SARPA ANNUAL MEETING!

Annual Meeting Coming Up!
Wednesday, June 20 - 6pm

When is the SARPA Annual Meeting not on Summit? When it's at Summit Brewery! Come join us for free beer and root beer tasting, election of the board, information on public gardens, and some of our new outreach!


(no need to RSVP, but you are welcome to if you want — Bethany at 651.227.1839)
Summit Brewery
910 Montreal Circle
Saint Paul 
(just off West 7th)

Crosswalks!

All along Summit, the crosswalk lines are getting re-painted, which should make them easier to see.

SARPA reminds you, however, that pedestrians have the right-of-way at every intersection, marked crosswalk or not. MN State Statute 169.21 decrees:

Rights in absence of signal.

 

(a) Where traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk. The driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped. No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield. This provision shall not apply under the conditions as otherwise provided in this subdivision.

(b) When any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.

However, the same statute remarks that:

(a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway. 

Pedestrian traffic along Summit easily doubles in the summer, so let's be sure everyone is safe!

More Summit Avenue Kudos for David Heide Design!

One of SARPA's favorite partners just won an award for one of our favorite buildings — the Macalester College Alumni House!

Earlier this month, David Heide Design Studio won a Preservation Award from the Saint Paul Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) and the Saint Paul Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in recognition of the restoration of the property.  

The historic 1926 Georgian Revival residence, once home to Macalester presidents,  now provides accommodations for illustrious visitors—Rosalyn and Jimmy Carter stayed there, as did Macalester alumnus Kofi Annan—and for visiting scholars, prospective students, and families. The house is the college’s doorway—quite literally—onto Saint Paul’s historic Summit Avenue for visitors from around the world.

It hadn’t been touched in 30 years and was showing its age when Macalester hired award-winning architecture and interior design firm David Heide Design Studio to restore the house. “The work required a careful balance,” said firm principal David Heide. “We wanted to preserve the architectural integrity of the house, yet update the interiors with long-lasting, durable, and period-appropriate finishes and furnishings.”

The work began in June 2011. The studio repaired or replaced exterior elements of the house, including the windows, roof, and front stoop, with materials matching the originals. On the inside, updates included new kitchen countertops, plumbing, mechanicals, and a fresh coat of paint throughout. Upstairs, all three guest suites were reconfigured, and four bathrooms were updated with period-appropriate cabinetry, tile, and fixtures.

“Our work gave the interiors the sense of timelessness visitors expect from a historic house and added the modern conveniences they want,” said Heide. “We appreciate Saint Paul HPC’s recognition of our work and Macalester’s commitment not only to the historic architecture of the house itself, but to Summit Avenue and a historic district of the City of Saint Paul. We are indebted to Macalester for investing in a restoration that renews the Alumni House for the next generation.”