A New “Day” for Local Tourism

Congratulations to Cori Day, our new Tourism Director whose first day on the job is this week. I believe this is one of the most important positions in City Hall. Independence is on the map not for minor-league sports but for our major-league history. And while many other industries are experiencing a downturn, heritage tourism continues to be strong. Reports indicate that visitors to Missouri spent $8 billion while traveling through our state last year. Independence, one of the most historic communities in Missouri, has a lot to offer travelers and tourists, and happens to be on one of the most traveled corridors, I-70. Here is a list of ideas and advice for Cori as she begins this important job:

1) Do a complete audit of the bed-tax (tourism) revenue and the way we handle tourism statistics. Review where past budgets have gone and how sites handle head-counts. It would not surprise me to see staff, volunteers, and even the janitor counted as tourists at some sites.

2) Revive the 12-year-old endeavor to establish a Tourism Visitor’s Center in the old Courthouse. County officials say it will take $8 million for a complete restoration of the interior. Just in the last 10 years, city officials have actually collected $8.5 million in bed-tax revenue that has been designated only to be used for tourism. The resources appear to be available with appropriate planning and priorities.

3) Establish an “Interim” Tourism Visitor’s Center somewhere on the Square until the Courthouse restoration project is complete. Maybe ICC would be interested in partnering in an interim (or permanent) facility using proceeds from Santa-Cali-Gon.

4) Use the Tourism Advisory Board to actually provide advice and input. They are not just there to coordinate schedules and statistics.

5) Push Missouri officials to replace the current under-performing Tourism Welcome Center at the Truman Sports Complex. Again, and as reported on the blog of 10-15-09, “Last Place in the Standings”, it has the lowest head counts of all the state’s Welcome Centers. Yes, even the center in Eagleville, Missouri (population 321) exceeded Kansas City’s head counts by a whopping 50 percent. “Really?” Partner with the State to implement a new state-of-the-art facility at Little Blue Parkway & I-70 with a satellite location at the Independence Square Courthouse.

6) Push Missouri officials to place KC area or, yes, even Independence citizens to serve on both the Missouri Tourism Commission and the Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Currently, nobody from the Kansas City region serves on either of these important boards. There are reasons Western Missouri routinely gets left out from the resources coming from Jeff City.

7) Consider reserving tourism budget for sidewalk improvements along historical interpretive paths, maintenance and updates to interpretive signs, and improvements to the National Trails Center such as an elevator to open up additional space on the second floor.

8) Don’t allow other activities in City Hall not related to heritage tourism to use those designated tourism funds. The Events Center was sold to citizens as an investment that pays its own way and that it does not take resources from other parts of town, and in particular, Old Town.

9) Don’t forget the sesquicentennial anniversaries of the local battles and conflicts of the Civil War and Border War in Independence coming up in just a few short years. Coordinate with outside groups and plan events at the battlefield sites.

Under the current direction of the city, none of the above has happened nor is it likely to happen anytime soon until we, as a community, get over our historical self-esteem problems, our short sightedness in vision, and our hearing problems (listening to folks again who say there is no problem we cannot solve without another sales tax). Independence, once called the “Royal Suburbs” and “The Queen City of the Trails”, is now referred to recently in the New York Times as the “Hardscrabble Suburb.” You won’t see that word used in promotional brochures from the local economic development folks.

Neighborhood Revitalization – Gridlock on the Gridiron

The cover story in the KC Star Magazine from the Sunday paper is an article about Ralph Ochsner of Ochsner Hare & Hare, the creator and consultant of the Midtown / Truman Road Corridor (M/TRC) Neighborhood Revitalization project. It’s actually a good article and Ralph is brilliant and very creative but when discussing M/TRC, it requires a reality check. First of all, I believe it is important when doing the math and counting investments, the balance sheet should account for the losses. $85 million is a great total but we lost an $80 million hospital in the process. And if you read earlier blog entries, you may come up with several more items and setbacks to place in the loss column. Determining the overall success without accounting for the losses would be like playing a football game but only counting the scores from your team. In the article, a project was touted where “The front façade of that home was lying in the yard. Both stories were open to the elements, and a homeless guy was living in the basement.” The successful preservation of that circa 1853 building actually had very little to do with Ralph and M/TRC. It was a small group of neighbors who banded together, took the risks, and implemented that project while going all the way to Jefferson City to get the financial backing. In fact, some M/TRC Board members were, at the time, critical of the project while requests to M/TRC for financial support were refused. But with the assistance of neighborhood volunteers, the Truman Heartland Community Foundation, a group of architectural drafting students from William Chrisman, and the determination of a wonderful lady who wanted to contribute to a presidential neighborhood, the project was a huge success. The project got national attention on Bob Vila’s program, “Restore America” during the first season of a brand new cable TV network called HGTV. I’m glad to read in the Star Magazine that Ralph was pleased with the restoration of that Antebellum home but to somehow mention the project to a journalist while touting your accomplishments is misleading. But back to the football game, the half-time show is over, the score is dead even, and it’s time to put a fresh team on the field. We have great game plan thanks to Coach Ochsner, but the players need to actually read the plan, the players and the coach need to follow the plan, and finish with a victory before handing out trophies or awards.

