Free Clayton History Lecture this evening

Join us at the free Clayton History Lecture this evening!

http://claytonhistorysociety.org/pdfs/05152014_history_lecture.pdf

Information shared from citizens group, Protect Clayton Neighborhoods (PCN)

Any residents interested in finding out more should contact Paul Taghert, Treasurer of PCN at taghertp@pcg.wustl.edu or Laura Bryant at 202 N Brentwood Blvd Apt 1B Saint Louis, MO 63105-3903 or visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/KeepClaytonGreen/ or http://keepclaytongreen.webs.com/ 

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Press Release from Citizen’s group, ” Protect Clayton Neighborhoods” 

For Immediate Release 

Clayton, MO, January 30, 2014—A group of concerned citizens has established a grassroots coalition, “Protect Clayton Neighborhoods” (PCN) in response to threats of property rezoning and higher density development in their community’s single-family neighborhoods. 

PCN supports healthy development of commercial and residential properties in Clayton, but strongly opposes the inappropriate or arbitrary rezoning of residential neighborhoods. For example, the Clayton School District (the District) has just announced that it intends to sell the Maryland School property to the highest bidder, a developer that proposes to rezone the entire parcel and build 48 condominiums surrounded by single-family homes. 

In fact, the proposed development by Love Investment Company would require rezoning to a 400 percent increase in density. Furthermore, the City of Clayton’s current Land Use Plan recognizes the parcel as green space and anticipates it to be used as "Public or Quasi-Public" green space for the long term. 

The City of Clayton’s Master Plan, zoning ordinances, and land use plans have all been carefully researched and adopted over time to ensure proper and fair land-use decision-making -- and to prevent inappropriate and/or arbitrary proposals like this one. Unfortunately, the Clayton School District has placed the City of Clayton in a position whereby it must spend time, money and effort to review an unacceptable proposal that is not in accordance with the City's land-use plan, the neighbors' wishes or the community's well-documented needs.

In an attempt to validate its actions, the Clayton School District has stated that “Love’s proposal was selected because it provides both the highest and best use for the property as well as a long-term revenue stream of additional property taxes." It is not clear why the School District is touting a revenue-stream argument, since the City of Clayton never allows "economic concerns" to justify even small property variances, much less residential rezoning. 

As a result, members of the PCN coalition are publicly and adamantly opposing any such effort to arbitrarily alter or revise current zoning and land-use plans.

Letter from Maryland School Town Home Developers

Susan Ryan, on behalf of the Maryland School Town Home Developers, requested the opportunity to share the following open letter with the neighborhood to help keep us informed.

April 25, 2014
Dear Neighbors:
 
Recently, several Hanley Place neighbors met with the Maryland School Town Home development team of Clayton resident Larry Schiffer, architect Gyo Obata and me so we could debut information about the new neighborhood proposed for the Clayton area.
 
If you haven’t already visited the Maryland School Town Homes website at www.marylandschooltownhomes.com, we encourage you to do so. Members of our team will be available in the coming months to talk with folks about the Maryland School Town Homes and its progress. It is our goal to provide the community with valuable information as we work through the zoning process that we are required to follow by City of Clayton. This process includes several opportunities for public hearings and community feedback, in addition to the meeting we held in late March.
 
We are encouraged by the strong interest in these new homes, and we have received both support and constructive feedback from Clayton residents and those who wish to live in this beautiful community.
 
A neighbor recently emailed us some questions, and we wanted to share following information in response.
We believe these homes will be most attractive to empty nesters and professionals, although they will certainly be welcoming to families.
 
We have been working with a few members of the City of Clayton staff to ensure we are properly moving through the established city process. No assurances have been given to us by any staff member or elected official regarding the future of this project. As residents and fans of the Clayton community, we believe this project would be good for the city, for the people who desire to live in Clayton, and for future property values in the area.
 
The City of Clayton requires developers to conduct a traffic study. Once that study is completed, it will be available to the public through the city. Parking for residents will be underground, which will free up parking for guests and workmen. Any additional guests and workmen will have access to the streets just as current neighbors do when guests and workmen visit. While we are pleased to have the support of many former elected and city officials, none of them is working on behalf of the development team.
 
