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The big, scary news this pre-Halloween week is that, according to CM Rheinnecker's newsletter, Kirkwood Electric will need to increase electricity rates by 15% in the coming year to dig itself out of a somewhat precarious financial position. This news comes on the heels of a 27% increase in the average water bill announced in the Spring, and together the two hikes constitute a significant escalation of the cost of living in Kirkwood. I have a lot of thoughts on this (too many for the opening paragraph of a weekly newsletter), and I hope to get something down on paper by the middle of next week. Until then, I will simply state that there will soon be a very clear affordability mandate in Kirkwood, and whichever community leader chooses to seize that mandate and offers actionable ways to bring down costs will win the day (that's ).
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- It was great to see Kirkwood's Meacham Park connectivity plan get a bit of press from First Alert 4 last week, but again, we'll have to figure out a way to pay for the improvements in the short term and Kirkwood doesn't seem to have a lot of excess cash on hand right now. (Is it too late to issue another RFP on those two parking lots the city own Downtown? I feel like we could really use a few extra million right about now...)
- The Webster-Kirkwood Times was also fairly light last week, but there was a good update on Pitman Place on the front page. I don't know that it had much that wasn't covered in my most recent update, but it did quote a supporter of the project at length, which I think is very important for improving how the public perceives the construction of new homes in the community. This is why it's so important to show up, speak in support, and challenge the idea that there's consensus opposition. Thank you for your service, Amy Nash!
- Mixed news from Monday's Architectural Review Board meeting minutes:
- It was great to hear that the Board has given final approval for the restoration of the historic glazed-tile facade proposed for 122 N Kirkwood Rd. Can't wait to see how this turns out! Nothing wrong with a little nostalgia, as a treat!
- It's also nice to see plans to build another infill homes on a long vacant lot along Memphis St in the rear of Meacham Park. It seems like the same developer owns many additional vacant properties on this block so hopefully we'll be seeing more of where this came from!
- In less exciting news, I'm annoyed that the seven townhomes proposed adjacent to the Grant's Trail extension were continued by the board to the next meeting because they wanted to know where the gutters will go, and they want samples of the materials to examine in person. Time is money, and if the developer screws up the gutters or uses low-quality materials, they're the ones who stand to lose money. What are we doing here? Make the requirements clear enough that developers can do all of this in one go or ditch the ARB review altogether.
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That's it for this week! Have a great weekend, everyone!
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