The
Old Louisville Journal
A Monthly Summary of
News and Events in Old Louisville
Published by OLIC, Inc., a 501(c)(3) Corporation |
Volume 27, Issue 8 |
August 2005
|
Questions and Answers....
Special Management Districts
Editor’s note: The Old Louisville Neighborhood Council
met on July 26, 2005, to discuss the possibility of creating
a special management district for the neighborhood. Due to
publication deadlines, this article was written prior to
that meeting. Information was provided by OLNC Vice Chair,
Ken Herndon, who is also the Executive Director of the
Louisville Downtown Management District, and who served as
technical advisor at the OLNC meeting.
What exactly is a special management district?
A special management district is a designated geographical
area where property owners, through a petition process,
agree to an assessment based on property values to fund
supplemental or additional services within the district.
What services can a special management district provide?
State law allows for a wide range of services to be provided
by special management districts. A district selects the
specific services to fund. Security, litter cleanup, and
street lighting have been mentioned as possible services in
Old Louisville.
The Louisville Downtown Management District funds extra
security, street cleaning, and streetscape improvements such
as litter baskets, kiosks, bicycles racks, and benches.
Security and cleaning personnel do not carry weapons and do
not have arrest power; however, they do have close contact
with authorities to report illegal behavior.
How is a special management district created?
Petition signatures must be obtained that represent at least
51 percent of the total land value and at least 33 percent
of the property owners in the proposed district. A public
hearing is then scheduled by the Louisville Metro Council.
The Metro Council votes whether to approve the district or
not.
Who administers a special management district?
A Board of Directors is created. In the case of Old
Louisville, the OLNC and/or the Old Louisville Chamber of
Commerce would probably select the board. That Board decides
upon the services to be offered and suggests the assessment
rate. Based on the cost of services to be provided and the
revenue available from property assessments, the board
creates the budget for the services. An executive director
may be hired by the board.
How much does a special management district cost taxpayers?
The current state cap on assessments is 8 cents per $100 of
property value. (For example, a home valued at $100,000
would be assessed $80.00) That is also the current
assessment in the Louisville Downtown Management District.
The level of assessment is determined by the services
desired, and the value of land in the district. A
residential district would generally have lower land value
than a commercial district; therefore, an Old Louisville
District, for example, might require a higher assessment
than the law now allows. This would require the Metro
Council to raise the assessment cap through legislation. |
Concert Will Swing Down Memory Lane
The Doctors’ of Swing will be featured in the August First Sunday
Concert in Central Park on Sunday August 7, 2005, at 4:00PM.
The band specializes in the big band sound of the 1930s, 40s, and
50s as well as show tunes. Originally formed by physicians, the
Doctors’ of Swing remains true to its name; half of the current band
members are doctors.
The band was a big hit with young and old in Central Park last year.
So get in the swing, and plan to be in the park on August 7.
Heavy Trucks and Semis Are a Big
Problem
Heavy trucks and tractor-trailers are an increasing presence and
problem on Old Louisville Streets, according to discussions at the
Old Louisville Neighborhood Council Property Improvement Committee
meeting on July 14, 2005.
Neighbors complained of trucks running over curbs and causing autos
to serve or back up as the trucks travel down narrow streets or try
to negotiate wide turns from or onto narrow streets. Noise, fumes,
dangers to pedestrians, structural damage to homes,and illegal
parking were also cited. Allegations of prostitution in parked
trucks along Oak and Floyd Streets were voiced.
Rick Storm, an engineer with Metro Louisville Public Works, said at
the meeting that according to state law, trucks can be restricted
only if safety hazards are documented. He was asked to provide
specific definitions of what qualifies as a safety hazard and what
is considered adequate documentation. He said he will check with
city lawyers.
Fourth District Officer Tara Long noted that a city ordinance
prohibits commercial trucks from parking on city streets.
Many neighbors noted that trucks use Old Louisville streets,
especially Magnolia, Second, Oak and Hill Streets, as a convenient
and fast pass through to downtown or the interstates. Mr. Storm
indicated that if residents will give him the names of trucking
firms that are doing this, the city would talk to the companies
involved in an attempt to get voluntary changes in routes. Residents
are encouraged to call the Old Louisville Information Center
(635-5244) with their information; it will be complied and passed on
to Mr. Storm.
