urbanSTL

Why don't you try emailing them as well. I am always skeptical that they pay attention to twitter responses.

Alex Ihnen wrote:Also, work to get demolition review for downtown. Young has opted out of the process.

Actually, Alderwoman Young placed eastern downtown under review in 1999. When the Roberts Brothers proposed demolition in 2008, the Cultural Resources Office brought the preliminary demolition request to the Preservation Board (which approved demolition).

http://stlouis-mo.gov/government/depart ... tricts.cfm

http://www.urbanreviewstl.com/2008/10/m ... -st-louis/

But doesn't the demolition approval from the Preservation Board expire after a year (like we saw with the Pevely fiasco)?

Yes, it expires. If this proposal came up the way it did before, it would have to go back through review according to the preservation review ordinance where it might not get approved again given precedents that postdate 2008. Rather than run the risk of having the demos blocked, the current proposal does an end-run around preservation review. It does this by relying on a blighting and redevelopment plan (Board Bill 2) that will allow the buildings to be demolished without review by the CRO or the Preservation Board. That is what is so frustrating. This bill is deliberately circumventing the review process that is designed to protect historic buildings and density and to ensure halfway decent new construction in downtown St. Louis. The bill should be vetoed by Mayor Slay. If this is such a great project, it should be able to meet the terms and conditions that are in place to protect and enhance downtown streetscapes.

Maybe this needs a new thread, but I have been in disagreement with Phyllis Young about nearly everything since I started following city politics. (Which coincided with me graduating college). I am a Soulard resident, when do I have the chance to vote against her? Has she really ever ben challenged in her years in office?

Phyllis has not been seriously contested in the
10 years I have been in the 7th ward. You just missed your chance for a couple years, with the last election.

It's a long ways away, but every alderman/woman is going to be challenged following the shrinking/redistricting following the 2020 census.

We'd like to think so, but it's just as likely that the 2020 ward reduction just reshuffles existing aldermen...and expands their area of control/leverage on top of it.

Maybe for the next eight years, NextSTL should manage a "Future Leaders" training course that will prepare some progressive St. Louisans for an aldermanic run. Off the top of my head, lessons should include: campaign management, financing/bookkeeping, debate, outreach/public relations, City charter, Rules of Order, Parliamentary Procedure, organization of power, how to handle attempted blackmail/threats and business bullying, the fallacy of "aldermanic courtesy", zoning, form-based codes, traffic patterns, preservation. And tons more, to be sure.

FOCUS St. Louis has several leadership programs, but I get the impression those teach you moreso how to play the game, rather than how to change it. [EDIT: Not to say there aren't positives to FOCUS St. Louis' efforts. I interned there a few years back and came out more confident in my knowledge/understanding of the St. Louis political system. Kind of felt like I was infiltrating it. ]

mjbais1489 wrote:Maybe this needs a new thread, but I have been in disagreement with Phyllis Young about nearly everything since I started following city politics. (Which coincided with me graduating college). I am a Soulard resident, when do I have the chance to vote against her? Has she really ever ben challenged in her years in office?

This guy (http://davidbrentgordon.com/ ran against Phyllis in the last election. I spoke to him after a Soulard Restoration Group meeting he attended, and asked him about him about what he differently than Phyllis, and one of, if not the very first things he mentioned was that the city in general and the 7th ward in particular needed to be more willing to tear down vacant buildings.

I don't think he would have been an improvement, and that is saying quite a bit coming from me.

ebo wrote:

mjbais1489 wrote:Maybe this needs a new thread, but I have been in disagreement with Phyllis Young about nearly everything since I started following city politics. (Which coincided with me graduating college). I am a Soulard resident, when do I have the chance to vote against her? Has she really ever ben challenged in her years in office?

This guy (http://davidbrentgordon.com/ ran against Phyllis in the last election. I spoke to him after a Soulard Restoration Group meeting he attended, and asked him about him about what he differently than Phyllis, and one of, if not the very first things he mentioned was that the city in general and the 7th ward in particular needed to be more willing to tear down vacant buildings.

I don't think he would have been an improvement, and that is saying quite a bit coming from me.

Ha! he reps the "Green" Party - maybe they should vet their candidates better

I'm surprised there are no young, progressive types with a background in community development or urban planning that wants to run for downtown alderman. We need more alderman that are well versed in urban planning, economic development, social work, and education. Not human resource managers, politicos, opportunistic lawyer types, and instigators.

ebo wrote:This guy (http://davidbrentgordon.com/ ran against Phyllis in the last election. I spoke to him after a Soulard Restoration Group meeting he attended, and asked him about him about what he differently than Phyllis, and one of, if not the very first things he mentioned was that the city in general and the 7th ward in particular needed to be more willing to tear down vacant buildings.

Holy Cow. I cast my vote for him as a mild protest against the status quo because I figured he had to be at least a little more progressive minded. Wow.

If you want to voice your opinion in saving this building I would call Phyllis Young. She hasn't responded to Amy of my emails thus far.

Another step closer to Generic-ville, USA

Like most people these many elected officials get anchored to conditions as they were during their formative years. In 1980 or whenever Ms Young was elected this would have been seen as great progress. So she likely still sees it this way, unfortunately.

The thing that irks me about this demo is that there was no opposition from the Board of Alderman despite the fact there was no feedback requested from the community. Just a back door deal. Maybe Ward 24 can elaborate.

i can't put into words how much i despise Phyllis Young. between this, Cupples 7, Pevely, the South County Connector, MODOT's bullish*t with the Arch grounds, etc... i'm just about ready to give up on St. Louis.