Monthly Archives: November 2011

RSVP Meeting to discuss traffic calming and rain gardens, 12/7

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Some of us have requested a special meeting to discuss traffic calming and rain garden options that could be added to the 2012 Prior-Goodrich RSVP project. That meeting will be held 6:30-8:30pm, Wednesday, 7 December 2011 at the Hillcrest Recreation Center at 1978 Ford Parkway.

The neighbors on Lincoln Avenue will be talking about some ideas they are working on for their street, and how some of those features could be added around the rest of the neighborhood for a bigger impact on traffic. City and watershed district staff will be there to listen to the ideas and to help answer questions regarding what is feasible and what might work well for this neighborhood. Hope to see you there!

Lincoln Avenue Contacts: Eric Celeste, efc@clst.org, 651-323-2009 and
Steve Gorg, stevegorg@yahoo.com, 651-334-7624. City Project Manager: Lisa Falk-Thompson, lisa.falk-thompson@ci.stpaul.mn.us, 651-266-6117.

Traffic Calming as part of RSVP

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About 15 Lincoln Avenue neighbors met at Eric’s house on 11/22 to discuss traffic calming options as part of the RSVP project. We were joined by our city council member Russ Stark, Public Art Administrator Regina Flanagan, and Forrest Kelley of the Capitol Region Watershed District.

We discussed options including traffic circles, bumpouts, speed bumps, pedestrian crossings, greenway, one way, public art, and rain gardens. Considering the timing of the RSVP project and the imperatives of making decisions about “concrete” quickly, we decided to focus our conversation on a traffic circle at Lincoln and Prior, bumpouts along Lincoln, and rain gardens.

Read on for details! Continue reading →

Permit parking petition has enough signatures!

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Sara Mountain got the word today that her Area 21 parking permit petition has passed it’s first test: she got enough signatures! A big thanks to Sara and Mike who hiked around the neighborhood this summer and fall getting signatures. Here’s what they learned in an email from Elizabeth Stiffler today:

This email is to inform you that Traffic Engineering has received a sufficient petition to modify Permit Parking Area 21 in the following ways:

1) Add the north side of Lincoln Avenue from 1943 through 2009, and the south side of Lincoln from 1944 through 2022.

2) Change the restrictions for all of Area 21 to 8 am to 5 pm, Mon-Fri, September 1-April 30, Except Holidays.

The petition contains 74 out of 111 signatures or 67%. At the time the petition was issued, the minimum percentage for a sufficient petition was 60%. Since then the City Code was modified and therefore the minimum for any future petition to modify the area will be 75%.

I am working that Mac Groveland District Council have a public meeting with the affected property owners about these changes. Possible dates discussed were Monday, December 12th or 19th. The changes would go to City Council for a public hearing in January and go into affect 30 days after approved. Sign installation will be weather dependent.

Our parking permit page has more information on this effort.

Burglaries in Mac-Groveland, 11/30

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Due to a number of recent burglaries in Macalester-Groveland (east of Snelling Avenue), the Community Council is holding a community meeting with the Saint Paul Police Department on Wednesday, November 30th at 7:00pm. Come to this neighborhood meeting to learn more about recent crime trends in the neighborhood, as well as crime prevention tips and information. Continue reading →

Meeting to Discuss Calming, 11/22

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Steve Gorg and Eric Celeste invite everyone to a meeting to discuss traffic calming options associate with the RSVP project. We will meet on Tuesday evening, 11/22, at 5:30pm at Eric’s house, 1993 Lincoln Avenue. Monica Beeman, a Saint Paul traffic engineer, and Russ Stark, our city council member, will both be present learn what we are thinking about and help answer questions. Whether you like options like curb bumpouts and traffic circles or not, please join us so we get a full sense of what the neighborhood wants to see. Contact Eric at 323-2009 with questions.

First RSVP Meeting for Prior/Goodrich Project

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Lisa Falk-Thompson, the project engineer for our “Prior/Goodrich RSVP” project, hosted the first public meeting about this project on Tuesday 11/15/11 at the Pilgrim Lutheran Church on Saint Clair. RSVP stands for the “Residential Street Vitality Program” in Saint Paul. It is the effort that puts real curbs and pavement on our neighborhood streets. Our RSVP project is being designed now (Fall 2011), will see construction begin in Spring 2012 (probably February), and should be completed by Fall 2012 (though a final pavement may await Spring 2013).

A number of utilities that run under the street will also be updated. Sewers will be checked, water mains will be replaced, gas lines will probably be updated, and electricity for street lighting will move underground to supply the new street lamps that are part of the project. Other utilities from the allies (cable, other electricity, phone) will not be moved under the street.

75% of the cost of RSVP is covered by the city and street improvement bonds, the other 25% is assessed to owners. Lisa expects the cost to owners will come in at about $60 per foot of street front property (a typical house has a 40 foot street front), but that cost may change before the assessment is made in Fall 2012.

We are starting a new “RSVP” section on this website to hold more details and contacts for our project.