NMCA Newsletter (01/16)

Your 2016 Board of Directors:

President: Hunter Cutchin

Vice-President: Dave Modeen

Treasurer: Jim Gilreath

Recording Secretary: John DeWorken

Membership Secretary: Leah Tollison

Webmaster: Chad Chandler

You may notice some familiar faces in the list of board members. That’s because we have the same board as last year. But…the president and VP can only serve 2 years, so we will be looking for some new blood on the board (and some new and fresh ideas) this fall. We’ll be reminding you later on this year.

*Normally the Board of Directors meets the first Tuesday of most months at 6:30 PM at the Bobby Pearse Community Center. Members are welcome to attend board meetings. Please email northmaincomm@gmail.com for the location and to find out if we are meeting that month.

It’s That Time…Time to Renew Your NMCA Membership

Yes, it’s been a year! Join or renew your membership in the North Main Community Association now! We’ll be sending out renewal notices soon. Please consider renewing now and save us a stamp. Dues are $20 per calendar year for residents and $30 per calendar year for businesses. Just go to our membership page and choose Paypal (and after you’ve donated, please click on return to North Main Community Association to provide additional information) or print and mail the membership form with a check. Not sure if you’ve already renewed? (most have not). Just email northmaincomm@gmail.com and we’ll let you know. New members will receive a small decal for your car, your door, or wherever you want to put it, to let folks know that you support your community by being a member of NMCA. There are different decals for residents and businesses. We hope you will use them. If you need additional decals, they are available for a nominal fee….just ask us. And thank you for your membership and support!

What is a Community Association?

There seems to be confusion among some residents about what NMCA is. The term community or neighborhood association is sometimes mistaken for homeowners association (HOA). But neighborhood associations are not homeowners associations. An HOA is a group of property owners within a development with the legal authority to enforce rules and regulations that focus on restrictions and building and safety issues. On the other hand, a neighborhood association is a group of neighbors and business owners who work together for changes and improvements, such as neighborhood safety, beautification and social activities. HOA membership is mandatory… generally through rules tied to the ownership of property like deed restrictions. Neighborhood association membership is voluntary or informal. HOAs often own and maintain common property, such as recreational facilities, parks, and roads; whereas, neighborhood associations are focused on general advocacy and community events.

Some residents mistakenly think it is NMCA that comes around telling folks to clean up their yard, taking pictures, etc. It’s not…it’s their HOA. An example is Richland Creek. While they are within the boundaries of the North Main Community, they have their own HOA. They can, however, be members of NMCA, but the two are not associated. Please help clarify this if you hear questions.

Meet our New Business Member

“Vic’s Pizza loves making pizza lovers smile! Ranked as the “Best” Pizza in Greenville, SC by Town Magazine, our “Authentic” New York style pizza pies are prepared from scratch using the finest ingredients money can buy, including “Bacio” cheese.” Vic’s Pizza is a locally owned family pizzeria in the heart of downtown Greenville, SC. (The owners live in the North Main Neighborhood) They invite you and your family to join them for some “Authentic” New York style pizza! They are located at 12 E. Coffee Street (across from Coffee Underground). You can come in, get carry-out or call for delivery. They deliver to offices and homes within 3 miles of their location. Call 864-232-9191. Check them out on Facebook, too. Hours: Tues -Fri 11am-2:30 and 4-9pm . Saturday 12-2:30pm & 4-9pm. They are now open on Sunday 12-5pm… dine in or pickup only.

Development Update

It was thought the design of the Harris Teeter grocery would delay the NorthPointe development. The Design Review Board asked Central Realty Holdings (CRH) to re-imagine the design of the backside of the store before again seeking their recommendation to the city’s Planning Commission, which must review the project before the City Council makes a final decision. The front of the Harris Teeter is an attractive design, but the front faces away from where thousands of motorists drive Wade Hampton into downtown from the suburbs. The backside of the store was largely blank and “underdeveloped.”

