Elizabeth's pumpkin wall

No matter your politics, you can't deny that the Elizabeth community's pumpkin wall has been a treat for the neighbors during recent years. Most of the photos here are from the 2007 wall, challenged by drought and then rains at carving time.

The photo second from the top is from the 2006 truth wall, which created a bit of political controversy.

Will there be a wall this year? What will it say? Let me know so I can share.

But one word of advice this Halloween: Let's hope all the nearby neighborhoods get a clue this year. Don't add to traffic and gas consumption by swarming Elizabeth and Plaza Midwood (and even Chapel Hill) for Halloween festivities. Let's try to make it work in our own neighborhoods. If we must visit the nearby sites, be mindful of people big and small on foot.

Call for artists

The Arts and Science Council of Mecklenburg County has released a call for artists for up to three $15,000 commissions for local painters to develop murals along the Central Avenue international corridor.

The project focuses on Central Avenue between Briar Creek Road and Eastway Drive, just next to the Merry Oaks neighborhood.

ASC encourages artists of diverse backgrounds – particularly Asian and Latino, reflecting the new immigrant communities – to apply. The application process involves qualifications only – no proposals.

From the prospectus:
"The goal of this project is to provide the corridor with a more colorful and cohesive visual identity....

"Ceramic artist Amy Sanders will continue as the lead artist. She'll have oversight of the artists hired, will coordinate community meetings to involve residents and artists in the project and will work with business owners as appropriate. The suggested locations for the murals are the Asian and Latino businesses near Briar Creek."

Application deadline is Oct. 30. Details: the Arts and Science Council.

Photos: Courtesy of the prospectus provided by the Arts and Science Council, showing a sample mural idea proposed in the UNCC Master Plan. The building is Cafe Central, at the corner of Central Avenue and Arnold Drive.

Finding gas using Twitter

(Edited December 2009: Embedded Twitter box no longer included, because #cltgas tag isn't being used at the moment.)

The box up above is a feed of notes people have posted on Twitter about gas availabilty in Charlotte. Posts with the keyword #cltgas will show up in the box, with a small bit of delay, human intervention and moderation using Google Reader.

It's not instantaneous, and it's not really high-tech. Someone with programming skills could do a better job than me, I'm sure. But it's working somewhat here in Charlotte, and definitely in other places like Atlanta. You can search Twitter at Twitter Search for the tag #atlgas and see an illustration.

What's so cool is that Twitter is easy to use from a cellphone, just the sort of thing you'll have with you while driving your dinosaur around town looking for fuel. And it's an illustration of how we can help each other quickly: Anyone in Charlotte for Hurricane Hugo or an ice storm can attest to the need for immediate information about basics like ice, gas, firewood, open restaurants and hotels. And sometimes, instant messages are the only communication method that works.

So check out Twitter. You might not need it now; in our neighborhood, many of us are lucky or smart enough to not be too dependent on gas. And walking and biking are certainly green alternatives. But live long enough and you will find a time when you need good local information from neighbors; Twitter can help.

Update Monday, Sept. 29: The Charlotte Observer added a link to Twitter Search on Monday for the #cltgas tag, and The Atlanta Constitution had a link up through the weekend for the tag #atlgas. Both used links directly to Twitter Search, so the results were real time. You can go there too for faster updates than you'll see here.

And Scott Dodd wrote about the shortage at Switchboard, a blog for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Meet the other candidates

By now we all know Barack Obama is visiting Charlotte on Sunday, Sept. 21.

If you're into smaller crowds and finding out more about the other candidates, here's a great opportunity:

From noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Levine Museum of the New South, 200 East Seventh St., state and local candidates will be talking and meeting with voters.

From the event's Facebook page:

"Charlotte voters can ask questions of state and local candidates, receive state and local voter guides, register to vote, and gain a better understanding of what it means to participate in their local democracy from candidates themselves.

Several candidates and elected officials confirmed to speak include U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan, N.C. Gubernatorial candidates Pat McCrory and Bev Purdue, N.C. State Representatives Beverly Earle and Robert Pittinger, N.C. State Senator Malcolm Graham, Mecklenburg County Commission candidates Harold Cogdell, Hal Jordan, Dan Ramirez, Jennifer Roberts, and more. Panelists will include Charlotte Observer political video columnist Tonya Jameson and CNN and Fox News political contributor Lenny McAllister (The Hip-Hop Republican).

The event is sponsored by the Charlotte-area Association of Black Journalists, the Charlotte chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Generation Engage and the Levine Museum of the New South."

County could buy homes damaged by floods

April Bethea write in The Charlotte Observer:

"Mecklenburg County could buy up to 50 homes that sustained serious flood damage in the past month under a deal approved unanimously by commissioners on Tuesday.

Under the plan, the county's Storm Water Services department would spend $4 million to buy up to 30 homes, mostly along Briar Creek. Also, Park and Recreation could purchase up to 20 more residences using money from greenway bonds approved last year.

The program would be limited to homes severely damaged in floods on Aug. 27 or Sept. 10, and most prone to future flooding.

Most of the targeted properties lie in the Briar Creek floodplain, and include homes on or near the following east Charlotte streets: Dunlavin Way, Harbinger Court, Dolphin Lane and Shannonhouse Drive.

(snip)

The program is voluntary."

(Note: I'd copy less here, but fear the link to story won't last more than two weeks. I recommend to any readers that they click on the link to read the full story at The Charlotte Observer and continue to visit charlotteobserver.com.)

FEMA flood plain maps

Here's a snippet of the official FEMA floodplain map for Briar Creek next to the Merry Oaks neighborhood.
Now that Hanna has blown through the Carolinas and Ike threatens other areas, it's a good chance to take the long view, study the maps and compare with the reality of how the water rose.
Anybody looking at real estate should check these maps before making purchases. They take a long time to maneuver around in at FEMA's website, but the information is valuable for informed choices.

And a fun update: Owners of the little Puffer sailboat that floated down the creek to the greenway have been located through the neighborhood Google group. Yay!

Whose missing a sailboat?

Briar Creek, swollen from the remnants of Hurricane Faye last week, captured a sailboat.

