Author Archives: André Natta

Election '07: What do I want in a mayor?

Leading up to next Tuesday, people have been still attempting to make us “make it easy for folks” by picking a candidate for them. I still don’t believe that our primary purpose is to do that. There is a place for suggesting or even grandstanding, but I still don’t quite believe that the place is here. Actually I don’t know of many places where I believe it to be proper save for a courtroom or a debate competition. Maybe the local drinking establishments after a long day of work.

Regardless, it has forced me to think of what I’d actually like to see in a mayoral candidate. The standard for me is actually Martin O’Malley, the former mayor of Baltimore currently serving as governor of Maryland. There’s also a little bit of Joe Riley of Charleston influencing what I’ve come to expect in political leaders. You can choose to agree or disagree, but you might want to read the rest of this before you decide.

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Election '07: Improved transit should be a no-brainer

It appears that transit is about to become a top priority of the Jefferson County Commission. Probably about the time this post appears online a meeting will either have just finished or still be going on with hopes of beginning the discussion about a truly regional mass transit system for grater Birmingham.

The three commissioners that attended this year’s Regional Chamber of Commerce BIG trip returned with visions of bringing regional cooperation to the forefront of economic development efforts here in Birmingham. This is while the governor speaks about introducing more toll roads into the state to handle the increasing traffic on the state’s busiest roads, including Highway 280.

There are some that believe that Commissioners Carns and Humphreys and Commission President Collins are sincere, yet some are also cynical about their chances of success. They have every reason to think that way. If the issue becomes one of partisan politics instead of one about improving the quality of life not just for the Birmingham region, but for the entire state, then it will certainly see a steep uphill battle. If it is brought to the people of the entire state for a vote as being only about Birmingham and not as an opportunity to demonstrate what can happen in the entire state, it will fail to be approved.

As the regional population ages and transplants and “boomerangs” move into our metropolitan area, the issue of reliable transit will become more and more important and relevant. The mayor and council at the center of the region have good intentions about how to assist our transit authority, though it appears that any true progress in providing temporary support to a transit system in need will now have to wait until it is determined who will be in a runoff for the city’s top job.

Those that agreed to be interviewed for our Your Questions, Their Answers series all agreed that Montgomery did not necessarily understand the importance of this issue to the people of metro Birmingham and the state in general. They all agreed that the mayor should take a larger role in advancing the issue. Whoever gets elected should find ways to work with the commission and keep them motivated to follow through on their commitment to moving the region forward.

For a city that used to boast one of the world’s larger streetcar systems, it should be a no-brainer to return to a reliance of alternative transportation options. Gas prices continue to climb and many are realizing that the commute time could be just a little more productive than it is now if they weren’t having to drive so much. But we do dare defend our rights, particularly against the issue of more taxation. Unfortunately, better quality will not come about in this case until we realize that we cannot more if we are not willing to pay more for it.

This may finally be the time when we stop being provincial in terms of selfishness and with regards to the thought of failure and we take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate how something like a regional or even statewide transit system can help us bring more jobs into the state and allow more of our residents and visitors to enjoy what the state has to offer.

I’ve learned in my short time living here that the words taxes and transit should not be spoken depending on where you are. People need to use those words with frequency if this city is to regain the infrastructure needed to truly enjoy its urban fabric.

Are there enough voices?

Editor’s Note: I received the following letter from Jeremy C. Erdreich this afternoon. Erdreich is the principal of Erdreich Architecture, PC. It was written in response to this post on our city’s urban fabric. If anyone else has comments on the post, either comment directly to the post or submit your letter to andre@bhamterminal.com. – ACN

André,

Great job with The Terminal. I peruse it daily, as do friends of mine.

I want to commend you particularly on your editorial regarding the city’s attitude towards its history and its sense of urban place. As you know, we’ve always had a weak sense of the public, of the collective, and of urbanity here. I am very disheartened by the destruction of the Birmingham News building – as much about the lack of debate of other options as the actual demolition.