The average roof height of the Maryland School Town Homes is 32 feet, which is consistent with many of the homes in the neighborhood. The Westmoreland setback is 20 feet; the Jackson setback is 10-12 feet; and the Maryland setback is 17 feet and 10 feet. These setbacks have been designed to blend into the current look and feel of the neighborhood.
 
New drawings of the development including driveway, garage, trash and utilities will be available on the website when they are completed. The City of Clayton requires developers to conduct an environmental impact study, tree replacement plan and storm water study as part of the established process. Once those are completed, they will be available through the city.
 
We understand that landscaping is important to the charm of the neighborhood. The trees that are on city or city-maintained property can only be removed with city approval. Trees on the property dedicated for the development will be removed only as needed. Landscaping will be designed to blend into the established trees and plantings of the current neighborhood. All of the landscaping requires the approval of the City of Clayton. We will keep the community informed of our plans as we move through the City of Clayton approval process.
 
For more information, please visit the website or email us with your questions.
 
Regards,
Bruce Korn
Co-Developer Bruce Korn and the Maryland School Town Homes, LLC Team
www.marylandschooltownhomes.com
info@marylandschooltownhomes.com

If you have questions, please contact Susan C. Ryan of SC Ryan Consulting, LLC at 314-304-6800 (phone) or 314-983-0998 (fax) or susan.c.ryan@att.net (email)

Join Nextdoor Old Town Clayton to keep in touch

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Mayor Sanger Issues Statement on Postcards about Ballot Proposals

April 2, 2014

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor Sanger Issues Statement on Postcards about April 8 Ballot Proposals

CLAYTON, MO (April 2, 2014) – Over the past week, Clayton residents have received mailers from a St. Charles based organization about the April 8 ballot proposals. “The Board of Aldermen and I are sorely disappointed that someone has resorted to sending misleading information to Clayton residents and know you may have questions about inaccurate “vote-no” postcards you may have gotten in the mail. They have a St. Charles return address, and the treasurer is listed as Brad Harmon. Not only is Mr. Harmon not a Clayton resident, he has never contacted anyone within our city government to check any facts,” says Mayor Harold Sanger. 

“Our canvassing, community outreach and day-to-day interactions with our neighbors throughout the city indicate that Clayton residents know how important these proposals are to the future of our community,” says Sanger.

“While some of our citizens may disagree with one or more the ballot proposals and choose to vote no, we respect differences of opinion among all members of our own community, regardless of current or future decisions as we move forward together to keep Clayton strong,” says Sanger.

“Clayton is a community that places a high value on transparency and the honest and open discussion of issues. The Board of Aldermen and I are unanimous in our view that, there is no place in our democracy for secrecy and anonymity – or misinformation - in referendum campaigns. We think you deserve to know the facts about the proposals on the Tuesday, April 8 ballot,” says Sanger.

Six percent.  This is the increase if both ¼-cent sales tax increases are approved. “This small increase will help us maintain our current level of fire and EMS services and allow us to remain competitive in recruiting and retaining businesses. With the increases, Clayton’s sales tax rate will still be lower than many of our neighboring communities,” says Sanger.  The increase will be the city’s first sales tax increase in 16 years. 

The Math:
Current Rate: 8.36%
Add .50
New Rate: 8.86%
.50/8.36= 6% increase

Three-percent.  This is the proposed increase in property taxes from both bond issues.  One will support improvements to more than half of our city’s neighborhood streets and street lighting. The other will replace Shaw Park’s deteriorating 53-year-old ice rink and building with a new, year-round, open-air, multi-purpose, recreational and cultural venue. Together, these proposals will result in a 3 percent increase in the property tax rate. The average homeowner will pay less than $20 a month in additional property taxes, based on average $500,000 home.

The Math (for a $500,000 home)
Current property tax investment, $7,273
Additional $219 (for both proposals) = $7,492
$219/$7,273 = 3% increase

Clayton receives only around 2.25% of the total city tax rate of 8.36%, and around 11% of a resident’s total property tax bill because sales taxes and property taxes are shared with other entities such as the State, Special School District, Metropolitan Zoo Museum District and the Metropolitan Sewer District.