Then the creek spit it out into the undergrowth near the pedestrian bridge between Arnold Drive and Masonic Avenue next to the Merry Oaks neighborhood.

Workers with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation hauled the boat out of the woods and took it off for safekeeping on Tuesday. They hauled a refrigerator out of the creek earlier.

Is the boat yours? Want it back? Call Susan Donnelly, greenway gardener, at 704.507.8950.

You might need it later this week as Storm Hanna heads up this way.

Briar Creek flooding

Pictures of the flooding of Briar Creek on Aug. 27 here.
This is the Flickr stream tagged with "flood" and "Briar Creek" so you might see some unrelated stuff as you go through the list, but it's a quick way to see photos from several people.

Tax revaluation ruh-roh

It's almost September 2008. A Mecklenburg County tax revaluation, with accompanying bills, is due in January 2009.

Do you know where your neighborhood stands?

Check The Charlotte Observer's comparison of recent home sale prices in 2006 and 2007 to tax values with an interactive map here.

The map above shows Merry Oaks. Red dots indicate home sales that were more than 50% higher than existing property tax values. Orange dots indicate sales that were 30% to 50% higher. Green dots indicate sales 10% to 30% higher.

Of course, prices in your neighborhood could have changed dramatically since 2007. If so, it might be worth your while to gather data on those price changes.

Briar Creek art dedication

Greensboro artist Jim Gallucci joined with neighbors and local officials Saturday to dedicate his mesh-and-metal sculpture lining the Briar Creek bridge on Central Avenue. Nearby restaurant Dim Sum provided some treats for those who attended, and La Onda Tropical provided shade and a gathering spot near the bridge.
Read more and see one view of the art here.

Dedicating the Briar Creek Bridge art

From the Merry Oaks Google group mailbag:

Residents of Merry Oaks, Plaza Midwood, Commonwealth, Morningside & Briar Creek Neighborhoods are invited to a public art dedication at the Briar Creek Bridge on Central Avenue, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 23. The bridge is near the intersection of Central Avenue and Masonic Drive.

City Council member Patsy Kinsey and artist Jim Gallucci of Greensboro will be there to celebrate the new public artwork for the Briar Creek Bridge. Gallucci worked with neighborhood representatives to design art railings on the newly renovated bridge that reflect the elements of water, plants and the natural stream environment.

Refreshments will be provided.

Questions? Contact Sarah Gay, Associate Vice President of Public Art for the Arts & Science Council, at 704-335-3036.

This public artwork was made possible by the City of Charlotte's 1 percent for Art
Ordinance, and the project was managed by ASC and the Public Art Commission
on behalf of the City.

Central Avenue updates

Check out "The Naked City" for a post about zoning and urban design. You'll have scroll down for the moment to "The Central Avenue Challenge." Direct hyperlinks don't seem to work as The Charlotte Observer blogs prepare for a site redesign.

And also check out CLT Blog for a wrapup of the Central Avenue International Corridor work through the Knight Creative Community Initiative. The post has links worth bookmarking to a new creative community Google group as well as news about Garinger High School's involvement in planning improvements along Central Avenue.

Taming the feral dogs

Rebecca Jones and others in the neighborhood have managed to reunite the mother and pup feral dogs who previously roamed the greenway off Masonic Avenue.

Great story, great happy ending, but it's not over yet. Rebecca's looking for a permanent home for the dogs, and hopes they can stay together. Cate Martin has helped by making phone calls and thinks she might have some help.

But if you know of a special home that could take both dogs, comment here. Mother dog is on heart worm medicine; the pup is scheduled to be treated for heart worm in August. Rebecca's walking the pup with her other dogs in the neighborhood. Say hi if you see them.

Save the date -- MONA turns 10

The Merry Oaks Neighborhood Association turns 10 this year, and the group plans a celebration on Saturday, Oct. 18.

So save the date. Get out and meet your neighbors. Many original group leaders would love to pass on the leadership opportunities to a new generation of neighbors, so think about the possibilities and how you can make a difference.

Act locally.

Charlotte East community meeting

Charlotte East Community Partners meet on Tuesday, July 15th from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Plaza United Methodist Church at 5600 The Plaza.

On the agenda:
Updates on Independendence Boulevard, Eastland Mall, Coventry Woods, the Novant Health project at I-485 and Albemarle Road, the Historic Hezekiah Alexander bed and breakfast at the corner of Shamrock and Sharon Amity and police reports.

Darrell Bonapart, president of the group, says in an email that he's concerned about strengthening media coverage of the area and strengthening ties to the real estate community.
"There has been a tremendous amount of news covering the Independence Blvd construction or destruction, the Eastland Mall site renovation, the dozens of empty big boxes in our area and crime," he said.
"Some of the media coverage is justified, but I feel that in a lot of cases the negativity towards East Charlotte has gone overboard."

Thoughts? Talk with him at the meeting.

Other planned events for the group:
Saturday, July 26: Eastside Community Cookout at the Sheffield Neighborhood Park from 11 am until 2 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 11: The East Charlotte Black Tie Gala, at the Charlotte Museum of History. The event is planned as a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization that counsels abused and neglected children. Details at the July 15 meeting.

Krawl for a cause

Plaza Midwood and nearby neighborhoods party for a cause this weekend. Don't miss it. Details at The Krawl.

Conventry Woodstock on Saturday

The Coventry Woods neighborhood puts on Coventry Woodstock from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Steamer's on Independence Boulevard, with music by the alternative Matthews group Lucky Five and Sacha Barlow, assistant principal violist of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
The event is to raise money for a lawsuit against a developer. Background here.

Free classical music in a beautiful space

Mark your calendars: Maureen Howell gives an organ music concert at the refurbished St. John's Baptist church at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 18.
She'll play Bach, Franck, Howells, Halley and a special piece commissioned for the event, written by Dan Locklair.
If you're awake in time for morning services, music includes Roewer, Rutter, and a special commissioned piece by Paul Halley.
The event marks church renovations and the organ installation. The renovations improved acoustics and added flexibility for music performances, giving musicians and the community another venue option to share beautiful music.
More details on the organ here. The church's website is here.

