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November 12, 2009
McClure Multigenerational Center
Reports from City Councilors
Marrisa Caldwell and David Berezniack in attendance (Clarence
Davis and Emma Mulaney-Stanak could not make this meeting)
Councilors reported on the following:
- Council is working to get a stop sign at the intersection of
Willow and Walnut, where a child was hit earlier this year.
- ONE Councilors are co-sponsoring a resolution honoring
Melissa Parker who worked at the Sustainability Academy at
Barnes, was active in the community and in keeping Barnes open.
Melissa suddenly passed away last month.
- Clean Energy Assessment District - would make loans
available to property owners for energy efficiency or renewable
energy projects which would be paid back through the property
tax. Larry Kupferman, Director from CEDO and a rep from
Burlington Electric Dept. will attend either the Jan or Feb NPA
to provide more info and to answer any questions. This will be a
March ballot item. Find more information at:
https://www.burlingtonelectric.com/page.php?pid=141&name=Burlington%20Clean%20Energy%20Assessment%20District.
- Burlington Telecom - Counselor Berezniak commented that the
Council supports Burlington Telecom and wants to see it work but
that they now need to look more closely at how Telecom is funded
and how it should be re-structured.
Burlington School District Presentation
Ward 3 School Commissioner Vince Brennan gave a presentation on
the districts capital projects for fiscal year 2010-2011 including:
- Energy Efficiency Upgrades through more efficient windows,
electrical systems, heating systems, and use of renewable energy
- Critical Need project hope to anticipate going out to bid
this fall
- Edmund's Middle School's plan to make school compliant with
the ADA (American's with Disabilities Act)
- Burlington High School Auditorium Refurbishment
- More projects and details available at:
http://bsdweb.bsdvt.org/district/CapitalProjects/capprojstart.php.
Burlington Police Department - NIXEL System
Lt Bill Ward presented on the Department's new free messaging
system NIXIL. Allows residents to sign up to receive updates &
messages about traffic, emergency alerts, community news, alerts,
and more through email or text messaging. Residents can choose
what level of information they want to sign up for, for example if a
resident only wants information on emergency alerts they can sign up
only for those alerts.
BPD is working with Dept of Public Works to try and include
parking ban information. If residents sign up and decide they
don't want it they can be removed. Lt. Ward encouraged
residents to contact himself, bward@bpdvt.org or our Lt. Helrich
ehelrich@bpdvt.org with questions or difficulties. For more
information see BPD's press release at:
http://www.police.ci.burlington.vt.us/News%20&%20Announcements%20&%20Press%20Releases/Press%20&%20Public%20Releases/NIXLE%20Press%20Release,%2011-2-2009.pdf.
Parallel Justice Presentation
Due to the high number of thefts, primarily bike thefts, in our
neighborhood we invited Rain Banbury to come and tell residents how
Parallel Justice might help. Rain, who works with the Parallel
Justice program, run out of Burlington's Community Justice Center,
came to explain the program that helps people victimized by crime.
The program has a resource bank to help victims of property crime
pay for new locks, broken windows, stolen bikes. More
information is at:
http://www.pjburlington.org/.
Update on the 127 Bike Path improvement project, aka “Bikeway”
John Griesser gave us an update and solicited resident input:
- The project is on the bike path entrance/exit at the
intersection of Manhattan Drive and St Louis St, and goes
through the Intervale, past the Ethan Allen Homestead towards
Colchester.
- City Council passed a resolution sponsored by David
Berezniak to find $30,000 to invest in this project.
- Includes maps and signs so people know where they are,
trash, recycling, trees, lighting.
- There was some discussion on the type of gate that should be
installed wanting it to look nice and needing it to keep people
from entering and illegally dumping stuff.
- Discussion of where the $30,000 will be taken up at a
finance board meeting Monday 11/16.
- Traffic patterns along Manhattan Dr: there were a few
concerns/questions raised about the bike path crossing traffic
at Manhattan Dr. It seemed that the thinking is that once this
part of the bike path is improved, its use will increase,
causing more bike/pedestrian traffic. How will this increase in
use mesh with the cars using Manhattan Dr. and surrounding
streets? – especially where the bikes have to cross the traffic?
