Woodburn Association of Neighbors

Woodburn Neighborhood Walk and Other News

2011-04-12T07:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Woodburn Neighbors:
Several things for your information and calendar!
1. This Thursday, April 14 is the Woodburn Neighborhood Walk About. The City Manager, City Planner, Code Officers, Chief of Police and City Council members will join Woodburn residents for a walk to look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the neighborhood. Starts at 10:00 a.m. on Forest Ave. See the walk route below.

2. Please cheer on Jason and Julie Black as they represent Woodburn in the Rosenbaum House Chili Cook-Off on Friday. Go Jason and Julie!

3. Woodburn Elementary School is hosting an Arts Festival Night this Friday, April 15 from 6-8 p.m. There will be art displays, puppets, music and dance. Please feel free to stop in.

4. Annual Woodburn Neighborhood Clean-up, Saturday, April 30. Meet at Mario's Fishbowl at 10:00 a.m. Bags and gloves provided!! Let's make our neighborhood shine! Your help is greatly appreciated.

5. Neighborhood Association Meeting, May 2, 7:00 p.m. Location to be announced

Woodburn Area Walking tour

WEAR YOUR WALKING SHOES!

Suggested parking at the city lot on Spruce Street or in areas along the route.

MEET ON FOREST AVENUE(corner of Spruce and Forrest) (virtually no parking available) issues of property maintenance, couch burning etc.

Proceed up Dallas to Gem Street-issues of sidewalk & street repair-dilapidated housing

Richwood Avenue-Richwood Avenue Grill(former Odorite business)now owned by Marion Ohlinger resident of Woodburn.

Proceed down Richwood-“The Beauty Spot” home to the Woodburn sign and beautification project: issues of sidewalk repair, graffiti on trolley garages; Whitemore Park on right concerns of trash and litter and lack of playground equipment.

Corner of Dayton and Richwood Avenue will be home to three new homes from Mgtwn/Fmt Housing Authority; Parking lot for Crosley’s used to be home of a dry cleaning business, Crosley former Heating and cooling company-Crosley’s and Mario’s both owned by Mark and Karen Furfari reside in Woodburn. Apartment building erected by Mike Castle 4 years ago.

Proceed up Richwood Ave to Corner of James Ave. Apts built by Chris Knowles. Street paving has caused curbs to disappear on Richwood in this block. Sidewalk was built 6 years ago up James great for walkers to school and town!

Proceed up Charles Ave to Bond Street. Note the number of rentals compared to owner occupied. Parking lot at the grade school unpaved school buses parking in right of way. Bond Street concerning street paving.

Proceed down Ridgeway Ave –house in 900 block condemned to James Street to Monongalia Avenue(get your breath and view) House on corner of Monongalia and McKinley condemned.

Proceed down McKinley show renovated homes. Proceed down Dayton to Monongalia Avenue to show new homes.

Travel down Monongalia back to downtown

WAN Meeting March 28, 2011

2011-03-25T07:41:00.001-07:00

Please plan to come to the Woodburn Association of Neighbors meeting on Monday, March 28th at 7:00 p.m. We will meet in the Multipurpose Building at Woodburn Elementary (behind the main school) in the art room.
Chris Eckhardt will bring drawings of the planned development on Richwood Ave the Housing Authority is putting in. Please plan to come. Thank you.

Next WAN Meeting

2011-03-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

Next Meeting, Monday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. Location and agenda to be posted later.

Current Woodburn Site Design

2010-06-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 14, 2010

New School Design for Current Woodburn Site to Have a Public Showing
The public is invited to view a 3-D conceptual design for a new green school on the current Woodburn site on Wednesday, June 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 456 Spruce Street, Morgantown, WV. The New Woodburn Community School Initiative sponsored the design and is hosting the showing. All are invited to attend. Woodburn parent and LEED AP, Chris Haddox, will present the proposed design to the public. The Monongalia County Board of Education has persistently said that a new school could not be built on the current four-acre site of Woodburn Elementary. Please come view how it may be done.

The proposed design accommodates 450 students in a school to be built on the current site through phased construction. Meeting West Virginia School Building Authority criteria, the design includes separate bus and parent drop off, secured entrances, appropriate parking, modern green facilities and playgrounds, all on the beautiful existing site overlooking the Deckers Creek watershed. Please view The New Woodburn Community School Initiative for more information at www.newwoodburncommunityschool.org.
Contact: Susan Eason 304-296-2415 susanchris@verizon.net

Deer Hunt Committee Should Browse

2010-06-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

Go to the following link for an editorial in the Dominion Post on June 1, 2010 regarding the failure of the Deer Hunt Committee to proceed in a proper manner in reaching it's conclusion that recommends killing the deer in our yards. The DP points out one of the main subjects raised at the public meetings "WHAT IS THE PROBLEM" has never been defined. The editorial points out that the deer hunt committee based its recommendations on anecdotal evidence from some complaints to someone about something related to deer. No research has even been done on the numbers of deer, impact of deer, documented cases of accident or lyme decease. What we have are a few people crying about the deer eating their tulips and the committees knee jerk reaction to kill them. Please read the editorial. Thanks
http://ee.dominionpost.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToSaveGifMSIE_DOMINIONPOSTA&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin&Path=DPost/2010/06/01&ChunkNum=-1&ID=Ar01002&PageLabel=10-A

Deer Hunt Committee Shot Down

2010-05-27T05:12:00.000-07:00

For now the Morgantown Deer Hunt Committee recommendation to kill the deer in Morgantown neighborhoods has been 'shot down'. Thanks to the citizens that came to council chambers denouncing the committee City Council did not act. No one spoke in favor of the killing. In fact it is hard to find anyone who supports the deer killing that is not on the committee that is made up of mostly hunters. The committee chairman is an avid bow hunter and writes articles about killing deer. The committee seems to have completely mishandled their charge. It was speculated and reported in the Dominion Post that the committee had a predetermined conclusion and was only going though the public meeting process to appease. Morgantown citizens however were not fooled and called out the committee on multiple occasions and it all climaxed with the committee being exposed as bias, incompetent and lacking due diligence in their decision making. For now the deer are safe from being slaughtered while they sleep, eat and play in our backyards but be sure that those who see these animals as a 'problem' will continue to call for their killing.

WAN Meeting Scheduled

2010-04-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

A Woodburn Association of Neighbors meeting will be held April 19th at 7:00 PM in the Woodburn Elementary multipurpose/ gym.

Letter to BOE and meeting tonight

2010-04-13T06:22:00.000-07:00

The following is a copy of a letter to be delivered to the Monongalia County BOE at tonights meeting. Anyone interested in the future of Woodburn School should attend tonights meeting. There is a tour of Mountaineer Middle at 6:00 p.m. and then the regular business meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the administrative board office on S. High Street.

The Monongalia County Board of Education
13 South High Street
Morgantown, WV 26501

Dear Dr. Devono and members of the Board of Education,

On Monday, April 12, 2010, three members of the Woodburn Association of Neighbors, Susan Eason, Tom Shamberger and Chris Haddox, met with Dr. Mark Manchin of the WV School Building Authority (SBA). The purpose of the visit was to gain a better understanding of the SBA's role in working with county Boards of Education that are seeking funding for school projects. More specifically, it was to learn what influence the SBA holds over local Boards when they are crafting their school projects for submission for SBA consideration.

Over the course of the ninety minute discussion, several things emerged that countered what we had been led to believe by different members of our local Board at various meetings around the proposed consolidation of Woodburn and Easton Elementary Schools. First, Dr. Manchin informed us that the seven-acre site guideline is just that--a guideline. He went over the process by which Boards can request waivers to site size guidelines, pointing out that the request can be made by a simple letter to the SBA and that the SBA has sole discretion whether to grant the wavier. There is no convoluted process involving the WV Board of Education or any other entity, as both you and architect Mr. Shriver supposed. Dr. Manchin pointed to examples where waivers have been granted.

When asked about the site visit Dr. Manchin made to the Woodburn site, he candidly admitted he felt it was a tough site, but allowed that had the Board wished to show how it could develop a project on the existing site of 4 acres, a waiver could have been within the realm of possibility. This is a very different story than you, specifically Board President Walker, shared with us when the message was communicated that Dr. Manchin would not support a school on the current Woodburn site as it did not meet the seven acre.

Second, when asked about the Boards message that if it did not submit a plan in this round of funding, there would be a high chance of missing an opportunity as next year's SBA budget would be significantly lower, Dr. Manchin indicated that yes, this years funding is about as sure a thing as there is. However, there is projected to be another $60-$70 million available in next years round and as the SBA wants very much to do a showcase project in Morgantown, and as very few Boards in West Virginia have the capacity to pull off such a project, the chances of funding would be very high next year as well.

When presented with our perception that the SBA's understanding of sustainable design and development is centered on one small component of that process, the building itself, Dr. Manchin acknowledged this was the case. He did say that the SBA's vision is broadening and the current vision in no way precludes Boards from bringing forth cutting edge proposals for consideration. In fact, the SBA grasps the long term and far reaching impacts of school siting decisions on the larger community and believes in community based school approaches as identified by numerous entities such as the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Council for Educational Facility Planners International. We were left with the distinct impression that a proposal from this Board that was crafted in coordination with the City of Morgantown Comprehensive Plan, the City of Morgantown Housing Study, the City of Morgantown Downtown Strategic Plan, and the MPO/DOH plans for addressing the Mileground traffic quagmire would be welcomed. Such a plan could put both this Board and the SBA firmly on the path to a cutting edge sustainable design worthy of national exposure. As it stands now, a high performance building on a Greenfield site with no walkability will fall way short of that goal.

As Dr. Manchin pointed out multiple times, it is very late in this ballgame to be addressing the issues we raised. In his words, "it would have been helpful to have this discussion several months ago." In initial meetings between Board members Statler and Kelly and our Woodburn representatives, we were asked to please not contact Dr. Manchin directly, but to let Dr. Devono communication with him so as to not muddy the waters and we honored that request. In hindsight, there was too much at stake to not have our own dialogue with Dr. Manchin.

