Hyde Parker - Hyde Park Neighborhood Association

The
Hyde Parker
a publication of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association
Volume 36, Issue 3
March 2009
Planning begins for Hyde Park Community
Improvement District to fund neighborhood renewal
Imagine getting together as
For Hyde Park, the CID would be
funded by a small uniform annual
assessment that would be part of
each homeowner’s property tax.
Greg Hugeback has been spearheading HPNA’s efforts to research the
viability of a CID and lay the groundwork for what is likely to be a yearlong implementation process.
neighbors to create an economic
stimulus package for Hyde Park that
could address badly needed improvements in safety and infrastructure.
The Hyde Park Neighborhood Association is pursuing such an opportunity by starting a Community Improvement District, or CID. A CID
is a proven way for communities to
pool tax-deductible resources to help
supplement city services, enhance a
neighborhood’s long-term physical
attractiveness and help stabilize property values.
HPNA held the first of two brainstorming sessions on March 21 at
Central Presbyterian Church to provide details, gather member input and
assess priorities for improvements,
services and events to be funded by a
proposed CID.
HPNA President David Kimmis:
says “Much work needs to be done
to make a CID a reality. There are
no bad ideas—all are welcome to
provide creative input to build a program with the potential to catalyze
one the most significant transitions in
our neighborhood’s history!”
CID planning discussion at
HPNA General Meeting
Tues., April 21st 7-8:30 PM
Concrete progress: On March 16th,
workers poured concrete into forms
for three new traffic islands along
Harrison Street from 39th Street to
Harrison Boulevard. Flower beds
could spring up soon.
First introduced in Kansas City’s 6th
Council District in 2002, the CID
concept has worked successfully in
many U.S. cities and Canada. New
York, where they are known as Business Improvement Districts, has 60.
In Kansas City, both downtown and
Main Street have benefited from significant improvements through CIDs.
Also, the 3-Trails Village Community
Improvement District in Kansas City
intersects the 19th century Santa Fe,
Oregon and California western migration trails. CID initiatives and programs there are focused on stimulation of sustainable economic development, beautification and the promotion of the District’s historical legacy.
To enact a CID, a simple majority
(50 percent plus 1) of affected property owners holding at least 75 percent of the assessed property value of
the area must support the program.
Funds would then by collected by
the taxing authority (Jackson County)
and provided to a board of directors
elected by the property owners.
CIDs have enabled some communities to overcome the challenges of
restoring older areas in ways that are
both environmentally sustainable and
helpful to maintaining diverse urban
neighborhoods. In New York, operating budgets of districts currently
range from $53,000 to over $11 million. Our initial planning estimates
call for a Hyde Park CID budget of
approximately $135,000 that would
be raised by an annual assessment of
less than $75 per homeowner.
Commercial apartment building owners along Armour Boulevard are
planning to create a separate CID.
Inside features: Design to be safer, A new pet column
PAGE 2
HYDE PARKER
VOLUME 36, ISSUE 1
NHS Warning:
Foreclosure Scams on the Rise
How bad is the foreclosure situation in Hyde Park?
Not
as bad as Nevada, Florida or California, statistics show,
but bad enough. Realtytrac.com reports there are 725
lender-owned properties in the 64109 zip code and 902 in
the 64110 zip code (as of March 15).
Neighborhood Housing Services of Kansas City, Inc.
has some advice for struggling homeowners bombarded
with e-mail spam , junk mail and telemarketing from companies promising mortgage relief: delete it, throw it out
and/or report the senders. The community assistance group
has found instances where “companies are charging homeowners hundreds of dollars for assistance in obtaining an
extension or modification, and not delivering on their
promises of help.”
The Hyde Parker offers a
free like-kind marketing
exchange for advertisers!
Contact
[email protected]
Membership honor roll
Each month, we recognize new
and renewing HPNA members on
the lists below.
Be enlightened...
Be a HPNA member.
Anyone wishing to receive counseling to avoid foreclosure
can receive help free of charge from NHS, says Mark
Stalsworth, President and CEO, adding “Our services are
being paid for by Congress.” NHS has counseled hundreds of households since 1974, constructed/rehabbed 130
homes and developed many multi-family units.
NHS offers a 24-hour, 7 day a week Foreclosure Hotline, 816-822-7703, Ext 213. Their offices are at 5835
Troost and open from 8:30-5:00 Monday through Friday. Services include face-to-face appointments, referrals
for home buyer education classes, paperwork assistance to
apply for home repair grants and 20% down payment assistance for low and moderate income first time-buyers.
Commercial:
Mark Persson, DDS
Patrons:
Charles Gilbert
and Lorelei Dean
Households:
Wesley and
Laura Wingfield
Lois McKinley and
Gary Christensen
Nicholas and
Peggy Bashkiroff
Gerald and Susan Carlson
Daniel and
Jackie Kleiman
Marianne and
Ralph Getchell
Ken and Millie Krna
Gerald Hurst-
Effective March 18, 2009,
new and renewing members
will receive a free compact
florescent lamp. Special thanks
to SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise) and the Manheim
Park Neighborhood Association
for recently securing 1,000
CFL lamps for midtown area
neighborhood associations.
Hurry. Supplies are limited to the
first 125 new and renewing
HPNA members, 1 per household.
Please visit www.hydeparkkc.org to
join today.
