KCA ANNUAL HOLIDAY SOCIAL TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2007
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Our neighborhood holiday tradition, the KCA holiday social, will be a "pot luck" affair. Soft drinks (as always, no alcohol, please), plates, cups, etc. will be provided. Please bring your favorite dish to share. The event will take place from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM at the First Presbyterian Church (in the "Blue Room"), One Symphony Circle. This is a wonderful event and is a good opportunity to meet your neighbors and discuss neighborhood common interests in a friendly, relaxed environment. The KCA will also bring pizza to the event. All are welcome and we look forward to seeing you!

318 Hudson Street was sold at public auction
on Oct. 22, 2007 to Beeville West LLC

288 & 318 HUDSON STREET SOLD BY THE CITY OF BUFFALO AT AUCTIONS
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The city of Buffalo sold two problem properties on Hudson Street in September and October, 2007.

288 Hudson Street , the original Hens Mansion, has been abandoned for several years and was sold at public auction on September 22, 2007.

The city received a bid at their September 22 property auction of $10,500 from a local couple that live on Whitney Place in Buffalo. They have provided a repair plan in the amount of $40,000 and proof of financing that is currently under review.

Gabe Price, of 314 Hudson Street, met with the new owner (Jose) after his first walk through in the house. He was understandably a little shell shocked. Gabe welcomed him and tried to impress upon him the good things that are happening on Hudson Street. The new owner is a roofer by trade which is certainly a bonus on that house! Activity has been occurred at the house with the new owner clearing out the house. The KCA has high hopes for the renovation of 288 Hudson Street!

Slightly more complicated is 318 Hudson Street, sold at the City's In Rem 41 Auction on October 22, 2007. The house sold for $20,000 to Batavia-based Beeville West, LLC, headed by Gail Pirincci. The KCA outreached to Gail and gave her information regarding the blighted house, but became concerned after it was disclosed that Beeville owns a number of derelict properties on the city's west side and Fruit Belt neighborhoods. The KCA has requested that the City of Buffalo closely monitor the progress on 318 Hudson Street to ensure proper code compliance.

Chris Brown (right), president of Kleinhans Community Association and
Stephanie J. Simeon, executive director of Heart of the City Neighborhoods,
give directions to volunteers at the community tree planting held Sat. Nov. 3, 2007.

NOVEMBER 3, 2007 COMMUNITY TREE PLANTING A HUGE SUCCESS
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Over 50 volunteers from the community helped to plant 17 trees, provided by Re-Tree WNY, in early November using the "bare root" method.

With planning, collaboration, and of course lots of community muscle, 17 trees (and one lilac bush!) were planted in just a few hours.
Special thanks to Stephanie J. Simeon, Executive Director of Heart of the City Neighborhoods, Inc. for her great work rounding up additional volunteers, food and getting a tree stump removed at 13 St. Johns Place (and obtaining the assistance of the wonderful girls from Buffalo Seminary).

Holly Holdaway, Daniel Culross and students from Buffalo Seminary plant a crabapple
tree on Wadsworth Street near the First Presbyterian Church. Photo: David Granville

• College St.
  • 60, Ornamental Pear
  • 64, Ornamental Pear
  • 168, Ornamental Pear
• Hudson St.
  • 350, Ornamental Pear
  • 364, Kentucky Coffee
• Jersey St.
  • 287, Ornamental Pear
  • 303, Ornamental Pear
  • 315, Ornamental Pear
  • 325 (lilac bush)
• Pennsylvania St.
  • 278, Kentucky Coffee
• Plymouth Ave.
  • 95, Ornamental Pear
  • 100, Ornamental Pear
  • 117, Ornamental Pear
• St. Johns Pl.
  • 9, Elm
  • 13, Kentucky Coffee
  • 51, Ornamental Pear
• Wadsworth St.
  • 70, Ornamental Pear
  • 72, Crabapple

Gabe Price and two volunteers from Buffalo Seminary
plant a tree at 350 Hudson Street.