Democracy on Pleasant Street

On this day, exactly 62 years ago, was one of the most dramatic elections in United States history. And, yes, that story began here in Independence, Missouri. I was actually reminded of this anniversary this morning on National Public Radio. November 2, 1948, Harry Truman, accompanied with Bess, Margaret, and several Secret Service personnel, walked one block east to the Memorial Building from his home on Delaware Street. Imagine being a student in Palmer Junior High sitting in a classroom on that day and having the teacher interrupt the lesson plan to direct students toward the windows or to the sidewalk to witness the President and his entourage marching across Pleasant Street towards the Memorial Building, scaling 16 stair steps to the front doors of the building to cast his vote for himself. This would be quite a lesson in civics. I’m sure that would be an image hard to forget every time you would cast a vote from that point on. A.G. Sulzberger, journalist with the New York Times, recently reminded us that our local history is actually very important to the nation. The physical evidence of that story is presented to the nation in our built environment; our sidewalks, the old courthouse, school buildings, neighborhood blocks, church steeples, and some of our Section 8 government-subsidized rental property. We should appreciate the national and international attention we get from the National Archives, the Truman Library, the National Park Service, and the New York Times. But let’s work together as a community to make sure that attention is positive. On that note and in the spirit of the 1948 election, support democracy, be sure to vote today.

Would Jesus Vote Yes on Amendment 3?

As our political season approaches its final week, it is interesting to see the political signs, especially here in the Truman Neighborhood. Some signs of particular interest are the four signs supporting Missouri Constitution Amendment 3 on the property of Heritage House Apartments at 660 North Spring. Most folks don’t know this but Heritage House is actually a not-for-profit tax-exempt organization affiliated with the Community of Christ Church. And the proposed Amendment 3 would ban governments from establishing a sales tax on real estate transactions. This ballet measure was initiated by an association of “for-profit” real estate professions. So why would a tax-exempt religious institution want neighborhood voters and, in particular, their renters (most who don’t own real estate), to vote to ban real estate sales tax? This is actually the million dollar question. And this is not the real irony. The rest of the story is that Heritage House is actually the polling place for the most of the neighborhood. Yes, that’s right, the landlord that pays no taxes and actively campaigns against taxes is the host of our neighborhood polling place where the voting booths are just an elevator stop for their hundreds of renters, where votes are cast concerning, yes you guessed it, taxes. And this particular campaign is somewhat deceptive. The fact is that purchasing a home is one few things that average middle-class American families can do to actually lower their tax bill. Whoever said that politics and religion don’t mix apparently never lived in the Truman Neighborhood. “Read my lips, no new taxes, pass the tea, and Praise the Lord!” I’m Tongue&Groove and I approve this message.

Truman Homes & Independence get Exposure

Problems associated with Truman’s Neighborhood and Old Town finally got some attention in the press. No it was not The Examiner or the KC Star. It was the New York Times and the Herald Tribune. Yes, the NY Times has a paper circulation of 1 million and 18 million daily visits (national and international) on their website.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101016/ZNYT02/10163015/2055/NEWS

This is what happens when your community hosts an important presidential history and you don’t take it seriously. The article speaks for itself and does not depict our community as good place to invest or raise a family. Will our community leaders read this and respond appropriately?

Lady Liberty Liberated

As a ship full of young soldiers was returning home from Europe in the aftermath of World War I, a war that generated 37 million causalities and 16 million deaths, a young Army Captain wrote to his future bride, “I’ve never seen anything that looked so good as the Liberty Lady in New York Harbor.” That soldier was Harry Truman writing a letter to his childhood sweetheart, Bess Wallace. This vision and setting of the statue where, “even the most hard-bitten veteran had trouble blinking back the tears,” was presented again in a speech by President Ronald Reagan at the Opening ceremonies of the Statue of Liberty Centennial Celebration in New York on July 3, 1986 where the president actually quotes from this letter written by Truman. Only three years prior to this speech, President Reagan would sign the legislation to create the Harry S Truman Home National Historic Site. Flash back again, this time one hundred years to the summer of 1884, the corner stone for the foundation that supports Lady Liberty in New York Harbor was laid, the statue was officially handed over to the ownership of the United States, and a child was born in Lamar, Missouri who would eventually help preserve liberty and freedom in the world as Commander and Chief. In more recent history, midway through President Truman’s second term, the Boy Scouts of American would dedicate a replica of the Lady Liberty in front of the Palmer School building and across the street from the old Memorial Building, a building dedicated to those WWI veterans who did not make it back on those returning ships through New York Harbor. The Memorial Building, Palmer School, and the Statue of Lady Liberty would eventually become contributing elements of the Harry S Truman National Historic Landmark District. President Truman would pass by that statue thousands of times during his walks through the neighborhood during his time in office and in his retirement. In 2003 the Independence School District celebrated the renovation and preservation of the Palmer School Building while receiving the W.Z. Hickman Award for Historic Preservation. Unfortunately the restoration of statue which had suffered from vandalism and a lack of maintenance was excluded from the School District’s plans. Last year, the City of Independence Beautification Commission was successful in resurrecting Lady Liberty and tasked with finding a more appropriate location for its home. In June of 2009, the restored Statue of Liberty was praised and celebrated at its new location at the new Midwest Genealogy Center located 4 miles away in a suburban site. The Beautification Commission should be congratulated for their successful restoration and relocation. And as the city’s Heritage Commission works diligently to review the smallest of detail for a tiny window on the second floor of a home on Delaware Street, we somehow need to recognize that a big and important piece of the Truman National Historical Landmark District not only was moved out of the neighborhood but its move was actually a celebrated event. It is my hope that we have a neighborhood where these historic and patriotic symbols of our liberty and freedom are always considered appropriate. We apparently still have a lot of work to do. And maybe we should add a third plaque to the base of Lady Liberty that states, “This statue used to reside in Harry Truman’s neighborhood on the property where he attended school, across the street from where he voted, and on the sidewalks where he walked.”

