Garden Stroll Coming!

Here's the press release on the Garden Stroll:

Contact: Carolyn Will 612-414-9661
Email: carolyn.will@comcast.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2011

(St. Paul, Minn) The Summit Avenue Garden Stroll is back and better than ever. Sunday, June 26th from 1-5 p.m., ticketholders are invited to enjoy one of our country’s most magnificent stretches of urban green spaces as well as walk into the back yards of select Summit Avenue mansions to see their magnificent gardens.

Ten homeowners along Saint Paul’s historical Summit Avenue will open their gardens for the public to enjoy. Tickets costs $10 for the Summit Avenue Garden Stroll, plus an additional $10 for the informal Garden Stroll Tea open throughout the afternoon, from 1-5 p.m. on the rose garden terrace of Mount Zion Temple, 1300 Summit Avenue. A master gardener will be at the tea to answer questions.

Tickets may be purchased at the following places of business:
Johnson & Sons Florist, 1738 Grand Ave.
Kowalski’s Markets at all eight locations including Grand Ave., Woodbury and White Bear Lake
Frattallone’s Ace Hardware Stores at two locations: 650 & 1676 Grand Av.

SARPA will donate ten percent of its proceeds from this event to Second Harvest Food Bank.

The Summit Avenue Garden Stroll & Tea will be held rain or shine. More details will be available at www.sarpa.org. The Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association sponsors the Stroll and Tea and is proud to announce that Summit Avenue has been recognized in 2008 as the “Nation’s Best Intact Street from Victorian Era,” by the American Planning Association.

We still need gardens, and volunteers! Let us know if you are willing to help!

Summit Traffic Meeting

Summit Avenue Traffic Public Hearing

(Saint Paul, MN) May 3, 2011 - The Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association (SARPA) will hold a public hearing on traffic issues on Summit Avenue Monday, May 16th from 6:00 p.m – 8:00 p.m., in the gymnasium at the Laura Jeffries Academy, 1550 Summit Avenue, at the corner of Snelling and Summit.

“We all like to get outside and walk Summit Avenue in the warm season, but our beautiful Victorian Boulevard has become a speedway for everyone it seems from beer trucks to taxis and motorcycles,” said Bethany Gladhill, SARPA President. “We’d like to hear from area residents if this issue is concerning to them and what ideas they might have for resolving the problem.”

Local city councilors and law enforcement officers have also been invited to listen in at the public hearing.

Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association's mission is to preserve the historic, residential, and urban park character of Summit Avenue through advocacy, communication, and education.

Happy Earth Day!

Did you know that SARPA is involved with many of the public gardens on Summit, including planting the urns over Ayd Mill Road, planting the Memorial by the river, and donating funds to Lookout Park? Our bi-annual Garden Stroll, this year on June 26, is our big fundraiser that provides money for these efforts.

Why not do a little sprucing up of the street on your own today and pick up some trash, or even plant some early spring pansies on your boulevard?

House Hunting

Looking for a place on Summit? There's a lot on the market right now in all styles and price ranges:

235 Summit Avenue - 699,900
251 Summit Avenue - $847,000
302 Summit Avenue #F - $269,900
302 Summit Avenue - $269,900
322 Summit Avenue - $1,339,000
324 Summit Avenue #1 - $1,099,000
324 Summit Avenue #2 - $1,049,000
332 Summit Avenue - $1,589,900
415 Summit Avenue #2 - $385,000
456 Summit Avenue #202- $169,900
476 Summit Avenue - $1,290,000
490 Summit Avenue - $1,250,000
505 Summit Avenue - $1,250,000
516 Summit Avenue - $1,595,000
579 Summit Avenue #104 - $116,980
604 Summit Avenue #604- $179,000
665 Summit Avenue - $650,000
670 Summit Avenue - $899,900
676 Summit Avenue #201 - $420,000
701 Summit Avenue - $679,000
834 Summit Avenue #3 - $399,900
965 Summit Avenue - $1,950,000
976 Summit Avenue - $1,695,000
1082 Summit Avenue - $925,000
1307 Summit Avenue - $1,150,000
1896 Summit Avenue - $845,000

