City Wants to Improve W. Federal

[kitten44505]

Up thru the early 1970's.

As for money, agreeably the city was better off financially then, but the point is that as the most powerful member of Council, Starks saw to it that city workers did their job, and did it right the first time around.

Because he had a full time job, he couldn't check on things, so his wife did it, and it reached the point where she put the fear of the Lord into the deepest recesses of city employees.

There is no excuse for a city worker riding around on a John Deere with a mower attached who sees a patch of grass hip high, and not do anything about it provided it's on city controlled property.

If he wasn't allowed to abate the hip high grass, the very least he could do is tell his supervisor about it.

There are lots around me that have grass so high that you could loose a semi in it, yet they are only mowed twice a year.

If it were not for some of the younger neighbors getting out and cutting the grass, the lots would be prime candidates for rain forests.

[Nathan Pavalko]

When did Mr. Starks serve? I absolutly agree that ward counsil should be more proactive in city business, asthetics etc, but the aspect of money should be taken into consideration. I realize that money could be funneled from other departments in the city, but the city still doesn't have a very large tax base with wich to make improvements.

[kitten44505]

You're too young to remember former City Councilman Pete Starks of the 2nd Ward, but he and his wife saw to it that whenever there was a problem brought to their attention that it was taken care of immediately, and followed up to make sure that it was taken care of to the satisfaction of the people in the neighborhood, and if it wasn't there was hell to pay.

At least 50% of my complaints involve the 3rd Ward, Atkison's ward, and I see none of them addressed in the same wat that they would have been delt with by Mr. Starks.

The same problems that we face here in the 3rd Ward are just as true in the other wards.

Jay has on many occassions pointed out problems, and I for one thank him, but he shouldn't have to be doing that. We pay our City Councilman good money to take care of our wards, and not one of them is doing the kind of job that was done by Herman "Pete" Starks.

[Nathan Pavalko]

That is true, how much responsibility does or should the ward council-people have as to the condition of their various wards.

[kitten44505]

I wonder if Councilman Atkinson is as concerned about keeping his ward as clean as he expects the downtown area to be?

[Nathan Pavalko]

"Darn it all, the new downtown is a work in progress ... It's going to be several years before it's completed"

Yes, much like to improvement of the entire city. It will take time.

[kitten44505]

"Most of the criticism of the Federal Plaza is over simple cosmetics..."

Darn it all, the new downtown is a work in progress ... It's going to be several years before it's completed.

But who am I to talk ... of everyone here, I do the loudist complaining, but that is the preogative of Senior Citizens.

Actually I am quite impressed with what's been accomplished so far.

[ytowner]

By Dan O'Brian of the Business Journal


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- With millions of dollars worth of projects under way downtown, officials are mulling another reconstruction plan that they say will enhance the central business district's aesthetic appeal.

Carmen Conglose, the city's deputy director of public works, arranged an informal meeting with council members last night in council caucus chambers. There, he presented a preliminary plan to give Federal Street, from Phelps Street to Fifth Avenue, a complete make-over.

The street was last rebuilt during the late 1980s, Conglose said. The project opened that segment of Federal Street to two-way traffic and installed a landscaped median with decorative lighting. Since then, the area has fallen into disrepair, and officials believe it's time to make the necessary, long-term improvements.

"We need to start thinking about doing something," Conglose remarked.

The city could make general improvements, the deputy director of public works said, such as repaving the street and keeping the median, or begin a more extensive rehabilitation.

The more extensive plan calls for rebuilding some of the curbs, resurfacing Federal Street, removing the median and installing lighting along the north and south sides of the street. The design would mirror the image of the newly renovated Federal Street east of Phelps.

There could be a total of 85 diagonal parking spaces for the downtown, Conglose said, provided the city takes control of two bus stops used by Western Reserve Transit Authority convert them into parking spaces. Should the bus stops remain intact, there would be 56 spaces. Forty parallel parking spaces are in the west end.

Although it is still too early for any financial estimates, Conglose noted the cost of the proposed project would be considerably less than last year's $2.8 million effort to rip out Federal Plaza and open Federal Street to through traffic.

The deputy director proposed that two public informational meetings be scheduled this summer to solicit the opinions of downtown merchants, business owners and the general public. Once that is completed, the city would prepare a final plan and submit an application for Issue II funding sometime in November.

Once funding is in place, work could begin by next summer and the project completed by January 2007.

"We're just looking at our options," Conglose stated.

Overall, the councilmen who attended were receptive. The only member absent was the second ward's Rufus hudson.

The seventh ward's Mark Memmer observed that driving from the east end of Federal Street to the west is like "driving through two different cities. It would be right for us" to pursue the plan.

Memmer asked Conglose if there applicable lessons from the Federal Plaza project. "We realize the feedback has not all been positive," he said.

Most of the criticism of the Federal Plaza project is over simple cosmetics, Conglose answered, such as the use of concrete instead of decorative brick or stone. However, using brick or granite is "extremely expensive" and more difficult to maintain. "The biggest negative that I've heard is that it looks too bland," he said. "Otherwise I'd say feedback has been 98% positive."

Third Ward Councilman Richard Atkinson inquired about the project's chances of obtaining Issue II money, state funds meted out to support a variety of public projects and sorted by priority and necessity. He was concerned that because the project wouldn't involve neighboring communities such as Campbell or Struthers, the funds would not be readily available.

Atkinson also noted the city's relationship with Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, which administers and helps set priority projects for funding, has not been the best over the last couple of years. Originally, the city had hoped to obtain matching funds with Issue II money for the Federal Plaza project, but the public works commission passed on funding the project. The city had to look to other sources.

"There are about 11 different criteria," to qualify for Issue II funds, Conglose said. "I would think that rebuilding the main street of the largest city in our two counties would be important."

Still, Atkinson said businesses downtown must also bear some of the responsibility and regularly clean their storefronts. "When are we going to hold the merchants accountable?" he asked.

[ytowner]

From Phelps to Fifth Avenue like they did at Federal Plaza.

This is great news.... With the new M.C. Childrens Services Building, the new Powers Expansion, the demolision of the Masters Tux Block and the new federal courthouse, they can eliminate the old boulevard in the center and beautify the area with new parking spaces and sidewalks like Federal Plaza.

If imput and funding gets through. Work could begin by mid next year!

WFMJ^