In closing we request that the Board take the current proposal off the table, request a planning grant from the SBA and spend the next six months preparing a new proposal for a school that is based in an existing residential community, is pedestrian accessible and that is conceived in coordination with the aforementioned planning processes. This proposal can be submitted to the November 2010 funding round.

Sincerely,

Susan Eason
Tom Shamberger
Chris Haddox

WAN Meeting Issues Regarding School

2010-03-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

At the Woodburn Assoc. meeting Monday 3-29-10 night it was agreed to continue to fight the closing of Woodburn School and moving it out of the neighborhood. It was agreed to send emails to the State School Building Authority sharing our concerns and doubts about the Mileground location. Additionally it was learned that the State BOE Facilities Director, Bill Elswick also has an important role to play, having to approve the new facility as well.

At the BOE meeting Tuesday night it was reported that Devono moved that Woodburn and Easton be consolidated and a new school be built as long as a list of conditions were met. One of those he said was that State BOE approve an AMENDMENT to the CEFP (I am assuming the last 10 year CEFP since the new one has not been approved???!!).

We heard at the meeting Monday night that BIll Elswick of the State Board of Ed. that if an amending to the LAST CEFP was to be made that a public hearing would have to be held. A public hearing has NOT occurred that I am aware of. Folks are encouraged to write him about their concerns over the process, especially to include concerns about the bogus site survey the architect, Ted Shriver conducted NEVER revealing the location of the Mileground site (how can one evaluate a site without knowing anything about it????), plus no information was given about acreage for each site or cost of acquisition... so how can you fairly rank those criteria??? He also noted that the CEFP in process has not been approved or had it's public hearing AND the last CEFP, if changed would have to have PUBLIC hearing... again, which I have not heard.

Please write: Bill Elswick at the State WV Dept. of Education with your concerns. cwelswic@access.k12.wv.us

Remember the public hearing for the CEFP under development which calls for the consolidation of Woodburn and Easton is not until May 17 at UHS.

Please write March Manchin, State School Building Authority Director with your concerns about the current site. mark.a.manchin@wv.gov Johnathan Deem is the chair of the SBA. I have not found an email for him yet.

The WAN thanks you for your continued efforts around this issue!!!!!

For other info see this link:
http://www.woodburn.iboards.us/privmsg.php?folder=inbox

Deer Control Committee Chairman talks to WAN

2010-03-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

Deer Control Committee Chairman Dr. David Samuel met with the WAN last night at Woodburn Elementary School. Dr Samuel started off the meeting by saying that the committee was formed to deal with the increase number of complaints about deer and to make a recommendation to City Council on what to do about the problem. Dr Samuel then described how the deer bow hunt will be conducted. Dr Samuel said that the hunts will take place in areas of 9 acres or more, the hunters will be in tree stands and might use bate. Dr Samuel emphasized that the committee has not made a decision yet on whether or not to recommend killing the deer. Dr Samuel went on to describe how hunters will not be roaming the neighborhood and that the hunts will take place from daylight to an hour before sunset and that he thought the hunts could start this fall but he emphasized the committee has not made a decision yet on whether or not to recommend killing the deer. Dr. Samuel stated "I have a bunch of bow hunters on the committee" and went on to explain that they will make sure there are NO accidents with the hunt and he explained how there are no alternatives such as fencing, plant materials, repellents that work and said every community that has researched this came up with the conclusion that the hunt is the only option. Dr Samuel said the deer meat can go to Bartlett House, the Salvation Army and the hunter but he emphasized the committee has not made a decision yet on whether or not to recommend killing the deer.
Reasons for killing the deer were then discussed and include automobile collisions with the deer and lyme disease, it was also stated that there is no documentation of either ever occurring in the area. However there is proof that shrubs, gardens and flowers are being eaten.

WAN Meeting Agenda

2010-03-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.woodburn.iboards.us/viewtopic.php?p=8#8

Woodburn Association of Neighbors
Meeting Agenda
Monday, March 22, 2010
Woodburn Elementary Gym

1. Welcome, Introductions and Approval of Minutes

2. Urban Deer Committee – members of the committee will be present information on the Urban Deer Hunt, followed by a question and answer period.

3. Woodburn Elementary School 100th Anniversary - updates on the planning of the May 22, 2010 celebration. The celebration will be from 10 AM to 2:00PM

- Volunteers will be needed for serving and clean-up.
- Donate $75.00 to the celebration?

4. Update on the Woodburn/Easton Consolidation – updates on what has been happening the past couple of weeks.

- If the SBA funding comes through, what do we do?
We need to start thinking NOW of ideas on how to use the current Woodburn site and buildings if they do move forward with a new school off the Mileground. Some ideas that have been mentioned so far (the building is big enough to incorporate more than one option depending on how it is used):
Magnet School
Private School
Dance studio
Restaurant/Coffee Shop
Bakery
Pottery Studio
Non-profit Hub
- If the SBA funding does not come through, what do we do?

5. Other Business
- Trash
- Woodburn Clean-up April 24th
- Next meeting- City of Morgantown Historical Landmark

Next WAN Meeting

2010-03-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

The next meeting of the Woodburn Association of Neighbors is scheduled for Monday March 22, 2010 at 7:00 at Woodburn Elementary School Gymnasium, 918 Fortney Street. One of the topics will be the proposed Urban Deer Hunt. The City Urban Deer Committee is proposing that deer in the City be killed using bow and arrows. Hunters would be located in tree stands around town and shoot at the deer as they pass by. City Officials hope that the killing will stop complaints from residents about their flowers and shrubs being eaten.

Woodburn School Coverage Continues

2010-03-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

Included here is a letter to the editor by Woodburn resident Tony Christini found in Sunday's Dominion Post
http://olive.dominionpost.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RFBvc3QvMjAxMC8wMy8xNCNBcjAyNjAx&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
and an editorial in the Monday 3-15-10 DP
http://olive.dominionpost.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RFBvc3QvMjAxMC8wMy8xNSNBcjAxMDAw&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom

You can also find these sites by going to the Woodburn School Issues box to the right.

MEETING: BOE's meeting tomorrow Tuesday 3-16-10 at 7:00pm at the Board offices on High Street. Please attand to show your support for the school.

Woodburn School Site Selection Issues

2010-03-11T05:50:00.000-08:00

The Monongalia County Board of Education is in the process of selecting a site to build a new school to replace the current Woodburn School. Supporters of the Woodburn neighborhood have been working hard and meeting with the BOE to assure the best site for the future of the neighborhood is selected. Go to this link for a letter that appeared in the Dominion Post recently. http://www.woodburn.iboards.us/viewtopic.php?p=6#6
You can also reach this link by going to the Woodburn School Issues Box on lower right side of this page.

Meeting With BOE

2010-02-25T04:45:00.000-08:00

The meeting with the Monongalia County Board of Education is at 7:00 PM at Woodburn Elementary School in the multipurpose room (the new building behind the school)Thursday February 25,2010. Two Board members will be attending, Dr. Frank Devono and Nancy Walker. It is board policy to send only two members, otherwise a quorum is reached and is considered a board meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the future of Woodburn Elementary School. The Board recently released plans to close Woodburn and Easton and build a new school near the Mileground and route 705

Special Meeting Scheduled

2010-02-22T04:55:00.000-08:00

Thursday, February 25, 2010 there will be a special meeting of the Woodburn Association of Neighbors. Superintendent of the Monongalia County Schools, Frank Devano, and all the school board members have been invited to discuss the closing of Woodburn School and combining with Easton Elementary School. This date is tentative at this time, we have not heard back from the school board as of yet. The Board will discuss at THEIR Board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7:00 p.m. whether or not to attend the WAN meeting. So, the invitation is up for discussion about how they will respond. The meeting will be at Woodburn Elementary at 7:00 p.m.

WAN MEETING AGENDA

2010-02-01T05:16:00.000-08:00

Please go to this link to view the agends for tonights 2-1-10 7:00 PM meeting.
http://woodburn.iboards.us/viewtopic.php?p=4#4

Next WAN meeting

2010-01-25T05:22:00.000-08:00

A meeting of the Woodburn Association of Neighbors has been scheduled for Monday, February 1, 2010. The meeting will be held at 7:00 PM at Crosley's (next to Mario's Fish Bowl)

At this meeting, the annual election of officers will take place. If there is any one that would like to run for an office, please contact Donna Hartman at hartmand@comcast.net All positions have at least one candidate running since the current officers are all willing to run again.

The other BIG topic of the meeting will be the Woodburn Elementary School and its future here in our neighborhood. There will be an update of the current thinking of combining Easton and Woodburn. If you want to keep the school in Woodburn, now is the time to come forward!

City Forms Deer Hunt Committee

2010-01-22T06:34:00.000-08:00

The following article appeared in the Dominion Post on January 20, 2010

Publication: The Dominion Post; Date:2010 Jan 20; Section:Local; Page Number: 1-B
City forms deer hunt committee

Member: ‘This thing will not be necessary’

BY ALEX LANG The Dominion Post

Morgantown’s Urban Deer Committee has formed, and at least one member said he feels there is no need for a hunt.
“I think you are going to find this thing will not be necessary,” member Ray Swager told Morgantown City Council at its Tuesday meeting.
Swager said he talked with more than 200 residents, and more than 80 percent said they don’t see the deer as a problem. He canvassed door-to-door in some neighborhoods.
Dave Samuel will chair the committee. Other members include Morgantown Council member Marti Shamberger, BOPARC Director Mark Wise and a WVU representative. City Attorney Steve Fanok will be the city staff liaison. More committee members may be added.
Its first meeting will be Thursday.
Some city residents called for an urban hunt. They have said there is an increasing number of deer in the area, and they are becoming a nuisance and a health issue.
The committee will study whether Morgantown has a problem with deer, Swager said. While there is some anecdotal evidence, he said many others say it’s not a problem.
Swager also called for Samuel to be removed as the committee’s chair. Samuel is a retired wildlife professor who writes a hunting column for several publications, including The Dominion Post. Because of Samuel’s history, Swager called for him to be a person the group can turn to for information, but not the chair.
Samuel said he had no response to Swager’s comment. He said the mayor asked him to serve, and he will do so unless the council asks him not to. Samuel said he was probably chosen because he has worked with other municipalities when they established urban deer hunts. Wheeling, Weirton, Bridgeport and Bethlehem already have such hunts.
When the committee meets, Swager said he will suggest they have multiple public meetings. He said the area might not have an overpopulation problem, but the deer are an issue. “All I know is a lot of people are angry,” Samuel said. “Sitting here and not doing anything is a plan for disaster.”
Samuel said he would be surprised if Morgantown doesn’t join the other cities that already have deer hunts.
City Manager Dan Boroff said the group will develop a list of options for the council regarding the deer. He said he hopes the council will have the list in the next 3-4 months.

