Thank You
The NMCA Board would like to thank Jean Martin for her tireless and patient assistance in dealing with the IRS last month in sorting out some tax status questions for the association. Thanks for your help, Jean!!
Sometimes it’s Not “What you Know” but “Who you Know”
If someone asked you ‘why should I spend $10 to join the NMCA”, what would you tell them? There are lots of reasons to join and be active in your community. One is simply to get to know your neighbors through the social functions. Another is to help stay abreast of what’s happening in ‘your backyard’ that could affect you. Or, how about to help support and improve the North Main Park which is a great place to spend time. But one often overlooked reason to join is “networking”. It’s always amazing when people get together how much they find in common or how they can provide each other with advice or contacts for solving problems or getting work done. If 2 heads are better than 1, just think how much better 20 heads should be! So, help spread the word…..let’s build a bigger network!
Planning Stone Avenue – Update
Megan McLaughlin with Dover Kohl & Partners has provided us with the following update regarding this project…….”The Stone Avenue Plan is moving forward. We are working with the City to refine drafts of the first chapters of the report. We have been working with Planning and Engineering staff on revisions and refinements to the Illustrative Plan, including an option to have signalized intersections at Stone Avenue and North Main Street and at Wade Hampton Boulevard and North Church Street, rather that the modern roundabouts proposed in the charrette Illustrative Plan. We have also been working on a detailed staging diagram of streetscape improvements and redevelopment over time on a sample block of Stone Avenue between Bennett and Rowley. This diagram will show exactly where trees are planted and where on-street parking spaces are located in the short-term, while Stone Avenue still has a number of curb cuts for driveways. The staging diagram then demonstrates how properties can redevelop over time to have connected parking lots at the back of the lot, which allows the curb cuts on Stone Avenue to be eventually phased out.
This week we will be working with the City’s Downtown Streetscape Master Plan consultant, AECOM, to coordinate our design for North Main Street with the overall Downtown Streetscape Master Plan. Also this week, the Greenville County MPO is running a traffic model for the study area based on our street design and redevelopment recommendations, to determine how the proposed design performs for automobiles. We are currently refining our transportation recommendations chapter in preparation for a follow-up meeting with SCDOT to discuss the road diet concept.
Thank you to all of the North Main residents who gave their time and energy during the charrette to shape the Plan. We will update the Plan Stone Avenue website with draft work products as they become available for public comment and as new information becomes available.”
Update on Waffle House Lawsuit
As of this writing, the judge has not yet rendered a decision about the Waffle House motion for a partial summary judgment against the City in their lawsuit challenging changes to the zoning code that makes 24-hour a day, 7-day a week operation subject to special regulation in areas zoned C-2. They have applied for a CO which has been put on hold as the City feels it will be several weeks before they pass all the necessary inspections. We will email or post information on the website as we learn it.
Brookside Development – Hearing Postponed
The 55 two-bedroom unit, low income housing project on Brookside Drive was issued a stop work order by the City earlier this month due to removal of large historic and heritage trees which were supposed to remain in place to serve as a screen for the 3 story structure. Instead the property is now bare along the streets bordering it and the building will be highly visible to the single story home neighbors. Since the permits were issued based on retention of the trees in question, the City revoked the building permits. The developer has presented two alternative plans in response to the City’s revocation of his permit. One would mean a two story building with a considerably larger footprint (approximately 400 ft in width). Although one would think that this option would require him to go back through the permitting process, it is not certain at this time. The second would keep the 3 story building but with trees planted to replace the 20 to 30+ inch diameter trees which were removed. The BZA can accept one of the alternatives or neither. We are asking that the surrounding neighborhood associations, including Dellwood, Vista Hills, NMCA, and Earle Street, step forward and support the City’s denial of the permits for this project as planned. The attorney for Brookside developer, Douglas Development, had planned to argue for re-instatement of their permits before the Board of Zoning Appeal (BZA) next Thursday; however, it was pulled from the May 20 agenda due to the appellant’s failure to properly post public notice on the site. The position of your board and that of several other associations is that the project is not compatible with the neighborhood and needs to be redesigned to blend in and enhance the existing immediate homes and not tower over them. Multi-family detached units would be more acceptable to the neighborhood, if done right. Please show your support for the position of your neighbors by attending the BZA hearing. We will keep you posted as to the new date and time when it is announced. You do not have to speak, just be a warm body to demonstrate to the BZA the kind of support we have for our position. We are not against development, just the plan in question. Thank you!
Neighborhood Watch Program
The NMCA is once again looking at developing a Neighborhood Watch program. We held a meeting about a year ago and there was interest, but other issues overtook it in priority. Because of the large size of our community we realize we need to start small with possibly a few streets or a core group. If you are interested in participating or just learning more about the program, please contact the Community Development/Public Safety Chairman Mike Cubelo at mikecubelo@yahoo.net
Are you an Aquamaniac?
Although Greenville is not officially in a drought situation and there are currently no mandatory watering restrictions, we still need to use common sense when using water. The City of Greenville has a website with helpful tipful tips on saving water.
Based on historical data from GSP airport, the average high for May is 80.3°F, average low is 49.8°F, and the average rainfall is 3.1″. (From SC State Climatology Office website)
Park Etiquette
The North Main Rotary Park is there for all the community to enjoy. Please help take care of it by not trampling along the stream bed or disturbing plantings. We are focusing on planting native plants which often look similar to weeds. We hope at some point to have signage in place to help identify what’s there. Also, please remember to pick up after your dog. Thank you for your cooperation and enjoy the park!