In the Tuesday, Jan 12, neighborhood meetings, CRH presented revised conceptual drawings of various aspects of the project. They will go before the Planning Commission for public hearing/comment on January 21^st. It is likely the project will be tabled until the February meeting, but that motion will not be made until after the open comment time, so residents will have the opportunity to speak at that meeting. There were several issues of interest from citizens attending the meetings. Major changes since the earlier drawings include a flat roof instead of gabled, an additional layer on the parking garage, the reduction of retail space from 30,000 to about 21,000 sq. ft to be able to meet other design requirements, and changes in the façade along Wade Hampton to include diverse materials and building designs. Plans also include 4 restaurants and a fitness center. Participants had the opportunity to view detailed plans on all aspects of the project, including architecture, landscaping, traffic and pedestrian navigation, etc. The outparcels (Capris and the 2 vacant buildings on the other side of Wade Hampton) will be single tenant uses supported by on-site parking. Regarding impacts on local schools, children living in this development will attend East North Street Academy, Greenville Middle School, and Greenville High School. The sketch here will give you some idea of the vehicle and pedestrian flow. The yellow lines are sidewalks. The dotted blue lines and squares at intersections are where there will be pedestrian controlled crossings (i.e. push buttons).

The projected timeline is: March 2016 – begin roadwork. July 2016 – end roadwork and start site work. Sept 2016 – start vertical construction. Spring 2018 – project completion.

The Main and Stone project is still under construction but has information on their website about how to go about reserving or getting on the priority waiting list, their pet policy, etc.
On Monday night, City Council approved a first reading of an amendment to the Infill Ordinance with several fairly minor revisions. The big change is that the rules will apply to any established single family residential neighborhood, despite the zoning (with the exception of S-1 zoning – Services District). That includes the application of the rules to NEW streets which was somehow omitted in the orginal ordinance. Other minor changes mostly clarified issues such as driveways, value of additions or renovations, definition of a block (to include both sides of street), driveway and garage locations and integration into the overall design, and stormwater and lot coverage. You will be able to see all the changes when the final revision is published.
The appeal to determine whether or not the Planning Commission abused its discretion in it’s decision to approve the preliminary plan for the development between W. Hillcrest and W. Mountainview (the former Cottages at Townes) went before the Court on Tuesday, Jan 12, and was denied. Unfortunately, this subdivision will have a new street right behind current resident’s homes. At that time, the Infill Ordinance did not apply to ‘new streets’. While several residents raised this point during the PC meeting and in writing, and we knew it was likely this change to the Infill Ordinance would be made, the PC chose not to use their ‘discretionary authority’ and approved the plan without requiring them to follow the infill rules. So…those of you close to that site should expect to see land clearing and construction begin at some point.
A proposal has been submitted for 61 town homes on the site of the former Colonial Inn. This plan will also go before the Planning Commission on January 21 at 4pm, City Hall. The Colonial Court opened on the site in 1951, fronting the new “superhighway” connecting Greenville to Spartanburg. While residents in that vacinity had hoped for more retail and service, reportedly it’s just been hard for businesses to gain traction there. Maybe the tide will eventually turn.
You may have seen the email from Amy Doyle re: the Alley (the old Handlebar). A demolition permit was issued in late 2015 and they have begun internal demolition. According to the owner, construction plans for the upcoming music and bowling alley will be submitted in early 2016. Our understanding is that the plan is still for an event venue at the main level and a bowling alley below. The have reportedly purchased additional land across the street to provide additional parking…an issue of concern when the plan was first presented.

Greenville City Boards and Commissions

The city offers many opportunities for citizens and business owners to participate in municipal government through it’s Boards and Commissions. City Council fills appointments on 13 various boards and commissions. In addition, the Mayor and City Council also appoint a limited number of members to six boards, which do not directly advise City Council, but act as policy-making boards and oversee the operations of their respective independent agencies. You can find a list of current members at the city website.

Volunteering to serve on a board or commission is a good way to get involved and learn more about your local government. You can apply online. At present there are two boards that will have vacancies expiring on 3/31/16. These are the Greenville Airport Commission and the Planning Commission. Below are some quicklinks to some of them.

Crime Awareness

Some of you have seen this information, but we repeat it here for our hard copy recipients and as a reminder.

Greenville City Detective JM Dempsey wanted the information below to go to various neighborhoods. An area neighborhood had an unoccupied home for sale during the Christmas vacation that was broken into and the large appliances were stolen.…in another case it was the night before move in and the new floors were ruined as the applicances were drug out. There seemed to be a rash of break-ins and thefts before Christmas.

“My name is John Dempsey. I am a detective with the Greenville Police Department. I have been assigned 4–5 cases where homes under renovation or construction have been broken into and appliances stolen. The subjects are taking items such as the washer, dryer, dishwasher, refrigerator, oven and/or microwave. Obviously, this must be done with some type of large truck or trailer. Many times, these people do not wrap or box the items. They are loose in the back of the truck. (Ed. Please be aware of what is going on in your neighborhood and if you have neighbors doing renos or someone doing new construction, please warn them of these past crimes.) Often times, the citizens are the catalyst to making a great case. At this time, we have no suspect description or vehicle description. However, if someone sees a truck or trailer with loose, new (unwrapped, no boxes) large appliances please call the police and provide a description, or a license plate, if feasible. DO NOT APPROACH the suspects.