BOE 10 Year Facility Plan

2010-01-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

Monongalia Board of Education is conducting its 10 Year Facility Plan. Woodburn Elementary School is one of the schools they are looking to either renovate or put on the "chopping block". Please take some time to consider filling out the online survey. Loosing our elementary school, in my opinion, would be a huge loss to our neighborhood. Please take time to convey your opinion and thoughts to the consulting firm working with our school board. Go to the following web site to review the plan.
http://survey.dejonginc.com/cgi-bin/qweb.cgi?5PAE654

Pedestrian Board Petition

2010-01-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

The Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board is looking for support of the Service Fee to produce income to improve sidewalks in the city limits and connect all neighborhoods by walkable corridors. The petition will go to City Council. If you would like to sign that petition go to the following web site.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/mgwpedplan/

Next Meeting

2010-01-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

The next meeting of the Woodburn Association of Neighbors has not been scheduled.

The Blog has a New Author

2009-12-22T06:42:00.000-08:00

Bob Merow is the new Woodburn Association of Neighbors Blog contact. If you have questions, please e-mail Susan Eason. Thank you. And don't forget to view these great clips on Morgantown!

Nightly News with Brian Williams, NBC, March 2009

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

CNN 'Island in a sea of Appalachia', March 2009

Morgantown, WV in the News

2009-03-21T08:53:00.000-07:00

Nightly News with Brian Williams, NBC, March 2009

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

CNN 'Island in a sea of Appalachia', March 2009

Woodburn Association of Neighbors Welcomes New Officers

2009-03-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

Election of new officers // Slate of officers:

. Donna Hartman—President
. Steve Gunno—Vice President
. Tamara Riegel—Treasurer
. Susan Eason—Secretary

Slate nominated and seconded. Passed on voice vote.

Other Updates:

a. Larger Woodburn sign is under construction, will be ready for Spring installation.

b. City block grant: Chris Van Dyke and Susan Eason met with Dave Bott; Woodburn neighborhood’s plans were submitted.

c. Beautification commission will prepare Roger’s beauty spot for spring planting. Julie Lattanzi will coordinate.

d. Housing authority met with several Woodburn residents to discuss purchases in the area and discuss an incentive for voluntary owner-occupied deed restriction. (WAN will prepare a letter in support of that.) Also: asbestos abatement scheduled for property at Dayton/Richwood intersection on Saturday with a scheduled February 21 demolition. Jessie Reckert will attend our next meeting to discuss all of this.

e. Neighborhood brochure is back from the printer. (A copy was handed around for examination.) Still needs to be cut. Thanks to Mark Furfari and Ron Justice to contributions that covered printing costs.

f. Neighborhood Coordinating Council report. A “Special Services Unit” has been created by Police Chief Scott to address trash, underage drinking, and over-occupancy. City is considering a new “Nuisance Party House ordinance” that would track repeat complaints about a property by school year. WVU off-campus housing is implementing a voluntary Gold Star rental rating system that landlords can try to meet.

Plans for a Spring Clean-Up Day are in the works.

Next Association MeetingMonday, Nov. 10, 2008

2008-11-04T23:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Woodburn Neighbors:

Our next Woodburn Association meeting will be Monday, Nov. 10 at 7:00 pm. Location to be announced (Woodburn School or Crosley's). The Executive Comm. is preparing the agenda. Please let us know if you have items for consideration at our meeting.

Roy Nutter from the Traffic Commission would like to present his committe's proposal for Traffic Calming in Woodburn based on your submitted concerns.

Additionally, Dave Bott from the Morgantown Community Development office and working on the City Block Grant would like to attend our meeting as well.

Your input is important. Let us know if you have concerns and please try to attend. Thanks.

And thank you to everyone who took the time to respond with your comments about traffic concerns. Here is the document (Word Doc.) I compiled to send to the commmission.

I categorized your comments into 10 areas and then included direct quotes so they could see the number of people raising a concern in each area. I was surprised by the number of people replying. Thank you everyone.

Susan

Updates and Thanks

2008-09-17T02:16:00.000-07:00

Hi Neighbors:

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Housing Authority meeting on Thursday, Sept. 11. The biggest thing I came away with is that, one, the Housing Authority has purchased the property at the corner of Dayton and Richwood and will be tearing down the house there to put up 3, energy efficient, "Wi" houses.

The second thing was that in order to really work with our Association they would like to see a "Neighborhood Plan" that indicates what specifically we would want the Housing Authority to accomplish in our neighborhood. So, we will all have to think about how to respond to that request.

Thanks to all who came out to the Fall Fest on Saturday, Sept. 13. It was a smaller group than last year, but all who were there had a good time. We appreciated the beautiful music from Jenny and Nathan Wilson and Evan of Topelo Honey. The jazz sounds and rythms were a perfect fit for our outdoor setting. Check out their Topelo Honey web site.

Thanks to Mark and Karen Furfari for providing tables and to BoParc for the tents and Bounce House for the kids. Many volunteers offered donations and provided games. Thanks everyone. It was fun.

Finally, special thanks to Julie Black who is helping us keep up our Woodburn blog. Check Here for some of the latest updates!

If you have a home business or business in Woodburn, send your website info. by e-mail to Julie at julzblack@hotmail.com so she can post it on the blog.

Take care, neighbors ~ Susan Eason

Fall Updates - September 2008

2008-09-07T08:36:00.000-07:00

[ View a copy of our latest Newsletter (2008 Fall Issue . pdf file) ]

Dear Woodburn Neighbors:

A special meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:00 pm at Crosley's to meet with John Martys of the Morgantown Housing Authority. All Woodburn residents are invited to attend. We will discuss concerns we have about the trend towards rentals and learn about the Housing Authorities purchase at the corner of Dayton and Richwood Ave.s

At our most recent WAN meeting, concerns were raised about the increased number of student rentals in our neighborhood; a neighbor hoping to build a new rental on his extra lot; and the fact that the Housing Authority seems to be be focusing their efforts in neighborhoods other than Woodburn.

As a result of these concerns, we sent a letter to the Housing Authority (see attached letter) and Ron Justice has been conversing with John Martys about our concerns.

[ Download the Letter Here (word doc.) ]

We have been able to get a meeting with John Martys next Thursday, Sept. 11. We will have an opportunity to speak with John to further express our concerns and seek his support in keeping Woodburn from hitting the "tipping point" of becoming a predominantly rental area.

Additionally, John Martys would like to share with us plans for the property the Housing Authority has purchased from Greg Jenkins at the corner of Richwood and Dayton. They have plans for building some homes at this location and he would like to share what they hope to do.

FALL FEST - Sept. 13: Also, the Woodburn Fall Fest will be held on Sat. Sept. 13 at WHITEMORE PARK from 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM. If you can find the time to place the flyer out on a pole near your house that would be great.

[ Download the Fall Flyer Here (pdf file) ]

Also for FALL FEST, BoParc is furnishing a Bounce House for the children! Jenny and Nathan Wilson and son, Evan will provide music starting at 4:30 pm before heading off to their next gig. Please look at their website: http://wilson.jenate.googlepages.com/tupelohoney

Members of the Association are providing games. Bring a dish to share and a chair. Donations are appreciated.

We hope you can make it!

Susan Eason ~ President

Dates and Details

2008-02-29T16:40:00.001-08:00

Dear Neighbors:

Upcoming dates to remember:

Saturday, March 29- Prepare the "Beauty Spot" by our new sign on Richwood for spring plantings. Time to be announced.

Saturday, April 19- Earth Day/Clean-up our Neighborhood/Social! Details to come.

Next Association meeting, end of March or First of April- Stay tuned for details.
Planning Commission Meeting: March 13, 6:30 pm

Susan

Next meeting : Monday January 14, 2008

2007-12-14T08:12:00.000-08:00

The January meeting brings the time to elect new officers to the WAN. Susan indicated that she would not be a candidate for president again. Suggestions and volunteers for the new executive board are encouraged.

November Meeting Minutes have been posted.

The top news from the last meeting is posted below. Refer to the Nov. minutes for more information.

The Future of Woodburn Elementary School

Woodburn is the oldest school in the area and the only true neighborhood school. It has 230 students and the neighborhood is growing. We would like to get people thinking about what we would like to have happen in the future with the school. The timing is crucial—Woodburn could be a future candidate for closure. Some possible future scenarios include closing the school and busing local students to Mountainview or elsewhere, refurbishing the school (quite a challenge), or rebuilding Woodburn adjacent to the current building. Rebuilding money could come from state SBA money so it would not be tied to a new bond levee. The Suggested goal is building a new school on current property. Local participation in the process is encouraged!

Woodburn Playground Fundraiser: The school needs some new playground equipment and some has been selected. To make this a reality, around $20,000 must be raised. Centra Bank and developer Mike Castle have offered some support. We are looking for support from neighborhood members. We will send letters to all business owners in the neighborhood, including downtown and the Mileground. (A suggestion to include Chestnut Ridge hospital is offered.) The board of education has given an amount of about half what is needed ($10,000) based on the number of students at Woodburn and also contributed a large amount of mulch. Some money is also expected to come from a fundraiser in which cards and prints of Woodburn made by Jeannie Gren will be sold.

Meeting on Monday, Nov. 5 at 7:00 pm

2007-10-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Woodburn Association of Neighbors:
Our next meeting is THIS Monday, November 5 at 7:00 pm at Crosley's Banquest Center (next to Marios). We have special guest, Mike Stone, Morgantown Code Enforcement officer, joining us. Hope you will be able to attend. Below is the full agenda for the evening.
Susan Eason

Agenda Woodburn Association of Neighbors
7:00 pm, Crosley's Banquet Center

1. Welcome

- Thanks to Coordinators of the Block Party. It was a big success!

