- We hired an attorney with significant experience working with the city in similar situations. He has been quite helpful.
- We have participated in a number of meetings with city parks department and other interested parties.
- We have raised the awareness of our members and our community to the value the APC provides to our community and the critical need for parking.
- In doing the above, we changed the dynamic, the parks department has changed the designs to something that will work for us.
- The city parks and recreation department presented the most recent set of revised plans to the city Landmarks and Urban Conservation Commission for their approval on December 10. We supported that plan but, we asked that the commission also approve findings that would support our continuing right to parking and access. We believe that, as a direct result of an abuse of process, these findings were not approved. We will appeal that decision. We feel this is important. Dave Smoker had to deal with this same issue back in 1981 when the city truncated Elm St. We hope to preclude this from happening again.
The current design presented to the Landmarks and Urban Conservation Commission.
Note the vehicle graphics parked.
The area that is now our parking lot gets converted to a multi-use plaza, available as overflow parking when needed. It will be blocked with a bollard that, presumably, we will have a key to.
This graphic portrays the revised plan in black, overlayed on the existing configuration in gray.
Note, the circle at the West end of Highland Park Circle becomes parking, a smaller circle is created at the East end where it meets Elm.
The parking surfaces will be permiable pavers. The grade at the current lot area will change from ascending to the east to descending to
the east with a walkway out to the street at the east end.
The multi-use plaza will have a dense canopy of trees, allowing casual recreation, or parking, between the trees.
Providing we can get an agreement that will allow the APC continuing use of the overflow parking with key access for the club, we believe this is an equitable plan that preserves our parking while incorporating community uses.