The intersection of Cottage/Hudson/Plymouth is very dangerous.

KCA WORKS TO CALM TRAFFIC AT PLYMOUTH/HUDSON/COTTAGE INTERSECTION
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The KCA is working with the city of Buffalo and University at Buffalo to try to arrive at improvements to the intersection of Hudson Street, Plymouth Avenue and Cottage Street. The intersection has a long history of being dangerous. Motorists moving from Hudson Street to Plymouth Avenue often take the turn too quickly and lose control of their vehicles.

The KCA identified the intersection as a problem as part of its traffic calming strategy in 2000.

The KCA would like to design and install an approved traffic calming devices at strategic residential locations in order to reduce the level of noise pollution and increase safety conditions created by accelerating vehicles.

Many young children live in the neighborhood and are at a higher risk at this and other similar intersections with accelerating vehicles sliding uncontrollably off the street, due to icy conditions, wet leaves or other compromised conditions.

The KCA believes well designed and located traffic calming devices will resolve this concern and create conditions where there is a decrease in noise pollution and increased safety conditions.

Residents believe that the intersection presents a serious threat to those living at the western edge of the Allentown Historic Preservation District.

The Allentown Association was approached by the neighbors around the intersection of Cottage St./Hudson St./Plymouth Ave. because they are concerned about safety issues associated with vehicular traffic at the intersection. The intersection is dangerous as a result of a combination of unusual street angles and traffic flows, coupled with the fact that the corner is "blind" and the problem is sporadic, although very destructive when it does occur.

The intersection’s current state is that Cottage Street has two-way traffic as it approaches Hudson Street. Hudson Street is one-way proceeding east (Niagara to Wadsworth). There is a stop sign on Hudson Street at Cottage Street and on Cottage Street at Hudson Street. There is no stop sign on Hudson Street at Plymouth Avenue. Plymouth Avenue has one-way traffic proceeding north from Hudson Street. Hudson St. and Plymouth Ave. are also on a bus route, the #3 Grant bus. On its outbound trip, the bus proceeds northerly up West Avenue (one block to the west of Plymouth Avenue) until it reaches Hudson Street, then proceeds east one block on Hudson until Plymouth and then turns onto Plymouth to proceed further north.

Since no parking is allowed near this unusual intersection so that the bus may have a wide-berth as it turns from Hudson to Plymouth, it's a wide-open speedway. From the vantage point of the stop sign on Hudson St. at Cottage St., drivers speed up Hudson or zip across the Cottage/Hudson/Plymouth "Z-formation," turn and often lose control of their vehicles. Within the last several months, problems at the intersection have increased and there have been several accidents including one where a bus was hit along with several cars parked on the street. Most recently, neighbors were horrified to helplessly watch the death of a cat at the intersection, a pet that belonged to one of the neighbors who lives nearby. The cat, “Sobe,” was sitting on the lawn, became startled at the screeching of a car’s tires as the driver recklessly turned the corner and the cat ran into the street. The driver was going so fast as he turned onto Plymouth from Hudson, he apparently did not see the cat, hit it and kept going. This incident prompted neighbors to contact the Allentown Association to assist with addressing the underlying issue and as a first step, a service request (268284) with the Mayor’s Call and Resolution Center has been opened.

Residents feel strongly that the combination of the angles of the streets, the traffic patterns allowed on those streets and configuration of stop signs present a hazardous condition to the physical safety of the residents who live near the intersection and the safety of their property. Further, there are a number of small children who live on the block who venture out on the street during those periods when it is calm and safe. There is a concern that a child will be hit when confronted by one of these “fast and furious” drivers.

The Allentown Association is concerned about the safety and well-being of the residents who live near the intersection and is concerned that some residents may actually move away if this condition is not corrected, creating blight and driving down property values.