- Approve Minutes

2. Guest Mike Stone, Code Enforcement Officer. Mike will speak about code enforcement regulations and take questions.

3. Woodburn Elementary School

- Woodburn Playground Fundraiser- Woodburn is undertaking a major fundraiser to replace equipment on the playground. Partners in the endeavor, Centra Bank and The Phoenix Group, have encouraged the planning committee to seek support from a variety of groups including the Woodburn Association of Neighbors.

- The Future of Woodburn School- The Local School Improvement Council will be holding a meeting with the Superintendent to discuss the future of Woodburn School. Community members are strongly encouraged to attend to give voice to the neighborhood's hope for the school. Time of meeting to be announced.

4. Gravel deposits on Louise and James and Louise and Dayton. Is street sweeping occurring? How can run off of gravel into the streets be reduced?

5. Email Policy: The Executive Committee proposes that the email list will be used to communicate information that pertains to or comes out of the business meetings of the Woodburn Association of Neighbors. The Blog could be used to post information about events in the neighborhood or pertaining to individuals in the neighborhood.

6. Parking on Union Ave. a concern

7. Election of new officers. It is time to develop a new slate of officers to be elected at our January annual meeting. We are seeking people to run.

8. Greg Jenkins requests time to discuss the possibility of seeking rezoning of his property at corner of Richwood and Dayton.

9. Follow-up on:

- Signs

- Plantings around signs

10. Other business

Adjourn

Great Fall Festival

2007-09-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Woodburn Neighbors:

It was good to see so many folks out at the Fall Festival. A huge thank you to Karen Woodfork. Thanks too to Joel Halverson for some prearrangements and Steve Gunno for the great work on the Newsletter and signs! It was great to welcome many new faces to the neighborhood event as well.

Our next business meeting will be Monday, November 5 at 7:00 pm. We are arranging for Mike Stone, head of Code Enforcement to be with us. Mark your calendars now. Below are minutes of our last meeting.

Again, what a great time at the party. Thanks everyone.
Susan Eason, Pres.

---------------------------------
Woodburn Association of Neighbors
Meeting Minutes
Monday, August 13, 2007, 7:00 PM
Crosley’s Banquet Center

Attendees: Anna Avakian, Paul Atkins, Anthony Barker, Susan Eason, Steve Gunno, Joel Halverson, Eric Hansmann, Ron Justice, Bob Merow, Anne Miller, Paul Miller, Tamara Riegel, Jeanette Shahan,
Louise Taft, Karen Woodfork.

Susan Eason called meeting to order and those present introduced themselves. Minutes were approved, with one spelling correction and one other change.

Susan began with a note of thanks to those who helped install the new Woodburn signs in thetime since the last meeting. (Jamie and Everett Lester, Griffin, Paul, and Betsy Miller, SusanEason, Chris, Logan and Amelia Haddox, Julie, Patrick and Katherine Zuercher-Kirby, and PeteCheesebrough helped with the big sign on Richwood and Monongalia, and Jamie Lester, PaulMiller, Steve Gunno, Jenny and Nathan Wilson and Evan, Ted and Buffy Vehse helped with thesmall sign on Charles.)

1. Noise, Trash and Vandalism Concerns:
- Paul Miller described the Monongalia and Willey tire slashings that occurred overnight on July 11-12 in the neighborhood. Other recent vandalism involved eggs thrown at cars. All neighbors were encouraged to be vigilant and report suspicious activity.

- Talk of communication with the city led to some follow-up on the poorly kept property complaint expressed last time about 829 Richwood. (It is known that disability is not the cause of the problem.) No letter was sent on behalf of the WAN, due to confusion about which house and some skepticism about the effectiveness of the letter. If the home occupant rents, Ron Justice confirmed that information about home owners is available from the city. The city can out put information on whole streets at a time if given some time. Any city resident can file a complaint online about code enforcement (or other) issues. It was suggested that WAN members fill out complaints about 829 Richwood if they agree is a problem. We can also draft a letter to the owner/occupant/city if we later choose to try that avenue.

- Some concern shared about noise from the 4th of July party, but since it was only a one-time event, with a permit, concern was mild.

- With new students arriving, the suggestion was made to call police at the earliest real problem to avoid establishing a bad precedent for unacceptable behavior for the new neighbors.

2. Fall Social Event:
• Date: changed from Saturday September 8 to September 15, 2007.
• Where: Whitmore Park
• Organizing Committee appointed included: Karen Woodfork, Steve Gunno, Joel Halverson, Anthony Barker.
• Louise Taft agreed to supply paper products and Jenny Wilson has previously agreed to provide some music.

3. Request Regarding the Woodburn signs:
• Can we replace the smaller one with a larger sign and move the smaller one to Woodburn School?
• We can ask the city for more money in two months or so.
• Discussion about flowers and maintenance led to a suggestion that the city beautification group or the WVU landscape architecture program might be able to take on the project or suggest a good, low maintenance plan. Ron Justice describes similar beauty spots in Suncrest, Hogback Turn, near Colasante’s, and in Wiles Hill.
• He suggests a possibility: City pays for first planting, neighbors do upkeep, and perhaps it could be added to city’s summer watering list. City contact would be Marchetta Maupin.

4. Newsletter:
• We plan to distribute a newsletter prior to the social event.
• Steve Gunno will help organize.

5. Update on Letter Requests:
• A letter was sent to Mrs. Nakaishi regarding the new school building. That decision
has been made and won’t involve closing the Parsons Street.
• A letter was sent to Boparc including suggestions (from last meeting) for improvingWhitmore Park. These suggestions were appreciated.
• The letter of complaint was not sent. (Details above.)

6. Other Business:
• Ron Justice updates:
• Tire damage totaled about 60 total cars over three days in at least twoneighborhoods, both near major roads.
• Social event: The city can help with porta-johns.
• Think about how the WAN might be able to thank Mark and Karen Furfari for use of their space.
• Next: Social event, 9/15
• Next meeting: Monday, November 5.

Neighbors Respond to Recent String of Tire Slashings

2007-07-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

My name is Shanon Schuetzner and I own Town Hill Bar & Grill. Although my business may not be technically in Woodburn we are just as much a part of the community as anyone else. I've worked and/or lived in this neighborhood since 1994.

Since becoming owner of Town Hill I have worked hard not only in cleaning up the business but also the neighborhood on my end. Recently, working with police, we put an end to some criminal activity on Wiley street but as you know there is always more.

I am willing to help with a neighborhood watch but I need your help. If you love Woodburn and want to keep it safe we need to take action now. I don't like waking up to slashed tires or a vehicle that has been broken into. I understand this is something that has been talked about at the Woodburn meetings so lets work together to rid the neighbor of these petty crimes.

Got something to say? Click on the Comments below this post - and read other comments.

End of June - Early July Activities

2007-06-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Here are a few reminders and opportunities coming up in the neighborhood.

1. The Roosevelt Ave. Yard Sale is THIS Saturday, June 30. The residents of Roosevelt Avenue (off of Charles Ave.) will hold their annual yard sale so stop by and check it out.

2. Woodburn Signs- Thank you to everyone who came out to help install the Woodburn sign at Richwood and Monongalia (Jamie, Everett Lester; Griffin, Paul, Betsy Miller; Susan Eason, Chris, Logan and Amelia Haddox; Julie, Patrick and Katherine Zuercher-Kirby; Pete Cheesebrough!) It looks fantastic, don't you think? We hope to add flowers around it. Let us know if you want to help with that.
One more sign needs to be installed on Charles Avenue and we are about ready to go. Jamie is looking at next week some time. We'll let you know specifics as they are worked out so maybe you can come out and help.

3. Mario's Fishbowl 4th of July Party- Mario's Fishbowl will host a 4th of July Party in the Backyard/Lot at Mario's Fishbowl. The party starts at 3:00 PM and ends at Midnight. There will be live music by Joe Hall and High Country (country rock) as well as karoke and amplified music going throughtout the day and evening. They will be cooking food outdoors and offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages for sale. There will be some fun things for the kids who stop by during the day. The neighborhood is invited and encouraged to attend. Spread the word!

4. Dishwashing Job Available- Help Needed Immediately! Do you need a part time job? Karen Fufari of the Fish Bowl could use you. "We were awarded the contract to cater the Emma Kaufmann Camp this summer and we're searching high and low for kids to dishwash as a summer job. We are feeding roughly 450 kids breakfast, lunch, dinner and camper snack 7 days a week. There are day shifts and evening shifts. The pay is $7 per hour." says Karen. Interested? E-mail Karen at fishbowl@mountain.net

Thanks everyone.

Susan (Questions? e-mail me)

Suggested Improvements to Whitemore Park

2007-06-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Neighbors:
I wanted to let you know of a few things that have transpired since our meeting.

1. Woodburn Signs- The Woodburn signs are finished as you know. See what the the large sign looks like! Jamie Lester has met with the city and identified the spot where the sign on Richwood and Monongalia will be located. Many thanks to Jamie for his good work, he has been doing this for over a year now!

2. Letters Sent Out on Behalf of Woodburn Assoc. Two letters have been sent out based on discussions at our meeting. The first to Woodburn principal, Mrs. Nakaishi and the other to BoParc Staff and Commissioners. It looks like Mrs. Nakaishi and the BOE are not going to pursue closing Parsons St. The building will be put behind the Kindergarten classes. Parking may still be an issue that we in the future may want to address with the BOE.

3. MUB is wanting to do an educational event with Woodburn Neighborhood some time this summer or early fall. With residents, they want to mark the storm drains that dump directly into the creeks and rivers in our area. I'll keep you posted on further developments. This could be an educational event for us all, but especially the teens and children.

4. The Annual Woodburn Fall Party will be in Whitemore Park, set for sometime in September. We're looking for people to help coordinate the event. We need music, food, activities for teens and children, plus adults, etc. If you want to help, please let me know. Send me an e-mail: susanchris@verizon.net!

Thank you, Susan

Woodburn Signs Complete-Plus Other News

2007-05-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

Jamie Lester is done with the signs and we'll be installing them soon. Dear Neighbors:
I wanted to let you know of a few things that have transpired since our meeting.

