Mar. 28, 2009 - Stephen Foster Neighborhood Weblog

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Mar. 15, 2009 - Robert Pearce meeting update

3/13/09

Fellow Neighbors,

At our March 12 neighborhood meeting there was much discussion
regarding the recent special city commission meeting dealing with the
cleanup standard requirement and the potential land use change on the
Koppers site.

Lest there be any misapprehension about the presentation I made on
behalf of the neighborhood at the city commission meeting, below are
the verbatim excerpts from that presentation relating to the issues
raised at Thursday’s meeting.

“I have provided you with a Resolution from the Neighborhood
Association requesting remediation of the site to residential cleanup
target levels.  That is our strong desire.

“If the city commission ultimately determines that in fact the
residential cleanup standard over the entire site is an impossibility,
then at the very least, on the western portion of the property where
it abuts the residential single family neighborhood, the requirement
there, at least, should be to residential cleanup target levels.

“The western portion of the parcel is also where residential cleanup
target levels could most easily and affordably be attained, because
this is where logs are stored prior to treatment, in contrast to the
post-treatment storage area on the east.  Neither would any of the
four primary source contaminant areas have to be substantially
involved, which are outlined in red on this map.

“I would also argue that MU-1 land use would be a much more
appropriate and compatible land use than MU-2 (city staff’s proposal),
at least on the western half of the parcel.

“In contrast (to MU-2), a land use designation that includes a
detached residential component, such as MU-1, would yield a more
robust and desirable residential cleanup requirement.

“A cleanup to residential standards, at least on the western half of
the property, would allow for redevelopment that is the least toxic,
and the most compatible for the location.”

I hope this alleviates any confusion that may have developed from the
discussion at Thursday’s meeting.

Copies of the entire verbatim transcript of the 3/9/09 presentation
are available here: "koppers_land_use_presentation_Robert_Pearce".
Both the 3/9/09 PowerPoint presentation titled “Koppers Land Use
Designation” and the 5/1/08 PowerPoint presentation titled “Koppers
Air, Ground, and Water Pollution” are available on the city commission
web page (see City Commision - 3/9/2009) links are on the last page of the Agenda.PDF.

Video CD/DVD of both the 5/1/08 and 3/9/09 special city commission meetings are available through the city clerk.

Sincerely,

Robert Pearce

Mar. 13, 2009 - Minutes from March 12, 2009 meeting

Stephen Foster Neighborhood Association

Minutes

to March 12, 2009 meeting held at

3403 NW 13 Street, Parkview Baptist Church

Gainesville, FL

1. Meeting opened at 6PM by Robert Pearce

2. Agenda approved voice vote.

3. Old Business

A. GPD Crime Report

Audrey Mazzuca (“mazooka”), Gainesville Police Department, Corporal, spoke on three (3) incidents occurring in past reporting period including a strong-arm robbery. Wes will place her e-address our blog. She will send to SFNA the right-of-way parking rules under debate. Denny Bellsheim, StFstr resident achieved cancellation of parking tickets written in his area through direct citizen protests. Phoning, complaining and distributing a flier got tickets torn-up, thrown out.

Discussion on right of way. Who's city is this anyway ! With Cpl Mazzuca's help it is realized that ticket citations are issued by overzealous Police Service Technicians and not by GPD Officers. She also advised that certain neighborhoods are authorized for on-street parking while other neighborhoods are not. Cpl. Mazucca will investigate and report back on right-of-way ticketing. GPD will issue parking ticket when investigating a complaint received but only then and GPD doesn't arbitrarily issue tickets when they see a car parked on side of road for the fun of it.

Shall we invite Commissioner Poe to our meeting to confront this dilemma? Should SFNAssoc. committee be started to investigate further ?

B. Name of out organization

Poll from our blog was 8 votes for Stephen Foster Neighborhood Association. It outscored any other name. Much discussion. Some felt too few votes were gotten no matter how they were collected. Ron Nichols states we waste too much time on this naming issue. Others felt we had well used the time on this naming because after all an fine sounding name wins people over.

Motion by Deidre PASSED that name should properly be Stephen Foster Neighborhood Association. Others unsatisfied with voice vote. Hand-count obtained a slim margin 15 for Association and 14 hands agin' it. More dissatisfaction with results because we don't have a true definition of what a neighborhood 'association' really means. More discussion.

Can our organization name be re-voted in future? Discussion on fairness of too high reliance on blog to get fair representation of SFN area residents. Some seniors have no 'puter or use blog. Suggestion we table naming matter till election of the organization's new officers.

100. Map of Stephen Foster Neighborhood Association

Where are the signs that state 'paradise' located ?

Map boundaries. Shall we include north of 39^th Ave.? Officer Mazucca will survey and find out and report back to us if those residents are interested in SFN people like us.

500. We are sad that John Wechtel, City government did not join us this evening. It's reported we can get larger sized street sign for the neighborhood. Price of bus stop shelter is $6000 and no other prices exist. That is lowest price.

1. March 24 election. Candidate's Forum March 22 Sunday night 7:00PM. Cheryl, Secretary of Parkview Baptist Church, 378-2606 invites everybody. All candidates will be there. Join candidates as they answer questions and share their vision for City of Gainesville.