“I encourage you to visit www.ClaytonForward.com to learn more about these important proposals.  Take a few moments to become fully informed and vote in a way that you believe will best protect our property values and keep the quality of our community. I am available to personally answer any questions anyone may have. I can be reached 314-290-8470,” says Sanger.

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This content is intended only to inform residents about the issues to be presented on Election Day and to encourage everyone to fully inform themselves and participate in the election process. While I [we] feel strongly that each of the ballot issues has merit, this content is not intended to advocate how anyone should vote or to support any outcome of the election. I [We] have confidence that Clayton residents can make informed judgments without campaign advocacy.

TONIGHT: Public Invitation to Community Open House Regarding April 8th Ballot Proposals

Monday, March 24th
6 to 8 p.m. – Shaw Park Ice Rink Building
217 S. Brentwood Blvd.

* Parking is available on the street and also at Clayton On The Park’s parking lot, located at 8025 Bonhomme Avenue, Clayton, MO  63105

The Need – Aging infrastructure and park facilities, maintaining current service levels and remaining competitive in attracting and retaining businesses have all become a challenge.

The Plan – Years of planning that involved residents, business leaders, and city officials led the to the creation of strategic plans for growth and development, and reduced expenditures by more than $1 million a year.

The Proposed Solution – Four proposals on the April 8 ballot would provide funding to allow the city to update neighborhood streets and aging Shaw Park facilities, and maintain emergency service levels and economic development programs.

Video Presentation by City Manager, Craig Owens - 'Proposals To Sustain The Quality Of Our City"

Informational presentation was given at Shaw Park's ice rink building on March 5th, 2014.

News Release: Residents Come Together To Form Yes4Clayton Committee

Contact: Robyn Frankel 314-863-3373, rfrankel@frankelpr.com
OR  Ira Berkowitz 314-547-0014, imberk@inlink.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RESIDENTS COME TOGETHER TO FORM YES4CLAYTON COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE QUALITY OF LIFE IN CLAYTON

March 3, 2014, Clayton, MO – To encourage voters in Clayton to approve four propositions on issues that are critically important to the future of the city, Clayton citizens formed the Yes4Clayton committee. This group of more than 15 community volunteers are working to gain passage of the four proposals on the Tuesday, April 8, 2014 ballot.

“These proposals will provide the funding to maintain the quality of life Clayton residents have come to expect,” said Yes4Clayton committee co-chair Ira Berkowitz.

The two bond issues would provide funding to re-do many of Clayton’s aging neighborhood streets, alleys and street lighting and replace and renovate the antiquated 53-year old Shaw Park ice rink facilities with a year-round, multi-use venue. In addition to a new high school regulation size ice rink that would extend the season from three months to four, the facility would be converted to a turf surface for cultural events, field sports and other activities the rest of the year. The outdoor space also would feature a translucent, open-air, pavilion to provide protection from rain and snow, and a new field house to support the tennis courts, ice rink and field sports.

“Our family has lived in Clayton for 23 years. Outdoor skating at Shaw Park has been one of the special charms of living in Clayton. The current facility is out-of-date and deteriorating. I support the proposed beautifully-designed, open-air new facility, which maintains the best features of the current structure, yet brings many new advantages including year-round opportunities for our community," said Dr. Stacey L. Smith, a Clayton resident who is a former ice dancing champion and Olympian.

The investment for the owner of a $500,000 home would be less than $20 a month, or $219 a year if both bond issues are approved.

If approved by voters, two ¼ cent sales taxes would help the City maintain current fire and EMS levels and continue economic development programs to retain and recruit businesses, keep Clayton competitive and sustain the City’s vitality. The additional ½ cent sales tax would mean a 25-cent increase on a $50 dinner bill.

These four proposals are the result of years of comprehensive planning that involved residents, business leaders and City officials. The City has reduced expenditures by more than $1 million a year and reduced staffing levels by ten positions, but limited revenue growth and rising expenditures continue to present a challenge to maintaining City service levels. The last bond issue for streets was more than 20 years ago, and the last sales tax increase was 16 years ago.

The Yes 4 Clayton committee is co-chaired by Ira Berkowitz and Robyn Frankel. More information about Yes4Clayton and volunteer opportunities is available at www.Yes4Clayton.com.

For Immediate Release regarding Maryland School - from School District of Clayton

Free History Lecture on Wednesday, January 22

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