“Size Matters”

There is some encouragement in Independence for the proposal to expand the existing Harry S Truman National Historic Landmark (NHL) District. Expanded boundaries were first drawn almost ten years ago (see map) by the National Park Service (NPS) and were intended to cover more properties connected to the story of President Truman. If you examine the current proposed boundaries and compare them to boundaries first presented to the community you will notice that it got smaller. Here in Independence, we actually have a history of one of the nation’s only shrinking historic districts. But why did the NPS shrink the proposed NHL district expansion? The most noticeable bite taken out the original plan happens to be in the SW corner adjacent to the Community of Christ Church properties, which ironically represents our community’s most significant and visible investments led by the Midtown / Truman Road Corridor (M/TRC) Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation. Did M/TRC and City Hall support too many demolitions during this work? M/TRC standards for their activities including their tax abatement program include adherence to federal historic preservation standards. So if federal standards were really followed during redevelopment, then why did the NPS remove these blocks from their proposed federal district? Because of this omission, those property owners will not be eligible for current or future federal and state financial assistance programs for historic properties. Will this encourage further reinvestment? These blocks are only a half a block from the Truman Home National Historic Site and include properties connected to the Truman’s. It appears to me that significant public investments in programs do not guarantee their successes (sound familiar?). With the limited resources available for historic neighborhoods, it is most critical that tax dollars are spent wisely and effectively. In this case, were we smart with our public investments? From the perspective of our nation’s assets, it appears not, but I guess we will let history be the judge.

Santa-Cali-(is)-Gone

Yes, it was Santa-Cali-Gon time again in Independence. And yes, attendance appeared to be up (along with the BMI of the average attendee). And of course, it’s the festival named after and intended to celebrate our pioneer trails heritage but does nothing to promote this important history. As successful as one may judge this 4-day festival to be, the fact is that it promotes undeveloped space and blighted asphalt parking lots for the remaining 361 days of the year. The blighted empty parking lot owned by Bank of America (8-29-09 blog entry) looked even worst this year than last. The pile of brush and weeds that was in the middle of the lot wasn’t even cleaned out. The good church-folks that got permission from the bank to sale parking places there just shoved the debris to the corner towards the street to optimize the number of parking spaces (while minimizing their clean-up efforts). The bank didn’t even bother to mow the grass. If the Independence Chamber of Commerce would just pull the blinds on their windows and, of course, open their eyes, they would see this. The rusty strands of barbed wire that protect(?) this lot actually extend within a few feet of playground equipment for Hillcrest Ministries youth. Yes, Hillcrest is located on the NE corner of Spring & White Oak Streets which happens to be within the proposed expanded Truman National Historic Landmark District boundaries. Ironically, Hillcrest Ministries has no off-street parking for their patrons. No, this is not just about historic preservation. It’s about being a good neighborhood, public safety, economic development, and raising the bar with respect to community stewardship. We need community values we can “bank” on.

A “Trip” for Tourists this “Fall”

If we’re not going to fix the sidewalks, then we should at least warn citizens and tourists to watch their step. And if property owners along Delaware Street have been relieved of their responsibility to pay their property taxes, then MTRC needs to revoke their tax abatement until this gets fixed. It appears to me that our community just has lower standards on this side of town. Developers and Revitalization Corporations are expected to not finish their projects. And the presence of a “Presidential” neighborhood seems to have the opposite effect that it would have in a normal community. Most communities push themselves to be great and extraordinary. It would be great if Independence had an extraordinary push towards mediocrity.

Sidewalk Improvements Sidestepped

As a follow up to the 10-08-09 Blog “Walk the Walk” the above photo was taken to show progress. Yes, you are correct. Absolutely nothing has happened. In fact, the sidewalks are in worst condition. How can this be? A large group of concerned Delaware Street property owners actually had three meetings with City Hall department heads, City Council members, and even the Mayor to “Talk the Talk” about this problem and come up with solutions. Ironically, the Mayor represents both sides of this problem. He represents City Hall and he is a property owner on Delaware Street that sees this mess several times each day. The award-winning Midtown / Truman Road Corridor (MTRC) Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation also has some responsibilities that they have neglected even though the taxpayers are investing almost $40,000 a year to keep that organization in business. As a condition of “tax abatement” that was granted by MTRC for many of those property owners along Delaware, those sidewalks are suppose to be practically flawless. The failure to fix this very basic and blatant problem represents the dysfunctional nature of our community while reinforcing the main point presented in this series of blogs that the Truman Neighborhood is considered not that important to community leaders and local institutions. Could it be that our community leaders have been hit in the head too many times with hockey pucks? Should we change the symbol of our community from a “walking president” to a “falling tourist?” Should our Tourism Department be allocating a portion of their million dollar annual budget to place warning labels on their walking tour brochures? When taking the photo above, I was actually approached by a Park Service Ranger who stated, “I’m embarrassed to have visitors walk the neighborhood.” We are pleased to see the brand new sidewalks surrounding the Community of Christ Temple but community leaders need to recognize that there are other parts of town that are important also.

Is Independence a Presidential Community?

