String of Errors Leads to Rejection of Parking Solution

• The Council also has a special work session scheduled for Monday. The agenda for the meeting calls for it to be closed to the public with the following justifications listed: "1-Legal, 2-Real Estate, 12-Contract Negotiations & 18-Audit." This sounds like it's very clearly about the Public Works site RFP to me, and I'm very much hoping that an announcement will be coming soon.
• Another reminder that next Thursday's City Council meeting has two massive items pertaining to the affordability of living in Kirkwood on the agenda. Please plan to attend/speak if you can:
  • First is the public hearing for the new Stormwater Policy that the Council plans to implement. Last week, I expressed concern that this would destroy investment in Downtown Kirkwood, but having done a bit more research, that was largely misguided. What this policy will do, however, is make it more expensive to build new homes in Kirkwood and much more difficult for existing homeowners to add additions or build ADUs. This policy represents a tradeoff: The city will reduce stormwater runoff in exchange for making it more expensive to live in Kirkwood and more difficult to age in place here. It would be very helpful if you could attend next Thursday and ensure the Council is aware of this tradeoff before they decide whether to proceed.
  • Second, we're expecting the Council's vote on the sixty apartments proposed for the former Commerce Bank site. The developers of this project have promised to tweak the design in response to feedback, but it's essential to attend and remind them that this project will inherently help improve affordability in Kirkwood. It will also help boost the city's tax base. That will be important if the Trump Admin claws back funding for the Grant's Trail project or North Kirkwood Road project, which seems more likely by the day if it hasn't already happened.
• On the Importance of Engaging City Council:
  • If you look at the front-page story in last week's Webster-Kirkwood Times on the Commerce Bank site, you can see why we need to turn out and send emails and vocalize our support of projects that will address affordability. Otherwise, only those fired up to oppose a project do, The WKT quotes them, and it makes it seem to the Council like there's unified opposition, including from groups they would typically expect to be supportive like the Downtown Kirkwood SBD! That idea of established community consensus carries a lot of weight for a Council with limited info!
  • The same is true of the WKT's write-up of the rejected Fybr contract on pg. 4-A, which I wrote about earlier this week. Two people show up and speak against it, one of whom has a direct conflict of interest, and the Council gets to say "the community didn't want it so we voted it down". If you're reading this newsletter, you are a very dedicated and informed citizen, but in order for that to have any bearing on the city's trajectory, the Council needs to know what you think and hear from the other side on these issues.
  • Also on pg. 4-A you get another example! Earlier this Summer, a bunch of residents of W. Jewel signed a petition and showed up to Council meetings and got the Council to restrict parking on the street so KHS students wouldn't park there. It seemed like there was neighborhood consensus, so the Council agreed! Except for the fact that the other half of the neighborhood —the half that didn't know about the petition and didn't know to show up to the Council meeting— disagreed! And they had to show up to the next Council meeting and say the new rules were bad for them and now the Council is reconsidering. Showing up and writing emails is the only way the Council, especially an experienced one like this, comes into contact with your opinion.
• There was a really cool story in the Ladue News about Forai, a new business in Downtown Kirkwood that aims to help refugees. It sounds really cool, and it's also in a very interesting spot (just next to Imo's) that is outside the main foot traffic zone. I'm glad to see this section of street activated, and especially in support of such a good cause. If you get the chance, please go check out Forai and maybe buy yourself something while you're at it!