Grove Place Association
January 25, 2015
Meeting Minutes
Attendance: 39 Members, 1 Guest
Suzanne opened the meeting.
Treasurer’s Report: Rick McGrath gave the following report to the membership:
Balance Forward: $6,858.16
Deposits: 4 Individual Memberships $ 120.00
1 Business Membership $ 35.00
6 Cookbook Sales $ 120.00
TOTAL $7,133.16
Expenses: Musicians for Holiday Party $ 375.00
TOTAL $ 375.00
Current Balance: $6,758.16
Meeting Minutes Approval: A motion to approve the corrected minutes of the meeting of November 23, 2014 was made and seconded. Minutes are posted on the Association website: http://www.groveplace.org
Security Update: Dennis Wright reported:
· There is a new police coverage structure in the City with the creation of an additional (5th) section of the regional Service Centers. There is an increase in police patrols from the current 22 to 37, providing more coverage. Captain Leach of the RPD feels the new structure will be much better for Rochester neighborhoods. By March 30 all sections will be in place. Police officers will be housed at the Sibley Building. The Mounted Patrol will continue. The Red Shirts will end in June (2015). If members of the GPA want them to continue, we must advocate and be proactive.
· Regarding the new Transit Center, it is warm and attractive to loitering; we will see an increased police presence there since there has recently been violent incidents at the Center.
· “Tent City” has been moved. People who remain there want to be there. NYSDOT owns the land that the homeless men & women live on and therefore the City and the RPD do not have jurisdiction to evict anyone from the site, only NY State can.
Book Club Report: Jim Martin announced that the next Book Club meeting is on Tuesday, February 10th, at the home of Bob & Pam DiPaola, 65 Windsor St. The book to be discussed is Euphoria by Lily King.
Guest Speaker: Chris Pape, partner in C & P Equities, owner of the two buildings that comprised the former Monroe Litho and Northside Furniture. Mr. Pape spoke to the group about development plans for the buildings. Mr. Pape bought Monroe Litho in 2001. The property is environmentally clean, despite it having use as a printing company. The property will be developed in three phases: the first phase will be building climate-controlled storage facilities; the second phase will be a large 2nd floor office space; and the third phase will be the development of market-rate apartments with 4 penthouses & underground parking.
Development Committee/Real Estate: Jim Martin reported that:
· The city will be choosing the project for Charlotte St. in the next 2-3 weeks. Three proposals were submitted, the parties involved have been interviewed and we can expect a selection soon.
· 135 University Ave. staff (Focus Pregnancy Center) have been good stewards of the property.
· 146 University (former Blessed Thistle Bakery) has multiple code violations that have been brought to the attention of James Demp of the City. Mr. Demp has reported that he is having difficulty reaching the property’s owner.
· The Heisel property will be closing in mid-February
· A neighborhood walk-around was conducted and several neighborhood properties were visited. The Vitbergs have installed a fence around the trash cans which has improved the street view of 28-30 Windsor.
· The Downstairs Cabaret Theatre was awarded grant money to fix the building’s façade in the past and a thorough search of city records should be conducted to find and award the grant to the DCT
· Property owned by Mark Siwiec on Windsor St. has several violations; Jim would like a group of members to meet to determine how to handle the infractions with the goal of getting repairs
· The McQuay property on Gibbs St. is owned by Woodlark Properties. Madison Barracks is the new maintenance company trying to address over 100 code violations.
· Steve Whitman announced that Dr. Zimber, owner of Midtown Veterinary Hospital wanted to rehab and upgrade the property. However when he went before the Preservation Board or some preliminary Board –it wasn’t clear who he actually went to - with his proposal, the proposed changes were denied because it is an “Art Deco” building. Steve told Dr. Zimber that if he wants to try again we might be able to offer support.
· Craig Jensen continues to research the shutters needed for the small building on Gibbs St.
Quadrant Report:
· There is work being done on revising the codes for property maintenance to bring the fines more in line with today’s economy.
· There will be two committees forming: one will be a neighborhood committee focused on how to encourage youth; one will focus on poverty and how we can help.