The Association believes that with some attention, analysis and thoughtful consideration, a low-cost solution can be found which mitigates the hazardous condition and associated risk to the residents who live near the intersection. Perhaps with some additional stop signs, painted crosswalks or changes in traffic flow the intersection can be made safe.

The city has done some preliminary research into the intersection and investigated the accident history at the intersections of Hudson & Cottage and Hudson & Plymouth has yielded the following:

Hudson Street is one way in an easterly direction, Cottage Street is a two way street intersecting Hudson to the south only and Plymouth Avenue is a one way northbound street which begins at Hudson. The two intersections are offset by approximately 100' (centerline to centerline), with Cottage to the west of Plymouth. There is stop control in Hudson at Cottage and in Cottage at Hudson.

There have been two reported accidents in the period from January, 2003 through March, 2007, both of which were at the intersection of Plymouth and Hudson. The accident of October 30, 2003 occurred at 8:30 in the evening when a vehicle traveling east on Hudson turned left onto Plymouth in front of a cyclist and resulted in property damage only. The accident of October 8, 2004 occurred at 9:54 in the morning when a vehicle turning left from Hudson onto Plymouth struck a cyclist who was traveling southbound on Plymouth (against the legal flow of traffic) and turning right onto Hudson (again, against the legal flow of traffic).

The city's position is that the low volume of reported accidents does not indicate any safety hazards with respect to traffic flow in this area. Further, my inspection of the site found the existing traffic control to be in good condition and no visibility concerns. I recommend no changes at this time.

The KCA also consulted Daniel B. Hess, PhD, professor at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning University at Buffalo, State University of New York

Dan, and a friend of his who is a transportation consultant had a chance to visit the intersection a couple of times. He didn’t observe any out-of-control driver behavior, but he does not doubt you that it occurs. He actually thinks that the low traffic volumes contribute to fast driving and sliding through stop signs.

Dan Hess recommends adding stamped crosswalks in the pavement. Stamped crosswalks and newly painted stop lines might go a long way.

A larger solution, and a more long-term approach, is to request changing one-way streets to two-way, or changing the directionality of one-ways. However, with the low traffic volumes, drivers may seldom meet opposing traffic, and continue to drive fast and slide through stop signs. Changing the pattern of streets would have wider implications, though, likely requiring changes for a three-to five-block or more radius from the intersection.

The KCA has requested that the city at least install cross-walks at the intersection.

KCA FIGHTS TO STOP FRIENDS OF THE NIGHT PEOPLE
FROM CREATING A PARKING LOT ON HUDSON ST.
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In a surprise move, the Friends of the Night People, located at 394 Hudson Street , is attempting to purchase the vacant parcel next door at 390 Hudson Street and convert it to a parking lot.

The parcel was once the site of a small Victorian cottage that Friends of the Night People was considering converting to additional program space, but neighborhood opposition stopped that and the building became derelict and was demolished.

Over a year ago, Friends of the Night People, along with other neighborhood residents, lost the right to use the city-owned parking lot at on Wadsworth Street between Hudson Street and Days Park. That lot was privatized and is no longer able to be used by the general public for free.

As a result, Friends of the Night People is concerned that their volunteers, many of whom commute to 394 Hudson Street from the suburbs, will not be able to find nearby parking. Friends of the Night People's response was to propose to create a parking lot next door, on city-owned property at 390 Hudson Street.

However, community outcry has been loud. The community is opposed to the use of the land as a parking lot. Over a dozen letters from various interests have been sent to John Hannon, Director of Real Estate, and Richard Baer, president of the Buffalo Preservation Board, protesting the proposed parking lot conversion.

The Allentown Association wrote to the city to communicate their unilateral opposition to the reuse of 390 Hudson Street as a parking lot for the Friends of the Night People, as was addressed at the Preservation Board’s October 18 meeting.