Last week, we traveled to Charlottesville, Virginia and toured the presidential homes of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and James Madison. It was an interesting experience to spend time in a community that has embraced their presidential histories. The presidential homes were magnificent by themselves but the local community goes to great lengths to preserve and maintain the historic settings and landscapes surrounding these landmarks. And it is not the federal government or local government zoning doing this. It is private citizens through local not-for-profit groups and foundations taking on the responsibilities of protecting these landmarks and landscapes while making them accessible to the general public. And what a difference it makes when the community is supportive. Historians have ranked Jefferson to be the 7^th greatest presidents of our country. Monroe is ranked 14^th and Madison is ranked 20^th. Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence and Madison was the primary author of the US Constitution. Meanwhile, back in the hometown of the 5^th greatest US president, Harry Truman, how has the City of Independence responded to its national responsibility? It is great to have the federal government step in and assist with the preservation and protection of the Truman Home. And it is appropriate for the City of Independence to provide local zoning and historic district regulations for the protection of the historic setting of the Truman Home. But wouldn’t it be great if local citizens, churches, and institutions just wanted to do it anyway because it was the right thing to do?

“Blessed Be the Tie that Binds”

This is actually a true story of a little country church a few counties away from the KC area. The congregation dates back to the 1840’s when they were meeting in a log structure. In 1883, they built a beautiful, but simple, wood-framed church building at a corner where there was a bend in the dirt road and continued to serve the souls in the nearby farms. Small towns and villages developed around this church but never very close by. In the late 1890’s, the church denomination decided to consolidate congregations to a larger church in the adjacent community and, for the most part, folks were agreeable to this. And so this one-room country church was to be abandon by the denomination and the congregation. This is actually a common tale in rural America but also in blighted urban areas and this is usually where the story ends. But, for this country church, this is where the real story begins. Families with strong ties to this property continued to meet there for what developed to be annual reunions consisting of scripture reading, prayer, and a feast while allowing time to perform repairs and maintenance to the church and property. They took collections to make sure the property would always be cared for. When a tornado ripped off part of the old metal roof and damaged the building, they made sure it was repaired immediately and a new metal roof was installed. What started out as a small group of local folks and families over 170 years ago is now a network of many families in multiple states who travel long distances to attend these reunions while bringing their children so a new generation will be there to pass the torch. Attendance at the last reunion counted over 70 people and they may soon actually outgrow the old sanctuary. I would imagine these folks do not consider themselves as “preservationists” and most are not likely involved in historical societies. They probably even scoff at the idea that governments have to be involved in historic preservation. But they have the assurance embedded in their hearts that this little country church is important. It is the fundamental element of the story of their families; where they inherited their strong Christian beliefs and family values; adjacent to the fields where they harvested the rewards for their hard work; where a sense of comfort and community radiated from the kerosene lamps hanging below the arched plaster ceiling. It is truly the story of America. Meanwhile, back in Independence, we too have stories to tell and to preserve for the next generation. So how well do you think that is going? Are our churches contributing to our sense of community in a way that will sustain our community (and sustain their own ministries)? The highlight of my year was being invited to step foot in that little country church and experience, with all my senses, the story of that strong faith in what was then a young and burgeoning nation. Independence is blessed with multitudes of highlights and stories to tell. We just need to recognize them before they crumble to the ground.

Flood Thy Neighbor

“And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, ………And God saw that it was good,” unless you happen to live adjacent to a church parking lot. This spring, our community has been abundantly blessed with rain from the heavens. In June alone, we had 8.5 inches total with almost 3 inches coming in a single day. Three inches may not seem like a lot of water but when it falls on 3 acres of pavement, roofs, and adjacent saturated ground, it amounts to a quarter of a million gallons of water. This amount of water falling on poorly designed and maintained parking lots has put millions of gallons of water “gathered together into one place” resulting in tens of thousands of dollars of damage to neighborhood properties. Unfortunately, the restoration of that damage comes out of the pocket of neighbors, not from churches nor from City Hall who approved the permits for all that asphalt. Ironically, City Hall is asking us to vote to extend the Sales Tax for storm water control in our community. All this rain reminds us that storm water management is very important. But if this sales tax is extended, will investments be made in and around the Truman Neighborhood to correct past oversights? Or will City Hall concentrate on their investment in the flood plain? Please consider voting in favor of the sales tax to give City Hall the tools to correct the problems created by the last generation of community planners. But before you vote “Yes,” make sure city officials are aware of storm water problems on your block and tell them Old Town Independence is important, also.

Happy 100th Birthday to Old City Hall

Thanks, PrudentPreservation, for seeing the forest for the trees. Did anyone realize that this year is the 100^th anniversary of the opening of this circa 1910 City Hall Building? Many communities would celebrate such an anniversary. This event will obviously pass without fanfare here in Independence. I ran across the above post card image back in the day when citizens were pretty proud of their public buildings. It certainly doesn’t look like that anymore, but it still has the potential to be a community asset. The condition of this property is more a community problem that a county government problem. If citizens do not care about historic buildings, then that apathy will be reflected in the government officials we elect and in the directions governments take. And these buildings become difficult to sell for private redevelopment since they are not eligible for State & Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credits or many grant programs (since they are not in a historic district). Will this property become yet another poorly maintained parking lot that is only used during a 4-day festival? Is anyone picking up on the reoccurring themes of these blog posts?