Herb Fink, PIC Chair, will appoint a subcommittee to follow-up and
report on the issues raised at the meeting. Suggestions for more
two-way streets, truck routes, limiting streets to service trucks
only, reducing the neighborhood speed limit to 25 mph, and filing
claims against trucking firm insurance companies will be
investigated by this subcommittee. Anyone interested in serving on
the subcommittee should call the Old Louisville Information Center.
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Visit a Hidden Treasure...
Jubilee Park is a Horticultural Showcase
Jubilee Park was a pleasant surprise to many
visitors on last month’s Hidden Treasures Garden Tour. Few had
previously visited or knew that the pocket park, nestled on
Burnett Street near the corner of Second Street, existed.

Protective hands for an urban glade:
the Jimilu Mason sculpture in Jubilee Park.
Jubilee
Park was originally created in the mid-1970s by Jubilee Housing
Incorporated of Kentucky. Tim Bottorff, landscape designer and
garden tour chair, began a horticultural renovation of the park
five years ago. The park, featuring entrance planters filled
with flowers, hostas, ferns, and other shade-loving plants, and
benches and tables under shade trees, provides a peaceful oasis.
The centerpiece of the park is a sculpture by internationally
renowned artist Jimilu Mason from Washington D.C. Her donated
work, entitled Jubilee, features outstretched hands of many
colors raised in celebration, praise, and unity. It symbolizes
the core vision of Jubilee Housing, a faith-based group of
individuals who came together in the fall of 1975 to create a
non-profit housing venture focussed on rebuilding a neighborhood
in the inner city. The name, Jubilee Housing, was chosen because
the group was not only interested in bricks and mortar, but in
building a new neighborhood from old structures so that the
inhabitants could raise their hands together in celebration.
Jubilee Park is dedicated to the memory of David Phillips
(1952-1988), who was an early member of the Jubilee Mission
Group and made his home in Old Louisville. The park was built
with Community Development Block Grant funds. Jubilee Housing,
which owns and manages eight buildings in Old Louisville, was
initially sponsored by Louisville Homebuilders’ Association.
(above: Tim Bottorff relaxes in Jubilee Park)
Letter to the Editor:
Garden Tour Returns to Its Roots
On the weekend of July 9 and 10, the 12th Annual Hidden
Treasures Garden Tour returned to its Second Street origins,
featuring thirteen gardens along five blocks of South Second
Street. Visitors also enjoyed the artists at work in the 3rd
Annual Art in the Garden event held on the grounds of the
DuPont Mansion Bed and Breakfast.
Thanks go to the homeowners, businesses, and organizations
who graciously opened their lovely private gardens: Jeff
Call and Tonja Craig, Jan Willem Cieremans and Holly Liter,
Lloyd Cole and Carl Enoch, Kathy and Polk Culpepper, Julia
Ann and Jim Daniel of Jubilee Housing, Virginia Ehrlich, Jo
Ann and Zane Lockhart, Marshall Moore and Jerry Birschbach,
Mary Morrow, Michael Price, Tom Thacker and Judy Payne, Jan
Vogel, Gayle and Herb Warren of the DuPont Mansion B&B, and
Ray and Leah Wilding.
Our sponsors are an integral element in the success of the
tour. Our thanks go to them: Bearwood Gardens/Kevin Kouba;
Brian’s Botanicals; Conrad-Caldwell House Museum; Don
Driskell, Old Louisville Realtor; DuPont Mansion B & B;
Economy Aquatic Gardens, Preston Hwy.; E J Printing; Mark E.
England, Realtor; Ermin’s French Bakery & CafÈ; The Gallery
at 133 Oak St.; Gumby’s Garden Room & Catering; Kling
Center; Leander’s on Oak; Mary Martin, Semonin Realtors;
Masterson’s Catering; Michael Mawood, Vintage Property
Specialist; Mount Eden Greenhouse; Nord’s Bakery, Preston
Street; Oak Street Hardware/Lee Jones; Old Louisville
Coffeehouse; Old Louisville Information Center; Plant
Kingdom; Scheler’s Food Mart; Shagbark Perennial Farm; Sweet
Home/ Renovation Pros; Lois Tash, Realtor; Third Avenue
Cafe; 316 Ormsby, Restaurant & Bar; Dr. Jeremy Thornewill,
Family Medicine; Treyton Oak Towers; Wallitsch Landscaping,
Inc.; and The Wine Market, Bardstown Rd. Their generous
financial and in-kind support greatly offsets the costs of
the tour and enhances the quality of the tourists’experience.