Again…as a reminder. We seem to be a targeted neighborhood in terms of break-ins. You may have seen the new signs that have gone up to help us remember how not to become a victim.

Trolley Track App Now Available

A collaboration between Greenlink and volunteer programming group Code for Greenville has resulted in a mobile app that allows riders to pinpoint the location of the downtown trolleys in real time. By downloading the app, called Greenville Trolley Tracker, to their Android or iOS devices, riders can see where the trolleys are, view the stops along the route and estimate the time needed to walk to a trolley stop. Code for Greenville conducted a six-month beta test (which included one of NMCA’s board members) and enlisted the public’s help through a dedicated website, called yeahthattrolley.com, where people could share ideas and converse about the app.

The downtown trolleys are free and operate year-round on Thursdays and Fridays from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. A special trolley route includes stops at the Hughes Main Library and The Children’s Museum of the Upstate on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Trolleys also shuttle fans from Greenville County Square to Fluor Field during Greenville Drive home games.

In February 2015, Greenlink introduced Lunchlink, a free lunchtime trolley service on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a route that travels a continuous loop from County Square to the Hyatt Regency. In July, Greenlink added County Square as a permanent stop on the trolley route, giving passengers the option of parking at County Square while they enjoy downtown shopping, dining and entertainment. And in October, Greenlink again expanded the downtown trolley route to include a stop at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Riders can download the Greenville Trolley Tracker app from Google Play or iTunes.

Yoga Classes at Bobby Pearse

The next session of yoga at the BP center starts Monday, Jan 25 at 6:30 pm. You can sign up for the entire 8 week session or just pay for each class. It’s only $5 for city residents and $6 for non-residents for the 75 minute class. Join us for a good work out to start the week. Poses can be modified depending on your level of experience. Check out the City’s Parks and Recreation website for other classes offered this spring.

Spring Yard Sale

The new year is a good time to start getting rid of stuff you no longer need. Save the Date: Saturday, April 9. North Main Community Yard Sale at the Northgate Soda Shop. Clean out your closets and bring all that stuff to sell. No charge for space. What you don’t sell, you can leave and it will be donated to charity.

For our Four-Legged Friends

Although we have mentioned this in the past, just wanted to remind you that you can help raise money for the Greenville Humane Society every time you walk your dog! Visit www.wooftrax.com to learn more. We have a lot of dog walkers in this neighborhood and every little bit counts. Also, if you are an Amazon shopper, don’t forget about www.smileamazon.com . It’s the same as the regular Amazon site but you can choose a charity (yes, the Humane Society is one) and they get a small portion of the proceeds from each of your purchases.

After their best year ever (5839 adoptions, 12,452 spay/neuter surgeries, 24,131 vaccinated) the Greenville Humane Society is expanding their “pawprint”. They have launched a $4.3 Million Capital Campaign. The growth will alleviate capacity issues in a staged expansion. Click here to take a virtual tour of the expansion and learn more.

Looking for an apartment that accepts pets or a pet sitter in the Greenville area? Greenville Animal Care Services (ACS) offers the following links: Pet Friendly Apartment Finder Pet Sitters

Animal Care is once again the Home of the Free Cats (and Kittens!) for 2 days only! This Friday and Saturday, January 15 and 16. ALL cat and kitten adoption fees will be waived. Click here to see photos of the adoptable cats.

January Gardening?

It’s hard to think of gardening when it’s this cold, but now is a good time to peruse those catalogs and think about what you want to plant in the spring. There are other things you can do this time of year.

I have lots of bulbs that are up and some are already blooming. Flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and crocus are some of the earliest flowers to appear in gardens each year, some starting to bloom as early as January. If you have a poor bloom this year with some bulbs, you can probably blame it on the amount of rainfall lately.

Pruning – Winter is a good time to prune most trees and shrubs. However, do not prune azalea, dogwood, forsythia, redbud and rhododendron – they should be pruned after they bloom, since they set blooms in the fall on the previous season’s growth. If you prune now, you prune off the part that will bloom. Almost anything that blooms after June 1 (except oakleaf hydrangea and late-flowering azalea cultivars) can be pruned safely; however, make sure there is no green wood which could actually start sprouting new growth if we have a prolonged warm period. See Pruning Trees and Pruning Shrubs for more information.