Unband your trees

From Under the Water Tower comes good timely advice: It's time to unband your trees, in the battle against cankerworms.

The worms crawl in

From the Merry Oaks neighborhood Google group:

Person One:
"I live on Cosby Place; We still have lots of worms in this neighborhood; we banded, then the spraying. Does anyone else still have
this problem???"


Person Two:
"Yes, but not as much as last year...Our street tree leaves are about 1/4
eaten instead of 3/4 eaten."

Person Three:
"Yes. I live in Commonwealth Park - they aren't nearly as bad as last year but I have noticed more and more each day. They are definitely in one of my huge oaks and now that the flowers have dropped off my dogwoods (2 very large dogwoods), I'll be keeping an eye on them too. I'm debating calling Barlett Tree to come spray but I just don't have the $$. I even double banded some of my trees. Stupid worms."

Person Four:
"Canker worms hatch in cycles for about 3 weeks to a month. The city's spray killed the worms that were actively feeding at the time, but since it isn't systemic, it would have washed off in the next rain. I still have my Bug Barrier bands on my trees and added a little Tanglefoot to catch any of the little paratroopers once they started climbing back up (you can still get Tanglefoot from Black Hawk Hardware at Park Road Shopping Center).
"I'm not a big proponent of using chemicals, but if the worms have totally invaded your bushes, a quick spray with Raid yard fogger (for mosquitoes) will drop them in their tracks. I discovered that during the huge invasion a couple of years ago..the worms were annihilating my front bushes and I used the yard fogger..I was able to take out about a thousand of them in under 15 minutes. For trees, Home Depot also sells a solution that you can attach to your hose, but be very careful of overspray, dress appropriately when using it, and watch out for children and pets using the yard for a bit.
"Another option is to get an arborist to inject a systemic treatment directly into each tree's root system. It will make each leaf deadly to the worms when they try to feed, and lasts about a month.
Hope that helps!"

Photo courtesy of Flickr user xxxtoff of Winnipeg, Canada (where the worms live too). Shared under a Creative Commons license.

Getting there - on a bike

Here are a few bicycle route resources, for those close to town who are ready to give up high gas prices in their commutes. Links will join those in the sidebar.
Bike Mentor.
Charlotte Bikes dot org.
Routeslip dot com. Routeslip lists 1,401 bike routes for North Carolina. It lists 749 in South Carolina and 243 in Charlotte.
Thanks to Scott Lundgren for the links. If anyone has other tips on commuting from Merry Oaks on a bike, feel free to share.

Update: The Vyne in pictures

Notes:
1. Photos were shot from Central Avenue and Briar Creek Road on April 12.
2. There are two car outlets, three lanes each. The one pictured comes out on Central Avenue.
3. The photo of two bulldozers has a teeny downtown building just above the horizon between the trees.
4. The largest tree had some leveling around it, reducing the original elevation of the property. Vines grow on that tree, perhaps suitable for the name of the property but not necessarily good for the tree.
5. A couple of willow oaks also remain on the property. They're slow to leaf out, probably because of last year's canker worm damage.

Neighborhoods unite to fight crime

From the Merry Oaks Google group comes word of a Thursday night meeting in Plaza Midwood with police. Edited slightly:

"From: Timothy Griffin

Two armed robberies -- at Fuel Pizza and Snug Harbor -- occurred in the last month here in the Plaza Central area. We need to address this issue with the police department and the city. I am holding a meeting with representatives from the Morningside Neighborhood Association board, Plaza Midwood's board, the merchants, Patsy Kinsey and the Eastway Police Department. We need more police presence in the business area immediately.

I am going to contact the PM Library at Central and Plaza and book the meeting room for an emergency safety meeting with the Police Department at 7pm for Thursday Evening.

Please let me know if you can attend.

Tim Griffin, president
Morningside Neighborhood Association
1508 Morningside Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28205
704-371-3025"

Merry Oaks communications: a quick guide

Here's a quick guide on the various ways that Merry Oaks neighbors talk with each other online. It's for newcomers, old timers and anyone who wants more clarity and transparency on our current ways of communicating. It might be edited over time as I talk with others. Please feel free to share your ideas in comments.

The Google group: The neighborhood association has had a Google group for awhile with a couple of moderators. The discussions are widely read by at least one city council representative and one county commission representative, as well as a law enforcement representative. It's moderated by a couple of different people. You can post pages and documents there as well, though we haven't gone that far with it yet. The Commonwealth Park Neighborhood Association has used their Google group for the posting of files (including police "mugshots" of people working the streets in their neighborhood). This is the most active and quick way to communicate with each other; just remember you're broadcasting to a large audience of elected officials, police and perhaps potential home buyers and real estate folks. I have not seen any ads there; if there were any, the revenue would go to Google.

Neighborhood Link: This is a free long-standing website initially funded by a private company in partnership with Mecklenburg County or the city (I can't remember which, it's been so long). It's part of a network that provides the websites to neighborhood groups. It has excellent reference material about local government, schools and other neighborhood associations, as well as a discussion area and PDF documents of current and old newsletters. Those newsletters include contact information for all the current neighborhood association board members. The site requires a Neighborhood Link signon to participate in discussions. It has no ads. It has ads, and it's unclear where the revenue goes -- not the neighborhood association.

Under Oak blog: That's where you are now. This is a personal blog, run by me, a board member of the neighborhood association. It is not an official vehicle of the neighborhood association. In that respect, it's similar to Under the Water Tower in Elizabeth. That neighborhood has an official website, and that blog is a personal endeavor by a resident of that neighborhood. Under Oak has no ads.

Facebook Neighborhoods application: This is the newest way I know of. Eight people are now members of the Facebook Merry Oaks neighborhood -- for the longest time, I knew of only three. This method seems to have potential for posting event information and meeting new people. It's free, but any ad revenue goes to Facebook.

All these methods might be a bit confusing. My point of view: It's good to have a variety of ways to talk with each other, though we all need to continue to work on being transparent so that people know how to use these ways to communicate well. In addition, I suspect that the folks running these various communication methods would love to have help.