- Other safety concerns: the area along the bike path, coming
up the hill into the ONE that is home to many area homeless
people. Suggestions included more lighting along the hillside.
Jon did say that this would be considered as part of a future
phase of this project.
- Vandalism at the project site: There were some concerns
expressed about keeping the site looking nice. Jon expressed
concerns about two specific areas of the project: the water
fountain and the solar-paneled light above the sign. This lead
to some questions about the lighting at the project area. It was
suggested to “maximize the amount of ‘new’ lighting and the
aesthetics of that lighting with the lighting that is already
there.”
- The name “127 Bike Path” is too car-oriented. 127 is the
name of a road – why name this project after 127? One
suggestion: “Intervale Bike Path.” Someone said that it is
currently called the “127 Bikeway” but that name is not often
used.
- Will the new area be wheelchair accessible?
- Fencing: Can the long fence be “non-industrial” in
appearance? Can there be a balance between what the fence looks
like/aesthetics and how it functions/prevents people from
dumping? Someone suggested a black rod-iron fence (instead of
chain-link) and said that Parks has used this type of fencing in
other projects. Someone suggested the possibility of removable
Ballards instead of the fencing as a less-intrusive blockage.
- Stability of the slope behind the project: people liked the
idea of creating an opening that would enable people to enjoy
the view down the Intervale. One suggestion for increasing slope
stability was to replace the bushes that would be cut down to
create a view with low-cover plants.
- Signage: residents were suggesting more signage at the
project to direct people to important places around town
(downtown, other desired destinations). Someone suggested a
“painted trail” to help guide bikers/pedestrians towards the
downtown. Someone else said that more signage along the 127
stretch of the bike path is needed to direct riders to downtown.
- Public Support: Residents offered to attend any future
public meetings at-which the project needed support of residents
– especially if it involved funding the project.
Moran Project Update
Kirsten Merriman Shapiro from the Community and Economic
Development Office came to give an update on the Moran Plant
Redevelopment.
- Vermont Children's Museum decided that since they are a new
organization and not yet financially sound, they should find a
space that is smaller and less expensive.
- Since the vacancy occurred, CEDO is hearing interest from
other organizations that may want to take the place of the
Children's Museum in the redevelopment of the Moran Plant.
- Any organization needs to follow public use doctrine.
- The Sailing Center will stay and plans to build additional
storage on site in the future.
- Ice Factor is still committed to the project and will have
ice climbing, rock climbing, a cafe and a more formal
restaurant.
- There will be no cost public access to the building and a
portion of the roof to see views of the lake.
- CEDO received a $1 million Brownfields Economic Development
Initiative or BEDI Grant and looking for more grants to cover
city's costs.
- Mayor wants to reconvene the committee that originally
guided the project.
- Timeline for completion- Kirsten thought the project could
be done in 2011 but reminded us that large projects often take a
long time (Riverside 11 yrs, North St 7 yrs).
- Next Steps - Find a new tenant to replace the Children's
Museum, finalize agreements with tenants.
More information at:
http://www.cedoburlington.org/waterfront/moran_plant/Moran_Plant_redevelopment.htm.
Neighborhood Community Development Block Grants
Jenny Davis announced that the deadline for 2010 proposals is
12/18. All neighborhood projects need to be first approved by CEDO
to ensure eligibility, and then need approvals from the NPA and any
city departments that will be impacted by the project. CDBG funding
comes from the Federal Govt. (HUD) and is intended to improve the
lives of low-moderate income residents. For more info on the
neighborhood grants: call 865-7172,
http://www.cedoburlington.org/neighborhoods/programs_and_services/neighborhood_grants.htm.
The Ward 2/3 NPA will review all pending neighborhood projects at
their December 10 Assembly, and will also vote on new Advisory Board
members at that meeting.
Steve Norman, who lives in the North End, came to propose a
community project to clean up an embankment visible from the belt
line aka Rte. 127 and found connected with some residents interested
in helping.
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Page last updated
November 18, 2009 |
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