louisvilleky.gov. Visit the District 8 Crime Information page here.

District 8 Events Calendar: The Fortnight Ahead

This listing is primarily a District 8 business calendar. We’ll also highlight annual and special events affecting traffic and street closures, and choice events that are free and open to the public. We’ll use social media to promote many others. For event location and other information, click here to visit District 8 Events online.

SEPTEMBER 24 7:00pm Tyler Park Neighborhood Association Meeting

SEPTEMBER 28 1:00pm BOZA Public Meeting 20-VARIANCE-0094 1613 Rosewood Ave

7:00pm District 8 Advisory Board Meeting

SEPTEMBER 30 8:30am Highland Commerce Guild Meeting

OCTOBER 1 1:00pm Planning Commission Public Meeting 20-ZONE-0058 1616 Rosewood Ave

7:00pm City of Kingsley Meeting

OCTOBER 7 6:30pm Highlands-Douglass Neighborhood Association Meeting

8 Shout-Outs: The Grateful 8th

This is a flexible space for giving thanks, saying hi to friends and having a little fun.

1. Shout-out to my friend and colleague Councilwoman Jessica Green (D-1) and welcome to the world her son, Mr. Lennox David Robinson! LDR: your mama is the conscience of this Louisville Metro Council and you should be just as proud of her as she is of you!
2. Shout-out and happy birthday (today!) to my friend and colleague, Jeff Noble, who I’ve enjoyed more than a decade of political conversation with, now, and the best is yet to come!
3. Shout-out to my former neighborhood and the Deer Park Neighborhood Association for taking on the issue of alley beautification in the most holistic manner I have seen yet, locally! If you are an artist who would be interested in contributing to this effort or if you believe your Deer Park alley should get a makeover, please email: President@DeerParkLouisville.com – my office is ready to help!
4. (Speaking of which,) Shout-out to Deer Park resident Mark Rubenstein and company for birthing another great local independent business, Atrium Brewing, in the Shelby Park neighborhood!
5. Shout-out to TreesLouisville, in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, for providing another 700 free trees (and 2,975 trees in the past year!) to Louisville residents at no cost! Hey, @treeslouisville, can you help us to plant 100 more over the next 100 days? Call me! :)
6. Shout-out to the University of District 8 – Bellarmine University – for making a Public Price Promise so that students may now attend BU for state school costs! That’s one giant leap for equity in higher education and an example for other American private schools at all levels to follow!
7. Shout-out and Shana Tova, Good 5781 to Jewish Louisville! May it be a sweet, healthy and happy year for people of all faiths!
8. 8. Finally, shout-out to all of my family and friends – and most of all you, ASA – for making my birthday the ultimate reminder of how lucky and thankful I am to have you in my life!

In Two Weeks: The Falling So Long Edition

Thanks for reading, and tune back in two weeks!

This press release was produced by the City of Louisville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.