Tree Planting – The winter months when trees are dormant are excellent times to plant. Be careful that you do not plant them too deep, or with too much soil amendment. See Planting Trees Correctly for information on the proper way to plant a tree.

Transplanting – This is also a good time to move plants that have overgrown a site or that don’t fit the microclimate of that site (sun, shade, etc.) Plants are dormant and will undergo less stress if transplanted now. Be sure to plant at a similar depth from where they came and get as much of the root ball as possible. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/county/laurens/yard_garden/01_january.html

Weather Tidbits

According to climate data, the average maximum temperature for Greenville in January is 54.0°F, the average low is 33°F and the average precipitation (rainfall) is 3.82”. January is typically our coldest month. Looking at records from 1890 to January 2016 the maximum high was 82 on Jan 14^th in 1911. The highest low temperature was 62 on Jan 14^th, 1932. The minimum high temperature was 20 on Jan 30^th 1966 and the minimum low was -6 that same day. Maximum precipitation (rain) in a 24 hour period was 3.94” on Jan 6^th in 1942. Maximum snow was 12” on Jan 7 back in 1988. http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/index.php

Tired of hearing about all the weather mayhem? Well…it’s likely to get a lot worse. The ‘Godzilla’ El Nino is getting a boost from another climatic phenomenon: the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). “We’re essentially seeing a mash-up of both El Niño and the MJO at the moment,” says Michelle L’Heureaux, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. What’s the difference? El Niño is characterized by a warming of the sea surface in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Once it emerges, it is essentially stationary, and it causes regional and global impacts for many months. By contrast, MJO is more dynamic and operates on shorter timescales. It is “an eastward moving disturbance of clouds, rainfall, winds, and pressure that traverses the planet in the tropics and returns to its initial starting point in 30 to 60 days, on average”.

What does this mean for us? The Jan – March prediction for the east, including S.C., is for near to below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation. Hang on!

Reminder – Recycle Your Holiday Cards to Help St. Jude’s

If you still have your Christmas cards or other cards, don’t forget that St. Jude’s Ranch for Children recycles used greeting cards and creates new holiday and greeting cards for any occasion. To learn more about how to submit used cards or purchase recycled ones, go to their website at http://www.stjudesranch.org/shop/recycled-card-program/

Flash from the Past

How many of you recognize these Greenville landmarks? One should be easy for most.

Thank You to our Local Business Members

Keep your dollars in your community. The following companies are committed to preserving the beauty and economic well-being of the North Main Community and the greater Greenville area. Please thank them and give them your business whenever you can.

Hover your mouse over each company name to read a brief description or to go to their website or FB page:

Calendar

City Council Formal Meeting and Work Session schedules can be found at http://www.greenvillesc.gov/city_government/meet.asp

The Hughes Main Library has numerous programs for adults and children. Check out their January calendar.
The Children’s Museum has great programs for kids. Check them out at their website calendar
Check out the current exhibits and other programs at the Upstate History Museum.
Don’t forget about a great local resource for family activities. Macaroni Kid lists all kinds of local activities for kids and families.

For other events in this area bookmark Go-greenevents for a listing of various events with registration, etc., handled online to save needless waste of paper.

Greenville County Museum of Art – The Museum is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm and on Sundays 1 – 5 pm. As always, admission is free. The Greenville Collection is now the largest and the most complete collection of Andrew Wyeth’s watercolors owned by any public museum in the world. The GCMA’s respected Southern Collection surveys American art from colonial times to the present, ranging from 1726 pastel portraits and Civil War vistas to American Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism, American Scene, and contemporary works. The GCMA boasts a particularly strong collection of works by South Carolina artist Jasper Johns.

Jan 15-17 – The South Carolina International Auto Show. TD Convention Center. 10am – 9pm. 10am – 5pm on Sunday. See the newest cars, trucks, SUVs and crossovers on the market. Providing an up-close look and plenty of entertainment for kids, the auto show is the best place to begin researching your next vehicle. Showgoers are invited to explore the newest rides, experience the latest in-car technology and even take a test drive right at the show!

Every Tuesday starting Jan 6. Line Dancing at the Sears Shelter at McPhearson Park from 6:15 – 8pm. Dances are taught in a fun and easy way with a variety of music – Hip Hop, R&B, Rock & Roll, Latin, Country, Shag, and Swing. Party dances include Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Bikers Shuffle, and Cha Cha Slide. Second hour moves into mainstream dances -Good Time, Tush Push, R&B Boogie and more. No partner or dance knowledge required. Two left feet are fine. Bring your friends and have some fun.