Local Governments “Trading Spaces”

On the corner of South Main Street and West Kansas Avenue is a pair of structures that represent historic landmarks of local governments. On Kansas Avenue is the 1827 Log Courthouse, the very first County building and could well be the oldest building in Jackson County. Next door facing Main Street is the oldest remaining City Hall structure for the City of Independence. Now here comes the irony. The City owns the old Log County Courthouse and the County owns the old City Hall, therefore we now have an episode of “Trading Spaces” in the works. So let’s all judge how well they have been doing on this visible street corner in Old Town Independence. The City has done a respectable job in maintaining the Log Courthouse as a tourist site, considering it is 183 years old, not to mention it is constructed of vulnerable materials, i.e., unpainted wood logs. The old City Hall is almost half that age constructed of a durable brick and stone and it is in deplorable condition. You can see why the county has allowed the vegetation to be overgrown (see above photo). Just standing on the front porch appears to be dangerous with pieces of the ceiling sagging from above or laying on the porch floor. Someone has put a roadway barrier on the porch to apparently inhibit human occupation. Four AC condensing units are missing in the back with service lines to those units dangling as if it were the handiwork of a thief. Some of the stone and brick are cracked. Now we all understand the financial constraints of local governments, and yes, we all appreciate Jackson County’s award-winning efforts in restoring the exterior façade and landscape of the Courthouse on The Square. But there are other line items on the budget report that also need attention. A complete restoration of the old City Hall would be wonderful but most citizens would settle for just a little preventative maintenance, a good cleaning, and some vegetation trimming/removal. This summer is political campaign season for county government positions. This would be a great opportunity to ask the candidates, especially the incumbents, to address these critical issues of deferred maintenance of county-owned properties, especially for highly visible historic properties in tourist areas, and yes, above all, in the hometown of the most notable county politician, former Presiding County Judge Harry Truman. A funny thing about democracies, the voters always get the government they deserve.

Christian & Family Values Restored

Historic church architecture and steeples that dominate the landscape in Old Town Independence are tremendous and represent the foundation of our community. Many of the earliest settlers came here not for fortune and fame but to make sure the new territory was founded on Christian values. This great Christian heritage is something we should all be proud of and it should be celebrated more often here in Independence. The visible evidence of this important heritage is in our historic church architecture and sanctuaries. These structures were built not just to provide shelter for gatherings but to give glory to God through its architecture, scale, and symbolism. Materials chosen such as brick and stone were intended to endure through the centuries. Community hearts and souls went into the construction of these sacred places that witnessed baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals for generations of community people, thus, making these places important not only for church history but for the multitudes of family histories. Two historic churches are contributing components of the Harry Truman National Historic Landmark District which give them even more value to the community and to the nation. One of those, the First Presbyterian Church, is where young Harry Truman and Bess Wallace attended Sunday School. The other, First Baptist Church, represents the most prominent historic church within the view shed of the Truman Home National Historic Site. Many other historic church structures are also important to the community and help communicate the complete story of our town. This architecture is “real” and represents classic and original styles as opposed to much of today’s architecture which focuses on simulated veneers and plagiarized facades. But more importantly, it represents our collective histories; the histories of our families, our neighborhood, our town, our nation, and our covenant with God. When these pieces of our history disappear, the value of our historic community is diminished and our spiritual heritage is sacrificed. And, since historic preservation is an educational tool, a dimension is lost for spreading the Christian message to future generations. Yes, we have a lot to learn from the strong Christian and family values of our forefathers, for Christ’s sake.

National Preservation Month – Encore Event!

As the curtain is drawn on the series of events to mark the end of “National Preservation Month,” we get a curtain call to witness an important part of our local preservation history. No, it’s not theater or drama or special effects or reenactments. It’s reality programming. After years of neglect and its contribution to blight in this neighborhood, we are finally closing the chapter on 1306 W. Maple. On Wednesday, May 26, the walls came tumbling down. History is all about understanding our past and learning from our mistakes in order to move forward in a positive direction. This was the point of Dr. Jon Taylor’s book, “Competing Histories.” But have we really learned from our past mistakes? I’ve always wondered what it would be like growing up as a young child on a block like this where homes are treated in this manner. You would think one would grow up with a distorted perspective on community stewardship. I believe the best thing our community leaders can do is put themselves in the shoes of individuals and families who live adjacent to institutional properties. It’s obvious the land adjacent to this property is being cleared for a purpose. Hopefully, the eventual purpose of this neighborhood block will be greater than its most recent negative influences on the neighborhood. From local history, we have learned that this has not always been the case. And as for the 100-year old home at 1306 W. Maple, “It’s History.”

“If You Can’t Stand the Heat ………”

The Examiner recently reported a house fire in the 300 block of South Fuller (5-12-10). Their brief report indicated an “unknown” cause of the fire that completely gutted the home. This incendiary event at 308 South Fuller happened to be only a few blocks from 1306 W. Maple, the other abandon home discussed in this Blog. And, yes, both are in the award-winning multi-million-dollar M/TRC Neighborhood Revitalization area and the proposed 12 Blocks West area. The real story of 308 S. Fuller is easily assessable on the city’s official website indicating its extensive code enforcement history. In the last 6 years, this property has been cited for code violations 24 times (this may be a city record) with a recent action noting unsanitary conditions resulting in an “Unsafe to Occupy” posting. And the utilities have been turned off since last year. The rest of this story is that the nicely renovated and well-kept home next door experienced damage from the fire also (see photo above). The vinyl siding shriveled up from the heat, at least one window was broken from falling debris, and there was likely even smoke damage. By the way, the IFD did a great job in putting out the fire and minimizing the damage to the adjacent property. This story begins like many other stories in town where property is owned by a person or an organization that doesn’t live in this neighborhood and who obviously doesn’t care about the families who live on this block. So if the home was vacant and the utilities were turned off, then was the cause spontaneous combustion? The collateral damage from problem properties goes beyond the heat generated from an arson fire. The problems in Old Town are clear but are city leaders getting the whole story? I guess we will see if the folks igniting the 12 Blocks West program can “take the heat” and accomplish what M/TRC and City Hall has failed to do.

