Must read! The fire of 1957

Thank you so much Dick Lodge for letting me share with  that story on the BLOG!!

"

My family moved into 16 Ridgeline in December 1949. I was 8 years old my sister had not yet been born. Warson Woods at the time went from Manchester Road to North Drive and from Ridgeline to Andrew. Everything between Andrew and Woodlawn was woods, except for Bennett, which was a gravel road leading to some greenhouses and a stable. Everything between North Drive and Warson Road was also woods. I was in the third grade and Hudson was 4-6 that year, so I had to go to Schall in Rock Hill. The following year, I started Hudson. In 1960 my grandparents died and my great-grandmother came to live with us, so my dad built the house at 847 Rampart. They lived in that house until 1980. " Dick Lodge

Board of Aldermen meeting minutes - Courtesy of Pat Flood

Thanks again Pat for providing us with this detailed report:

Warson Woods Board of Aldermen met March 11, 2014. The meeting was moved from March 18, 2014.  Approximately 30 residents appeared.    The next scheduled Board meeting is April 15, 2014 but please check the website for any changes.

St. Matthews Property Project:  The Board reported on the Consultant’s progress and many citizens spoke regarding their views on the project. All spoke against the condo idea.  The mayor indicated that the idea still had support in the community.    A complete report of this topic can be found on line and in the hard copy of this week’s Webster Kirkwood Times.   http://www.websterkirkwoodtimes.com/Articles-Warson-Woods-i-2014-03-14-191807.114137-Neighbors-Oppose-Condos-On-Church-Site.html#axzz2vlIISGP3

Please note that the Mayor said that updates on meetings with citizens regarding this matter would be posted on the new website.

Snow removal:  A citizen spoke about her lack of satisfaction with the snow removal this year. The mayor said he had received many complaints about this and it would be considered when the contract comes up for renewal.

Maintenance of the St. Matts property  A citizen requested that either the City or the Church pick up the leaves and keep the grass cut on the property so  the green space can be used.

The new website:   The new Warson Woods  website is going to go live March 17 and should be much more user friendly.

Renewable Energy Systems:   A vote was taken on a new ordinance regarding renewable energy technology on houses.   A citizen spoke regarding this and voiced her concern that the Board may not have given this matter enough consideration

The City attorney reported that he would hopefully have some report on a possible ordinance regarding the parking of commercial vehicles on the streets for the next meeting although he said he would not have a proposed ordinance.

Update on the WW Board of Aldermen Meeting last night

Me:

Could you give me a digest of the meeting last night I would like to post it on the Blog to reach out to more people. Tx Linda

Linda Schweigert

About 20 people showed up. Probably 12 of those are my neighbors on Flanders. Biggest concern is traffic. I met with the planner on Friday. He thinks there will be entrances on both Bennett and Flanders. 2) Increased parking on the streets by guests of the Condos and Rohan Woods people. 3)What kind of materials will be used in constructing the Condos. Will they look good and fit into a single family neighborhood?4) Loss of the only green space left in WW. 5) The Board thinks there are WW older people will buy these Condos to stay in the neighborhood if they can no longer care for their larger home.

Me:

Thanks, can I mention your name?

Linda:

Sure !

Linda:

I am also worried about the construction traffic and noise. They are guessing but think this could take well over a year.

+ Melissa Fox posted this on Facebook this am:

Hello! I attended the meeting last night but had to leave early because I has my little one with me. I still have five questions.

1) what are the three phases of the gathering information plan with the consultant?

2) What is the timeline for the three phases?

3) Does the consultant warson woods hired have any financial gain to be made if the results come out one way or another?

4) Does the $8,000+ we paid to the consultant include a traffic survey?

5) We the residents be able to read the final report from the consultant? 

I will call Judy today to ask her these questions. From what I could gather, we paid a lot of money for a consultant to hold 14 interviews and 2/3 in home meetings, and the write a report. I'm hoping the money includes more than that.

Warson Woods Board of Aldermen Monthly Meeting

Courtesy of Pat Flood.

Warson Woods Board of Aldermen had their monthly meeting Feb. 18, 2014. Just a few notes:

1.        The plans for the now vacant St. Matthew’s Church property. Warson Woods purchased the adjacent lot two years ago.   The mayor stated that the purpose at the time was to retain the lot as green space as the Church had intended to sell it to a developer.  He said that the green space idea was not meant to be permanent and the City and the Church are now proceeding with plans to possibly develop the area.  Residents spoke in opposition to the condo development idea discussed at prior meetings and mentioned in a newspaper article. The mayor said the condo idea had a lot of support.  Residents stated their belief that Warson Woods should remain a single family dwelling community; that property values would be reduced if the condos were built; that traffic would increase drastically and that children would be put in danger because of that. Speakers also suggested that the City should consider developing single family houses; retain the green space; or use the Church building for a City Hall or multi-purpose building. 