1. Woodburn Signs: The Woodburn signs are finished as you know. Jamie Lester has met with the city and identified the spot where the sign on Richwood and Monongalia will be located. After the utility check, we can begin to install the sign. This will probably be done by next Monday. We would like to try for an evening time next week or the following week (to beat the heat and to catch folks after work!) We will need lots of laborers and equipment (shovels, spot bar, wheel barrow, etc.) I'll send out a note on the specific time, but I hope you will try to clear your schedule when the date is planned. Many thanks to Jamie for his good work, He has been doing this for over a year now!

2. Letters Sent Out on Behalf of Woodburn Assoc.: There are two letters that have been sent out based on discussions at our meeting. The first to Woodburn principal, Mrs. Nakaishi and the other to BoParc Staff and Commissioners. It looks like Mrs. Nakaishi and the BOE are not going to pursue closing Parsons St. The building will be put behind the Kindergarten classes. Parking may still be an issue that we may want to address in the future with the BOE.

3. MUB is wanting to do an educational event with Woodburn Neighborhood some time this summer or early fall: With residents, they want to mark the storm drains that dump directly into the creeks and rivers in our area. I'll keep you posted on further developments. This could be an educational event for us all, but especially the teens and children.

4. Woodburn Party in Whitemore Park is set for September: We will be looking for people to help coordinate the event- music, food, activities for teens, children, adults, etc. If you want to help, please let me know. THANKS.

STAY COOL. I'll be in touch about the sign installation party!

Susan

Next Meeting - MONDAY, May 21, 7:00 pm

2007-05-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Woodburn Neighbors:

The Woodburn Association of Neighbors will hold its next meeting on MONDAY, May 21 at 7:00 pm. We plan to meet at Crosley's as usual. I want to thank all the folks who came out to help clean-up Woodburn. Twenty-six people pitched in to fill up Paul Miller's pick-up truck with 27 bags of garbage!

Folks hit Whitemore Park, Charles Ave. (especially the house with TONS of garbage in the front yard) and lots of streets in between. A special thank you to those who were there: Cub Scout Pack 49, Den 2; Paul, Betsy, and Griffin Miller; Lori, Joel, Andi and Seth Halverson; Karen Woodfork and Julian VanDyke; Julie Black, Paul Atkins, Anne Miller; Cheryl Torsney and Eric Hansman; Steve and Ian Gunno; Logan, Amelia, and Chris Haddox and Susan Eason. (If I missed someone, please let me know.)

Some interesting things will be on our agenda for the May MONDAY Meeting:

1. BoParc is developing a new master plan and would like input from neighborhoods about ideas they have for parks in their neighborhood. We will plan to give some thought to what you would envision for Whitemore Park and any other areas you might hope for in our neighborhood, like a nice entry way into Woodburn up Prospect Street perhaps?

2. Woodburn signage is nearly complete! I have seen the large one and it is gorgeous. Jamie Lester is working on the logistics of getting it installed. We will have a sign-up sheet for people who are interested in helping.

3. The Morgantown Neighborhood Coordinating Council (Joel Halverson and I have attend those meetings as we could) has proposed that neighborhoods submit "a vision of what they want their neighborhood to be" to City Council. Dates for a gathering of folks from across the city neighborhoods to do that kind of work will be forth coming.

4. Blueline Parking- with the Condos on Richwood taking buyers, we are confronted again with whether to install Blueline parking permits. Joel Halverson will be checking on that.

5. Did you know that the two houses for sale on Richwood up from Mario's just before the intersection with James and Charles are zoned B-1? What would that corner look like if more apartments and/or retail went in? We may want to look at this zoning before someone wants to build on this site. It may not be a concern, but then again, it may if we want to keep a certain character in the neighborhood.

6. Set a date for a fall social event.

Do you have something you want to add to the agenda? Let us know. If you know of someone who should be added to this email list, PLEASE ask them to send me an email. We need to be in touch with more people in the neighborhood and your help spreading the word is essential! Hope to see you on MONDAY (yes, that's Monday!), May 21 at 7:00 pm

Susan Eason

April 21 - Clean-Up Day in Woodburn!

2007-04-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Woodburn Neighbors:

The day is here! It's CLEAN-UP DAY IN WOODBURN! This Saturday, April 21 at 10:00 am to noonish or so. Meet in front of Mario's Fishbowl. Bring gloves if you want or use the ones provided.

Children, teens, WVU students are all encouraged to participate, the more the merrier. Come socialize with your neighbor while we work to make our neighborhood clean. A Cub Scout troop will be joining us. (Will the Girl Scouts?) Some folks can take off through the park and others can hit the streets. Looks like Saturday is to be our nicest day of the month, so come on out!

See you then, neighbor.

Susan

Planning Dept. and Planning Commission MeetingThursday, March 8 - 7:30 pm

2007-03-06T05:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends:
Some of you may be interested in a meeting to be held this Thursday, March 8 at 7:30 pm at City Hall Council Chambers. Concerned citizens and residents of Morgantown have made requests to the City Council and the Planning Commission to make changes in the recently revised (2006) Zoning Code.

The meeting THIS Thursday is open to all interested persons who wish to participate in a discussion about the proposed changes submitted by the concerned citizens. If you want to attend please phone or email the Planning Department by March 6 at (304) 284-7431 or e-mail lmardis@citymorgantown.org .

You may ask them to send you the materials in preparation for the meeting. < See the March 8 Meeting Agenda Online.

In additon, we are also trying to get someone to come to our meeting this Sunday, March 11 to speak to the issue. Woodburn has most recently been affected by the changes in the Zoning Code with the property on Richwood across from Marios. Other areas around you/us may be impacted and you may want to learn more about this.

Next Meeting - Sunday, March 11

2007-03-06T05:36:00.000-08:00

Dear neighbors, our next Woodburn Association of Neighbors meeting is scheduled for Sunday, March 11 at 4:00 pm at Crosley's, 616 Richwood Avenue next to Mario's Fishbowl. If you have an item for the agenda, please email me as soon as possible. Hope to see you at the meeting!

Thank you, Susan Eason

February 8 - Zoning Ordinance and request changes at the Planning Commission Meeting

2007-02-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

Dear Woodburn Neighbors:

Kathleen Sutter from Suncrest is leading an effort for residents to examine the zoning laws affecting our neighborhoods. She is encouraging you to review materials provided and formulate your thoughts for the Planning Commission on Thursday, February 8. Do consider attending if you have concerns you want to voice. Please read below for more information! - Susan Eason

Dear Members of Neighborhood Associations,

Last night's City Council Meeting gave us much hope. City Council agreed that the Planning Commission should review and amend the Zoning Ordinance so that residential zones retain their residential nature.

Mayor Ron Justice requested that the Planning Commission review and amend the residential portion of the Zoning Ordinance passed January 2006 and return the document to the City Council within the month. He requested feedback from other neighborhood associations.

Ron Justice, Bill Byrnes, and Jim Manilla agreed that changes need to be made to preserve the residential nature of our neighborhoods. We have a chance to make a difference to our neighborhoods in the years to come.

A good zoning law will prevent conditional use applications which are not appropriate to our neighborhoods.

The present zoning law allows in R-1 and R-1A Professional Services Establishments such as physical therapy, massage or legal offices which require two story buildings within 3 to 6 feet of the front property line. See attached review of the law concerning Professional Services Establishment.

Present zoning law permits under conditional use such businesses as restaurants, bakeries, beauty shop, convenience neighborhood store throughout R-1A neighborhoods.

Now is the time to review the residential portion of the Zoning Ordinance and request changes at the Planning Commission Meeting on February 8. The Zoning Committee from the Suncrest Neighborhood Association is working on R-1 requests to the Planning Committee.

Bill Kawecki of the South Park Association is drawing up requests for R-1A with his association. We need representatives from each neighborhood association to make requests for residential zones.

Here is a link to the summary of the permitted and conditional uses in residential zones. You can find more information directly from the ordinance at the following City of Morgantown page. Be sure to look at the supplementary regulations and definitions that go with each use.

All of us can make a difference if we work now to preserving our quiet neighborhoods for families.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Sutter, Zoning Committee, SNA

Our Next Meeting is Sunday January 28 at 6PM

2007-01-23T06:57:00.001-08:00

Dear Woodburn Neighbors:
Last Sunday's scheduled meeting had to be postponed due to the weather. We have now set a new meeting time for our Annual Association meeting for this Sunday, January 28 at 6:00 pm. (Please note we are starting a little bit later to accomdate folks who watch or go to the basketball game!) We will meet at Crosley's as usual.
We will not be distributing flyers for the event, so any help you can make in spreading the word to your neighbors would be appreciated. We will be voting on officers, receiving annual dues ($5.00 per adult), and preparing for spring activities! Please plan to attend and bring your neighbor!
See the proposed agenda below. Look forward to a good crowd.
Susan Eason

Woodburn Association of Neighbors Meeting Agenda, January 28, 2007, 6:00 pm

Welcome and Sign-In
Approval of October minutes (read below)
Election of Officers

Planning for spring events:

Clean- Up Day for April 21? Earth Day collaboration with BoParc.
Social Day- Pot Luck at Woodburn School? Have police do talk about their police dogs for the kids
Officer Karl from Neighborhood watch, etc. May?
Neighborhood Yard Sale- June?

Please use sign-up sheets to indicate your willingness to help.

Updates:

Blue Line parking- Paul Miller
Woodburn School Playground- Susan Eason
Signs- Jamie Lester
Downtown Development Plan- Susan Eason
R1 and R1A zoning
Crime Report
Next meeting date
Collection of dues, $5.00 per person given to the treasurer.
Other business

Highlights of Last Woodburn Association of Neighbors Meeting, October 22, 2006

WAN By-Laws approved
Tamara Riegel presented information on the School Levy
“How to Start a Neighborhood Watch” information was distributed
Street and Code Enforcement issues were raised
Spring social gathering and clean-up day will be scheduled

The Purpose of the Woodburn Association of Neighbors
As recently stated in our Woodburn Bylaws, “The purpose of this organization shall be to build neighborliness and to promote goodwill, pride and cooperation amongst residents and property owners of the area; to preserve and improve the quality of living and residential character of Woodburn; to represent the collective interests of neighbors, and to address the needs in the community such as traffic, litter, and security.”

