VD-McKee

Karen House Catholic Worker

	Home About Karen House About the Catholic Worker The Roundtable Get Involved Directions Resources Support Karen House Links		Our Writings Check out these writings from different Karen House community members. Other Writings McKee’s TIF Proposal in our Neighborhood Virginia Druhe September 23, 2009 I have been a resident of Mr. McKee’s proposed Northside Regeneration area for 32 years. I am fully opposed to this massive style of “redevelopment” that is imposed from above by people who have no lived connection to the area. Mr. McKee and city officials may mean well, but this is the attitude that has created the problem, not one that can fix it.

	Karen House: 1840 Hogan St. St. Louis, MO 63106 314.621.4052		The major problem in our neighborhood for 25 years has been the general refusal of the city to allow access to land for development to area residents or smaller scale projects. Fortunately, we do have two successful examples of appropriate development in our area. Judy Wolfram has successfully developed about 10 blocks of residences around my home; and Old North St. Louis is successfully carrying out a neighborhood wide development that respects and builds on the resources and people in the area rather than describing them as “a menace to public health, safety, morals and welfare.”
			I have looked at the specifics of the plan only for the few blocks around my home. The data presented are so inaccurate that I have to question the good faith of the document overall.
			• The streets near me are rated in poor and fair condition. This is simply ridiculous. Madison, one of the through streets, was resurfaced within the last year. All of the streets were resurfaced as the new housing was built over the last 5 years. There is not a break or pothole in the pavement anywhere. • Likewise, the sidewalks rated poor. With the exception of the walk in front of our 4-family unit, which the city has chosen not to replace, all the walks are less than 5 years old and in perfect condition. I would rate our particular piece of sidewalk as “fair.” • To stay with specifics, our 4 family unit at 1825-9 N. 18th St. is blighted for being more than 35 years old and having increased in value less than the city average. Our home is absolutely solid, has had a new roof in the last 5 years and has been painted and had new windows installed in the last year. • Blighting a home for being over 35 years old blights the majority of buildings in the city. Likewise, statistically, half of the buildings in the city will have increased in value less that the city average. Accepting these statements as a basis for blighting is an insult to the intelligence of residents. • The social liability argument presented in the documents is only an economic argument. • As someone who has lived in this area for 30 years and have met here some of the most admirable people I have ever known, the blanket statement that the Area is also a menace to public health, safety, morals and welfare” only proves that this document is based in no real knowledge of the area or its people. The neighborhood certainly has problems, and I will agree it has more problems than many. They are problems the city and its residents need to address together, and if Mr.McKee is interested in applying his resources to our solutions that would certainly be a fine thing. I would be delighted to have my sidewalk repaired. I have had the police tell me they cannot watch our block during a spate of car thefts because they are too busy. Our schools need better paid and better qualified staff. We need better childcare options for working families… There is a lot to be accomplished. Mass blighting and vague multi-million dollar plans will just waste precious time and resources. This TIF proposal does not merit serious consideration.