The Board was also asked if citizens should get petitions signed. The Mayor said that the Consultant is now speaking with six citizens to get their ideas and he, the Consultant, should be allowed to do his job.   The groups will get larger as the project progresses.  When asked why larger meetings were not being held now the Mayor said that it made no sense for a large number of people to be consulted at this time.

Communication was the biggest complaint with many residents near the Church property saying that they felt they were not receiving the information they should.  It was discussed that a meeting had been held with the Consultant and when asked if there was any reason why the Aldermen from the Ward where the property is located were not invited they were told there was no reason.

2.        Lighting at Andrew and Manchester. The lights on the entrance way should be on soon.

3.         The Bread Company will be moving from its current location in Greentree to the Schnuck's parking lot.  Concerns were raised with Kirkwood about increased traffic on Woodlawn due to one of the Manchester entrances being closed off for the store.

4.        A new website is being developed by one of our police officers who has expertise in this area.  A demonstration was given. This will aid the communication issue including hopefully posting meeting agendas with hyperlinks to proposed ordinances and other documents so they can be reviewed by Citizens without having to attend the meetings or in preparation for comments at the meetings.

5.       The City Attorney reported that proposed ordinances regarding the parking of commercial vehicles on the streets and the installation of solar energy technology on homes are being prepared.

Next Board Meeting: Mach 18, 2014 7 p.m.

Rainscape Rebate Program Application Extended to March 21!

The Deer Creek Watershed Alliance has a rainscaping rebate program available right now and Warson Woods homeowners are eligible.

If you've ever thought of making your home more sustainable in terms of water by adding a rain garden, landscaping, or through rainwater harvesting, check out some of the elements of the program and apply by March 21 to get a rebate of up to $2,000 (up to 75% of project costs). The deadline was Feb 12, but they extended it to this week.

Details here!

Here are some of the things that are included:

Adventure Walk in Warson Woods

This past Sunday, the weather was relatively nice (compared to bone-chilling freezing cold), so the kids and I went on an Adventure Walk to see what we could find around the neighborhood.

Ever since I read this Slate article about how parenting looks different in a variety of cultures this past April, I've thought a lot about the positive impact that a daily walk has on kids. I loved this quote from the article in particular:

"Meanwhile in Spain, everyone—experts, doctors, mothers—stressed the importance of a stimulating
daily walk [for children's development]: You see the people in your neighborhood. Objects aren’t stimulating. People are stimulating."

It rang true to me in April, especially in this neighborhood where everyone is out walking and you really will run into people you know as you stroll, and I've thought about that quote several times since then. We still aren't doing walks daily, but we do them as often as we can. And when it's been a really good day and we feel relaxed (you fellow parents know how good those days feel when they happen!), we call it an "Adventure Walk" and my five year old son gets to lead us.

In addition to seeing half of the neighborhood out on a walk during our Adventure Walk, we also experienced the following:

• The secret passage sidewalk behind Rohan Woods. This is probably one of the neatest things about the neighborhood. We need more of them! It is great for stimulating the kids' imaginations!
• We heard the church bells nearby play the entire song "Let There Be Peace On Earth." I think the church must have been excited about the weather, too.
• A woman doing hill workouts at the park by the pool while her kids played - what a smart use of time!
• The sun peeking through the tree line that runs just north of Warson Woods Road. You can see it from intersection at Renderer and Warson Woods Road if you look Southeast.
• Lots of happy smiles from all of the kids we saw. They love being outside and we can't wait for Spring weather (and the pool to open!)

Photo from Warson Woods Park Playground

Favorite Nearby Spots: The Daily Bread

If you haven't ventured west on Manchester to the Daily Bread in Des Peres, add it to your must-see list for this month! This casual restaurant has out-of-this-world breakfast sandwiches, lots of comfy seating, and a cookie case that will make your kids' day!

Other favorite menu items are the Mountain Cookie, the Ginger-Peach Iced Tea and the perfectly-made lunch salads. The Daily Bread takes the casual breakfast/lunch cafe to the next level...

This is a wonderful spot...and I am so glad it is right down the street! I'll see you there soon!

Happy 2014 Warson Woods Neighbors!

"(Nearly) Flawless Food": J Greene's Reviewed by the Riverfront Times

The Riverfront Times recently reviewed the Warson Woods neighborhood pub, J Greene's, and the review was very favorable! Read the full review on the RFT's website.

I'll be trying the pork osso bucco the next time I am there!

Book Fair and Family BBQ at Ste. Genevieve du Bois School

Great turn out all day at Ste. Gen!

Stunning face painting by Veronica Garcia - Mission Strokes Face Painting

Amazing decorations and fantastic set-up done by Sarah Windfield and the P.T.O Gang

Harry worked all night making Lemonade for the guests

Over 400 meals served by Winfield Smokehouse Catering

My Charlotte looks scary!!