Volunteer Opportunities at the Humane Society
The Greenville Humane Society is in desperate need of volunteers that can come in and open newspapers. They go through a 6 to 8 foot stack of newspapers in a day and it is getting harder and harder to keep up. The greatest need is in the morning at 8:00 am however, they are in constant need and can use the help throughout the day, especially on Friday afternoons to prepare for the weekends. I know it is not the most exciting of jobs, but it is so important that the puppies and kittens have fresh clean paper throughout the day. If you are able to help, please contact the H.S. Volunteer Coordinator at paulac@greenvillehumane.com or call 242-3626 ext 222 or 915-5875. They also have several openings for adult dog walkers Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Remember, the dogs cannot get walked too much and it’s the only chance they have to get outside the kennel. Good exercise for you and a treat for the dog! For other needs, check out their wish list. Future volunteer orientations will be held May 18, June 15 and July 20 at 6PM in the lobby of the Humane Society on Furman Hall Road.
Yard Waste Appreciation Day
The Commissioners of the Greater Greenville Sanitation Commission (GGSC) cordially invite you to attend a residential customer appreciation day at its Green Waste Recovery Facility on May 15 from 8 am to 2 pm. To celebrate, GGSC District customers will have access of up to 10 CUBIC YARDS OF ONCEGROUND MULCH OR 5 CUBIC YARDS OF GARDEN SOIL, FREE OF CHARGE. In return the Commission asks that customers bring a non-perishable food item for donation to a local charity. This is a great opportunity to see our new Green Waste Recovery facility up close, and learn about our future plans which include, among other things: habitat preservation for the Rusty Blackbird, educational center for emerging/green technologies, community garden, and experiments with soil amendments and bioremediation. We hope to see you there! Customers will be responsible for strapping and tarping their loads.
GGSC Yard Waste Recovery Center, 515 Sagitarius Way, Greenville, SC 29611
May Membership Drive a Success
We hope those of you who attended the May 6 Happy Hour/Membership Drive at the North Gate Soda Shop had a great time! We’ve had a lot of positive comments….feel free to pass along any comments or suggestions for future events. Thanks to all our old and new members and to our sponsors…Greenco Beverage and PBR for the free beer, Redhype for design and printing of the flyers and banner and North Gate Soda Shop for hosting. Thanks to Donnie Blackwell for the entertainment. We hope to see you at our October Neighborhood Night Out…watch for details.
Thanks also to our local businesses who donated the door prizes….and congrats to the winners!
Gift Certificate from Dahlia’s Florist – Mindy Friddle
Free Oil Change from Precision Automotive – Laura Jones
Spinx Gas Card – Nicole Kennedy
North Gate Soda Shop Gift Certificate – Joe Keaton
Free Cut and Color from To Dye For Salon – Kristen Lewis
Free Woman’s Haircut from To Dye For Salon – Dayne Holleman
Free Spa Manicure from To Dye For Salon – Mary Virginia Tynan
Free Men’s Haircuts from To Dye For Salon – Pat Taylor and Paul Cason
Census Workers On the Move
It’s not too late to return your Census form. By answering 10 simple questions you can help improve our community’s schools, hospitals, job training programs, public transportation and much more. What can 10 questions do? Help build a better Greenville. Take time to make a difference by completing and returning your form. From now until July, census takers will be visiting households that did not return a form by mail. For more information about Census 2010, visit the Census Website.
City Services
As a relative newcomer to Greenville, I sometimes have questions about when certain pickups or city maintenance takes place….for example, what is the schedule for street sweeping? If I knew, I’d make sure my car is not parked on the curb so I can benefit. I found out that sweeping takes place on my street (West Hillcrest) on the 4th Thursday of even months. To find out when it takes place on your street, just call (864) 467-4335 or 4336. It actually helps them do a better job of keeping debris out of the Reedy River if they can get to the street to sweep it.
What about leaf and debris pickup? That takes place the same day as trash and recycling pickup. For information about pickup of appliances and other bulk waste just go to the City’s Website.
The Bobby Pearse Community Center at 904 Townes Street would like to offer morning programs for senior adults! If you are interested in taking or instructing a class, please contact Pam Davis, the center director, with your ideas at 467-4331 or pdavis@greenvillesc.gov.
Calendar
May 15 – Yard Waste Appreciation Day. 8am-2pm. Greenville Green Waste Recovery Facility. 515 Sagitarius Way.
May 15 – Free Recycling Event for city residents/businesses. 10am-2pm. TVs, CPUs, ballasts, fluorescent bulbs and tubes, mice, wires, etc. City of Greenville Public Works Facility. 360 South Hudson Street.
May 18 – (Tuesday) – Native Plant Society Meeting. 7 pm. “Cast in Stone — Ancient Plants“. Christian Cicimurri, Curator of Education at Clemson’s Bob Campbell Geology Museum, will bring a collection of plant fossils and discuss ancient plants. Founders Hall, Southern Wesleyan University, Central.
May 21 – Bike to Work Day. 7 a.m. at the YMCA. Click here for more information or contact Andrew Meeker at (864) 467-4345 or bikeville@greenvillesc.gov
City Council Formal Meeting and Work Session schedules can be found at this website.
Don’t forget to renew your NMCA membership. You should have received a membership form in the mail. The form is also available online at our website. You can renew easily via PayPal or download, complete and mail the form. Membership runs on a calendar year from Jan 1 to Dec 31. If you are not sure if you are current in your dues for 2010, please let us check for you. Just email pgilreath@aol.com and we’ll let you know.
We need your participation!! Tell your neighbors, too. Thank you!!