We sincerely appreciate this generosity and kind support.
Also, thanks to all the friends and neighbors who
volunteered their time and lent their expertise in various
capacities to make this event yet another showcase of Old
Louisville’s unique place in the Louisville Metro Area.
And lest we forget the importance of the beautiful, hot but
dry and sunny days, our thanks to the Louisville
meteorologists who staved off the clouds and rain until the
Monday following the tour.
A primary goal of the Garden Tour is to benefit the entire
Old Louisville community. It recognizes the talents and
efforts of garden owners and the fact that their dedication
to fine landscaping contributes to the quality of life for
all in the neighborhood. These gardens of high caliber and
originality display urban landscapes that help to reduce air
and noise pollution and lower summer temperatures. Such
landscaping complements the aesthetics of our fine
architecture and inspires others in our neighborhood to
create further green spaces. Proceeds of the Garden Tour
will help improve and preserve our treasured neighborhood.
In response to favorable comments from tourists and
volunteers concerning the more manageable distances of the
2004 and 2005 tours, the garden tour committee is
considering limiting future tours to specific areas of Old
Louisville. In the next few years, we would like to feature
our lovely court areas sprinkled about our neighborhood.
Court associations are encouraged to contact Tim Bottorff,
Chair, at 637-5026 if their court would be interested in
being the focus of a future tour.
Sincerely yours,
Tim Bottorff,
Chair Hidden Treasures Garden Tour
Neighborhood-Wide Yard Sale
Members of the Third Street Neighborhood Association will
conduct a yard sale on Saturday, August 6, 2005, beginning at
8:00AM. They are inviting others in Old Louisville to join them.
Block associations wishing to participate should place a
classified advertisement in the Courier-Journal and notify Lois
Tash at 636-3151
SoHo Condos Looking Good
Phase I of the SoHo Condominium development
at Fifth and Breckinridge Streets is making good progress toward
a fall completion date, according to a report given by Gary
Kleier at the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council Property
Improvement Committee meeting on July 14, 2005.
Eight of the 30 units have been sold, even though a model
apartment is not yet available for viewing. Sale prices range
$115,000 to $235,000.
Phase II of the development will occur at the corner of Fifth
and Breckinridge, between the two buildings comprising Phase I.
It will feature two restaurants and eight condominiums. Phase
III will feature 26 brownstone units continuing down Fifth
Street to Garland.
SoHo condominiums represent the first major new housing in SoBro
in years, and are indicative of the higher density housing which
will probably be incorporated into a new SoBro neighborhood
plan.

Brightside Can Help You
Brighten Your Block
Want to have a neighborhood cleanup? Want to beautify your
neighborhood with flowers or landscaping? If so, call
Brightside.
Brightside supplies trash bags, brooms, gloves, and
coordinates special collection and disposal of the debris.
Brightside now has a sidewalk sweeper. They will provide a
person to operate it for a cleanup. Many neighborhood groups
and businesses have created Brightsites. Brightside can help
with the planning, can suggest supply sources, and perhaps
provide some of the funding.
Cynthia Knapek. Brightside Executive Director, says that
audio-video surveillance cameras are available for sites
where illegal dumping is a problem. When the cameras detect
motion, the audio warns that a video is being made and
illegal dumpers will be prosecuted. This has been highly
successful in scaring off potential violators before they
dump.
Brightside is located in the Department of Neighborhoods,
400 South First Street. For further information, call
574-2613 or visit
www.loukymetro.org
Every 1 Reads Program Seeks
Volunteers
Jefferson County Public Schools is conducting a reading
program entitled Every 1 Reads that is an community-wide
effort to have every child in JCPS reading on grade-level by
2008.
One of the key aspects of this unprecedented program is the
effort to engage volunteers in the schools to tutor students
in reading, to collect books for the program, or to get
matched up as a mentor. The goal is to place 10,000
volunteers in the schools with the students who need the
most help in reading. To date, over 3,000 volunteers have
been trained and placed. There will be several tutor/mentor
training opportunities over the summer .