The Allentown Association is opposed for the following reasons:

1. Negative Impact to Historic Preservation within the Allentown Community. The Friends of the Night People’s stewardship of their building at 394 Hudson Street has been detrimental to historic preservation in Allentown. The houses along Wadsworth Street are largely abandoned and derelict. As a long-time board member and now leader of the Allentown Association, I have met with most of the property owners along Wadsworth Street. Many of them have left the area because of the negative impact caused by behaviors of the Friends of the Night people’s clients. The subsequent poor condition of the properties on Wadsworth, and to some extent on Hudson Street, has had a compounding negative effect on the entire Allentown community. Another example of the negative impact on historic preservation that the Friends of the Night People has had is the installation of poor quality, inappropriately sized and shaped vinyl windows that were installed in the building several years ago. Not only are these windows very visible from Allen and Wadsworth Streets, but neighbors wonder why they are held to a standard for their own homes in a preservation district to which Friends of the Night People is not. Finally, the loss of the house at 390 Hudson Street, the site of the vacant lot, can be largely attributed to Friends of the Night People. The house was proposed to be used as an addition to their programs and when that project did not happen, the house was abandoned and finally demolished. If it were not for the Friends of the Night People, it is very likely that there would be a house at 390 Hudson Street today.
   
   
2. Inappropriate development and land use for Allentown. The Allentown Historic Preservation District is a densely-built area noted for its historic architecture. It is absolutely an inappropriate use to create a parking lot. Not only does this set a negative Allentown neighborhood precedent, but it is not the highest and best use for the land. The Allentown Association feels that the land could best be used for ownership and further development by the owner of the historic Italianate style cottage located directly to the west at 388 Hudson Street. A parking lot is an absolutely inappropriate use for the land, especially one so close to and visible from Wadsworth/Allen Street, the backbone of the Allentown community.
   
   
3. Negative historic preservation impact to adjacent house at 388 Hudson Street. Creation of a parking lot would have a negative impact to the continued ability to sustain the historic preservation of 388 Hudson Street, an owner-occupied Italianate cottage. The owner, a longtime resident, no longer wants to live in his house if there is a parking lot next door that would cause disruption and noise to the family household. This would have a negative impact to the long-term preservation and maintenance of the house.
   
   
4. Friends of the Night People should try to fit into existing neighborhood infrastructure instead of trying to change it to fit their needs at Allentown’s expense. The fact that Friends of the Night People is attempting to buy and create a parking lot adjacent to their structure at 394 Hudson Street strongly suggests that the building no longer meets their requirements. Friends of the Night People must respect the integrity and spirit of the historic district in which their building resides. Apparently, the structure at 394 Hudson Street no longer meets the parking requirements of Friends of the Night People. Their volunteers and support organizations (Planned Parenthood, etc.) park illegally on the sidewalk and near Wadsworth Street, creating a safety hazard for the surrounding community. Further, it appears as though Friends of the Night People may be utilizing a driveway from the former house at 390 Hudson Street for their own needs (owned by the city of Buffalo), further indicating that the structure at 394 Hudson no longer meets their requirements.

Under no circumstances should Friends of the Night People be allowed to create a parking lot at 390 Hudson Street and exacerbate their negative historic preservation impact to Allentown, as articulated by the reasons above.

The Friends of the Night People's request to obtain the Preservation Board's approval was turned down. The owner next door at 388 Hudson, Howie Colon, has also expressed interest in purchasing the lot to maintain it as a garden/greenspace.

WAR OF 1812 HISTORIC MARKER PROGRAM EXPANDED
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In the spring of 2008, the Kleinhans neighborhood will have a historical marker dedicated to the memory of War of 1812 hero Job Hoisington. The marker will be erected at the intersection of Porter and Plymouth Avenues.

As part of the process of increasing the number of historic markers of sites associated with the War of 1812 in Buffalo for the purposes of cultural tourism, the KCA has reached out to some of the most significant unmarked sites.