To quote a co-worker recently: "Where there's no logic, there is history." In some cases, these methods evolved because neighbors didn't want to share their email addresses publicly, or wanted to be able to comment anonymously. As tech tools and the neighborhood evolve, I'm sure we can continue to improve.

And of course, there's always a chat along the sidewalk. Sometimes, that's the best way.

Thoughts? Let me (Andria) know at akrewson45c AT mac DOT com.

Comment moderation and legal stuff

Under Oak now has comment moderation turned on. If you leave a comment, I'll need to review it before it's posted online. Apologies for any future delays, but I'll try to be prompt.
Previously, comment moderation was off, so I missed seeing some of your comments until much later. This way, I'll get to see immediately what people are saying, and I'll have a little more protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
Comments have not been a problem in the past, and Merry Oaks is enjoying a peaceful, quiet time of community building with active parent play groups and a lovely spring. However, nearby neighborhoods sometimes share information about battles that might involve lawyers. Community news resources are lucky to have free, online legal references like those available at the Berkman Center from Harvard. I highly recommend that other newsy neighborhood blogs check the information there.
In addition, we have positive, solutions-oriented neighbors and brains in our head, to quote Dr. Seuss. I'm sure he would approve.

Charlotte East meets tonight

Charlotte East Community Partners meets tonight in Citiside.

Edited details directly from an email from President Darrell Bonapart:

This is a reminder of the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 18th at the Citiside Community Clubhouse (6:30pm - 8:00pm) on Plaza Walk Road. The community is located behind the Bi-Lo grocery store shopping center which is at the corner of Eastway Drive and The Plaza Road. Entrance to the community is right next to the Bi-Lo Shopping Center by way of The Plaza Road. You would be turning onto Plaza Walk Rd which dead ends directly to the front door of the Community Clubhouse. Extremely important information will be shared regarding issues affecting our area. If you or your community or business is ready to join the Charlotte East Community Partners, please bring your dues payment with you to the meeting. For individuals, the amount is $10 and it is $25 for Neighborhood Associations and Businesses. We need you all to become financial members to assist us in our efforts to protect our communities and businesses. A report will be provided to financial members at our April meeting. All communities and businesses between Monroe Road and The Plaza Road are with whom we want to establish a partnership.


Agenda is as follows:

Introduction of Communities
Introduction of Political Candidates
Park and Rec Presentation
Independence Blvd Rally Update
Coventry Woods Lawsuit update
Candidate Forums Hosted by CECP and EPAC
Membership Campaign
Tracking Zoning Permits along with issue of Back Zoning to bring properties up to date.
Annual Black Tie Gala
Coalition of Communities Project

Darrell Bonapart
President, Charlotte East Community Partners
704-890-2771 (cell)
dbonapart218@yahoo.com

Car, bus or bicycle?

A picture is worth more than a thousand words.

Related: Can someone please get a "Bike lane ends" sign put up on Central Avenue inbound before the intersection of Central with Merry Oaks Road? I worry a biker is going to get hit where the bike lane abruptly stops.

Coventry Woods does take prisoners

An email from a friend in the Eastside neighborhood of Coventry Woods, which is continuing its zoning battle against the developers of Independence Woods:

"There is talk in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, that the Coventry Woods Neighborhood Association 'does not take prisoners.'
... I can assure you that this is incorrect.
We eat them."

Attached to the email is a copy of a court action filed by the neighborhood association on March 11 against the City of Charlotte, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission and Independence Capital Realty LLC.

The action seeks to "determine the validity of the City of Charlotte's subdivision ordinance appeal process, and the validity of the preliminary plat approval for Independence Woods subdivision."

The action also seeks a declaration that the subdivision ordinance unlawful and that the preliminary plan approval for Independence Woods is invalid. It also seeks a preliminary injunction prohibiting Independence Woods from further construction, and demands a jury trial.

Background:
Here.
And here.

Dasani water? It's from your Charlotte tap

One of the best tidbits out of the Merry Oaks Neighborhood Association meeting Thursday night:

That Dasani water you buy at the store? It's bottled right here, in Charlotte, near the Charlotte-Mecklenburg water treatment plant off Tyvola Road. That's the word from a CMUD presenter who spoke at the meeting.

And while it's no secret that bottled water often comes from the tap, it's still a bit startling to remember.

Curious: Does Dasani filter out the chemical making the chlorine smell that comes from tap water in Charlotte? Or does CMUD provide Dasani water that has fewer chemicals in it?

More on the meeting later.

Merry Oaks meeting and precinct update

The Merry Oaks Neighborhood Association will hold its regular, quarterly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, at Merry Oaks Elementary School.

On the agenda: the ever popular police report and perhaps discussion of making future meetings more social, except when events require coordinated, organized action. Board members are seeking new ideas from residents and many ongoing issues remain: code enforcement, Section 8 housing, nearby development. See the Spring 2008 neighborhood newsletter, linked from Neighborhood Link for more.

Precinct 29 Democrats update: Seven people turned out. Marcus Williams is chair, and Jan Snead is vice chair.

Very local politics

Precinct 29 Democrats plan an organizational meeting Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. at Merry Oaks Elementary.

Recent news about the sheriff's post in Mecklenburg County has highlighted the importance of local party organization. Joining a Facebook group for a presidential candidate is not enough to make a difference in how politics affects people directly.
So show up.

Equal time notice: If any other party plans similar organizational meetings, I'll be glad to post the information.

More information from Jan Snead, posted on the neighborhood Google group:

"We need five officers to form an organization. The group must meet again by March 12th to be considered a valid organization for the county Democratic Party elections in April. Our chairman has resigned, so a new one must be elected, and if we don't organize, we don't get any votes.

"The Mecklenburg County Democratic Convention also chooses delegates to the state convention, who choose the delegates to the national Democratic Party Convention in August.

"So if you ever wanted to know how you can help Democrats to get elected, or how to become more involved on a local level, please come out. We need your support! And if you don't want to be directly involved, but would like to stuff envelopes or call neighbors, we can give you information on who to call and how to start."

