District 9 eNews - Thursday, April 21, 2016

 
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Bill Hollander

Councilman Bill Hollander
601 West Jefferson Street
(502) 574-1109
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kyle ethridge

Kyle Ethridge
Legislative Assistant
(502) 574-3908
Email Kyle


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In this issue...


D9 Community Conversation – TONIGHT - April 21

D9 Community Conversation

The next Community Conversation is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 21 in Louisville Water Tower Park, 3005 River Road. Join us for a conversation about our community’s health. Discuss assets, barriers and community stories about your neighborhood. Make new connections with others who live in your community and share your vision of a healthy Louisville.

We also want to hear from you on any topics, an unscripted, open conversation about D9 and the City. Please join us – and bring along a friend or neighbor!


Celebrate Earth Day in D9!

Earth Day

Earth Day is tomorrow and the celebration continues in D9. There's a cleanup in Irish Hill (see the calendar for April 23), several events along Beargrass Creek (including a chance to drink a beer made from creek water!), tree planting on Frankfort Avenue - and much more.  It's all in this week's eNews! Look for next week’s eNews for a wrap-up on all of the activities of the last two weeks.  


Brightside Earth Day Planting Party – April 22

Earth day planting

Brightside will be hosting a planting party in celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd. CSX has awarded Brightside a grant to spruce up the Frankfort Avenue corridor.  Volunteers will be focusing on tree planting along the south side of Frankfort Avenue from the Crescent Hill Library to Rastetter Avenue.

Volunteers from the community are needed to experience a hands-on educational opportunity with Brightside to help with the planting. The event will run from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. and will begin at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church parking lot, 2282 Frankfort Avenue. Mayor Greg Fischer is expected at 10:00 a.m. This is a great opportunity to support Give A Day, get involved in your community and to give back!

Brightside is partnering with Frankfort Avenue Business Association, the Crescent Hill Community Council and Metro Council District 9. 


Earth Day on Beargrass Creek - April 22

beargrass creek

What better way to celebrate Earth Day than at the creek in our own backyard?  

There are two events: 

  • Earth Day Clean-up of the Waterfront Botanical Gardens Site and Beargrass Creek, Friday, April 22, 10 am-4 pm
    Corner of Frankfort Avenue and River Road.  Take part in Mayor Fischer’s “Give A Day” and volunteer on Earth Day to help clean-up the future Botanical Gardens site. Sign-up here
  • Beargrass Brew at Apocalypse Brew Works, Friday, April 22, 5 pm – 8 pm
    Apocalypse Brew Works, 1612 Mellwood Avenue, 40206

David Wicks and the Salt River Watershed Watch have partnered with Apocalypse to make Beargrass Brew, a beer brewed with cleaned water from Beargrass Creek. The beer, featuring locally grown hops, will be the first beer in over 100 years brewed using water from the creek. The Beargrass Brew will only be available Earth Day weekend, with a limited quantity of only 30 gallons and will be first come, first served. Apocalypse’s other beers will be available on tap. A suggested donation of $10 for the Beargrass Brew will go toward the Salt River Watershed Watch, which has been monitoring Beargrass Creek for the past 25 years, and been integral in seeing our own urban creek cleaned and renewed.


Thunder Over Louisville – April 23

Thunder Over Louisville

Thunder Over Louisville is on Saturday – if you are planning to head downtown for the airshow or fireworks display make sure you check the official website, http://thunderoverlouisville.org/, for tips and hints. Also, there are a number of street closures for the event, view them here: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/police/thunder-over-louisville-street-closures


TARC Increasing Service for Thunder Over Louisville

TARC

TARC is again this year increasing service into downtown Louisville and designating five post-event boarding areas for the Thunder Over Louisville fireworks on Sat., Apr.  23. The service plan mirrors TARC service for Thunder in recent years.