Some ways we have thought to do this are:
1. Hold regular Woodburn Association of Neighbors meetings (at least quarterly or more often as needed).
2. Install signs to identify the neighborhood.
3. Offer block parties and social events for neighbors to meet and mingle.
4. Hold regular Clean-Up Days, Work Days-In-Whitemore Park, Work Days at Woodburn School.
5. Work to support our neighborhood school, Woodburn Elementary.
6. Work to reduce problems with poorly maintained or vacant homes, crime, traffic and general aesthetics of the area.
7. Work to ensure Woodburn remains walkable to Downtown, the PRT and the rail trail among other areas.

New Woodburn Signs to be Installed
At the second Woodburn Association of Neighbors meeting, those members present voted on a design for two marker signs to be placed in our neighborhood. The signs are under construction now and should be ready to be put in place in early spring. One sign will be placed on Richwood in the triangle area (or what is know to the city as “The Beauty Spot”) just below Monongalia Avenue. The other will be placed on Charles Avenue on the right side of the road just uphill from the intersection of Willey, Hampton and Charles Streets.
We will need volunteers to help plant flowers around the base of the signs once they are in place. If you are interested, please contact Susan Eason by phone at (304) 296-2415.

Voice Neighborhood Concerns with Morgantown Request 24/7
Do you have concerns about a streetlight being out, a vacant run-down home near you, dogs not leashed? An easy way to register those complaints or any others and to follow their progress is by using the city’s website. Go to the City of Morgantown's Online Communication System and “Create an Account.” Once your information is entered you will be able to click on specific categories of concern and enter your problem or request. It is an easy, efficient way to let the city know what is going on anytime of the day or night. We encourage you to try it!

Zoning Meeting Workshop on Wed. January 24

2007-01-20T23:51:00.000-08:00

The workshop, concerning the proposed B-4 Neighborhood Preservation Overlay District, will be held at 6:00 p.m. in City Hall.
[ Download the full description here. ] It's a pdf file.

Consider going and participating for at least two reasons:

1. The topic to be discussed will affect the future development of downtown Morgantown and the wharf area. In other words, the personality of Morgantown and what it might become.

2. The city has been asked to let the neighborhoods voice their opinion and influence the decision making process.

There are assuredly other demands for our time, and this meeting won't solve all of our problems, but it makes for a good beginning. I hope to see you there.

Note: if you cannot view the pdf file upbove, download Adobe® Reader® free.

Bill Kawecki
President, South Park Association of Neighbors, SPAN
e-mail: Bill.Kawecki@NETL.DOE.GOV

Public Information and Input Meeting2030 Regional Transportation PlanThursday, Nov 30

2006-11-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

Do you have an opinion on traffic in and around Morgantown or a concern for how it will affect future growth? Express your concerns at the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) meeting this Thursday, November 30th. Make your voice heard.

The Greater Morgantown Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and its member organizations will be hosting the fourth in a series of public input meetings for the update of the multimodal long range transportation plan.

What:Public Information and Input Meeting for the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan

When: Thursday, November 30, 2006 6:30 PM
Where: Durrett Hall, Erickson Alumni Center, Fine Arts Drive (close to the WVU Rec Center on Evansdale Campus)

Topics to be covered as part of the meeting include:

• revisions to the preliminary recommendations provided at the October 4, 2006 Public Information Meeting
• review of the key recommendations for the roadway, bike and pedestrian and transit systems
• next steps in the plan update process

For More information call: Chet Parsons, MPO Executive Director, at 291-9571

Thank you,
Bill Troe
URS Corporation
(866) 671-5309 (Toll Free)
www.plantogether.org

Meeting on the development of the downtown area of Morgantown, WV - November 13

2006-11-08T06:57:00.000-08:00

The City is hosting a meeting on the development of the Downtown area at the Hotel Morgan on Monday November 13 at 5:30. The City Manager sent a open invitation which follows, to all interested parties.

As we have discovered, development of the Downtown area can have a significant impact on the quality of life in our neighborhood. I encourage you to attend. Please respond to my e-mail address at Bill.Kawecki@NETL.DOE.GOV so I can give the City manage a count.

Yours Truly,

Bill Kawecki - SPAN President

From Dan Boroff:

As you know, this past summer significant interest was expressed in the future development of Downtown Morgantown.

Many different concerns expressed firm opinions about the scope and scale of potential projects. To help organizes these perspectives and establish a general consensus to guide the future development of the Downtown, City Council will be hosting an important meeting on November 1 3, 2006 at the Hotel Morgan. The meeting will have the following features:

1. To provide a common base of information, short presentations will be made about the City's Comprehensive Plan; existing zoning laws; status of infrastructure to include parking; and WVU plans that may have an impact on the Downtown.
2. Participants will be organized into small groups to develop goals, aspirations, suggested projects, visions for the Downtown.
3. The attendees will reconvene and all the groups' ideas will be presented, discussed, and explored for a potential consensus of opinion.
4. Results will be reported to the City's Planning Commission and City Council.

Given the importance of this meeting, the City asks that you help publicize it and encourage interested members of your organization to attend. The City is also hopeful that you will be able to report how many people from your group will plan to attend so that the appropriate logistical support for the meeting can be arranged.

Thank you for your consideration of the request and I look forward to you hopefully being able to attend the meeting. During the interim, if you should have any questions or need additional information, please call upon me at once.

Respectfully,

Dan Boroff - City Manager

Woodburn Meeting on Sunday, Oct. 22

2006-10-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Neighbors:
Our next Neighborhood meeting is this Sunday, Oct. 22 at 4 pm. I am making up the agenda now. Please let me know if you want to add something prior to the meeting. Our last meeting a speaker was invited and I was not aware of it and it really overloaded our meeting!

So far the agenda is as follows:
1. Final Presentation of "Neighborhood Guidelines" for approval- Anne Miller and Betsy Miller
(If approved, appoint a group to develop a slate of officers for the election.)
2. Comments on School Levy- Tamara Riegel
3. Neighborhood Watch info distributed- Susan Eason
4. Sign Update- Jamie Lester
5. Street Issues
- Blue Line Parking- Is there interest?
- Werner St.
- James St. drainage?
- Mirror on Monongalia?
- Other
6. Clean-up day?
7. Social Event?

Here are the minutes from our last meeting.
Meeting Minutes from September 17, 2006

The meeting was called to order by Susan Eason at 4:10 pm

Susan introduced Morgantown Police Officer Scott Carl who acts as a liason between the city police department and local Neighborhood Watch (NW) groups. “One of the oldest and best known crime prevention concepts in history, Neighborhood Watch was created to unite law enforcement agencies, private organizations, and individual citizens in a massive effort to reduce residential crime.”

Officer Carl provided an overview of the potential benefits of Neighborhood Watch for our community and explained how we might establish a Neighborhood Watch in our area.
He said that basically all we need are people willing to participate. Once a geographic region for the watch is defined, “block captains” and “Neighborhood Watch captains” are identified. These folks then attend city-wide organizational/training meetings and bring back to us strategies that we may implement to decrease crime in our neighborhood. Time commitments for block captains and NW captains range from 2 – 4 hours per month.
A Neighborhood Watch captain from Suncrest who was also in attendance spoke firsthand about the positive impact NW has had on that area. He emphasized that success depends upon neighbors taking an active role in looking out for one another and in calling the police “when something just doesn’t seem right.”

Attendees identified theft, vandalism, speeding, and drug-related activities as possible targets for a Woodburn Neighborhood Watch.

Also attending the meeting was Chet Parsons, Executive Director of the Morgantown Metropolitan Planning Organization. He presented an overview of the research that has gone into developing the 2030 regional transportation plan which was presented to the public on October 4, 2006.

Basically the plan recommends long-term improvements for roadway, transit and non-motorized systems in the greater Morgantown area. Details may be found at www.plantogether.org.

Finally, careful attention was focused upon prior drafts of proposed bylaws for our neighborhood association, and the bylaws were finalized.

By majority vote, “Woodburn Association of Neighbors” was chosen to be our official title.
- Dues will be $5 per person per year.
- Our business year will run from February 1st though January 31st.
- A final draft of the bylaws will be submitted for approval at the next meeting.

A date for the next meeting was set for Sunday, October 22, 2006, at 4pm at Crosleys.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:15 pm.

Respectfully submitted by Betsy Miller.

Neighborhood Associations Meeting - Wed. Oct 18

2006-10-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

In an effort to try to get the area neighborhood associations together to see how we might cooperate for the benefit of all-- a meeting has been planned for Wed., October 18 at 7:00 pm. The time and place is yet to be confirmed, and a summary is on the way. If you are interested in attending or have any questions e-mail Bill Kawecki.

Next Woodburn Meeting, Sunday October 22

2006-10-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Neighbors,

Our next meeting will be at Crosley's, Sunday October 22 at 4:00 PM. Please mark your calendars!

• Thanks to Ron Justice: You may have noticed construction on Werner Street between James and Richwood. On the agenda from our last meeting was to try to get a curb put in. Thank you Ron for facilitating this! Maybe in the future we could get some trees planted there to help cut down on the heat from the concrete parking lot.

• Tree and Schrub Cutting: Thanks to calls from Woodburn folks to the City Street Department overgrown schrubs and trees on Monongalia have been cut and trimmed as well as the trees on an empty lot on Monongalia. Remember, you can submit requests by email, it works!

• We hope to get a flyer out: It's be great to create a flyer/newspage to distribute throughout the Woodburn Neighborhood with meeting minutes and a notice about our next meeting on it. Please help to spread the word and get involved. The more the merrier. Questions about this matter can be addressed to Julie Black.

• Also, listed below is an e-mail received from a local merchant on October 11th.

The downtown Morgantown businesses would like to do some advertising that is specific to customer testimonials. We need people who shop, dine and love downtown. I was hoping you could use your email list to put a request out. Throughout the Riverview/Kane Core stuff there were so many folks that wanted to save the qualities of our downtown. If we could get some of them to be a part of this testimonial campaign, we'd really appreciate it. Please have any interested parties contact Leisha at (304) 292-4699 or leisha@downtownmorgantown.com.