Contrary Kingdom

This is a make-believe fairy tale of a land not so far away for which nothing is what you would expect. In fact, things happen just the opposite way it would in the other normal surrounding kingdoms. It’s “Contrary Kingdom.” Where the land considered the most sacred is treated with the most disrespect. The Ministry of Health is located in the area where the youngest and healthiest villagers are and furthest away from the older villages who need these services most. Upon the flood plain of the Big Red River, economic activity is much more prominent than it is on higher ground where there is protection from the monsoons and where it is closer to the castle. The Ministry of Agriculture sponsors an annual festival to celebrate the harvest of the once abundant melon crop which the kingdom had been historically known for. Unfortunately, all the celebrations are conducted in the melon patch and they end up destroying most of their harvest each year. The Kingdom is actually becoming less known for the harvest of melons and more so for the huge festival that ends up driving the good farmers out to other more thriving kingdoms. The king and his court routinely issue proclamations stating that “All is well in the Land of the Melon” while melon production continues to fall. And the villagers lived despondently ever after. Good thing Contrary Kingdom is just a fairy tale!

McClain’s Square Roots of Success

As we recognize the success of the Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street Inc. (DLSMS), it becomes clear what can be accomplished when the entire community gets behind a project and a vision. As for “The Square” in downtown Independence, the McClains have had to work against the grain without the support of state and federal tax credit programs through historic district designations, overcoming negative economic and social ills, and lackluster business development and tourism programs in order to achieve their successes. On Sunday, The KC Star Magazine did a great cover story on the McClains highlighting the 16 businesses they started on The Square. Given the obstacles they’ve had to overcome, their accomplishments should be considered even greater than the award-winning DLSMS. Unfortunately, the McClains are less likely to be recognized from groups like the National Trust since The Square has never been officially designated as a national historic district. Attempts were started 10 years ago to expand the existing National Historic Landmark District to include The Square, but regrettably, those efforts have fizzled out. We could establish a local historic district to demonstrate our support of the national designation but no one seems to be talking about that either. In the mean time, we need to honor those who have chosen not to wait for the community to catch up with the rest of the world and who are actually doing things and solving problems on their own to revitalize our historic community. Congratulations and “Thank You” to the McClains for their positive contributions to and their continued support of the “Historic” Independence Square. And congratulations also to the County of Jackson for their successful completion of the restoration of the grounds and landscaping that frame one of the most important courthouses in the United States.

Local Suburb Reaches Summit in Historic Preservation

The City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri recently received one of only five national honors for the “2010 Great American Main Street Awards” from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This award recognized Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street Inc. for their work and accomplishments in revitalizing the heart of their community. Their success was a result of strong political support, appropriate professional planning, a progressive business community, and, more importantly, an active historic preservation program that promoted attractive tax credit programs offered at the state and federal level. Lee’s Summit currently hosts five historic districts (with a sixth one on the way) while viewing its historic built environment as community assets and using historic preservation as an economic development tool. This is what can happen when a community is running on all cylinders. They have been able to balance the success of booming growth and economic development combined with protecting their important historical resources. Yes, they know how to walk and chew gum at the same time. Congratulations to our neighbor, the City of Lee’s Summit, Missouri.

God Bless America!

The burial grounds for US Veterans are considered sacred and solemn with the highest level of respect bestowed on not just these grave sites but also their settings and surrounding spaces. This is how we were taught and this is how we were raised as Americans. This is one thing that even Republicans and Democrats (and yes Tea Partiers) all agree on. Most would even agree that a similar level of respect should be bestowed upon distinguished public institutions, libraries, archives, and, yes, places such as National Historic Sites & Landmark Districts. But what about a place that includes all of the above? And the veteran buried at the site happened to be a US President. And the site has an official military color guard and ceremony honoring this US President each year. And it’s not just any President, but the Honorable Harry S Truman who served as a Captain in WWI, whose leadership ended WWII while rebuilding and maintaining freedom in post-war Europe, and who desegregated the military. Such an important place would not only be desirable to have in one’s community but you would think that it would attract other reputable institutions along with public and private community investments. So how has that worked here in Independence? To answer this, I would invite you to park your car at the WWI Memorial Building and march towards the Truman Library on Pleasant Street past the abandon Palmer ISD building, past the plywood covered windows along the way, watching your step on the crumbling concrete and mud sidewalks, through McCoy Park, under the buzz of the towering high-voltage power lines, below the crumbling concrete bridge with painted-over graffiti, adjacent to the eroded bridge embankments, up the hill, past the ISD building with the tall cell phone tower (which is actually visible from the Library courtyard & grave site), and eventually to the front steps of the beautifully designed and landscaped grounds of the Truman Library and eternal resting place of one of the great American Presidents and military veterans. And this stair and entrance into the Library is mostly visible along this Pleasant Street route. To host this site is a privilege and honor for our community but it comes with responsibilities that, if we do not take seriously, the entire world notices. We can and should do a better job in respecting this place and its surroundings not just as a demonstration of community pride but, more importantly, as an expression of our love of Country. This is how I was taught and this is how I was raised as an American.

