January 19 Meeting Minutes

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UHNA Meeting Minutes

January 19, 2010

David Wiese and Ruth Soper, Co-leaders

Jim Pennell: Minutes

19 in attendance

1. Reviewed minutes of Nov. 17, 2009 meeting. No changes.



2. Gary Loveless, Mayor's liaison



He receives reports by police, and pawn shop police. He takes neighborhood complaints. He helped start a neighborhood association (didn’t say who). Crisis information management. CERT: Community Emergency Response Team—for emergency. Indianapolis Threat and Analysis System—in basement of 911. Neighborhood USA--Indianapolis is hosting their board meeting, then a national meeting here. Credit card fraud—can help with that. Crimestoppers. Faith, Hope, and Love—helps get volunteers together. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB). He has been working with the Franklin Township Civic League—interested in land use. The new St. Francis hospital. 920 East Markwood Ave.—a zoning variance petition (didn’t say what). 3035 S. Ewing—zoning violation, auto shop.

Listed other things:

Prisoner re-entry.

CDBG—Community Development Block Grants, money from the federal government. Security freezes—freezing credit—free in Indiana.

Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Tree program—done with Plant a Million. Do a tree sale twice a year. $60 for an 8 foot tree. He works on strategic planning. Effective 4/5, our neighborhood will have 96 gallon wheeled containers for trash. They are redoing pick up day schedules that will be announced.

Some alleys (in the city) are being rehabilitated.

David Wantz: Can we get on a list for alleys?

GL: You can start with me. (Phone: 317-327-4838, e-mail: gloveles@indygov.org)

Crime Watch. Will come out and help set one up. Southport has set one up.

Indy Land Bank. Take back derelict property/abandoned. If it abuts your property, you can buy it cheap. $500 empty lot, $2500 with building on it. Explore Indy.gov.

IndyAmbassadors.org for volunteer opportunities.

Discussed some of the mayor’s initiatives: Murder down. Burglaries are up. DPW: re-engineering that saved the city money (didn’t say on what—sewers perhaps?).

Question: Is our community eligible for a grant? Pocket park grants. Walmart--$1,000 for a one page application. Greater Indianapolis Neighborhood Initiative provided $5,000 for Community Heights neighborhood.

Comment: Weeds at Lawrence and Bowman were taken down.

Question: More street lights in dark places? GL: Quit doing in the 1980s.

Question: Information on sexual offenders and where they might live?

GL: Sex offender registry, Marion Co. Sheriffs.

David Wantz says you can call Gary to address problems.

Question: Took fire department away and now emergency calls over on Keystone came from Beech Grove. Beech Grove and Indianapolis share calls.

Question about alleys being redone. They are grinding the surface, then mix with some asphalt and put back down.

3. Hanna Ave. redesign



Robin from Direct Connect Print Shop. Has worked with Wantz on the Hanna Ave project.

Phil Hunter, Construction Manageer from Bernardin, Lochmueller and Associates.

Will provide help to adjacent property owners and businesses to maintain access. They are working with Calumet contractors, with about a dozen subcontractors. Handed out a synopsis of Calumet’s schedule dated 12-21-09 and went over schedule. Sends out a project update at a minimum of once a month, e.g., lane closures and shifts. Phase I will be completed July 8th for north half of renovation, then south half. New raised median. Almost a 5th lane through campus. Project estimated completion: Sept. 13th, required Nov. 7th. Traffic changes will be marked with signs and arrows.

Question: Will trees cut down be replaced?

Phil: at least, sometimes two. Arborist came through and identified each tree. City arborist department will replace, except for certain trees that will be changed—e.g., mulberries. So replacement will be 2-1 to 3-1.

Changes will move the curb away from the Methodist church.

His field office is at 1643 Hanna Ave. Can stop in and he will give as much time as he can—will show plans and what they are doing and answer questions. People who provided e-mail addresses will get updates. Has sent out one already. Nancy Collins will send out to the neighborhood listserv.

Question: Sidewalks on the South side of Hanna from East to Madison?

Phil: 95 percent certain there will be one on the south side.

Problem at Hanna and Mathews with lane shifts. Phil said he worked on that today—extended barrels to make it clearer.

4. Spring Tree planting.



David Wiese met with Jerome of KIB, and we have been approved. Will start in the middle of the neighborhood on Otterbein and then work out from side streets. Some limitations: All trees have to be in the front of the house or public right of way. David thinks we will get about 40 trees. David has a preliminary Google map he can share. Will try to do it April 10th for the university’s clean-up/service day. KIB wants at least half the volunteers to be from the neighborhood. You don’t have to plant to get a tree.

KIB is having a meeting this Saturday 9-Noon at the KIB office on Fletcher for these kinds of projects and pocket parks. They have all their projects allocated this year.

5. Park update-team report (Lot at Edwards and Mathews)



Greta passed out a sketch of a plan the committee developed that Kay drew. The project will be phased. Working with the university and to get grants. The plan includes a multipurpose room and greenhouse that the community could use. Greta also contacted people in the Kinesiology Dept. for multi-age facilities all could use. A playground would be preschool/toddler, since older kids can go to the park or School 65. Some features were discussed. There is a problem with a dead tree on private property that will need to be addressed.

David Wiese: KIB has been planting fruit and persimmons in pocket parks.

Lighting? There is a light on the corner. Committee can talk about lighting.

Security around the park? Will have to be worked out.

Problems with walkers coming from the Colonial on Shelby stumbling into the lane. Can’t call campus police. Their primary responsibility is to the campus and students. Police chief is Mick Reddick.

6. Spring clean up-how will UHNA participate?



Didn’t have time to discuss. We will put on next month’s agenda. Clean up for the city is April 10th.

7. Spring garage sale-determine date-team report



Will put on next month’s agenda.

8. Draft of our UHNA constitution

Please look at. We will discuss next month. We will need to determine how to select leadership and run the association.

9. What would you like to see at these meetings?



Comment: Only one speaker so the meeting doesn’t go to long.





10. Next meeting date: February 16th.



Other meetings: March 16th, and April 20th.

Empty Target Store to See New Life!

Happy New Year!
During the past 8 months, David Wantz has been working with Nassimi Realty to relocate a store in the vacant Target building on US 31. The numerous phone calls, e-mails, and visits to other stores finally paid off. As reported in today's Indianapolis Business Journal, we have a new business to be proud of - Shoppers World, which is scheduled to open in March.
David was also able to use the Gateway Community Alliance network to show Nassimi Realty how strong a business community this is.

Shoppers World taking former Target space
Indianapolis Business Journal
January 6, 2010

Discount department-store chain Shoppers World has signed a deal to take over a shuttered Target store on the south side. The New York-based chain agreed to lease the 85,000-square-foot space in Felbram Plaza North shopping center along U.S. 31 South from New York-based Nassimi Realty. Target closed the store when its lease expired in January 2009. The new Shoppers World store is scheduled to open in March, said Andrew Levian, a leasing agent with Nassimi. Shoppers World has one other location in Indianapolis, in Lafayette Square mall. That store opened in 2008, taking a 100,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by J.C. Penney. It was the first outpost in the Midwest for the chain, which operates 10 stores in New York and New Jersey. (Photo: Google Maps)


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Nancy Collins
University of Indianapolis
Office for Community Relations
Stierwalt Lower Level
(317) 788-3297