In our April meeting we discussed a variety of opportunities to be involved in the neighborhood through committees and upcoming events, and had guest speakers present on Future64, a transportation study and project within the central corridor of St. Louis.

FPSE Neighborhood Business

Treasurer’s Report (Rachel Siegert)

  • Rachel reviewed last month’s report
  • We had a generous donation of $100, and only out Zoom expenses
  • Dan noted that community members can donate or become a dues-paying members at any time. Membership is pay-what-you-can. You can donate or become a member via Cash.app: cash.app/$FPSENA. If you’d like to pay or donate via cash/check, please email forestparksoutheast@gmail.com 

Community News and Updates (Dan Doelling)

  • Lacy Cagle, Executive Director at City Greens Market, reminded all the City Greens Market is open and hosting events on their patio
    • City Greens operates with funding from the Nature’s Path Grant 
    • Be on the look-out for Meet Your Farmer events
    • A give STL Day celebration will be on May 5th and is family friendly 
    • More information can be found at stlcitygreens.org
  • Dan shared information about Park Central Development’s free seasonal exterior maintenance for seniors. Any questions can be directed to Nanyamka Brown at 314-643-8261 or NBrown@pcd-stl.org 
  • Dan noted upcoming neighborhood events:
    • Neighborhood Clean-Up (May 21)
      • Will focus on King-Oak
      • Meet at the corner of Manchester & Newstead at 10:00am
      • Spread the word!
    • Neighborhood Flower Planting (May 22)
      • Working with operations Bright Side
      • Community members are asked to recommend any public spaces that are good candidates for planting. 
    • Soft Openings (TBD)
    • Neighborhood Night Out (Sept 3)
    • Tree Painting (TBD)
  • Dan called for Event Committee members. To join the committee email forestparksoutheast@gmail.com or fill out the email form on our homepage here
  • Safety is a priority for us all. Help us develop block solutions to reduce block crime and join the start of the Public Safety Committee. Reply if you’re interested email forestparksoutheast@gmail.com or fill out the email form on our homepage here

Ward 17 Updates (Dan Doelling)

  • Office Hours will be held on 4/21 at 4:30 at City Greens Market
  • A development meeting will be held to discuss the Lindell/Kingshighway development on 4/26 at the Schlafly Library Branch 
  • A harm reduction kick-off session, in response to fentanyl overdoses in the ward, will be held on 4/30 at the Cortex Assembly Innovation Hall 
  • A City Garden Montessori block party for school building expansion will be held on 5/7 at 209 Folsom Ave. 
  • The 2021 17th Ward Alderwoman Annual Report will be available in May
  • All community members are invited to join the alderperson’s mailing list by visiting tinasweettpihl.com/#subscribe 
  • All community members are invited to apply for the FPSE Infrastructure Committee. Those interested can fill out the application or email kmharris612@gmail.com 
    • A community member requested the committee specifically focus on the 4400 blocks of Swan and Norfolk 
  • Application for the alderperson’s Development Committee will be available in mid-May

Crime and Safety Report (Officer Walker)

  • Officer Walker noted the car break-ins are picking up with the nicer weather
  • Officer Walker reminded community members not to keep valuables in cars, especially along the Manchester corridor
  • Officer Walker reviewed crime reports from last month 
  • On 5/21 Officer Walker will be hosting an event at Gravois Plaza 
    • Gun locks will be given away at this event 
  • Officer Walker reminded community members that the department requires 3 calls per year regarding airbnb activity, in order to further investigate
  • Officer Walker requested the any burglaries be reported immediately 
  • Officer Walker can be reached at 314-444-0107 or ncwalker@slmpd.com

Neighborhood Updates (Ron Coleman)

  • Ron Coleman introduced himself to the community as the Neighborhood Improvement Specialist 
  • Any concerns, complaints, or observations can be directed to Ron 
  • Ron reminded all community members that the labor shortage continues to impact many city services (including recycling) 
  • Ron noted that the city has programs for tree planting in the neighborhood
    • Ron encouraged community members to call him or the Citizens’ Service Bureau to get on the list for the next planting season 
    • Dan clarified that the Neighborhood Association’s efforts are to coordinate with the forestry department and Forest ReLeaf to plant trees ourselves 
  • Community members can reach Ron at (314) 657-1361 or colemanron@stlouis-mo.gov 

GUEST SPEAKER

MoDOT Infrastructure Project “Future64” (Chandra Taylor and Shaun Tooley with Vector Communications; Jennifer Wade with MoDOT; Andrew Potthast with HDR)

    • Chandra introduced the team and shared a Future64 Study Presentation 
    • Future64 is a 13 month PEL study along I-64 between Kingshighway and Jefferson, focused on aging infrastructure and current usage
    • Partners include The City of St. Louis, East-West Gateway, Great Rivers Greenway, and Metro
    • Technical tasks of the study include analysis of existing conditions, traffic forecasting, community assessments, and environmental analysis 
    • Public engagement tasks include stakeholder interviews, public meetings, and online engagement 
      • All community members are encouraged to take a 5 minute commuter survey can be taken online at Future64 Commuter Survey
  • Shaun continued, noting that in order to receive any federal funds, this study is the first required milestone
  • Additional information including engagement meeting dates can be found at Future64.com 
  • The study is scheduled to continue with public meetings and engagement through January of 2023.

You can download a copy of the minutes below.

You can listen to April’s meeting below, and wherever you listen to your podcasts.