Passengers traveling on TARC from Southern Indiana are cautioned that buses on cross-river routes #71-Jeffersonville, Louisville, New Albany and #72-Clarksville will not make return trips to Indiana after the fireworks due to the closure of the Clark Memorial (2nd Street) Bridge. Those two routes will also be detoured (see below) during the closure of the bridge leading up to and following the event.

Post-event boarding in downtown Louisville will be restricted to five locations, all within blocks of the waterfront. Buses will operate until 11 p.m. at those locations (see list and map below). Due to traffic, buses have limited access on downtown streets after the event.  The boarding locations are designed to keep buses out of heavy traffic as much as possible and to get people home as quickly as possible.

Beginning at 3:30 p.m., on the day of the fireworks, more buses will be added on routes serving downtown, improving the frequency of bus arrival times at stops and adding capacity. However, as the event draws closer, downtown routes may be delayed due to police barricades and heavy pedestrian traffic.

Regular TARC fares will apply.  A one-way fare is $1.75 or 80 cents for passengers over the age of 65, riders with disabilities and ages 6-17. TARC ID is required for reduced fare. Children under the age of 5 ride free. 

Easy trip planning, maps and schedules are available at www.ridetarc.org.  TARC customer service can be reached at 502-585-1234; TTY 502-213-3240.


CycLOUvia on Frankfort Ave – April 24 - 2 to 6 PM

CycLOUvia

 Cyclouvia will transform the street into a paved park where people of all ages and backgrounds can walk, bike, dance, skate, or participate in any other physical activity on public spaces that are always there but are normally reserved for automobiles. Frankfort Avenue will be closed to motorized traffic from Stilz Avenue to Pope Street from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, with cross traffic allowed at Ewing Avenue under traffic control officer supervision. TARC stops on Frankfort Avenue between Stilz Avenue and Pope Street will be out of service from 1:30 – 6:00 p.m.  Passengers on east and westbound #15, #19 and #31 routes are advised to use the stop on Ewing Ave. at Frankfort Avenue., north of the railroad tracks.

The Crescent Hill Library, at 2762 Frankfort Avenue,  will be open during the  event and many merchants will have special offerings.  CycLOUvia is FREE and open to the public.   Cyclouvia promotes healthy lifestyles and alternative modes of transportation.  Join your neighbors on The Avenue on Sunday!


Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center to begin Sunday hours

Mary T

 More good news for healthy lifestyles!  The Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center, located at 201 Reservoir Road in D9’s Crescent Hill Park, will be open from 1-4 p.m. on Sundays, beginning this Sunday, April 24. The Aquatic Center had been closed on Sundays since 2008, when budgetary conditions forced Metro Government to make various cuts to city services.

The Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center offers lap swim, water exercise and swim lessons, as well as a weight room with Cybex, free weight and cardio equipment. Metro Parks and Recreation pools require photo ID for anyone age 9 and over.  (Children under 9 must be accompanied by a guardian.) Daily admission, monthly and yearly passes are available. For more information, visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/parks/mary-t-meagher-aquatic-center or call 897-9949.


MSD CSO Basin Project Meeting – April 26

MSD

MSD will host a conceptual design meeting from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. concerning the Lexington and Payne CSO (combined sewer overflow) basin project - a covered underground basin. The meeting will be held at the Girl Scouts, 2115 Lexington Road. At this meeting, MSD will provide information about the conceptual design phase of the project, and offer you an opportunity for input and comments. This basin will greatly lessen the occurrence of combined sewer overflows—untreated sewage—entering Beargrass Creek during rain events. For more information on the Lexington & Payne CSO Basin Project, please see our Project WIN site. For more information visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/msd-lexington-payne-cso-basin-conceptual-design-meeting-tickets-23192976818.


Sustainability Story: Solar Panels and Historic Preservation

Sustainability

D9 has two preservation districts, in Clifton and Butchertown.   Rules for building in the Clifton district were recently in the news, when a homeowner on William Street was cited for installing solar panels without seeking a permit.  We had featured the solar panels (shown here) in our June 25, 2015 D9 eNews as an example of a commendable sustainability practice. 