If anyone can connect me with other neighborhood associations, that would be great.
We'd like to make an attempt to connect with the neighborhoods.

Thanks.

Jan

Jan Kiger, Owner - Adventure's Edge
"Outfitting Your Dreams" - Morgantown, WV
Phone: (304) 296-9007 & e-mail:info@adventuresedge.org

Meeting for Area Neighborhood AssociationsMonday, October 2, 7:00 PM

2006-09-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

In an effort to try to get the area neighborhood associations together to see how we might cooperate for the benefit of all-- a meeting has been planned for Monday, October 2 at 7:00 pm at the First Christian Church.

The church is on the corner of Cobun Ave. and Grand Street (parking is available on the Morgantown High School side.) If you are interested in attending, please call Bill Kawecki at home: (304) 292-5154 or at work: (304) 285-4749 or e-mail him at Bill.Kawecki@pr.netl.doe.gov.

Reps from Wiles Hill, South Park, and R1 Evansdale will be there. Hope that you or a representative can make the meeting.

SPAN Block Party

2006-09-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

SPAN would like to extend an invitation to our block party to our Woodburn neighbors. Please join us if you can.

The SPAN Block Party is a chance to meet your neighbor, renew old friendships, and enjoy good food. Dinner will be served on Friday, September 15, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, on Park Street, between Morris and Hagan. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on and a covered dish to share. SPAN will provide hot dogs, soft drinks, condiments, plates, napkins and cutlery. Contributions to the party are suggested at $1.00 per person; children under 6 years old are free.

Questions? E-mail Bill Kawecki at Bill.Kawecki@pr.netl.doe.gov

Next Meeting Date Set

2006-09-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Our next meeting is Sunday, Sept. 17 at 4:00 p.m. at Crosley's on Richwood Avenue. If you agreed to help distribute flyers to folks in the neighborhood, please let Julie Black know by e-mail.

Updated: Minutes from the August 13, 2006 meeting of the Woodburn Association of Neighbors

2006-08-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

Those present were: Susan Eason, Julie Black, Anne Miller, Chris Christopher, Cheryl Torsney, Ron Justice, Paul Atkins, Paul Miller, Jamie Lester, John Krouse, Bob Merow, Marion Ohlinger, Tamara Riegel, Beth Welsh, Sieglinde McGinnis, Mary Lou Lawrence, Betty Graham, Sonda Cheesebrough, Joseph Scotti-Einstein, Christopher Brown, Joel Halverson, Buff Vehse, Ted Vehse, Nathan Vehse, Karen Woodfork

Susan Eason convened the meeting. Anne Miller agreed to take minutes for the meeting. Minutes from the prior meeting were distributed and reviewed. The minutes were adopted with one change. The letter in support of Mark Furfari’s appeal for sent to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

1. Trash: Guest Officer Troy Ball was introduced. Troy is an officer with the Morgantown Police Department and was present to address concerns about trash in the neighborhood. Discussion was held concerning trash in streets, trash at certain houses, abandoned houses, overgrown brush, the Woodburn Elementary playground, the noise ordinance and leash laws.

- Trash concerns would be best handled by Troy. He should be contacted for any violation of garbage ordinance, failure to maintain litter free property or stockpiling of garbage. Troy can also be contacted concerning missed garbage pickups and then he will contact Allied Waste. Woodburn’s trash pickup has been changed in several locations to an afternoon pickup. Troy’s work hours are M-F 7-3. Phone number 284-7505.

- Overgrown brush and abandoned house issues are best handled through code enforcement and can be addressed with Mike Stone.

- Discussion was also held concerning issues at Woodburn Elementary playground. It was noted that it is illegal to have alcohol on school property and if anyone was there after hours drinking on school property that the police should be notified. Also, if there is an ongoing concern, the school officials could file a report.

- Discussion was held on the city’s noise ordinance. The noise ordinance is in effect beginning at 10 pm on weekdays and 11 pm on weekends. If you call in a disturbance, the person that you have reported can ask for the name of the reporter.

- Dogs not on leases should be reported as a general call to the police department.

2. Neighborhood Watch: John Krouse reported on his attendance at the city’s Neighborhood Watch group meeting. He discussed that it was critical that the neighborhood watch captains were persons that would get involved and stay involved, otherwise the enthusiasm wanes. John suggested that we should invite one of the other Neighborhood Watch captains to one of our meetings so that we could learn more.

3. Association Guidelines: Guidelines for the WAN were discussed. Anne Miller presented a draft of the guidelines that she and Betsy Miller prepared. They investigated by-law models and devised the draft that was handed out. The models are similar although membership stipulations differ. A definition needs to be thought about and adopted. Other issues to be considered are dues. We might adopt the model used by SPAN. Anne also discussed other organizational issues, requesting that the Association think about them, along with the meetings, elections, finance, and amendments. Paul Miller emphasized that the draft is only a starting point. Anne proposed to discuss voting rights language at the next meeting. We should consider liability issues, having a social chair and waiving student association fees.

4. Sign Update: Jamie Lester discussed the progress of the Woodburn Neighborhood signs. Jamie met with Dan Boroff. Jamie has received funds for the signs. He’s working with Terry Huff on installation. Mark and Karen Fafarri donated bricks to be used for the base of the signs. Funding of $4,300 was requested and only $3,400 was received, so the signage is being reduced from 3 locations to 2. Additional funding can be requested later. One sign will be installed at the Beauty Spot, which can be seen from Monongalia Avenue as well as Richwood Avenue. The other sign will be installed on the Mair’s property on Charles Avenue.

5. Discussion on Implications of new Zoning Laws: Julie Black started an open discussion about Zoning Ordinances. Discussion of “smart growth” was held. Julie pointed out that Charleston is promoting smart growth. She also discussed the possibility of finding grant money in the future.

Susan Eason read a letter from a young person in the neighborhood. The author remained anonymous. The letter was well thought out and voiced concerns on the zoning ordinances and the area park as well as other issues.

Ron Justice brought up several items for discussion, including Woodburn Elementary, further discussion on “smart growth”, the Board of Zoning Committee, the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals, the BOPARC Board. It was decided that these items should be included as an agenda item on the next meeting.

6. Woodburn Elementary Centennial: Paul Atkins gave a report on the Woodburn Centennial. Linda Nakaishi is the Principal of the school and is very interested in our participation in the Centennial celebration – which is in 2009. The School Community Relations Committee is forming a Centennial Subcommittee. Please contact Paul if you would like more information on that subcommittee. There will be an Open House at the school on September 7th from 6-8.

7. Fall Social Event: There was mention of a possible Woodburn Octoberfest. It was tabled until the next meeting.

7. Letter to Newcomers to Neighborhood: Marion Ohlinger read letters that he and Allegria had prepared for persons moving in to the neighborhood. Those letters are posted below. A motion to accept the letters by the Association was made by Cheryl Torsney and seconded by Joseph Scotti-Einstein. The motion passed.

8. Distribution of minutes and notification of next meeting: A discussion was held on the mass distribution of the minutes as well as the next meeting agenda and the web address of the blog spot. Julie Black will prepare a flyer to be distributed. It was noted that the items could not be placed in mailboxes. Several folks agreed to help distribute the flyers. Those persons included: Tamara Riegel, Jamie Lester, Joseph Scotti, Susan Eason.

The next meeting date was set as Sunday, September 17th at 4pm at Crosley’s.

City Council Meeting, Aug. 29 includes Riverview

2006-08-18T03:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Neighbors,

The next meeting of the City Council Meeting of the Whole will be on August 29 at 7:00 pm at the City Council chambers on the corner of Fayette and Spruce Streets.

At this meeting, they will consider/discuss The Riverview Project (the 19 story building proposed for downtown on Chestnut Street). If you have feelings and/or opinions about this project, I encourage you to make them known to all members of City Council and the City Manager, Dan Boroff. E-mail Dan Boroff at citymanager@morgantown.com or call (304) 284-7405.

You can also e-mail the City Council at their e-mail addresses located here on the City of Morgantown website or call Mayor, Ron Justice at (304) 296-0622.

At the public meetings that I have attended, there have been representatives from downtown businesses, developers, Bill Kawecki, President of Span and a few members of the South Park and Chancery Hill neighborhoods. It is very important that the Council hear from more local residents about how they feel about the project and any concerns or reservations that they may have.

The meeting on August 29 is the last one before they are scheduled to vote on whether to authorize the issue of bonds to build the project. The vote on the bonds will most likely be on their agenda for the September 5 City Council meeting.

Please take 15 minutes out of your busy schedules and let our elected representatives know how you feel about this project. Also, ask your friends and relatives who live in other parts of the city to also send their thoughts. This building will not only affect South Park and Chancery Hill but will have a lasting impact and set a precedent for the future of our city.

Thank-you for your consideration,
Millie Karlin
41 Wilson Ave

Thanks to all who Attended the August Meeting

2006-08-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

Thank you neighbors for attending our last meeting! There were many new faces.

The next meeting will be on Sunday, September 17, at the same location, Crosley's Banquet Center on Richwood Ave. The time is to be announced, but the meetings are usally held during the afternoon. They last about an hour and a half and you are welcome to bring your children. Please let your neighbors know to save that date. The fine folks of Crosley's provide the meeting space, light refreshments, and beverages for free. Thank you Mark and Karen Furfari for your very generous donations to the association.

Please feel free to e-mail me, Julie Black, if you'd like to post something on the Woodburn Blog, or e-mail Susan Eason if you have questions or other concerns about the association, etc.

Stay Tuned For: The minutes from the last meeting will be posted here along with printable Woodburn welcome letters for the new WVU students, the by-laws, and more.

Meeting this Sunday, August 13 at 4:00 p.m

2006-08-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Neighbors:
You’re invited to the next Woodburn Association meeting this Sunday, August 13 at 4:00 p.m. at Crosley's Banquet Center on Richwood Avenue.