March Meeting Minutes

Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association
MEETING MINUTES
Board Meeting: March 28, 2011 7:08 p.m.
Meeting Location: Rachel Westmeyer’s home at 1935 Summit Avenue
Recorded by: Carolyn Will, Secretary
Present: Bethany Gladhill, K.D. Athow, Mary Lynch, Carolyn Will, Rachel Westmeyer, Harry Walsh, Francis Luikart, Elizabeth Paper
Absent: Jim Groskopf, Alison Enestvedt, Mary Michaels, Kit Natz

1. Called to order at 7:10 p.m. President called the meeting to order.
2. Minutes approved: KD moves and Mary seconds. Passes unanimously.
3. Treasurer’s report.
a. Deposited a few more membership dues.
b. With the news that M&I has been sold, the account will remain at Associated Bank until a new Treasurer assumes the position and does additional research.
c. Bethany showed a device called a “square,” which can be used to swipe credit cards when it’s connected to a iphone or ipad. This could be used for events such as the Garden Stroll.
d. Web hosting costs approx. $35/month and Mary said she would investigate less expensive options.

4. WSNAC:
a. Rachel W. said the community dinners have been well-received.
• WASNAC meeting Tuesday, March 8th at 6:30 p.m. Mpls attorney Louis Smith presented his final thoughts on ways to rebuild community around UST. We are over the tipping point on rental. The records show 51% of the residents are renters in Union Park neighborhood.
• UST Geography Department engaged a student to research the nonhomesteading numbers and mark the change over the past several years. The research showed that in 2002, the surrounding neighborhood had 10.6% non-homesteaded. In 2009 to the number doubled to 21% nonhomesteaders.
• According to Louis, the nonhomesteading tipping point is 31%... that’s when the neighborhood starts to go into decline.
• Findings: UST is committed to addressing student behavior, and working on relationship with the neighborhood.
• Conclusion: UST does not see the nonhomesteading issue as a crisis, but it does a pose a problem for their relationship with the neighborhood.
• UST looking for grants to help bring more UST professors back into the neighborhood. Suggestion: Offer down payment assistance, ie. $7,500 for UST employees, $5,000 for others. Goal: Give 80 grants in 10 years.
• Audacious Goals: Get back below the tipping point in Merriam Park where it is has been 50% rental for the past 7 or 8 years. Mr. Louis suggested that it get below 30%. “re-convert’ 100 parcels to homestead in ten years. Organize landlords and offer training to students on behavior! Promote student rental training.


5. President’s Report: Membership committee.
a. Sunday, April 17 Renewing and New Membership Meeting 4-6 pm social meeting to follow at 6 p.m. Call out for members to bring a new potential new member.
b. Discussion on reasons to join SARPA will be highlighted in the upcoming newsletter.

6. Garden Stroll & Tea: Scheduled for Sunday, June 26 , 1-5 p.m.
a. Vendor options:
Chow Girls from NE Mpls: Menu submitted. $586 per 100.
Would need refrigeration.
B. Location for Tea: Temple of Aaron, Look Out Park, Macalester Alumni House.
A. Governor’s Mansion: Requested a FACT Sheet detailing what it involves for them.
Bethany would like to see gardens that have a unique feature.
Gardens that are on our working list:
573 Summit (neighbor to Kit Natz)
955 Summit (formal garden front and back) Sherry Wilsey
1941 Summit: Rain Garden
1490 Summit: Backyard poultry & front yard landscaped with all native plants,
B. Sonja Mason said Cass Gilbert Society would like to participate this year. Bethany will request that the CG group identify a CG home on Summit which could be featured on the stroll. As well as supply us with a few volunteers.
C. Mary will ask her neighbors who did organic gardening…
D. Check out the house across the Meltzer’s…
E. Tickets $10/ $10
F. Expert: YES Jeff Gillman, U of M Professor of Horticulture could be considered.
G. KD moves that we name Second Harvest as our charity, donating 10% of our proceeds and the motion passed unanimously.
H. Set date for Garden committee meeting: Monday,April 4 , 7 p.m. @ 1583 Summit Ave.

New Business
b. Traffic meeting: Amy Spong, city’s STAR preservation officer, said the city will be replacing the guard rail over Ayd Mill Road, adding wrought iron and lanterns.
c. Vehicular traffic at William Mitchell.
I. The city has proposed bumpouts. SARPA board members sighted the many hazards associated with bumpouts. See white paper attached.
II. Mary Lynch suggests we ask the city to put a police officer at the intersection to monitor and ticket those motorists not yielding to pedestrians.
III. KD raised the issued of the parking along Summit and making it difficult to see around the cars when attempting to pull out from a side street. She suggested more “no parking” signs, reminding motorists of law that no parking allowed within 15 feet of intersection and 30 feet from stop sign.
IV. Elizabeth would like the SARPA position to reflect that we are concerned about many intersections along Summit Ave. Dale & Snelling are both extremely hazardous intersections.
V. Bethany moved that her white paper be submitted to the city on behalf of SARPA’s position on the proposed bumpouts as solution to the William Mitchell student safety issue.