That same day, the owner of the home was cited by Metro’s Department of Codes and Regulations for installing both a new roof and solar panels without first securing a Certificate of Appropriateness, a fact we didn’t know when the eNews was published.  The case went before the Clifton Architectural Review Committee on April 13 and the solar panel and roof were approved, with a few conditions.  Martha Elson wrote about that in this Courier-Journal story: http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2016/04/13/clifton-solar-panels-okd-conditions/82982744/

It seems like a good result to me. Providing sustainable alternatives is increasingly becoming a focus in preservation districts across the country and I am happy that a process is underway to update the Standard Design Guidelines for Louisville preservation districts.  (The Clifton Preservation District has a unique set of design guidelines that were just approved in 2014 but they could also be changed as a result of the best practices that will emerge from the Standard Design Guideline update).

To be clear, though, the result should not lead anyone to ignore the need to get building permits for new roofs and solar panels and to have the projects reviewed for compliance with existing preservation guidelines in Butchertown, Clifton and other preservation districts.  More information about the building permit process is here:  https://louisvilleky.gov/government/construction-review/building-permits. Information about preservation districts, with links to Butchertown and Clifton, is here: https://louisvilleky.gov/government/planning-design/historic-preservation-landmarks-and-overlay-districts.

We’d like to feature your sustainability story - a resident or business doing good things for the environment.  Riding the bus, bicycling, walking, gardening and more - our eNews will feature practices which can benefit all of us.  Send your story to Bill Hollander or Kyle Ethridge


Comment on the Move Louisville Multi-Modal Plan

Move Louisville

Move Louisville, the city’s 20-year multi-modal plan, was released on April 14, 2016.  The plan describes 16 priority projects and 8 priority policies to improve Louisville’s transportation network.  A 60-day public comment period for Move Louisville also began on April 14th.  We encourage residents and businesses to review the plan and submit their thoughts and comments at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/advanced-planning/move-louisville.


Story Avenue Ramp Reopening Soon

Story Avenue Ramp

The long-awaited reopening of the ramp from Story Avenue to I-64 West in D9 is just weeks away.  The ramp closed on August 31.  As part of the Bridges Project, crews are building new ramps to improve safety and traffic flow in the area.  One ramp will carry traffic from Story Ave. to I-64 West and another ramp will carry traffic from Story Ave. to I-65. The new ramps will eliminate the need to merge across lanes of I-64 traffic to reach I-65.

The ramp to I-64 is currently scheduled to open just before Derby, on or around Thursday, May 5.  It will also provide temporary access to I-65.   Work will continue on the new ramp to I-65.  It is expected to open sometime this summer.

Meanwhile, Bridges Project work will continue to close Frankfort Avenue to through traffic from Story Avenue to River Road from time to time.

Sign up for the D9 blog for more information on bridges and road work when it becomes available: https://district9news.wordpress.com/


Google Fiber, Three Others Submit Bids

Google

Four companies – including Google Fiber -  are seeking public right-of-way access to install the infrastructure needed to bring ultrafast internet to Louisville.  The bids were submitted in late March in response to a request for proposals issued earlier in the month.  The bids followed Metro Council approval of an interlocal cooperation agreement allowing Louisville Metro and all of Jefferson County’s 80-plus suburban cities to request proposals for a standard franchise for communications infrastructure providers which would apply throughout Jefferson County. 

More Metro Council action will be needed when the bidders enter into actual franchise agreements.  That could come as early as next month.    

Google Fiber currently operates in nine cities around the county, bringing ultrafast internet service, at lower prices than is now being charged for other services.  The service can provide broadband speeds of a gigabit per second, or 1,000 Mbps, up to 100 times greater than the average speed in Louisville. Prices are very competitive. The monthly residential costs in other cities with the service are $130 for TV and Internet or $70 for only internet.