Spreading Fertilizer in Independence

To quote noted prize-winning historian, author, and former Librarian of Congress, Daniel Boorstin, “Planning for the future without a sense of the past is similar to planting cut flowers.” For a historic community such as Independence, historic preservation can be a tool to help Independence celebrate and build upon its important past. It’s about giving institutions, neighborhoods, and communities a strong foundation (root system) for which to grow, sustain itself, and bear fruit. Historic preservation provides communities with redevelopment tools and resources at the state and federal levels to accomplish great things. Active preservation and revitalization programs create jobs in a bad economy, boost property values in a slumping market, and, yes, reduce crime while we struggle to fund our police force. In fact, Missouri is the most successful state in the nation in its use of federal and state income tax credits for historic preservation and neighborhood stabilization. Historic communities in Missouri have very few excuses not to get this right. As for the Truman Boyhood Home on South Crysler (subject of 11-3-09 blog), historic preservation can be a tool to not only address a problem property and restore a historic landmark, but can create an anchor for the revitalization of a struggling neighborhood. It takes a community with a shared vision, effective leadership, and appropriate professional guidance to recognize these opportunities and to get something started. So if we have all these ingredients for the cake, then why do we keep getting half-baked efforts? No, it’s not about money. Our efforts to throw public money at something in order to make it better have not always been successful (as mentioned in the previous blogs). It’s a matter of setting priorities with forward-thinking, appropriate planning, and collaboration while fostering a sense of pride. But most importantly, it’s in creating an environment to encourage private investment from young families and innovative developers (not remote landlords). No, I’m not saying it is easy, but our community has had some success in doing difficult things. We need to stop spreading fertilizer on cut flowers and take steps towards real and sustainable progress.

Fuzzy Math in Tourism

To evaluate the success of the Heritage Tourism program here in Independence, you just have to “Do the Math.” In the last ten years, our head-counts at tourist sites have dropped from approximately 400,000 to 200,000 per year while we have increased our expenditures from $500,000 to $1,000,000, and doubled the number city employees dedicated to the tourism department. And to say that we had a thriving tourism industry here ten years ago would be an understatement. And head-counts are somewhat deceiving since tourists are counted several times as they go from site to site and even counted twice at individual sites (i.e. if one watches the film at the Ticket Center while waiting for a tour at the Truman Home). And, not to mention, that some folks visiting sites are not tourist at all but are actually locals or students. From simple arithmetic, City Hall is investing $5 per site visit (compared to $1.25 ten years ago). So if we spend $5 of tax money just to get you to the front door of the Vaile Mansion and you spend $5 for the tour, then was that a good investment? The million dollars might be better spent on historic site development / expansion / preservation, fixing sidewalks along walking tour trails, restoring / expanding interpretive signs, and investing in neighborhoods surrounding tourist sites. So why were the tourism numbers several times higher in the 1980’s and 1990’s when we were spending very little on marketing? And in 1998, we paid a consultant from Arizona to develop a “Tourism Plan” so we could do a better job promoting ourselves. Did that help? The numbers say that the more we spend, the less success we have. Even though the money comes from a lodging tax from travelers, many who do not go beyond the I-70 corridor, that does not mean it is not real money. We have to demand accountability, results, and, yes, basic math skills from City Hall. Our slogan should be “It costs us a Lincoln to get you to a Truman site.”

Blight Update at 1306 N. Maple

The update is that there is no update or changes. In fact, what appears to be a secure building from the street is an allusion. All the windows on the east side are completely broken out. Both doorway openings on the back side are unsecure. In the garage, which is also apparently tagged dangerous, is loaded with piles of garbage (see above photo) with the front doors open. It has to be attracting rodents (or worse) to the neighborhood. Drug activity was already mentioned in a previous blog concerning this property. And county records indicate that this property has been owned by a church-based educational institution (guess which one). I find it hard to believe that city officials have actually inspected this property. And if they have, then it is crystal clear who has influences over City Hall. If we were to manage property in this manner, City Hall would demand and strictly enforce clean up in 30 days. This property has looked bad for a year or more. Will this end up being yet another case where criminal arson will do more to remove blight than church, government, and M/TRC combined? Wake Up, Independence! Elections are coming up. If you’re happy with the status quo and the level of respect bestowed on our heritage here in Old Town, then there are clear choices for you at the polls. Actually, this would be a great time to take out the garbage!

One Block East

PrudentPreservation makes a great point. It needs to be noted that the 300-400 block of North Pleasant Street is “One Block East” of the Truman Home and within view of the Truman Home National Historic Site. There is a hint (or stench) of hypocrisy to charge off to clean up blight in the “12 Blocks West” while contributing to blight in one block east. It also needs to be mentioned, again, that this block of Pleasant Street has been a part of the M/TRC Neighborhood Revitalization Program. Locals obviously have varying opinions about the state of neighborhood. Have you wondered what folks outside our community think? In May of 2008, the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation (state-wide not-for-profit group based in Columbia MO) listed the Truman National Historic Landmark District on its “Top 10 Most Endangered Historic Places” in the state because of conditions on Pleasant Street and because “institutional property owners in the area have been moving out.” In the 1990’s, we were high on the list of endangered landmarks for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In the 1980’s, it was the US Department of the Interior. Have situations really improved in the last three decades? The Truman Library Institute’s fund-raiser, “Wild about Harry”, is next week and it attracts support from all across the country. It would be great for the local community to demonstrate that they are also “Wild about Harry” by supporting the preservation of his neighborhood and the historic setting his home. The Truman Neighborhood is essentially a living history district with the emphasis on “living.” It is important to have living/breathing human beings and families occupying the surrounding properties. And it is important to take advantage of the resources and tools available at the federal level to accomplish this goal. So what are we waiting for?

