Friday, September 9, 2011

Endangered List:

 
308 St. Joseph Street is a beautiful home built in the late 1800's and one of the prettiest homes on the block. With its new ownership, this lovely home's future hangs in the balance.

New Columbia Tribune Article: Groups [BCFR] ponder options for Short Street area

More Columbia Tribune talk of Boone County Family Resources $$$$$$$ bid for space in the proposed Short Tall Street Garage ...

Andrew Denney of the Columbia Tribune writes:

"Officials from Boone County Family Resources and North Light LLC, which have both submitted bids to develop condominium retail space associated with a planned parking garage at Short Street downtown, could possibly enter into a joint venture to develop the space together."

 *****

"The agency [Boone County Family Resources] which provides services for people with developmental disabilities, has seen increasing demand for its services and has been looking at ways to expand parking and office space."


Read Full Article Here:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/sep/09/groups-ponder-options-for-short-street-area/?news

Thursday, September 8, 2011

THE TROUBLE ON HUBBELL, Pt. 3: County agency's land holdings surprise neighbors

The Columbia Heart Beat writes:

""Someone needs to explain to our community why a local public governmental entity that provides much of  its services in the homes of their clients needs several acres of downtown real estate at the expense of existing neighborhoods," said Tracy Greever-Rice, Ph.D., a Mizzou economic and social data analyst and homeowner on Hubbell Dr.

The agency's land holdings -- several purchased from Stephens College -- reportedly include:

102 Hubbell Dr.
106 Hubbell Dr.
208 St. Joseph St.
302 St. Joseph St.
308 St. Joseph St.
400 St. Joseph St.
1205 E. Walnut
1209 E. Walnut (agency headquarters)
E. Ash, north (roughly) half of their primary office park
E. Ash, south (Walnut) half of their primary office park
E. Ash, northwest corner of the intersection of E. Ash and College Ave

On a sales commission, developer lobbyist and real estate agent Don Stamper helped the agency buy most of its St. Joseph Street holdings this summer, a potential conflict of interest that has also aroused neighborhood angst.  Stamper was appointed to the agency's Board of Directors in 2008.  It's unclear when or if he stepped down when his term was due to end in February."

Read full article here:
http://www.columbiaheartbeat.com/2011/09/trouble-on-hubbell-pt-3-county-agencys.html

Friday, September 2, 2011

THE TROUBLE ON HUBBELL, Pt. 2: Bullying, land-grab charges hit Boone County agency

The Columbia Heart Beat writes:

"Neighbors on a second North Village Arts District street are crying foul over a Boone County agency's aggressive purchase and demolition of older and historic homes in the area."

Read Full Article Here:
http://www.columbiaheartbeat.com/2011/09/trouble-on-hubbell-pt-2-bullying-land.html

Neighbors Uneasy as Agency Buys Properties [Columbia Tribune Article]

Andrew Denney of the Columbia Tribune writes:

"Residents in the neighborhood surrounding Boone County Family Resources, 1209 E. Walnut St., want to preserve the historic character of their neighborhood and say the public entity’s push to acquire property in the area could encroach upon their efforts to preserve that quality.

Between May and August, Boone County Family Resources, or BCFR, purchased three properties on St. Joseph Street and this week demolished a house at 400 St. Joseph. The entity also has expressed plans to move offices into a house at 1205 E. Walnut and acquire a house at 104 Hubbell St., directly west of its facilities.

Curtis Stafford, who lives at 303 St. Joseph, said his house — which is in view of 400 St. Joseph — dates back to the 1860s, and when he was working to restore the house after he purchased it, he found newspapers lining the insides of the walls that date back to the Civil War-era. He said he has worked 10 hours a day for the past nine months to restore the house, which was nearly dilapidated when it was purchased.

He said he appreciates the work done by BCFR to serve individuals with developmental disabilities, but he does not approve of the entity’s approach. “I just don’t see why they have to destroy a bunch of historic homes in order to do that,” Stafford said."


Read Full Article Here:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/sep/02/neighbors-uneasy-as-agency-buys-properties/?news

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Endangered List:


104 Hubbell Drive is a cute Bungalow that is being eyed as the next victim of Boone County Family Resources expansion into the North Village residential area. (Most likely its fate will be a converted BCFR office space, like it's neighbor on the corner of Ash and Hubbell.)

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Resons to Love our Streets: Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture - 214 St. Joseph Street!

One reason we love living in our neighborhood is the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture!


Part of the great community we have on our "streets" focuses around the amazing work being done by the residents and urban farmers who live at 214 St. Joseph Street.  This great home was "saved" and listed on Columbia's Historic Preservation Commission's "Most Notable Historic Properties for 2008."

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

THE TROUBLE ON HUBBELL: Why is county agency demolishing homes on little street?

The Columbia Heart Beat writes:

 "A Boone County agency that has been the subject of controversy in recent years may be aggressively buying property on a little street of older homes in North Central Columbia, and one neighbor wants to know why.  Initially posted on the North Central Columbia email listserv, her questions have since made the rounds of downtown leadership groups."

Read the full article here:
http://www.columbiaheartbeat.com/2011/08/trouble-on-hubbell-why-is-county-agency.html

Boone County Family Resources seeks space [AKA: Demolishes Home on St Joseph St.]


Andrew Denney from the Columbia Tribune writes:

"The group has been reaching into adjacent neighborhoods and has purchased private land to expand its services, and it also has proposed filling space in the planned Short Street parking garage nearby.

Robyn Kaufman, associate director of BCFR, said the organization serves about 1,300 residents and has about 100 employees. As a result, she said, parking in surface lots and on the streets surrounding its building at 1209 E. Walnut St. has become scarce."

....

“Wagner said BCFR also has had interest in acquiring a house at 104 Hubbell St. and determining whether it also could be used for housing. A house on the lot at 400 St. Joseph St., which BCFR already owns, was demolished yesterday."

Read the full article here:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/30/boone-county-family-resources-seeks-space/

Monday, August 29, 2011

With deep pockets like this ... Why does BCFR need our streets too?

 Andrew Denney of the Columbia Tribune writes:

"Deputy City Manager Tony St. Romaine said the city received proposals [to develop commercial space in the proposed Short Street Garage] from Boone County Family Resources, a not-for-profit entity that provides services to residents with developmental disabilities, and North Light LLC. Architect Nick Peckham and Robert Grove, co-owner of Grove Construction, are listed as organizers for North Light, according to documents filed with the Missouri secretary of state."

Read the full "Developers respond to Short Street garage retail proposal" article here:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2011/aug/29/developers-respond-to-short-street-garage-retail/

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Residents awaken to altered landscape [AKA: Future home of the Secret Playground]

Ryan Gladstone of the Columbia Missourian writes:

"The sound of heavy machinery Monday morning was some residents of Hubbell Drive’s first notice of Boone County Family Resources’ decision to demolish the dilapidated house it owned on the street."

Read the Full Article Here:
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2006/07/12/residents-awaken-to-altered-landscape/


******

The end result:


So do good (locked) fences really make good neighbors?