Jacob Ryan of WFPL has more on the bidding process:  http://wfpl.org/four-companies-vying-bring-fiber-internet-louisville/.  To show your interest and receive updates from Google Fiber on its progress, enter your physical and email addresses here:  https://fiber.google.com/about/louisville


New vendor portal to “buy local” more often

metro seal

Citing an effort to increase its ability to help small businesses and “buy local” more often, Louisville Metro Government has added a new vendor portal on the Division of Purchasing’s page of the city website.

Local businesses interested in registering can submit information through the new portal. Louisville Metro agency buyers and Purchasing Division staff will be able to utilize the business information when seeking purchasing opportunities below $20,000. Any purchases above $20,000 require, by state law, a competitive bid process.

In order for Louisville Metro to procure services and products, the business must be registered and compliant with the Revenue Commission and Human Relations Commission. Some common purchases by the city are construction, painting, roofing, pest control and a variety of business services.

Submitting a Vendor Interest Form is not a guarantee for doing business with Louisville Metro Government, nor is it a bid notification system. The portal is a method for presenting local business capabilities and qualifications directly to decision-makers across all Metro agencies. 

To complete the Vendor Interest Form, local business owners should visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/management-budget/purchasing


SAVE THE DATE – Responsible Recycling – May 14

Responsible Recycling

The D9 Annual FREE Responsible Recycling event has been set for Saturday, May 14, from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM at Louisville Water Tower Park, 3005 River Road.

This is a FREE drive-through event open to residents in Louisville Metro. Please review the list for accepted donations and plan to donate items on May 14.

Thank you to our recycling vendors for participating in this year's event.

All Shred
Commonwealth e-Waste
Eco-Cell
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Interstate All Battery Center
Louisville Metro Department of Public Works
Supplies Over Seas
WaterStep

Please click on the flyer link for a list of items that will be accepted: 2016 Responsible Recycling Flyer

For additional details on accepted items please click on a link below.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore Donation Guidelines
Commonwealth e-Waste Accepted Items
Supplies Over Seas (SOS) Donation Flyer

If you are interested in volunteering please contact the office at 574-1109.


District 9 Calendar Events

Below are some Ninth District calendar events!  To view a full listing of events please visit the District 9 Blog at http://district9news.wordpress.com/.  If you would like to submit events to be considered for the blog calendar please email Kyle Ethridge or call 574-1109.

Thursday, April 21: District 9 Community Conversation at 6:30 p.m. at Louisville Water Tower, 3005 River Road. We want to hear from you on any topics, an unscripted, open conversation about your vision for D9 and the City. Please mark your calendar and join us – and bring along a friend or neighbor!

Thursday, April 21: Carmichael's Bookstore, 2720 Frankfort Avenue, to host Kim Brooks with special guests Erin Keane and Kiko Petrosino at 7:00 p.m. Personal Essays Editor at Salon Kim Brooks joins us for a free reading and signing of her debut novel, The Houseguest. Kim will be joined by two local writers who will read from their work: Salon Culture Editor Erin Keane and poet and UofL professor Kiki Petrosino.  Questions, please contact 896-6950.

Friday, April 22: Brightside Earth Day Planting Party from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Plan to meet at St. Marks Episcopal Church parking lot, 2282 Frankfort Avenue. Join others to plant trees, flowers, shrubs and add a pop of color to Frankfort Avenue in celebration of Earth Day. For more details or to sign up call 574-2613 or email brightside@louisvilleky.gov.