The KCA is pleased to announce that the site of the original St. John House, home to Margaret St. John and her children, the only dwelling not burned when the British and their Indian allies torched Buffalo to the ground, will be marked. The site marked will be the old Neisner's Building at 460 Main Street, currently owned and recently renovated by Ellicott Development Company.

Ellicott Development Company will be the sponsor of the marker. It is anticipated that the marker will also be dedicated in the spring of 2008 and will tightly coordinated and publicized along with the Job Hoisington marker in the Kleinhans neighborhood.

The Kleinhans neighborhood has what is believed to be the last extant building associated with Margaret St. John: a brick barn located at 32 Plymouth Ave. that once belonged to a Hudson Street mansion lived in by Margaret's children Parnell and Le Grand St. John. The mansion and grounds were visited by Margaret St. John and as a house-warming gift, Margaret gave her daughter Parnell a cow to produce milk for the family that lived in the barn.

KCA RECEIVES LETTER OF PRAISE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD WORK
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Oct. 13, 2007

Dear Mr. Brown,

I wanted to write to you to commend you, and your team, on the fantastic work you are all doing in the Kleinhans Community. Your revitalization work there has been wonderful. I read about your teams work in the May/June issue of Buffalo Spree magazine and was very happy to know that some of the great Buffalo neighborhoods were getting new life.

I was born in Buffalo and grew up in the Rochester area. My family re-located when I was in high school, but I have always considered Western New York home. My wife and I try to get back and visit my relatives at least once a year. And I still cheer for the Bills.

Again, I just wanted to take a moment to let you know what a great thing it is that you and your team are doing for the City of Buffalo. Keep it up!

Thanks for your time and have a great day.

Sincerely,
John Babcock

David Granville in front of 11 Plymouth Ave., looking spooky for Haunted Allentown

HAUNTED ALLENTOWN EVENT A BIG SUCCESS FOR KCA AREA ON SAT. OCT. 20, 2007
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About 600 people toured several "haunted" properties in the Kleinhans neighborhood on Saturday, October 20, 2007 from noon until 7 PM. Working with the Allentown Association and Haunted History Ghost Walks (Mason Winfield), tour guides were stationed in front of the neighborhood's most haunted houses. On the tour were:

• 310 Jersey Street (former firehouse #2)
• 95 Plymouth Avenue
• 453 Porter Avenue (Karpeles Porter Hall Museum)
• 71 Symphony Circle

Many people attended the welcoming ceremony for Lorilee Greene,
new owner of 23 Plymouth Ave., renovated by Heart of the City Neighborhoods.
Those in attendance included representatives from the City of Buffalo, KCA,
HCN, LISC, WSNHS and many more! Photo: David F. Granville

WELCOMING CEREMONY FOR OWNER OF 23 PLYMOUTH AVE. TOOK PLACE NOV. 16
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About 30 people attended a welcoming ceremony for the new owner of the Heart of the City Neighborhoods-renovated house at 23 Plymouth Avenue.

Housing Court Judge Nowak and Commissioner of Permits, Inspections and Economic Development Richard Tobe were in attendance.

A reception afterwards took place at Heart of the City Neighborhoods, at 42 Plymouth Avenue where people had the opportunity to meet HCN's new executive director, Stephanie J. Simeon.

The event was covered by Channel 4.

For more information about the story of 23 Plymouth Avenue, click here.

Speakers at the welcoming ceremony included (L-R):
Stephanie Simeon, Executive Director, Heart of the City Neighborhoods, Inc.;
Lorilee Greene, new owner of 23 Plymouth Avenue; Buffalo Housing Court Judge Nowak;
Richard M. Tobe, City of Buffalo Commissioner of Permits, Inspections and Economic Development Photo: David F. Granville.

HOUSES FOR SALE
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House for sale in the Allentown/KCA neighborhood:

• 34 St. Johns Place, $70,000. Call (716) 553-3773.