Jan to March – Check out the 2016 schedule of classes at Dance Ventures at Stone Plaza. Everything from tap to ballet to jazz. Join a class today. 864-271-7701.

Jan – Check out the classes at the Swamp Rabbit Café and Grocery.

Jan 16 –Greenville News Run Downtown. 5:00 AM – 12:00 PM – S Main St from Broad to Falls Park Drive, Broad St from S Main St to Falls St, Pendleton St from S Main to N Leach St, S Main from Falls Park Drive to Pendleton St, Rhett St from Perry Ave to River St, River Street from Rhett to S Richardson, North St from Richardson to N Main St, N Main St from North St to Broad St

Jan 25 – March 14, Monday evenings – Yoga at the Bobby Pearse Center. 6:30 – 7:45pm. This 75 minute class is taught once a week, and all levels are welcome; however, you do not need previous yoga experience to enjoy this class. Participants may pay per class upon arrival or register for the entire 8-week session for less! Please bring your own yoga mat. Cost is only $6 per class (Greenville City Residents – $5).

Jan 18 – Dr. Martin Luther King Day. City of Greenville offices and schools will be closed. There will be no residential garbage, trash or recycling services on this day. Monday pick-ups will be made on Tuesday, January 19, and the collection schedule will continue to be one day late for the remainder of the week. Additionally, there will be no Greenlink service on January 18.

Jan 20 – Highland Brewing Tasting! Community Tap. 5:30 -6:30pm. “Join us as we welcome Asheville’s own Highland Brewing Company for a tasting which will include their very first west coast style IPA which is heavy on some of our favorite hops (Chinook, Citra & Centennial), creating a resinous citrus that is sure to agree w/ all in attendance!” Check their calendar for other upcoming events.

Jan 24 – IceBreaker 8K. 9am. Conestee Park. $20 (or $25 on day of event). The Ice Breaker 8K is the first race of the Greenville Dirt Trail Run Series. The rolling course winds its way through the beautiful Conestee Park and features a mix of dirt, gravel and pavement. Greenville County Rec has been working hard to make Conestee one of the best facilities in the county, and this is a great opportunity to see all the fantastic improvements that have been made to this wonderful outdoor oasis. A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to the Conestee Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing Lake Conestee Nature Park and contiguous community lands into a nature park and wildlife sanctuary for public recreation.

Jan 28 – Chili Cook Off. 7pm. Northgate Soda Shop. Trophy and Prize awarded to 1^st and 2^nd place winners. Sign up at the Soda Shop and have your pot of chili there by 6:30 pm that night.

Jan 30 – Expedition Paris Mtn. Trail Race. All 3 course lengths will start from shelter #3 at 9 AM sharp. They will start out on pavement, for spacing. 5 mile/10 mile/15 mile. Expedition Paris Mountain Trail Race is part of the 2015-16 “Search for the Mountain Goat” trail race series. Check out the website for information on cost.

Feb 5 – Make & Take Embroidered Constellations. 6:00pm 9:00pm.18:00 21:00 Greenville Center for Creative Arts 25 Draper Street. Join us for a free Make & Take craft during February First Fridays at the Greenville Center for Creative Arts. All supplies are provided! Drop in anytime from 6-9 pm to embroider your constellations on site or take a kit home for later.

Feb 6 – Foothills Drifter 6K. 9am. Greenville Municipal Stadium. 840 Mauldin Road. Conestee Park. Free. Trail Run to benefit the Conestee Foundation. The Foothills Drifter 6K is the only trail run of its kind in Greenville, SC. A festive atmosphere welcomes both the most advanced and novice runners.

Feb 6 – Meals on Wheels of Greenville will celebrate the 20^th annual Sweetheart Charity Ball at the Hyatt Regency Downtown. Proceeds go toward providing homebound residents with hot, healthy food and a daily check-in. Cost is $150 per guest. 233-6565 or lpatrick@mowgvl.org

Feb 12-15 – Great Backyard Bird Count. The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that occurs across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy – and it helps the birds. In 2015, Great Backyard Bird Count had participants in over 100 countries. The 5,090 species reported represents nearly half the possible bird species in the world! See top 10 lists and other 2015 results.

The use of trade names or advertisements in this publication does not constitute endorsement or discrimination by the North Main Community Association.

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