Proposed Agenda
1. Report on proposed Guidelines for Woodburn Neighborhood Association.
2. Report on Neighborhood Watch
3. Trash - Proposed Clean-up days? (Maybe with Hirky Bender from the Police Dept.)
4. Open Discussion about Zoning Ordinance interpretation and implications for neighborhoods.
5. Update on Woodburn signs
6. Report on Woodburn School Centennial
7. Woodburn Social Event?
8. Whitemoore Park
9. Develop a plan to do another mass distribution to homes about next meeting.

Thanks. Hope to see you on Sunday. Please help out by letting your neighbor know about this meeting. If you have any items you would like to put on the agenda, please e-mail me or let me know.

Susan Eason

Boon or Bust-Two Public Meetings

2006-08-03T01:34:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Bill Kawecki, President, South Park Association of Neighbors

The Riverview project is a 19 story dormitory that will house 1000 students to be built in downtown Morgantown between University Avenue and Chestnut Street. The city manager calls the project a better mousetrap. The project is tax exempted, but the city is promised income from surplus funds with a bond issuance. Main Street Morgantown sees 1000 captive customers for downtown business, and WVU benefits from the additional student housing and the option, after a period of time, of buying the building for $1.00.

On the other side, will the project turn downtown into the next Sunnyside, High Street into the next Grant Avenue, the Riverfront Park into Lair Plaza II, and South Park and Chancery Hill into long-term parking? Riverview is not required to provide parking. What kind of development will follow? Will downtown be a community center or is Morgantown the mouse for that better trap?

Share your thought on this subject with us and City Council at: spanwv@yahoo.com, baner@rcbhsc.wvu.edu, bill@byrnehedges.com, cityclerk@morgantown.com,
dboroff@cityofmorgantown.org, dlspencer@adelphia.net, fas4@verizon.net, jmanilla@earthlink.net, rjustice@wvu.edu, tkm4@adelphia.net.

There are two public meetings scheduled to discuss the Riverview building:

7:00 pm, Thursday, August 3, at the Morgantown High School
10:00 am, Friday, August 4, at the Mercury Tapas Bar and Bakery, 250 High Street

Neighborhood Watch Meeting

2006-07-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Woodburn Friends:

As requested at our last meeting, I looked into having an Officer from the police department come to our next meeting. Officer Karl is eager to come, just not available for our next meeting on Sunday, Aug. 13.

He suggested that we have 3-4 people from our neighborhood come to the city-wide monthly meeting of Neighborhood Watch leaders on Wed., Aug. 9 at 7:00 p.m. at the Public Safety Building downtown. He mentioned they could receive the information packets, participate in the meeting and then share that with our group on Sunday. (This would not preclude Officer Karl coming to our next meeting.)

I was wondering if anyone would be able and willing to attend that meeting on our Neighborhood's behalf? It would be great if a few folks could go (I won't be able as I have another meeting that night). Thanks. And remember to mark your calendars and PLEASE tell/remind your neighbors about our next meeting!

Susan Eason

Administrative Appeal - Tuesday, July 11

2006-06-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

The administrative appeal made by Mark Furfari has been scheduled for review by the Board of Zoning Appeals for Tuesday July 11, 2006 at 6:30 PM in city Council Chambers. Mike Castle has presented some plans for improvements of Whitemore Park at his expense to appease our neighborhood concerns. Mark F. will get a clarification of these improvements and will communicate what he is offering. Interested? Please attend the July 11th meeting. PS - more about this will be discussed at the July 9th monthly Woodburn meeting.

Meeting Minutes from June 4, 2006

2006-06-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Present: Cheryl Torsney, Patrick Kirby, Julie Zuercher and Patrick, Karen Woodfork, Shelia Voorhees, Ann Wiley, Tamara Riegel, Landon Carrell, Louise Taft, Susan Eason, Paul Atkins, Michelle Lester, Jamie Lester, Dave McClure, Lori Halverson, Joel Halvorsen, Anne Miller, Chris Haddox, Buffy and Nathan Vehse

Susan Eason convened the meeting at 4:05 and presented a simple procedure for conducting business with motions made, seconded, discussed, and voted upon. Jamie Lester moved acceptance of the procedure. Karen Woodford seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

A handout was distributed delineating the boundaries of the Woodburn neighborhood. Jamie Lester moved to accept the boundaries, noting that they can be changed in the future. Michelle Lester seconded. Discussion occurred about engaging in discussion landlords with property in areas adjacent to the marked boundaries of Woodburn. The motion passed unanimously.

Signage marking the boundaries of the Woodburn neighborhood was discussed. Ron Justice noted that there is $25,000 available through City Council for neighborhood signs; that most signs cost about $2,500 each. An idea to use small flags on street signs was presented. Also noted were the following: 1) there are many entrances to Woodburn; 2) the signs should have an antique flavor to reflect the age of the neighborhood; and 3) a concern that the signs would be vandalized.

Five designs were voted upon, and Design 1 carried the day. Karen Woodfork moved acceptance of Design 1. Chris Haddox seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Chris Haddox said that he will work with Jamie Lester on getting the signs made.

Discussion regarding placement of the signs proceeded. Three locations were nominated: the Beauty Spot at the bottom on Monongalia Ave., where it meets Richwood Ave.; on Richwood Avenue on the Woodburn School property; and at the intersection of Charles and Willey Streets. A fourth location, at the intersection of Willey Street and Monongalia Ave., was also mentioned. Jamie Lester said that he will talk with Bill Mayer, the owner of the High Street Dairy Queen, about locating a sign on his property at the intersection of Charles and Willey Streets.

Karen Woodfork made a motion to consider the first three locations for Woodburn Neighborhood signage. Anne Miller seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Ron Justice addressed a question about the Morgantown Housing Authority and its effort to engage realtors in selling property with a covenant to single families. A weblink to the Housing Authority will be placed on the Woodburn Neighborhood blog.

Cheryl Torsney presented a letter she and Karen Woodfork wrote encouraging the Morgantown Board of Realtors to represent our neighborhood as a diverse neighborhood with many families, not as a student neighborhood. Jamie Lester moved to send the letter. Anne Miller seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

The next agenda item was deciding how to structure our association. Ron Justice suggested keeping the organization and operation simple, and working like the associations in South Park and Wiles Hill. The City can help fund brochures and other sorts of publicity.

Anne Miller and Ron Justice will talk to the members of the South Park group to see how they are organized.

Susan Eason read a letter from Mark and Karen Furfari regarding the four-story apartment complex planned for across the street from the Fishbowl. Mark and Karen seek the advice of the Neighborhood Association on the possibility of appealing the builder’s plans. While the plans seem to meet the minimum for parking, the members of the Association are nonetheless worried about density and parking. Five people will form a subcommittee to pursue this issue.

The Fourth of July block party on McKinley Ave. is on! The Lester family will provide meats, and everyone else should bring lawn chairs, side dishes, and some cash for the kitty to fund the drinks and paper goods.

June 24, 2006, is the date of the Fishbowl’s block party. The Woodburn Neighborhood Association will hold yard sales that morning. Julie Zirkle, Betsy Miller, and Tamara Riegel will handle details.

The next meeting is scheduled for July 9 at 4:30 at Crosley’s.

Respectfully submitted,
Cheryl Torsney

Apartments across from Marios Fishbowl

2006-06-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I'm posting this to let people know about he potential parking problem for the planned apartments across from Mario's Fishbowl. The apartments actually meet the city's requirements for parking for a mixed use dwelling (the city planner told Joel Halverson this too), so the building cannot be appealed on the basis of parking. Please see the information at the end of this email if you are interested in how they determined this - it is, um, interesting...

However, it IS possible to appeal the permit on the basis of the the proposed building's height. A building in a B1 district can be no more than 3 stories or 45 feet. The proposed building is 4 stories.

Paperwork has been filled to appeal this permit, but it's undecided whether the individuals who filled it out are going to go through with filing the appeal. The proposed building is very nice looking, and other projects (e.g. condos on the waterfront) are very upscale and well maintained. However, Mr. Castle seems unconcerned about the parking issue.

He stated that he thinks most customers will walk to the business on the ground floor of his building so it will not need much parking. He is from the urban northeast and is convinced that this is going to be a "pedestrian development" and that most apartment tenants are going to rent parking spaces in the lot by the downtown Dairy Mart and leave their cars there and walk to and from them.

I suspect Mr. Castle has never tried carrying up groceries up the Richwood Avenue hill, or even just walking up that hill in the snow or rain or summer heat!

The logical solution would be for Mr. Castle to decrease the building to three stories, thus staying in line with the zoning ordinance, decreasing the number of units, and easing the parking problem in the neighborhood.

However, Mr. Castle has said that it would not be worth it to him financially to build a structure smaller than four stories and he would not build on that site at all if he could not have the structure he proposed (with the implication that the land would be sold to the highest bidder and who knows what will be put there instead).

So - it is not yet decided whether to file the appeal, as it is uncertain whether it would be worse to have the extra cars or the unknown alternative. I have let them know that a lot of people in our neighborhood are concerned about the parking issue.

Anyone can file the appeal - it is about 3 pages of forms to fill in but Friday is the deadline.

If they do decide to file the appeal, anyone who would like to sign on with them would be appreciated and welcome and can sign the form. So that's where it stands. Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

e-mail: susanchris@verizon.net

More on the parking issue:
TRhe city's zoning ordinance and a "mixed use dwelling" requires 1 space per residential unit plus 25% of the spaces required for commercial use. And, to top it off, a B1 business can legally have only 75% of the required parking. A business such as a bakery of professional services business requires 3 spaces per 1000 square feet plus 1 space per employee.

Let's say there are 2 employees - with the proposed 1200 square foot business, that would require 5 spaces, but since it is mixed use, it would only require 25% of 5, or 1 space!! The apartments are planned to contain 6 1-bedroom + 15 2-bedroom apartments, so they would require 21 spaces. That's a total of 22 spaces, but, since it is zoned B1, it can legally get by with only 75% of that, or 17 spaces.

In contrast, a regular apartment building with 6 1-bedroom + 15 2-bedroom apartments and no business underneath would require 29 spaces.

The "mixed use dwelling" designation appears to have been designed for a mom and pop business with mom and pop's house on top of it - not for a multi-unit apartment building with a major business underneath. We need to work with City Council to change this outdated regulation! It will not affect this building, but it will affect the next mega-plex that comes in and replaces a smaller structure.