To volunteer or for further information, call 502 625-0004
or visit www.every1reads.org.
August Chair Notes
COMPLAIN!
COMPLAIN!
COMPLAIN!
Have you noticed more crime in your neighborhood recently?
Nothing more important came out of the Old Louisville
Neighborhood Council Property Improvement Committee meeting
last June 14, 2005, than the need to complain, complain,
complain- to the police department, that is. The crime
statistics the police presented were no where near the level
of theft, drug use, and other such crimes reported by the
neighborhood members present. These same people, however,
indicated that most did not report the crimes to the police.
Police use statistics from complaints such as the type of
crime, location, suspicious activities, etc. to allocate
police resources. So if they don’t know what is going on,
they cannot respond appropriately.
So complain, complain, complain by calling 911 to report a
crime in progress; 574-1111 to report a crime that has
occurred; and 574-LMPD (574-5673) to let the police know
about suspicious behavior going on in your block. This means
not only actual crimes, but also suspicious activities,
strangers wandering around, etc..
Chuck Anderson, Chair
Old Louisville Neighborhood Council
Shakespeare Festival Holds a
Raffle The Kentucky Shakespeare Festival will
raffle off a 2006 Jeep Wrangler X or a cash alternative of
$20,000 on September 17, 2005. Raffle tickets are $50.00
each, and only 1500 will be sold.
Raffle tickets are tax deductible. All proceeds benefit the
Kentucky Shakespeare Festival. All taxes and other expenses
associated with the acceptance and/or use of the prize are
the sole responsibility of the winner. The September 17,
drawing will be held during the Festival’s 2005 British Pub
Night Gala at the Rock Creek Riding Club. Entrants need not
be present to win. 500 raffle tickets must be sold or the
raffle will be canceled and all money returned. The prize is
sponsored by Bales Auto Mart.
If interested, send a check for $50.00 per raffle ticket
payable to Kentucky Shakespeare Festival to Curt L.
Tofteland, Producing Artistic Director, Kentucky Shakespeare
Festival, 1387 South Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40208.
Raffle tickets will be mailed.
Old Louisville
Neighborhood Block Association Chairpersons
Association Chairperson
Address
Phone
1300 S. Third Street
Dale Strange 1355 S 3rd St. 635-1710
Belgravia Court Jessica Flores 1451 S.
6th St. 637-6658 sflores@insightbb.com
Central Park West Judy Stallard 634
Floral Terrace 636-3113 jumartin@onealsteel.com
Cornerstone Area James Long 213 E.
Kentucky 773-3538
Fourth Street Dot Wade 1445 S. 4th St.
635-7885
Garvin Gate Howard Rosenberg 1202 S. 6th
St. 896-9833 h.rosenberg@insightbb.com
OL Chamber of Commerce Alan Bird 1234 S
3rd St. 212-7500 alan@ud.net
Ouerbacker Arts & Crafts Ric Poe 1379 S.
1st St. 635-5134
St. James Court Louise Shawkat 1433 St.
James Ct. #3 637-3606 Shawkatl@bellsouth.net
Second Street Bill Neal 1381 S. 2nd St.
638-0572
Third Street Mary Martin 1466 S. 3rd St.
637-4000 oldloumary@aol.com
Toonerville Jennifer Hamilton 1430 S 1st
St. 749-7294 Jenn-jj@bellsouth.net
Treyton Oak Towers Peggy Martin 211 W.
Oak St. #907 588-3595
W. St. Catherine Rhonda Williams 622 W.
St. Catherine St. 584-9231 williams@dominionhomes.com
Click here for this month's
Meeting's Calendar
Please
visit our Sponsor's Page!
The Old Louisville Journal is
published monthly by the Old Louisville Information Center, Inc.
(OLIC), a 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated in 1984, for the
purpose of receiving tax deductible contributions. OLIC is
affiliated with the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council (OLNC), a
501 (c) (4) non-profit association incorporated in 1976 to serve as
the recognized voice of the Old Louisville Neighborhood.
Submit Journal
contributions to the Editor:
Old Louisville Information Center
1340 S. Fourth St., Louisville, KY 40208.
Phone: (502) 635-5244
E-mail: olnc@bellsouth.net
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Please submit “Letters to the Editor” to the above address.
The 15th of each month is deadline for submission of all ads and articles.

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