Chinese New Year on Central Avenue (or why did the dragon cross the road?)

Traditional Chinese lions and a dragon danced at Dim Sum restaurant at 2920 Central Avenue on Sunday to celebrate Chinese New Year. Performers drew a crowd to the restaurant's parking lot and slowed -- and sometimes stopped -- traffic along Central Avenue. The sound of drums drew people from nearby neighborhoods.
For more information on Chinese New Year, try Wikipedia as a starting point.

The Vyne: Update II in photos

Feb. 3, from Central Avenue (above).


Jan. 19, from Central Avenue (above).

Photos shot Feb. 3 detail continuing work at The Vyne at Central Avenue and Briar Creek Road. I've tried (amateurishly) to match a couple of the February photos with those from the same angles from Jan. 19, with two bonus photos from Feb. 3 at the end. Grading and other site work has continued since that date; that's why the bonus photos at the end are interesting. The old Plummer house sat on a bit of a knoll, as is clear from the Terraserver image in an earlier post. The site is more level now, with some elevation for that skyline view perhaps lost. Still, you can catch a bit of downtown's buildings framed by the dirt mover in the last photo. Big water or sewer pipes are stacked at the site now as well.


Feb. 3, from Briar Creek Road (above).


Jan. 19, from Briar Creek Road (above).


Feb. 3, from Central Avenue (above).


Feb. 3, from Briar Creek Road, with a bit of skyline (above).

Wherever you go, there you are

Lots of stuff here is about local things:
Being here, in this community, at the upper end of Briar Creek, connected to the Catawba River.
As a treat, I'm sharing a link to a naturalist's quiz that can challenge you to be more aware of where you are, right now, and how the things you do affect your place.
Check out Kevin Kelly's quiz here.

Coventry Woods vs. Zoning Board

Zoning update in their own words from the Coventry Woods Neighborhood Association. This is a fairly close-in eastside neighborhood that works together to try to preserve their established neighborhood. The post is long, and edited somewhat, but it's a complicated issue that's important to a small group of people. It's also about trying to save trees.

"After an all morning session Tuesday, Jan. 29, the Zoning Board of Adjustments voted late that afternoon on one of two appeals placed before it by the Coventry Woods Neighborhood Association, and voted to examine the second appeal in the near future.

The ZBA voted 4-to-1 against the CWNA's contention that notification should have been given property owners adjacent to the Independence Woods subdevelopment project.

Independence Woods received preliminary subdivision approval in December 2006; notice of project approval was posted to the City-County's Charmeck web site page close to a month later, long after the 10-day window for appeal had expired.

ZBA member Chet Rabon, an attorney, said the CWNA is in a "classic 'Catch-22' situation" and that the Planning staff's lack of formal notification to the Coventry Woods and Cedars East neighborhoods created a due-process issue -- "a situation fundamentally unfair to Coventry Woods."

The remaining ZBA members said that Zoning Ordinances specify notification of adjacent property owners only in code-specified instances, an argument put forward by the City Attorney's office; or that, simply, the stated 10-day deadline passed.

The remaining appeal before the ZBA concerns the applicability of the tree-save ordinance, which gives a "density bonus" to developers who set aside a percentage of land for saving existing tree canopy.

The East Charlotte tract in question, between Independence Boulevard and Amity Place, adjoining the Coventry Woods and Cedars East neighborhoods, is zoned R-4: It calls for four lots per acre.

Because of the tree-save proviso and other bonuses, the Planning department's subdivision staff gave developer Jerry Rigsby the go-ahead to develop the 15.8 acres with lots that are the equivalent of 10 per acre; plus the OK to build houses with only 6 feet between them. The increase in density from standard R-4 exceeds 20 percent.

Most of the tract has been clear-cut and graded; the long-established tree canopy there has been bulldozed; the net result of the tree-save and other bonuses has been to allow a de facto rezoning bereft of a formal rezoning and the public input a formal rezoning would require.

Through its attorney, Kenneth Davies of Davies & Grist, the CWNA will pursue the appropriateness of the tree-save bonuses given Independence Woods at an upcoming ZBA session.

In the meantime, the CWNA will pursue various appellate options.

....The Mayor and City Council have pledged to focus attention on maintaining and improving life in East Charlotte. Meanwhile, the bottom has fallen out of the sub-prime housing market, and the government, media and public is decrying the proliferation of poor-quality subdivisions.

But the city Planning staff nonetheless is defending its approval of Independence Woods, a low-quality, in-fill project... ."

The Vyne: An update in photos

The Vyne, a complex of 99 flats at the corner of Central Avenue and Briar Creek Road, is becoming reality.
The photos with trees were taken on Jan. 12, from Central Avenue. Photos without so many trees (the top five in this post) were taken on Jan. 20. The top two are from Central Avenue; the following three are from Briar Creek Road.
Elevation map from Terraserver.com
Aerial photo from Google Earth, with the old Plummer house highlighted by a red square.

New pipe organ for Elizabeth

The Elizabeth neighborhood is getting a new pipe organ, made in Quebec.
The parts arrive at St. Johns Baptist Church on Sunday, Jan. 27, and church members will help unload the pieces from a truck and bring them into the sanctuary after the 10:30 a.m. service.

The church, at the corner of Hawthorne Lane and Fifth Street, is providing lunch for helpers. See more pictures of the organ being built here.

Through February and March, the organ, called Opus 113, will be assembled in the renovated sanctuary, and the organ pipes will get their new "voices" with testing. Organ builders will work six days a week, giving a "voice" to each of the more-than 2,500 pipes. It makes its debut in Easter services on March 23.

The organ is from the Sainte-Hyacinthe, Quebec, factory of highly respected Letourneau Organs. (Hint: You really want to click on the company link to see and listen to other organs the company has built.)

Letourneau Organs has built organs for Christ Church in Vienna, Austria, and the chapel at Selwyn College at Cambridge, England. Its new magnum opus is at the Episcopal Church of St. John the Divine in Houston.

Questions? Contact Minister of Music Warren Howell through the church office at (704) 333-5428.
Photo courtesy of Warren and Maureen Howell, taken in summer 2007, showing some of the wooden pipes of the church's organ being crafted at the Sainte-Hyacinthe factory.