· Other neighborhoods have an interest in GPA’s beautification efforts. They would like to know how we manage the flowers that we have throughout our neighborhood.
Business Outreach Report: Steve Whitman explained that although students are welcome to ‘jam’ at Press Coffee, they receive no remuneration for these sessions other than voluntary tips left by patrons. An idea was put forth to have a ‘music night’ at the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre (DCT) where student musicians can perform and GPA members could attend via purchasing tickets. It would be a paid performance for the student musicians. There was enthusiasm and support from the membership over this idea. Side benefits include having students gain experience with the business side of music (such as marketing) and perhaps students might be able to make connections with artists from out of town. Steve met with Chris Kowalski of DCT who is supportive of the idea. Both of them will meet with Dean Rossi of the Eastman School to discuss how a production might be part of the music curricula.
School #58:
· The owner of Asian Fusion has graciously offered to have neighbors of #58 School park in his lot when they are volunteering at the school.
· In the upcoming week, students will be coming to the school in smaller groups to see the renovated school and participate in a truncated schedule to experience their new school.
· The principal, Sheela Webster, will be scheduling an evening Open House in February for parents of students who will attend World of Inquiry next school year and she will make this opportunity open to GPA members as well, so interested individuals can see the renovated school.
· Movers will be transferring the furniture, etc. from Franklin to the renovated school during the week of Feb. 16-20; students will begin attending the school on Feb. 23rd.
Downstairs Cabaret Theatre/School #58 Parking Lot: Jack Eisenberg reported that he and Suzanne met with representatives from the City to learn about the proposed lease of the DCT parking lot for School #58 parking. This meeting took place one day prior to the School Board approving the lease. The lease has been secured by the Rochester City School District (via the City of Rochester). The contract is for 100-110 cars; the initial contract is for one and one-half years (1 ½ years) with automatic renewals to 2018. Therefore the contract term is three and one-half years (3 ½ yrs.). The positives of this arrangement are the financial boost to the DCT and the temporary solution to the parking dilemma for School #58. A con is that it could be an inhibitor to the development of the Scio/Main area. Parking will involve tags. The City of Rochester has the right of first refusal on any purchase offers made on the property. A member asked if there will be additional security/lights.
Chris Kowalski of the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre addressed the group and pointed out that the DCT was not invited to the meeting with City Representatives. He informed that improvements such as lines on the gravel lot have been installed and a top railing will be added to the fence. There will be pedestrian walkways and a hole has recently been dug to add lights and cameras to the lot. Future improvements, if made, will be paid by the school district. DCT patrons will have access to the lot at all times. The parking lot will also be available for other events, such as the RPO, at a fee. A question was raised regarding the influx of financing assisting with the façade repair of the DCT. Mr. Kowalski replied that they would love to have the building façade repaired but this influx of money will not be used for that purpose. There were questions about the façade’s condition and repair based on the fact that the building is in the Preservation District.
Bob DiPaola gave a summary of the RCSD’s failed attempts to arrange for other areas to be used as parking for the school. He stated that he is concerned with the future of the DCT’s land after the RCSD/DCT’s lease runs out. He advocated against the City’s purchase of the lot for the School District’s use as parking on a permanent basis. Doing so eliminates the possibility of that parcel being developed as the City’s Master Plan indicates.
Announcement: The By-Laws document that Suzanne Mayer emailed to members was not the most up-to-date edition. Suzanne needs help with screening the various versions to determine which are most recent. Please contact her if interested in this project.
Handouts from this Meeting:
· Downstairs Cabaret Theatre flyer on upcoming events with schedule
· Downstairs Cabaret Theatre flyer on productions “Baby Boom Baby”, “Mark Salem Mind Over Rochester”, “Riding the Midnight Express with Billy Hayes”, and “Matty: An Evening with Christy Mathewson”
· The Community Design Center of Rochester’s 2015 10th Annual Lecture Series: “reSHAPING ROCHESTER: Connecting Spaces/Connecting Places”
Respectfully Submitted,
Pam DiPaola
Secretary
January 25, 2015
Meeting Minutes
Attendance: 39 Members, 1 Guest
Suzanne opened the meeting.
