HPCC - December 1998 Meeting Minutes

Meeting Minutes by by Ollie Rieley

Meeting opened at 7:37 by President Mitch Kates.

Mitch opened the meeting with several comments about the health of Highland Park:

There has been a series of strong, good reports in the press: A feature on the reservoir covers followed by an editorial a few days later. This showed that a community can work with and through people to get the message to the powers that be. There can be alternatives to an undesirable end.

He also noted that the Zoning Board of Adjustment approved the appeal to allow a coffee shop in the old Marcus Pharmacy location, subject to several conditions. He noted that the sale of the building to Amy Enrico, the proposed coffee shop's owner, closed a few days before the meeting. It is not known at this time whether the Zoning Board of Adjustment decision will be appealed to the Court of Common Pleas by objecting neighbors.

New members introduced themselves.

New Business

A comment was made that the traffic on N Highland Ave. is increasing and becoming excessive. Question: Could One Wild Place (nee Hill Rd.) be closed to all but Zoo traffic and traffic be rerouted to Negley Run which is designed to be a through street? A suggestion was made there should be a ticket blitz to control speeding on N. Highland and N. Negley. No conclusion was reached; these are just the sort of issues that should be brought up to PAT and City representatives at the January meeting.

Committee Reports

Bryant Street Committee is renamed the Business District Committee. Banners are being planned for installation in the spring with city funding help arranged by Councilman Ferlo.

Membership: New member report elsewhere in Newsletter. Diane DeNardo, reporting for chair Kelly Meade, requested and received approval of funding for professional help in transferring the membership database from Diane's Apple computer to Kelly's PC compatible computer.

Newsletter: Input is due, desire to mail before Christmas.

Thanks were extended to Mark Flaherty, Jeff Grubbs, and Tania Grubbs for the music at the Holiday Party and to all others who helped make a special event.

Mitch reminded all to continue the Nabisco Boycott.