Milestone: Daughters of the British Empire will mark their
100th birthday, April 25th at Mission Hills Country Club. Members claim British ancestry. There are six local chapters. To
learn more, call Lee Miller of Hyde Park at 816.531.8700.
VOLUME 36, ISSUE 3
PAGE 3
HYDE PARKER
The Hyde Barker:
A new canine-feline
community column
How your
home may
appear to
others can
help deter
or invite
crime. Below are
some timely
deterrence
tips from
the KCPD.
By Kelly Dillon
This August will mark my third anniversary in Hyde
Park, and from a dog’s point of view, I’ve found it is
simply one of the best neighborhoods in the city to
call home. I’d like to share my story.
From almost the day I arrived from Minnesota after a
long hot drive, my neighbors’ tales were wagging to
see the new black Lab in town. I hit it off pretty well
with – Frances, a black lab-boxer mix next door. An
older shepherd-mix guy named Marley around the
block was also keen on checking me out. They made
me feel great, which I really appreciated because in
moving here I lost regular contact with Jax, a salt and
pepper English setter who was my first puppy love.
When my family first told me they were moving to a
urban environment, I had several concerns:
• Would there be enough trees and grass?
• How hard would it be to keep my family safe?
• Would there be mean dogs or strays?
• Would it be difficult to find a good vet in a city?
• How kind would the people be?
To my relief, I have found many large, mature trees,
lots of grass, plenty of squirrels to chase, well-lit
streets at night, good friends and open areas to run –
on a leash of course. I’ve been busy earning my keep
as a vigilant watchdog. Many times I have to work
the night and weekend shifts. But I’m eager to do my
job because it helps my family sleep at night.
I’m certainly hoping that City Hall and the Parks
and Boulevards Commission realize just how important it is to keep Hyde Park’s parks clean and safe as
they grapple with budget issues. The bark on the
street is that our owners may have to beg even more
to get things done as the recession deepens.
Can you spin a good
yarn? Calling all canines, felines and their
companions. If you wish
to share your story or
have a bone to pick that
relates to animals, send
your submissions for
consideration.
Consider four urban design
principles to add safety
KCPD Patrol officers Trevor Singer and Rick Jones don’t
build for a living, but they have some advice on how to make a
home and the surrounding property safer.
Called Crime Prevention Through Environment Design
(CPTED), the officers have an educational presentation detailing four principles of proper design and “effective use of the
built environment” that they say can proactively reduce crime.
•
Natural access control
Place sidewalks, entrances, exits, fences, landscaping and lighting in strategic spots, effective access control denies criminals
easy entry to potential targets creates a perception of risk.
• Natural surveillance
Design features that increase the visibility of a property. This
includes proper placement of windows/ window treatments,
lighting and landscaping to increase the ability of users to see
intruders as well as those who belong
• Territorial reinforcement
Create an area of influence than can be perceived by and deter
potential offenders. This includes well-defined property lines
and clear distinctions between public and private space
• Maintenance
Proper upkeep signals that location is actively cared for and
inhospitable to criminal activity. Mow grass, trim trees/bushes,
remove debris, replace broken glass, paint/clean any graffiti or
gang tagging immediately.
To learn more, contact [email protected], [email protected] or call 816-4130-3690
The Hyde Park Playgroup meets 10:30a.m. on
Wednesdays. Learn more at
http:/lists.hydeparkkc.org/mailman/listinfo/playgroup
Important Meetings
Your Board Members
President
David Kimmis
561.7766
[email protected]
1st Vice
President
Jennifer Berry
913.484.
9240
[email protected]
2nd Vice
President
Kerrie Tyndall
Treasurer
Rikki HonnoldHelvick
515.
577.2928
[email protected]
Historian
Pat Alley
531.7777
[email protected]
Recording
Secretary
Chris Harper
547.7308
recordingsecretary@
hydeparkkc.org
Corresponding
Secretary
Gene Morgan
The HP Playgroup: Every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.
Check www.hydeparkkc.org for details.
North Area
Directors
Dan Mugg
Kevin Sullivan
531.0003
913.
231.4873
[email protected]
Friends of Gillham Park are holding their monthly meetings and park clean-ups on the last Saturday of each
month. Check their website for information:
Central Area
Directors
Terri Hiebert
Sarah Starnes
756.3422
522.5584
[email protected]
South Area
Directors
Stephanie Smith
Kris Keller
531.4310
516.9009
[email protected]
Board Meetings: Second Monday of every month, 6:30
p.m., Pilgrim Chapel at 38th & Gillham
General Meetings: Third Tuesday of every month, 7:00
p.m., Central Presbyterian Church at 3501 Campbell
Crime and Safety Meetings: Last Thursday of every
month, 7:00 p.m., at KCPD Central Patrol offices on Linwood Boulevard. Talk informally with Police about issues
affecting your block. Police officers are assigned specifically to Hyde Park. These officers can be reached at
816.719.8297.
www.friendsofgillhampark.org.
561.7339
753.5336
[email protected]
correspondingsecretary@
hydeparkkc.org
Share your viewpoint
email [email protected] or [email protected]
Hyde Park Neighborhood Assoc., Inc.
P.O. Box 32551
Kansas City, Missouri 64171
NON-PROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE PAID
Permit No. 1754
Kansas City, MO
The Hyde Parker is a monthly newsletter published
by the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, Inc.
VOLUME 36, ISSU13
HYDE PARKER
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