Cheryl also advises we publicize better because folks continually say how they don't know when, where or whom is running the SFNA meetings. Recommended is use of Gainesville Sun who provides free notification service to get an event published in the Scene magazine section of the Sun.

E. Parking on Right of Way.

4. Committee Reports

A. Phone notification network.

Polling Committee ? To call people to notify 'bout important things such as meeting schedules? Sharon Sheets and Ron Nichols will investigate.

B. Tree Committee.

5. Officers reports.

A. Koppers. Sharon reports March 9 Koppers Updart Special Meeting very discouraging. Koppers sent no representatives. She advises how important citizen involvement is on Koppers issues. This includes dust.

1. What standard to seek with Koppers. Much discussion.

   Residential or mixed industrial commercial. Minutes from Feb 12 SFNA meeting express we seek residential standards at Koppers site. Robert counsels that standard unobtainable and we will stand better chance at more acceptable reasonable MU, Mixed Use because residential level too high and is an unobtainable level no matter how good it might sound. Mixed Use allows lots of mixtures of uses according to Robert. He warns why go to a place that's guaranteed to fail.

Feb 12 minutes should not have stated residential 'land-use' level but a different residential

term.

Discussion on what was presented to City regarding this group's preference of clean-up level. Many voices. Many opine that we go for most grand or ideal result rather than aim too lowly at the beginning and be forced to 'eat' what they give us. Other voices complain the Association not getting its views properly presented by officers so a new election of officers needed.

Meeting adjourned on or about 7:40PM

Mar. 12, 2009 - Agenda - March 12, 2009 Meeting

Stephen Foster Neighborhood Association
Meeting Agenda
3/12/09
Parkview Baptist Church Voting Room
6:00 P.M.

1.    Call meeting to order
2.    Approval of the agenda
3.    Old business
    A.    GPD crime report/discussion/ introducing Cpl. Audrey Mazzuca (10 minutes)
    B.    Name of the neighborhood organization/survey response (10 minutes)
            Survey responses:
                 Stephen Foster Neighborhood Association    8
                Other                    0
    C.    Neighborhood northern boundary/survey response (10 minutes)
        1.    Survey responses:
                Keep same (39th Avenue)        3
                Extend                2
                More info/Poll northern area    6
        2.    Amend maps to reflect accurate “original”
        3.    How to incorporate if so desired
        4.    Establish polling committee if needed
    D.    $15,000 Neighborhood Planning Program Grant disposition update/potential projects and costs
            (10 minutes)
        1.    Stephen Foster Neighborhood identification/decorative signs
                12“x 24“on steel posts installed (30+ potential entrances)    $140/each
            With additional traffic calming logo “Watch for Children”
                18”x24” on steel posts installed                TBD
        2.    Trees                
            Ornamental/fruit                             $100-$150/each   
            Shade trees from city                        Free
        3.    Bus shelters/ROW/easement acquisition                $6,000 /each
        4.    Change out all green and white street signs in neighborhood to black
                and white w/old names/price to research old names (Wachtel) TBD
        5.    Neighborhood park/playground/garden    Parkview Baptist    Church    TBD
    E.    Parking in Right of Way (10 minutes)

4.    Committee reports (3 minutes)
    A.    Phone notification network
    B.    Tree committee/will have update in April/Community Development Dept interns (maps)

5.    Officers reports (10 minutes)
    A.    President
        1.    Koppers Update/Special City Commission Meeting re land use change/Cleanup                         Requirement
        2.    Notifications being sent to president by city re all developments in city/distribute on                     blog?
        3.    Allow Political Action Committee (PAC) and/or Candidate presentations at our                         meetings?  Participate as co-sponsors in upcoming Candidate Forum at Church?
    B.    Vice President
        1.    Neighborhood liaison – support whatever neighborhood votes on 
    C.    Communications Director
        1.    Blog update/notification when submissions or comments are made
        2.    Sign-up List, Suggestion/comment cards
        3.    Meeting notice signs – committee to create signs
    D.    Secretary
        1.    Minutes
 

Mar. 5, 2009 - Koppers - Sunday March 8 at the Parkview Baptist Church

March 4, 2009

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

A special meeting of the Gainesville City Commission will be held at City Hall on Monday, March 9 at 1 PM to discuss changing the Future Land Use designation on the Koppers Superfund Cleanup Site to something other than the current Industrial land use—with the possibility of potential redevelopment of the 90-acre parcel to residential and mixed-use development sometime in the future.

The Koppers site was designated a Federal Superfund Cleanup Site over 25 years ago.  There has still been no cleanup of the site—with numerous, significant undesirable consequences.

The discussion will heavily involve the Record of Decision soon to be issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.  The Record of Decision will dictate the level of cleanup required on the site by the “responsible parties”—either to residential or industrial cleanup standards.  A representative from USEPA will be at the meeting.

This will be a pivotal meeting regarding the long overdue cleanup of this site and the future potential redevelopment of the parcel to a more compatible and environmentally friendly use in the future.

This will be the only issue on the agenda.

If these matters are of concern to you, please attend the March 9 meeting.  It is important for people to simply be there, whether you choose to speak or not.

There will be a preparatory meeting for interested persons at 2 PM on Sunday March 8 at the Parkview Baptist Church Voting room.

Thank you for your support,

Robert Pearce

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