Friday, April 22: Earth Day cleanup of the Waterfront Botanical Gardens site from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the corner of Frankfort Avenue and River Road. Take part in Mayor Fischer’s “Give-A-Day” and volunteer on Earth Day to help clean-up the future Botanical Gardens site. Sign-ups online: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4dabaf22aaf85-earth

Friday, April 22: Make an Earth Day Toast to a clean and healthy Beargrass Creek from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Apocalypse Brew Works, 1612 Mellwood Avenue. A fundraiser to support Salt River Watershed Watch. The Master Brewers of Apocalypse Brew Works are creating a beer using filtered water directly from Beargrass Creek.  The beer featuring locally grown hops will be the first beer in over 100 years brewed using water from Beargrass Creek.  The Beargrass Brew will only be available Earth Day weekend.   Only thirty gallons will be brewed this year, it is first come first served. Informational booths will be set up, maps of Beargrass Creek will be displayed, just come and talk about your dreams for Beargrass Creek and our other urban streams.  You can learn more about the Salt River Watershed Watch program, its upcoming volunteer training sessions and how you can personally participate in ensuring that our streams are clean and healthy.  There is a suggested donation of $10.00 for the evening, which will include a Beargrass Brew or other beer on Apocalypse’s tap.    Additional beers are $4.00 a pint.

Friday, April 22: A Reader's Corner Bookstore, 2044 Frankfort Avenue, to host Bill Doolittle, D9 resident and author of the new book The Kentucky Derby from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Over 200 pages of history of the great race and 175 photographs. Questions, please call 897-5578.

Friday, April 22: The Clifton Center, 2117 Payne Street, to host Louisville chamber ensemble Orchestra Enigmatic with the music of local composer and pianist Rachel Grimes along with the music of 2015 Grammy award winning composer John Luther Adams at 7:00 p.m. Tickets at the door - $20 ($15 student/senior).

Saturday, April 23: White Elephant Sale from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Peterson-Dumesnil House, 301 S. Peterson Avenue. Proceeds from the sale will go to support the maintenance of the historic home. Questions, please call 797-2994.

Saturday, April 23: Irish Hill spring neighborhood cleanup from 9:00 a.m. - Noon. Plan to meet at Irish Hill Park, Cooper and Lexington Road. Trash bags and gloves will be provided. If you have rakes, shovels or brooms, please bring them with you. Accompanied kids are welcome. Residents and business associates are encouraged to walk to the meet up site. If you are driving, parking is available at Irish Hill Park. If you have any questions, please email info@irishhillneighbors.org.

Sunday, April 24: Cyclouvia will transform the street into a paved park where people of all ages and backgrounds can walk, bike, dance, skate, or participate in any other physical activity on public spaces that are always there but are normally reserved for automobiles. The street will be closed to motorized traffic from Stilz Avenue to Pope Street with cross traffic allowed at Ewing Avenue under traffic control officer supervision between 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. Cyclouvia will promote healthy lifestyles and alternative modes of transportation. This is a FREE event and open to the public.

Tuesday, April 26: Crescent Hill Library, 2762 Frankfort Avenue, to host eBay for sellers at 2:00 p.m. Questions, please call the library at 574-1793.

Tuesday, April 26: St. Matthews Library, 3940 Grandview Avenue, to host eBay for beginners at 2:30 p.m. Learn the basics of buying and selling items on ebay. Feel free to bring one (1) item to research. Having basic or better computer skills is suggested.  Questions, please call 574-1771.

Tuesday, April 26: MSD to host a conceptual design meeting from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. concerning the Lexington and Payne CSO (combined sewer overflow) basin project - a covered underground basin. The meeting will be held at the Girl Scouts, 2115 Lexington Road. At this meeting, MSD will provide information about the conceptual design phase of the project, and offer you an opportunity for input and comments. This basin will greatly lessen the occurrence of combined sewer overflows—untreated sewage—entering Beargrass Creek during rain events. For more information on the Lexington & Payne CSO Basin Project, please see our Project WIN site. For more information visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/msd-lexington-payne-cso-basin-conceptual-design-meeting-tickets-23192976818.

Wednesday, April 27: Crescent Hill Library, 2762 Frankfort Avenue, to host booked for lunch at 2:00 p.m. Plan to discuss Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Questions, please call the library at 574-1793.


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