NSP Bucks Should Stop on Pleasant Street

The problem with foreclosures and vacant properties hit the 300-400 block of North Pleasant Street, in the heart of the Harry S Truman National Historic Landmark District, long before the crisis hit the community and the nation. The photo above is 419 N. Pleasant taken almost 2 years ago and shows overgrown weeds and boarded up windows. Conditions today are worst. The property looked this way during Candidate Barack Obama’s pivotal campaign speech about “Patriotism” at the Memorial Building (only a block away) while the national press descended on our neighborhood. And we lost one empty building over three years ago from arson (subject of 11-27-09 Blog Post). Today there are actually 5 empty buildings on this block which include an empty historic church sanctuary with plywood covering stained glass windows and, yes, an empty school building (Palmer). But there is actually hope. The federal government has what they call the National Stabilization Program (NSP) where they provide money to local communities to purchase foreclosed properties for rehabilitation and resale. City Historic Preservation staff is currently proposing to use NSP funds for 419 N. Pleasant. This has actually been one of the best ideas to come from City Hall in a long time. No other property in town would give you more bang for your buck than this one. Millions of dollars are available and have been for a while. Other communities have been spending this money. What is the hold up in Independence? If this were a problem associated with the Event Center, it would be treated as an emergency and the city would go into debt to address it immediately. In this case, money is not short but leadership is. Someone needs to take the lead this spring to get the NSP funds invested in our historic neighborhoods. We cannot depend on the First Baptist Church, the School District, or the banking community for leadership on Pleasant Street. City Hall has to step up to the plate and treat issues in Old Town with the same urgency as their beloved projects in the Little Blue Valley.

Deficits on Streets lead to Potholes in Revenue

We’ve mentioned the cost of maintaining open space and parking lots, but what is the impact on city revenue when homes are removed from neighborhood streets? The City of Independence has budgeted over $52 million in revenue from property taxes, franchise fees from city-owned utilities, taxes from city-owned utilities, franchise fees & taxes from natural gas services, franchise fees & taxes & 911 fees from phone use, franchise fees & taxes from cable services, cigarette taxes, gasoline taxes, motor vehicle license fees, and general sales tax. This revenue represents an average of $1120 per household (this assumes households are supporting our local businesses). Every household represents a revenue stream. When these households disappear, so does the revenue. For example, if an entire block of say 26 homes disappear, that could represent a $350,000 loss in annual revenue from the city’s budget or the equivalent of the starting base salaries of 9 entry-level police officers. Obviously, poorly maintained and managed houses can put on strain on city resources but so do empty lots. It is important to maintain our housing stock for a sustainable city government and appropriate staffing levels of police and firefighters. It also supports local public schools, libraries, county government, etc. We need to get behind “12 Blocks West” and any other neighborhood revitalization/conservation efforts to maintain clean and safe housing for our citizens. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to put professional hockey players on our streets to maintain law & order.

“M/TRC-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E”

The Examiner reported correctly in their headline “Hope for Truman Road Corridor?” when they placed the question mark at the end. The Midtown / Truman Road Corridor (M/TRC) Neighborhood Revitalization Program started out strong, but its record has most definitely been questionable of recent years. They supported the demolition of two homes in the expanded National Historic Landmark District that were also judged to be historic by the City’s Heritage Commission. Then they did not follow through to make sure the developer filled in all the empty spaces. They cleared land in an “Urban Renewal” style with the promise of putting in a park and some housing. Now we are spending public money for mowing and maintaining empty lots. Some of these vacant lots had been called in for code enforcement (in other words, conditions that contribute to “blight”). They continue to operate with staff and board members who live in other parts of town or even other cities. Church representation on the board has always had a priority over representation from neighbors. They continue to send money to the Kansas City consulting firm of Ochsner, Hare & Hare (OHH), for helpful advice? I realize that the economy is bad but we’ve been working at this for 15 years and there was plenty of time to get this right when the real estate market was strong. The extra $38,425 the City Council has budgeted for this year doesn’t appear to be buying anything new but the continued bureaucracy of maintaining an approved group of property owners who are not paying property taxes. Actually, the sidewalks in front of some of those approved properties are in horrible condition. It seems the neighborhood would be better off to invest an additional $537 dollars to hire a full-time police officer (starting entry-level base salary of $38,962) devoted to this neighborhood and let the M/TRC Board (with church representation) solve their own budget problems. If I recall, the M/TRC Neighborhood Revitalization Plan was actually developed by the RLDS Church and OHH (maybe they would be interested in contributing). It seems the reputations of many are on the line. Those who are actually paying their taxes and those at the national level concerned about the fate of a valuable Presidential Neighborhood deserve more effort from the community to get this right.

Pink Slip Appears!

Just 3 days after the blog post on January 24^th that presented problems at 1306 W. Maple, it appears that the City responded appropriately with tagging this building as dangerous. Wow, someone must be actually reading this blog. Unfortunately, the property owner has still left broken glass on the front porch while children are playing at the neighborhood park just down the street. The tag (pictured above) actually references a fire at the property while there is no visible evidence of a fire (maybe it’s prophecy). Also, it has been 3 weeks since the date on the tag and it is still not registered on the city’s website as a complaint. Are city officials serious about this case? Is the property owner pulling a few strings? Does Rex know his name is on this tag? As average citizens and taxpayers, using property maintenance code complaints is our primary means of fighting neighborhood blight. I would encourage all citizens to use this tool that is available through our city government but, as you can see, it is important to follow up on these code complaints to make sure City Hall works like it is suppose to and that property owners respond appropriately. Government/institution-sponsored revitalization programs will not work without the helpful participation of local neighbors, citizens, families, and, yes of course, churches. When neighborhood children witness first-hand poor community stewardship by adults, then they will assume that no one will care when it comes to graffiti, vandalism, or worst. The cycle continues. Stay tuned to see what happens to 1306 W. Maple. It may give us a preview of how “12 Blocks West” will be managed. The home actually appears to need only minor repairs to keep it on the tax rolls. It’s too bad they didn’t take advantage of the tax incentives when they were available through our award-winning M/TRC program (when the adjacent hospital was in business). Does anyone see a pattern here?