Treasurer’s Report: Rick McGrath gave the following report to the membership:
Balance Forward: $6,858.16
Deposits: 4 Individual Memberships $ 120.00
1 Business Membership $ 35.00
6 Cookbook Sales $ 120.00
TOTAL $7,133.16
Expenses: Musicians for Holiday Party $ 375.00
TOTAL $ 375.00
Current Balance: $6,758.16
Meeting Minutes Approval: A motion to approve the corrected minutes of the meeting of November 23, 2014 was made and seconded. Minutes are posted on the Association website: http://www.groveplace.org
Security Update: Dennis Wright reported:
· There is a new police coverage structure in the City with the creation of an additional (5th) section of the regional Service Centers. There is an increase in police patrols from the current 22 to 37, providing more coverage. Captain Leach of the RPD feels the new structure will be much better for Rochester neighborhoods. By March 30 all sections will be in place. Police officers will be housed at the Sibley Building. The Mounted Patrol will continue. The Red Shirts will end in June (2015). If members of the GPA want them to continue, we must advocate and be proactive.
· Regarding the new Transit Center, it is warm and attractive to loitering; we will see an increased police presence there since there has recently been violent incidents at the Center.
· “Tent City” has been moved. People who remain there want to be there. NYSDOT owns the land that the homeless men & women live on and therefore the City and the RPD do not have jurisdiction to evict anyone from the site, only NY State can.
Book Club Report: Jim Martin announced that the next Book Club meeting is on Tuesday, February 10th, at the home of Bob & Pam DiPaola, 65 Windsor St. The book to be discussed is Euphoria by Lily King.
Guest Speaker: Chris Pape, partner in C & P Equities, owner of the two buildings that comprised the former Monroe Litho and Northside Furniture. Mr. Pape spoke to the group about development plans for the buildings. Mr. Pape bought Monroe Litho in 2001. The property is environmentally clean, despite it having use as a printing company. The property will be developed in three phases: the first phase will be building climate-controlled storage facilities; the second phase will be a large 2nd floor office space; and the third phase will be the development of market-rate apartments with 4 penthouses & underground parking.
Development Committee/Real Estate: Jim Martin reported that:
· The city will be choosing the project for Charlotte St. in the next 2-3 weeks. Three proposals were submitted, the parties involved have been interviewed and we can expect a selection soon.
· 135 University Ave. staff (Focus Pregnancy Center) have been good stewards of the property.
· 146 University (former Blessed Thistle Bakery) has multiple code violations that have been brought to the attention of James Demp of the City. Mr. Demp has reported that he is having difficulty reaching the property’s owner.
· The Heisel property will be closing in mid-February
· A neighborhood walk-around was conducted and several neighborhood properties were visited. The Vitbergs have installed a fence around the trash cans which has improved the street view of 28-30 Windsor.
· The Downstairs Cabaret Theatre was awarded grant money to fix the building’s façade in the past and a thorough search of city records should be conducted to find and award the grant to the DCT
· Property owned by Mark Siwiec on Windsor St. has several violations; Jim would like a group of members to meet to determine how to handle the infractions with the goal of getting repairs
· The McQuay property on Gibbs St. is owned by Woodlark Properties. Madison Barracks is the new maintenance company trying to address over 100 code violations.
· Steve Whitman announced that Dr. Zimber, owner of Midtown Veterinary Hospital wanted to rehab and upgrade the property. However when he went before the Preservation Board or some preliminary Board –it wasn’t clear who he actually went to - with his proposal, the proposed changes were denied because it is an “Art Deco” building. Steve told Dr. Zimber that if he wants to try again we might be able to offer support.
· Craig Jensen continues to research the shutters needed for the small building on Gibbs St.
Quadrant Report:
· There is work being done on revising the codes for property maintenance to bring the fines more in line with today’s economy.
· There will be two committees forming: one will be a neighborhood committee focused on how to encourage youth; one will focus on poverty and how we can help.
