2010 Annual Meeting recap

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

The weather was perfect, the oaks are majestic, and the Annual General Meeting of the University Hills Civic Association was a well-attended gathering of the neighbors. On Sunday, April 25, at 5 PM, we met on the median “under the oaks.”

I would like to thank each of the board members for their dedicated service over the past year. They were Paul Bell, Robert Benedict (vice-president), Louis Castaing, Robert Canzonire (treasurer), George Daniels, Tracy Molidor, Erick Swenson, Michelle Spielman (secretary). With both Michelle and George retiring, I am thankful to Rachael DiResto and Roger Laine for getting involved. They were elected to a two-year term, along with Louis, Bob and myself who agreed to stand again. 

With the elections taken care of, it was my pleasure to discuss the achievements of the previous year and to discuss how we are planning to move through 2010. The median renovations are well underway; and I have particular gratitude for Smokie Bourgeois, our District 12 councilman; David Guillory, DPW assistant director; and, especially, Randy Harris of DPW who mustered his workers to partner with our neighborhood to get us to where we are today.

Association vice-president Bob Benedict reported on the progress of the median renovation. Bob has acted as the project coordinator for the renovations working with the city-parish crew, securing the shrubs and bollards, and installing the temporary irrigation. I want to thank Bob for all of the time and effort he's put into making the renovations a success.

As Bob reported, the next step forward in the renovations involves the city-parish installing permanent irrigation. Following that step, we plan to plant the trees called for in the design by landscape architect Bill Reich for the forward median. It has been a great fundraising effort by many families in the neighborhood to raise the necessary funds. I thank each family who contributed. (Update: The Median Tree Fund has reached its goal of $5000. We are now awaiting installation of new irrigation in the front median to plant the trees.) The median renovation is something that we cannot only be proud of but be sure that as it improves the look and feel of neighborhood it also improves the value of our homes.

Treasurer Rob Canzonire gave his financial report, explaining how dues were spent and saying how many residents had paid dues for this year. He also reported on contributions to the Median Tree Fund.

We invited Mary Fontenot and Claudia Normand from the Baton Rouge Office of Neighborhoods to discuss the Litter Court and how it applies to us. Do take the time to read the flyer that they circulated. They were knowledgeable and generous in the time that they took to answer all the questions. Thanks, ladies.

Councilman Smokie Bourgeois addressed the meeting; and we thank him for taking the time out of his weekend.

Noel Hammett reported that the owner of the vacant house at the intersection of Tulane Drive and Delgado Drive is having the house renovated in preparation for its eventual sale.

The meeting concluded at 6 PM; but many neighbors stayed and chatted and took the opportunity to see the median renovations close up.

After three years as president of the Association, I have tendered my resignation. I have enjoyed working with many of you in one way or another and will continue on the board. I encourage you to consider working with your neighbors to ensure that University Hills continues to be the wonderful place we call home.

Sincerely
Chris Liddy
Board Member, UHCA
417 Delgado 

PS: Make universityhills70808.net your home page. That way you can follow our progress and keep up-to-date about your civic association and your community.

Median renovation plans unveiled

Earlier this year, the University Hills Civic Association board of directors set aside $5000 to get the Delgado Drive median renovations started, subject to approval by the city-parish. The objective of the renovations will be to beautify the median and to protect it from vehicular intrusions.

Landscape architect Bill Reich has come up with a new plan that is a variation on his original plan "D" that incorporates your suggestions. (For information of the development of this plan and previous versions of the design, see the Your Thoughts page of this Web site.)

The renovations will be conducted in phases as additional funds became available. These initial funds appropriated by the board will buy shrubs for the border and whatever other plants and trees that can be afforded from the remaining monies. The following phases of development (described below) are subject to rearrangement or modification as assistance from the city-parish and individuals and other organizations become available. We will also seek additional funding from various sources to complete the project. These funds may come from individuals in the neighborhood and from grants, both public and private.

NOTE: Each median section is approximately 250 feet in length.

We have identified shrubs and trees that we anticipate using (see notes at end). They are subject to change, however, depending on the source, cost (free or paid), and city-parish restrictions.

PHASE 1. Vehicle Traffic Restriction and Preparation for Future Work

Consult with city-parish to:

• Determine restrictions on the work
• Arrange for, and determine details of, water and irrigation installation and assistance
• Identify specific items (materials and/or labor) the city-parish will provide
• Set a schedule for coordinating the neighborhood's efforts with those of the city-parish
• Determine how to best partition the portion of the front median where utility trucks (primarily phone and cable) need access (see utility screening on drawing)

Objectives of PHASE 1

Clearing — Remove undesirable trash, dead or dying trees and shrubs, particularly the old, decaying ligustrums close to Highland Road, the sprouting remains of a tree removed earlier, and other dying or dead plants.

Shrubs — Prepare beds to plant approximately 800 feet of shrubs to provide borders four feet from street (Delgado Dr). Plant 200 shrubs

Bollards — Install sufficient interconnected bollards to protect the young shrubs and provide added deterrent to vehicular traffic (spacing, number, and interconnection to be determined during meeting with city-parish representative).

Gravel edging — Install 4’ gravel edging between street and shrubs to provide a pedestrian walkway and minimize tire damage to the median.

PHASE 2. Expanded shrubbery and tree planting

Funding — Seek funding from residents and other potential sources.

Trees — Identify, purchase and plant trees, using drawing as a guide: large, medium, evergreen, and small flowering.

Shrubs around telephone equipment structure — Identify, purchase, and plant shrubs to complement previous work and provide utility screening.

PHASE 3. Structural and Pedestrian Components

Preliminary: Obtain cost estimates and identify potential funding sources for remaining items:

• Sign structure with seating at entrance.
• Circular bench seating around John LaPlante memorial oak
• Covered bus stop upgrading or refurbishing
• Concrete walkways in middle of front median
• Pedestrian lighting

Types of shrubs and trees to be planted:

(The plants on this list are only suggestions and may be replaced by others available from or required by the city-parish.)

• Little gem magnolia
• Crepe myrtle
• Leland cypress
• Japanese magnolia
• Pistachio
• Loropetalum
• Holly of Japanese blueberry
• Holly shrub
• Ilex
• Hawthorne
• Eastern red bud
• Red bud forest pansy

On Monday, February 22, representatives of the board and Bill Reich met with Metro Councilman Smokie Bourgeois and EBR assistant director of Public Works David Guillory. Mr. Guillory said that the city-parish would plant the shrubs that the civic association will purchase. The city-parish will also extend the irrigation in the front median along the length of the median and install bollards that the civic association will also purchase. Mr. Guillory will research whether the city-parish will be able to supply gravel to line the edges of the medians.

We'll be reporting more news here about this project as it develops. If you have suggestions or comments about the beautification, send an e-mail to:
your_thoughts@universityhills70808.net. We'll post those comments on the Your Thoughts page.

Editor's note: Sometimes, because of space and clutter considerations, the navigation on a Web site can be slightly cryptic. What does How To mean? What are Resources? Actually, they can mean what you want them to mean. If you know how to do something that others in the community can benefit from, then let us know and we'll put it on the site. Have a product or service that your company sells? Then that can be a resource. We encourage Civic Association members to patronize other members' places of business.

Are you a teenager who is looking for lawn mowing work or babysitting? Let us know and we'll post that on the site. Want to volunteer to help elderly neighbors? We can facilitate your finding neighbors in need. Know a good handyman? Recommend him to the community.

That's what this site is for. You.

If you're really stumped about what a button means, hold your mouse over the button to see a further description of the contents of the page.

And, if we need other buttons, that's OK. Buttons are cheap.