Commonwealth Park vs. hotels

Members of the Commonwealth Park Neighborhood Association plan to attend a City Council public hearing on Monday, Jan. 14, to make their case for tighter laws that govern hotels.
The neighborhood is across Central Avenue from Merry Oaks, adjacent to Independence Boulevard. Residents have long been concerned about crime spillover from nearby hotels on Independence.
Monday, Jan. 14 update: Victoria Cherrie of The Charlotte Observer writes about the issue here. (Link will die in two weeks.)
Tuesday, Jan. 15, update: The change in law passed, and about 60 Commonwealth Park residents showed up at the meeting to support the change.

A letter written by the neighborhood association to be sent to the council's safety committee says, in part, "As you are aware, the safety and quality of life in our neighborhood has been adversely impacted by the nuisance hotels on Independence Boulevard for many years."
Proposed ordinance changes would allow city agencies (code enforcement) to regulate lodging establishments that are not currently being regulated by the state, through the county's health department. In a letter to the neighborhood association, Maj. Diego Anselmo of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the changes in the ordinance "will help local law enforcement address criminal activity that is taking place on lodging establishment property by holding the owner/operator accountable for this activity."
The CPNA is seeking a good turnout for the 7:30 p.m. meeting Monday, at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center. Go here for a Google map or directions.
The neighborhood used their Google group to organize much of their efforts against the hotels. For more details, check it out.

Making low-income housing safer

Merry Oaks residents greeted the new year with news of a shooting on Arnold Drive that left one man dead and another charged with murder.
Neither party was a resident of the neighborhood, or of the nearby Hillcrest Apartments where the shooting occurred.

Still, the neighborhood cares: about perception of the neighborhood, about safety and about the family of the victim and about the law-abiding residents of the apartments.
Neighborhood online forum participants are more than tired of the crime in nearby low-income apartments. The regional property manager for Westminster Properties, owners of the Hillcrest Apartments, has responded on the neighborhood Google group, saying recent legislative changes have made it more difficult for providers of low-income housing to control crime by non-residents.

Many questions surface, from a variety of perspectives:
How much money are the owners making from the federal Section 8 housing program? Does that program work when it fills entire complexes with low-income residents and counts on local police to manage the problems? Are there better alternatives to housing low-income people? How can those property owners control non-residential access? How can cities filled with growth and new condos provide low-income housing without concentrating crime and school resegregation? Would increasing incentives for police officers, firefighters and EMT works to live in such complexes help? How can neighbors help?

Charlotte has a history of strong, nonprofit, efficient organizations that make change happen. Perhaps the community can find ways to improve policies and programs to increase safety for low-income housing residents and nearby neighborhoods.

Some resources:
The N.C. Housing Coalition The organization, based in Raleigh, states its mission is to lead a campaign for housing to ensure that working families, people in crisis, seniors, and persons with disabilities may live with dignity and opportunity. Safety is a key part of their efforts.
Housing Charlotte: An initiative to find new solutions to address Charlotte's growing affordable housing problem.


Other references:
Westminster Properties, the owners of Hillcrest. You can get a list of their other Charlotte properties.
Grier Heights Neighborhood Initiative: a pdf document listing community efforts to improve the Grier Heights neighborhood several years back, including the owners of Grier Park Apartments giving the keys to their rental office to the police. I'm unclear whether Westminster owned those apartments at the time. The company owns those apartments now, according to its website.

Text of the note from Bert Wray, regional property manager of Westminster Properties, posted on the Merry Oaks neighborhood Google group:

"Dear Merry Oaks neighbors,

Our new year has unfortunately stepped off with the tragic event that unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday morning. As a representative of the 48 families that reside at Hillcrest Apartments, I, as well as my staff on-site, am just as concerned about the criminal activity that has literally been brought to the front pages over the past months.

As an introduction, as the Regional Property Manager for Westminster Company, I represent the owners of Hillcrest Apartments as part of a nationally accredited property management organization. I oversee the management of seven properties in the Charlotte area. Westminster Company specializes in the management of affordable or subsidized housing. Due to the nature of our mission, security is a major priority for me and my staff. Every resident that enters into a lease with our property has passed a criminal and credit screening, as well as landlord references. We are serious about our stance against drugs and crime and use our contracts that we sign with our residents as our only form of enforcement. Let me emphasize that these steps apply to our lease-signing residents. The violent crimes that have occurred at Hillcrest Apartments in the past months have been at the hands of individuals who do not live in our community. They do, however, visit within the community and have ties to Hillcrest Apartments. It is these “visitors” that are the source of our pain and I have little to no means of screening these individuals or even identifying them.

Our most important ally in our war against crime is the police department. We have an excellent relationship with CMPD and its officers. We have always made proactive strides to improve our security to prevent crime instead of reacting to crime. We have openly expressed our need to ban any non-residents who commit crimes in or around our property. Recent legislation changes have made this process impractical and almost impossible. As the landlord, we must be present with CMPD and the individual to be banned, in order to legally ban them from the property. As we all know, the activity that would lead to these bans almost always occurs outside of business hours when the manager is not on site. In the past, we could enter an agreement with CMPD authorizing any officer to execute a trespass order without our presence. As far as our residents at Hillcrest, everyone who has been arrested for criminal activity, or had direct involvement in such activity has been given a lease termination. However, enforcement of that termination ultimately is in the hands of our magistrates.

Making a long story short, many of our limitations in limiting crime within our community stem from decisions and legislation that are made by municipalities and organizations that like to look at the big picture without zooming in on reality. That reality is that our police force needs the freedom to identify and remove individuals who are known cancers to our community. I have asked representatives of Eastway Division CMPD for a list of apartment managers in the area so we can share information to prevent recycling any poor residents and their guests.

As law abiding citizens and residents, I enlist your help to pressure the powers that be to authorize the necessary power to enable CMPD and landlords to eliminate problems, and potential problems, from our community. Also, understand that we at Hillcrest Apartments have an important yet challenging role to provide affordable housing to families in need as an opportunity to better their lives and positively impact society.