· Other neighborhoods have an interest in GPA’s beautification efforts. They would like to know how we manage the flowers that we have throughout our neighborhood.
Business Outreach Report: Steve Whitman explained that although students are welcome to ‘jam’ at Press Coffee, they receive no remuneration for these sessions other than voluntary tips left by patrons. An idea was put forth to have a ‘music night’ at the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre (DCT) where student musicians can perform and GPA members could attend via purchasing tickets. It would be a paid performance for the student musicians. There was enthusiasm and support from the membership over this idea. Side benefits include having students gain experience with the business side of music (such as marketing) and perhaps students might be able to make connections with artists from out of town. Steve met with Chris Kowalski of DCT who is supportive of the idea. Both of them will meet with Dean Rossi of the Eastman School to discuss how a production might be part of the music curricula.
School #58:
· The owner of Asian Fusion has graciously offered to have neighbors of #58 School park in his lot when they are volunteering at the school.
· In the upcoming week, students will be coming to the school in smaller groups to see the renovated school and participate in a truncated schedule to experience their new school.
· The principal, Sheela Webster, will be scheduling an evening Open House in February for parents of students who will attend World of Inquiry next school year and she will make this opportunity open to GPA members as well, so interested individuals can see the renovated school.
· Movers will be transferring the furniture, etc. from Franklin to the renovated school during the week of Feb. 16-20; students will begin attending the school on Feb. 23rd.
Downstairs Cabaret Theatre/School #58 Parking Lot: Jack Eisenberg reported that he and Suzanne met with representatives from the City to learn about the proposed lease of the DCT parking lot for School #58 parking. This meeting took place one day prior to the School Board approving the lease. The lease has been secured by the Rochester City School District (via the City of Rochester). The contract is for 100-110 cars; the initial contract is for one and one-half years (1 ½ years) with automatic renewals to 2018. Therefore the contract term is three and one-half years (3 ½ yrs.). The positives of this arrangement are the financial boost to the DCT and the temporary solution to the parking dilemma for School #58. A con is that it could be an inhibitor to the development of the Scio/Main area. Parking will involve tags. The City of Rochester has the right of first refusal on any purchase offers made on the property. A member asked if there will be additional security/lights.
Chris Kowalski of the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre addressed the group and pointed out that the DCT was not invited to the meeting with City Representatives. He informed that improvements such as lines on the gravel lot have been installed and a top railing will be added to the fence. There will be pedestrian walkways and a hole has recently been dug to add lights and cameras to the lot. Future improvements, if made, will be paid by the school district. DCT patrons will have access to the lot at all times. The parking lot will also be available for other events, such as the RPO, at a fee. A question was raised regarding the influx of financing assisting with the façade repair of the DCT. Mr. Kowalski replied that they would love to have the building façade repaired but this influx of money will not be used for that purpose. There were questions about the façade’s condition and repair based on the fact that the building is in the Preservation District.
Bob DiPaola gave a summary of the RCSD’s failed attempts to arrange for other areas to be used as parking for the school. He stated that he is concerned with the future of the DCT’s land after the RCSD/DCT’s lease runs out. He advocated against the City’s purchase of the lot for the School District’s use as parking on a permanent basis. Doing so eliminates the possibility of that parcel being developed as the City’s Master Plan indicates.
Announcement: The By-Laws document that Suzanne Mayer emailed to members was not the most up-to-date edition. Suzanne needs help with screening the various versions to determine which are most recent. Please contact her if interested in this project.
Handouts from this Meeting:
· Downstairs Cabaret Theatre flyer on upcoming events with schedule
· Downstairs Cabaret Theatre flyer on productions “Baby Boom Baby”, “Mark Salem Mind Over Rochester”, “Riding the Midnight Express with Billy Hayes”, and “Matty: An Evening with Christy Mathewson”
· The Community Design Center of Rochester’s 2015 10th Annual Lecture Series: “reSHAPING ROCHESTER: Connecting Spaces/Connecting Places”
Respectfully Submitted,
Pam DiPaola
Secretary