Toonerville Trolley Neighborhood Association

16 July 2009 - Meeting Minutes

Jul 21, 2009

TTNA Meeting Minutes
16 July 2009

The meeting was held in Ken Herndon?’s ?“new?” backyard and it is really nice. Several members commented that it should be on the next garden tour!

Aaron Jent, treasurer reported that we now have $6110.91. However, we were reminded that over $4000.00 is donations allocated for the repair to the Toonerville Park stone wall.

As to the wall repair, it is now at the point for the final bidding process. Our funds (contributed by our members and nearly all of the other Old Louisville Neighborhood Associations) and a matching contribution from CM George Unseld are being transferred to Metro Parks.

President DiBlasi was reminded that Saint James NA had promised a contribution and he ought to follow up with them.

Two-way Streets ?– this process moves glacially forward. DiBlasi noted that he had written a letter to CM Unseld asking why and how the streets were made one-way and why could the Metro Council simply reverse that and why were we spending $40,000.00 on a feasibility study? Apparently, this request has been forwarded to the traffic officials ?“for further study?”.

The contract for the feasibility study is soon to be let and there is a group of local citizens (from many of the NAs) who will be involved.

Smurf Village (aka ?– Brook-Leigh Arms Apartments) appears to be completely rebuilt. Aaron Jent reports there will be 38 units, one of which will be that of an on-site manager! The overall-project is costing several million dollars. The apartments will be one to three bedroom units with rents possibly beginning around $550. There will be individual decks and landscaping. There will also be six security cameras.

As to the rooming house, just south across the alley ?– the one where there were three felony arrests (one involving a felon with a handgun), the activity continues. Individuals continue to sit on porch drinking. Many complaints were raised with ?“city-call?” and there has been no response. In addition, a window air conditioning unit and plywood has appeared in one of the first floor windows, in possible violation of the historic preservation ordinances. We need to get with the owners of adjacent properties and prepare a united front to the city to get this illegal place shut down or the infractions dealt with.

The membership was reminded that 18 July, this Saturday, Herb Fink has asked for volunteers to come to Central Park to work with high school students (governor?’s scholars) on a park project. Get there early while there are still donuts!

A lengthy discussion ensued about the proposed Toonerville Park Dog Park. Metro Parks appears to be pushing for converting the existing tennis courts into the dog park. There has been a complaint that someone?’s dog?’s feet were injured because of the surface. The developer of Manley Junior High School apartments wants the tennis courts for his tenants. But, there are still options to discuss. One option is using the grassy (and shaded) surface south of and adjacent to the tennis courts. All agreed that we want a dog park in Toonerville Park and we want to work with the Parks Department to make it happen. The idea is, once Parks realizes how well received and heavily used an urban dog park is, we can work toward making it bigger and better.

Kristin Furnish can no longer be our representative to the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council (because of evening classes). Dick Irby has stepped up. We need more people who are willing to serve on other OL committees as TTNA representatives, to remind them that we exist and to bring information back to us.

Dick Irby pointed out that the Old Louisville Diner?’s Club had a great meal at Omar?’s (Preston and Ormsby). Eighteen people showed up and the food is great! The next scheduled meeting of these Old Louisville Foodies is 30 July at Smoketown USA (northwest corner of Shelby and Oak?) at 6:30 pm.

At that point the meeting degenerated into folks just talking and eating ?– so President DiBlasi closed the meeting. No one kept track of the time, so we cannot report it.

Once again, thanking Ken for the use of his garden (backyard is not a good description) as well as the food and drink.