Bert Wray
Regional Property Manager
Westminster Company"

Briar Creek rises

Glorious rain refills Briar Creek at the Merry Oaks Greenway bridge off Arnold Drive after an incredibly dry fall. The top picture is from Dec. 30. The next picture below is from Oct. 28, after rains, but not enough. The bottom picture is from Oct. 21.
Photos courtesy of Lulu the Wonderdog, who belongs to neighbor Chantal, and who was more than happy to take a walk in the rain.
More creek pictures here.





[where: 1900 Arnold Drive, Charlotte, NC 28205]

Eastside neighborhood zoning update

Residents of Coventry Woods and Cedars East received a continuance in their appeal with the Zoning Board of Adjustments until 9 a.m. on Jan. 29.
Background here.

Eastside neighborhood asks for support

Sharing a request from neighbors in Coventry Woods and Cedars East, eastside neighborhoods a little further southeast in a zoning battle. If you take a look at The Observer's foreclosures map, you'll see reasons these neighbors do need help. They're asking for a show of strength at a meeting at 12:30 on Tuesday downtown.


"On the afternoon of Dec. 11, the Zoning Board of Adjustments will hear the appeal of the Coventry Woods Neighborhood Association. We will be arguing against the City Planning staff. Last December, the Planning staff approved a subdivision on an R-4 tract adjoining the Coventry Woods and Cedars East neighborhoods.
It is the same tract the CWNA fought over in the 2003-97 Rezoning case. And we're up against the same developer: Jerry Rigsby, of Independence Capital LLC.
Though the land is zoned R-4 and protected as such by the Eastside Strategies and Eastland Area plans, Rigsby received the approval to devlop the site as R-5 Cluster. The density approved is 23.3 percent greater than R-4 allows; instead of 60 or 63 houses, he plans to build 74 houses on small lots that are the equivalent of 10 per acre. The Subdivision staff approved Rigsby's plan as a by-right development. Neither public notification nor a formal rezoning was required.
We only learned of this Independence Woods development -- between Amity Place and the back of Town & Country Ford -- this summer. He has since cleared the site.
The CWNA has met repeatedly with the Planning staff; they insist their decision was correct.
We beg to differ. Most assuredly.
We filed an appeal with the quasi-judicial Zoning Board of Adjustments, which will hear our appeal the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 11. We have flyered the Coventry Woods, Cedars East and Candlewood Condos communities: A strong turnout is crucial. The ZBA needs to know how wrong this project is.
We are asking for members of other East Side organizations to attend, as well. Will you help us by getting word to your board and your membership?
Your attendance is a show of support we greatly appreciate.
Also, our appeal can be viewed as a test case for how the serious the city is about protection, preservation and revitalization of East Charlotte. Our elected officials and the Economic Development staff tell us that East Charlotte is high on their agenda. Ultimately, the Planning staff will help us -- or sink us.
Here are the details on the hearing. We hope to see you there with us!
-- Board of Directors, CWNA


WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 11, afternoon session of the ZBA. (The session begins at
12:30, there are two cases before ours; please come when you can.)
WHERE: 8th Floor of the Government Building, at 600 E. Fourth St. (at
Davidson St., uptown).
PARKING: Park in the City-County deck on Davidson, between 3rdand 4th.
Details, comments, advice? E-mail info@coventrywoods.org

A web of trails for 15 counties

Dave Cable, executive director of the Catawba Lands Conservancy, will talk about plans for the Carolina Threads Trail at the Civic By Design Forum at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 11, at the Levine Museum of the New South.
The trail looks more like a network or web -- see a potential map.
It is planned to be a regional trail network that will eventually reach 15 counties and link cities, towns, and attractions.
Dan Huntley, long-time columnist for The York Observer, writes about the trail plans here. (The link might not exist forever).
The Levine Museum of the New South is at 200 East Seventh Street. There's
free parking at the Seventh Street garage.

Merry Oaks update tidbits

Deer
They're here, late and early on our neighborhood streets and back yards. Be careful driving after dark, for your sake and the deer. Nancy Pierce spotted one on Flynnwood Drive on a recent evening. They've also been seen in the greenway.

Outside.In
The place-blogging organized aggregator has interesting news and ideas here.

Local business recommendations
Good recent car care recommendations at the Merry Oaks Google Group at the Merry Oaks Google Group.

Merry Oaks events
You don't have to sign up or log in to see events at Neighborhood Link. If you'd like to add an event, you do have to sign in or sign up.
It's here.

Keeping track of neighborhood events

Merry Oaks is definitely cool. A neighbor posted to the Google Group about several recent events involving artists in the neighborhood, and another neighbor responded by asking about calendar tools to keep track of all the cool stuff people are doing.

As online tools continue to improve, friends and neighbors struggle to keep up with the technology and choose the right tool. Newspapers and other media are in the same boat.

No matter the technology, the truth is the biggest hurdle is the inputting of data, just like keeping your own calendar at home.

Artists want to create and perform, not promote. And some like to live quietly in the neighborhood under the radar. And while we all like to keep up with political and community events nearby, as 2008 approaches, we don't just want inbox politician spam.

But sometimes you're just proud of your neighbors and want to share. And sometimes you want help from others to keep track of all the great stuff people are doing.

To reach everyone, we ought to use several tools in these days of fragmentation. And sometimes, word of mouth on a sidewalk or a low-tech flyer posted at Dish still work best. Or sometimes, forming partnerships with nearby neighborhoods like Commonwealth Park and Elizabeth and Noda would make sense. Or maybe we should use all those methods.

Some possible tools:
Facebook. Two "applications" would work: Events and the neighborhood page. (Yes, we have one. Laura Paynter, Marcus Williams and I are there so far). It's not just for teens and college students anymore.
Google calendar. I don't know much about this yet, and I wonder how it integrates with Google Groups. We need a neighborhood expert to explore.
Yahoo events. Also something I don't know much about yet.
Blogs linked to outside.in. Makes an automatic feed of news and blog postings geographically. The real estate blog Hip Hoods feeds to this, and it has stayed remarkably up to date over time because it's someone's actual job instead of a volunteer activity.

