Author: Tom Eblen

The Mentelle Park median, believe it or not, is an official city park. That’s why the city does such a good job of mowing it and taking care of the trees. The median is also where we host many neighborhood events, such as last weekend’s Easter egg hunt and the fall picnic. That’s why neighbors spend a lot of time and effort keeping the flower beds weeded and the median in good shape. (Speaking of that: There’s a median cleanup session scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m.  Please come out and help if you can.)

The city has posted signs like the one above around the median. The main reason for this is that heavy vehicles compress soil, which damages tree roots. In wet weather, vehicles also can cause ruts. The no-parking rule especially applies to trucks and construction equipment. This includes contractors and public utilities.

If you see a vehicle parked on the median, please ask its driver to move it. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you may contact me and I will do it if I’m home. I have done this many times, and only once has a truck driver been anything but nice about moving. (And that guy moved when I told him I was walking home to call the police.)

Please do your part to keep our neighborhood park beautiful and healthy.

From Jill DeBolt, Mentelle median committee chair:

All our neighbors are invited to keep the Mentelle median looking beautiful by attending the median clean-up day on Saturday, April 15, starting at 9 a.m.  We’ll be weeding and mulching the garden beds and trimming plants.  If you’re not available on Saturday, you  can come out at your convenience to help with weeding and trimming. Email me to let me know if you have extra mulch to spare or if you can assist with delivering mulch. All help is greatly appreciated!

Jim Ryder, a longtime Aurora Avenue resident who was active in neighborhood improvement efforts, died March 28 at age 72.  A memorial gathering is planned April 22, 12:30 p.m. until 2 p.m., at the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning, 251 W. Second St. Condolences to Sarah and their family.  Click here to read the full obituary on Kentucky.com.

 

 

Thanks to all of the children, parents, grandparents and neighbors who came out for today’s Mentelle neighborhood Easter Egg hunt.  Neighbors donated more than 700 eggs, which were hidden on the Mentelle Park median — and collected by excited children within a matter of minutes. Still, there was plenty of time for visiting and enjoying coffee and Spalding’s donuts. Special thanks go to organizers Kim Naujokas and Katie Mueller, as well as to the Easter Bunny and his chaperone and driver, Chad Walker. Here are some photos from the event:

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A reminder that the Fayette Alliance, a local non-profit organization focused on “smart growth” and rural land preservation in Lexington, is inviting Mentelle neighborhood residents to a “happy hour” discussion about local growth and development issues and the city’s upcoming Comprehensive Plan discussions. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. today at the new Myriad Meadery, 732 National Ave.

A sharp-eyed neighbor noticed that I had the wrong date for the Mentelle median cleanup in preparation for the Easter Egg Hunt. The cleanup will be at 1 p.m. Saturday April 1. No foolin’.

 

 

A group of neighbors will be getting together at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 1, to clean up the Mentelle Park median in preparation for the annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt the following Saturday. Please come and help if you can.

A development group headed by Scott Shapiro, a South Hanover Avenue resident who was an aide to former Mayor Jim Gray, made a presentation to the Mentelle Neighborhood Association board last Wednesday. The group has purchased the stone yard along Midland Avenue and will soon seek rezoning to develop 180 market-rate apartments aimed at young professionals. The board was favorably impressed by the project.

The apartments would be in two five-story buildings on the site with 210 parking spaces and about 2,000 square feet of first-floor retail space. The main entrance would be on Midland with a secondary entrance on Owen Avenue, the small piece of a street beside the “flat iron” building.

Click here for more information about the project prepared by the developers.

Click here for more information about the city’s planning and zoning process, schedules of meetings, etc.

 

The Fayette Alliance, a local non-profit organization focused on “smart growth” and rural land preservation in Lexington, is inviting Mentelle neighborhood residents to a “happy hour” discussion about local growth and development issues and the city’s upcoming Comprehensive Plan discussions. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 27, at the new Myriad Meadery, 732 National Ave.

Sorry for the late reminder; the third Wednesday of the month snuck up on me this month. The regular monthly meeting of the Mentelle Neighborhood Association board will be Wednesday, March 15, at 7 p.m. in the meeting room around back of the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass, 162 N. Ashland Ave. Any MNA member is welcome to attend.

At this month’s meeting, we will have a short presentation from a development group seeking to rezone the stone yard along Midland Avenue to construct apartments. Afterward I will post details of the proposal.