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Westside Improvement Association
General Membership Meeting
Thursday, February 21, 2002
Howell Park Shelter
President Fred Padget called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Attending: Basden, Bill; Basden, Marge; Baumgartner, Betty; Berning, Dot; Berning, Terry; Bevers, Jim; Clancy, Dan; Cleek, Linda; Farmer, Paul; Gerteisen, Suzanne; Harty, Bill; James, Shirley; Jourdan, Kurt; Lockard, Michael; Padget, Fred; Rhodes, Mary; Schapker, Marc; Sensmeier, Bernice; Thompson, George;
Wentzel, Sam
Secretary’s Report: There was no secretary's report as the last general meeting was the annual
banquet.
Treasurer’s Report: Bernice Sensmeier presented the treasurer's report for February and reminded members that annual dues for 2002 are now
payable.
President’s Report:
- Padget served on a panel discussing "Creating Community, Fighting Sprawl" sponsored by the USI Honors Program. Other panelists included area elected officials who presented various viewpoints on the value of development and what constitutes sprawl.
- Padget asked past president Paul Farmer to report on the United Neighbors of Evansville (UNOE). Farmer explained UNOE’s development from a United Way program to a separate not-for-profit organization and his role as facilitator. He pointed out that each member association is entitled to two representatives. Padget is one WIA representative; another needs to be selected.
- Padget attended the 2/7 meeting of the Evansville Urban Transportation
Study (EUTS) Technical Committee.
- He explained the four-phase construction involving St. Joseph Avenue that will
begin soon. The four phases are:
1. Intersection improvement at St. Joe and the Lloyd;
2. Addition of storm sewers;
3. widening from Illinois to Maryland with addition of left turn lanes;
4. widening from Maryland to Diamond including improvements to the
St. Joe/Mesker Park Drive intersection.
- A public meeting concerning the St. Joe project will be held on February 26 at 6:30
p.m at Helfrich Park Middle School.
- Hazard funds have been requested from INDOT for flashing lights at Red Bank Road and Upper Mt. Vernon Avenue.
- Padget also attended the West Sector Police monthly meeting.o Warning signals for trains on Ohio Street should be in place at Fulton and Ohio and Ray Becker and Ohio later this spring.
- Kurt Chapman, a member of the WIA Board of Directors, is the West Sector Crime Prevention Officer
(CPO).
- National Night Out will be held on Tuesday, August 6, in Garvin Park. WIA is invited to participate in planning and at the event. Sam Wentzel reported that Evansville’s Night Out program is ranked among the top six nationally and that many neighbor organizations
participate.
- Linda Cleek has volunteered to attend some West Sector meetings as the WIA representative.
Web Site: Cleek reported on additions to the web site
since the last general meeting and requested suggestions for material and
submissions to be posted on the site. She also pointed out that traffic
reports are available each month on the web site as well as at meetings.
Committee Reports:
- Fall Festival - Padget reported that Saturday of Fall
Festival 2001 was our biggest ever day for sales volume. We also set a
record for overall receipts in 2001, with somewhat more than $13,000.
We did not set a record for profits, however, at about $7,000.
Planning for 2002 is underway.
- Land Use and Planning - Chairman Michael Lockard introduced
himself and thanked Shirley James for recruiting him, Padget for appointing
him, and Cleek for posting his reports on the web site. He also
reported on the following land use issues:
- WIA assisted neighbors of the trailer park behind
Schnuck's in their remonstrance against rezoning for expansion.
Lockard thanked neighbors for their efforts and pointed out that the
petition for rezoning has been withdrawn.
- An appeal was made for committee members who can
participate in land use issues as many rezoning requests involving west
side properties are being brought before the Area Plan Commission.
- WIA will assist neighbors in opposing rezoning at 111
N. Red Bank Road (involving property in both city and county
jurisdictions) as Red Bank Road cannot handle increased traffic.
- A request by developer Gene Hahn for a new access road
intersecting Red Bank Road south of the Expressway was reported in the Evansville
Courier and Press this morning. No details on the request are
available at this time.
- Recent moves by BFI to receive trash from additional
counties at the Laubscher Meadows landfill were discussed. There was
general agreement that a contract exists and should be honored.
- Rezoning petitions to be heard March 6 include:
- Revisiting a petition for rezoning for a
subdivision on Mohr Road.
- South Central Broadcasting has requested a rezoning
from R1 to C1 at 1151 Mt. Auburn Road. Dot Berning, who lives in the area, reported
that a house has been converted to
commercial use and that the rezoning may involve adding a paved
parking lot.
- Gene Hahn has requested replatting of a section of
Eagle Plaza intended for residential use.
- A request
- Parks - Shirley James reported
- the Parks committee's goal for 2002 will be to complete
a survey of parks, to make recommendations for change, and to take steps
to implement those changes.
- Howell Wetlands has applied for an erosion control
grant.
- Burdette Park has received an award for landscaping and
has secured funding for construction of the O'Daniel Discovery Center.
- Joy Fitzgerald, curator of the Howell Wetlands, is
planning several projects including a bluebird trail.
- Concerned was expressed over Moutoux Park not being
considered for the city soccer complex due to
"contamination." Further investigation is needed.
- Greenway designers have been given the go-ahead to
update the Parks master plan.
- The Greenway plans to buy the General Waste site
continue to be delayed by clean-up and permit requirements but are
moving ahead.
- The old Ohio Street bridge will be renovated to serve
as an observation deck and will be named for the late Joan Marchand.
- James also reported on sewer issues:
- Work continues on the county's combination
sewers. A new sewage treatment plant will be constructed at the
old Wansford Yards. When completed, it will reduce the volume of
sewage processed by the west side facility by about two million gallons
per day.
- The new plant will be of an innovative design that is
odor free and provides a park-like setting.
- Planning for further work includes prioritizing
projects and sensitive areas. James priorities are the river front
and Bee Slough; her top sensitive area is the Howell Wetlands.
- Public hearings will be scheduled in March.
Other Business: Padget called for volunteers for the various committees,
including Pollution and Conservation (concentrating on Carpentier Creek this
year); Land Use and Planning; Media; Transportation (concentrating on
involvement with EUTS); and Membership.
Program: The guest speaker was Brad Mills, recently-appointed executive
director of the Area Plan Commission. Mills shared information about his
background and his approach to land use planning. He stated that much of the
rezoning code needs to be streamlined and made more readable. Questions
from the audience covered specific rezoning requests as well as comments about
differing philosophies of development and rezoning. Mills pointed out that
he is an administrator, not a policy maker. Several speakers emphasized
the need for citizen input in the 2003 revision of the Comprehensive Plan.
Adjournment: Padget reminded those present that while
WIA does not take a stand on political matters, many of the issues that concern
us arise from the actions of elected officials and that individual members can
and must vote based on the issues that matter the most to them. The
meeting was adjourned at 9:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Linda Cleek
Secretary
Next meeting: Wednesday, March 27, 11:30 a.m. at Red Bank Branch Library.
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