Have ideas? We can evolve faster if we share.

Free woodwinds classic concert

Music for Woodwinds in a New Space

Sunday, November 18, 7:30 pm, in the newly renovated sanctuary at St. John's Baptist Church on Hawthorne Lane.
Andrew Howell, Daniel Clark and friends, accompanied by Maureen Howell, will perform a variety of solos, duets, and quintets, from the chamber music of Telemann, Mendelssohn, Strauss, Saint-Saens, Ibert and others.
(Refreshments to follow.)

Pumpkin wall time in Elizabeth

A flyer in Plaza Midwood stated that pumpking carving begins tonight for the traditional Elizabeth pumpkin wall. Ask around for location, or visit one of the fine nearby Plaza Midwood restaurants and look for the flyer for details.

Mayor candidates talk with Eastside residents

The Charlotte Observer covered the forum Tuesday night for political candidates with Eastside residents. You can read the full story here (at least for a couple of weeks).

One highlight for mayoral candidates:

If you become mayor for the next two years, what will be the one clear sign that you have delivered what you promise for east Charlotte?

Pat McCrory: He said his focus is on transportation and public safety, seeking solutions to gang problems that are an issue in east Charlotte. He said he will continue to work for more sidewalks and other amenities to lure economic development. "There is tremendous potential for growth," he said.

Beverly Earle: "If I'm elected the mayor of Charlotte, part of my goal will be to provide a great quality of life for all citizens of Charlotte," she said. "I believe in locking people up who commit crimes." Poking the podium, Earle asked how serious McCrory could be about fighting crime when he vetoed a budget that supported 70 new police positions.

Merry Oaks meeting, then a potluck

The general fall meeting for the Merry Oaks Neighborhood Association is at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at Merry Oaks Elementary School. Topics will include the regular police report, tree banding, and area development.

Two days later, the annual potlock/social party follows at 6 p.m. Saturday at Cate's house, 2301 Arnold Drive, in the back yard. Bring a portable chair if you have one. If your house number ends in an even number, bring an hors d'oeuvres or side dish; if an odd number, bring a dessert. Someone will be grilling: if you prefer veggie burgers, feel free to bring your own for the grill.

It's a busy time of the year, but the party is a great time to meet diverse neighbors. If you have other commitments, feel free to just drop in briefly and say hi. We have lots of new neighbors, and it's a great way to strengthen community ties.

The party is a fine time for political candidates to visit informally with local voters as well; some might show up.

Development update: a map

This map shows residential and mixed-use projects for our part of town in purple. The map goes from the construction on Hawthorne Lane at Independence on the left, to the planned condos at Briar Creek and Independence at the lower right.

Amazing work by a person who goes by the name of Dubone, at Urban Planet. To see more of Dubone's maps from all over Charlotte, showing a boom town from the sky, go to the Charlotte forum of Urban Planet and look for the "Maps of active projects in Central Charlotte" posting.

Some rumors, and I stress rumors, from the Urban Planet forums: Harris Teeter at Central and the Plaza might move to the old Family Dollar site on Central, either to get more space or to relocate during refurbishing of the old store site. And Thomas Street Tavern's lease is soon up, and they'll be relocating to free up the space for condos. Most responders to this rumor thought it was highly unlikely.

If you hear anything further about the Teeter, please pass it on.

Sunday, Sept. 16, is Mexican Independence Day

A co-worker clued me in that Sunday, Sept. 16, is Mexican Independence Day, or Grito de Dolores.

She grew up in Brownsville, Texas, and said her mother wouldn't let the children out on the streets that day because many people celebrated by shooting off their guns, not unlike the way some people in Gaston County celebrate New Year's Eve.

So watch for fireworks on Sunday. And find good ways to celebrate with Merry Oaks neighbors. Another co-worker suggests these ideas:
"Go eat at a fine Mexican dining establishment. ... I recommend Maria Bonita on Rea Road and the Azteca on Independence in Matthews. Have a few margaritas! Or venture onto Sharon Amity and Central and grab a few tacos. Or tune in to Univision (Ch. 63) on Saturday night to watch the fireworks from Mexico City."

If you want to connect more with our neighbors or work on your Spanish, check out that co-worker's shared blog, Enterese.

(Personal note: Apologies for lack of postings. Life intruded. If you're a Merry Oaks resident who would like to help keep neighbors up to date with news beyond basic Google Group messages, let me know by posting a comment).

Drought hits Briar Creek

Algae and icky ooze clog what little flow remains in Briar Creek near Merry Oaks on Aug. 18.
It's unclear whether the lowness and slowness of the creek are just from the drought. It's possible Charlotte Country Club is using creek water for irrigation; the club built a retaining pond after another recent dry summer, and it's working on renovations for a future event.
Are there any rules or laws about how much water private enterprises can take from public waters? Should there be?

Redevelopment at 1401 Central Avenue

People at Urban Planet are talking about redevelopment plans at 1401 Central Avenue, where The White Rabbit and the gay community center are now.
Site plans call for a travel shop, a hobbies shop, an art studio, and a place called The Blue Goose. In addition, plans call for a coffee shop -- some say Starbucks -- with a rooftop deck for skyline views.
Sources: Urban Planet forums, Providence Group website

Tuscan development and The Vyne

Background and opinions are flying about the planned Tuscan development, Duo at CBC, at the Merry Oaks Google group. The development has gone back to the drawing board because the city wants an extension of Briar Creek Road through the property, according to Tom Poston, Merry Oaks Neighborhood Association president.
Try Urban Planet forums as well if you're seeking details about other nearby developments. Posters there are discussing The Vyne, also at Central Avenue and Briar Creek, and how it has billed itself as a gated community.
The quote from The Vyne's website, under "Specifications":
--social space for gathering on the hilltop.
--Opportunities for unstructured play and other activities like picnicking, sunbathing and reading.
--South of The Lawn are lushly planted gardens with plants of a human scale that provide seasonal interest.
--The perimeter edge is softened with hedgerows informally planted with redbuds and dogwoods within a field of wildflowers.