7. Garage Sale: Mary Lynch will explore setting up a Summit Ave. Garage Sale.
8. Donations: Elizabeth would like to see SARPA donate money to help Ramsey Hill organization pay for the lighting of Nathan Hale Park on the holiday/winter lighting.
KD Moves and Mary seconds that SARPA donate $300 to Ramsey Hill Association for holiday lighting for 2011-12. The motion carried unanimously.
9. Annual Meeting: June 20th
10. KD volunteered to be Treasurer following Alison’s term ends.
11. Old Business.
a. New book coming out told from Coco Irvine, sister to Olivia Irvine Dodge, who grew up at 1006 Summit, which is now used as the Governor’s Mansion.
b. 100 birthday cards went out to homeowners.


12. Next board meet will be Sunday, April 17 from 4-6 Social. SARPA will provide beverages/wine and Meeting to follow at 6 p.m. Kit’s home: 591 Summit Avenue

13. Meeting adjourned at 8:57 p.m.

Member Event this Sunday!

Come to a casual social event to meet other SARPA members, and stay for the board meeting if you like!

(if you're not a member yet, come anyway, you can join at the meeting!)

MEMBER'S RECEPTION
This Sunday, April 17 • 4-6pm

at the home of Kit and Marilyn Natz
591 Summit Avenue

RSVP: to Kit at 651-503-9870 or Darylnatz@aol.com

SARPA's Position on Summit Avenue Infrastructure Changes

SARPA Whitepaper on Proposed Street Infrastructure Changes Along Summit
Approved by the board on 28 March, 2011

SARPA (the Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association) is dedicated to the preservation of the historic, residential, and urban park character of Summit Avenue. SARPA was commissioned in 1986 by Mayor George Latimer and the St. Paul City Council to preserve the residential quality of Summit Avenue for future generations. As such, our main concerns are: 1) the preservation of the historic nature of Summit Avenue, and 2) the needs of the street’s residents. Our views towards proposed infrastructure changes are generally seen through those lenses. We also realize that Summit Avenue is part of four different community council districts, with SARPA as the only organization that focuses on Summit itself. Thus:

1) SARPA in general tends to oppose any changes to the configuration of Summit Avenue. The current layout generally demonstrates the historic patterns of development of the street and contributes to the urban park character of the Avenue.
2) Any changes proposed should be consistently addressed along Summit, and not confined to one area, unless reasonable cause can be demonstrated for the restriction (for example, any issues concerned with the medians would not be applicable for the parts of Summit that have no median).
3) Any changes proposed should address, as part of their rationale, a discussion of the impact on and relationship to Summit’s preservation. For example, the center medians on Summit are part of its historic character, and a traditional means of “traffic calming.” Other methods, such as speed humps, diagonal parking, and bump-outs, do not have a historic precedent in this area.
4) Any changes proposed should clearly state the problem or issue (safety, parking, etc.), and give demonstrable evidence of how the issue will be resolved through the measure.
5) Any changes proposed should first and foremost benefit the residents and other stakeholders of the street, should not put an undue burden (financial, access, etc.) on them, and should not result in any detriments to them (eg: loss of parking, etc.)
6) The Summit Avenue roadway is shared by a variety of vehicles, including cars but also including bicycles and runners/walkers when the street is closed for events. Certain traffic calming methods would make the street much more dangerous for these users; for example, bump-outs would push the bicycle lane farther into the main traffic flow, which would be dangerous.
7) In general, traffic calming methods such as bump-outs, chicanes, diverters, traffic circles, etc., are designed only to be effective on low-volume, local streets. While we would all appreciate slower auto speeds and more walkability on Summit, we remain unconvinced that it is an appropriate street for new traffic calming initiatives.

If residents or neighborhood groups are interested in effecting infrastructure changes along Summit Avenue, we encourage them to discuss these issues in advance with SARPA. We are also concerned with traffic and safety on Summit, and want the street to be better for all of us.