I witnessed a similar demolition request at Design Review this morning for the Parliament House Hotel on 20th Street. The committee focused only on how the parking deck’s alley face would be patched once the connector to the hotel was removed. The loss of the building itself was never addressed in discussion. Only at the very end did [design review committee] chair Sam Frazier say something like “You know, this is actually an historic building. Doris Day stayed here; President Nixon slept here. Is this building defined as historic?” He posed the question to Karla Calvert, the city historic officer, who demurred: “I’m not sure; I don’t think so.” Sam asked her for a yes or a no, but she would not give one. So he gave up, the demolition passed, and in a few years the city’s best example of late “Miami Beach” Modern will ostensibly be replaced by a mediocre, boxy, red brick UAB building of some sort or another.

History is subjective, and what we define as “historic” is subjective. But is was just sad that whether in the case of the News, or the Parliament House, there are only a few lone voices speaking out, if at all, and no movement to at least hold owners and developers more accountable to the community for their plans.

Again, thanks for your enlightened editorial.

Jeremy

What I Learned from Atlanta

Editor’s note: After reading my recent editorial and making a visit to Atlanta, Terminal contributor Charles Buchanan decided to type a few words about his most recent trip to Atlanta. He originally wrote this piece for his personal blog, Pop Goes the City. – ACN

Last weekend I journeyed to Atlanta for the East Atlanta Village Strut, a little festival/artist market in a regenerating area of the city, east of downtown and south of Interstate 20. It was a part of the city I hadn’t really explored before, and I was fascinated by the things happening there–things that might be a good fit for Birmingham as well.

Infill housing: In every neighborhood I visited, it seemed that abandoned houses and vacant lots were being wiped away in favor of new single-family homes, lofts, or condos. The new residences were sized and designed to fit their streets–nothing tall or styled like a French chateau. I’m a fan of the infill housing concept because it helps preserve communities, remove eyesores, and hopefully reduce some sprawl. Of course, it’s not without its problems; I would imagine that the lower-income residents of those neighborhoods get squeezed out by the newcomers, with no hope of affording the new houses.

Infill retail: I got in a traffic jam between East Atlanta and Five Points. The cause? A mini-Summit-style shopping center smack in the middle of town, with a Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and other familiar big box stores. I could tell it was a draw for people from miles around, yet it didn’t seem to be causing trouble for the independent stores in East Atlanta and Five Points, which were doing a good business the day I was there. Now I know Atlanta has more population density than central Birmingham, but this center demonstrated that big retail can work within the city. Perhaps the proposed Wal-Mart shopping center in Titusville could open the door for this type of development here.

Midtown Mile: This isn’t as likely to work here, but I like the concept: Atlanta is trying to create its own version of Chicago’s “Magnificent Mile”–a city street that becomes a shopping magnet, pulling big-name stores (Apple, Nike, designer clothing, etc.) out of the malls and into storefronts, with hotels and restaurants to follow. Atlanta is targeting Peachtree St. in Midtown for this makeover, and it seems that many building developers like the idea, because they’re planning towers with plenty of space for curbside retail. Like I said, it would be tougher to pull off here, but perhaps we could encourage more developers–particularly downtown and around the Railroad Reservation Park–to add streetside retail when they construct or renovate.

Transit: Atlanta was already way ahead of us on this one, but now there’s talk of two streetcar lines (with modern monorail-looking streetcars; nothing like the trolleys of old). One would run up Peachtree, from downtown to Buckhead, and the other would make a downtown loop. Planning is still in the early stages, but we should be taking notes on how to make such a system happen. (Another plus is that our streets are already wide enough to accommodate streetcars, unlike Atlanta’s.)

Birmingham loves to compare itself to Atlanta. We used to be envious. Now I think many of us believe bigger isn’t always better. But either way, I think we can look at our eastern neighbor and learn what works–and what doesn’t–at keeping a core city alive and well. What have you learned from your trips to Atlanta or other cities? What could work in Birmingham?

Election '07: definitions needed for urban success

Birmingham News building - Sept. 2007 Former SMN building

This first installment has less to do with comparing as it does with providing a backdrop for an interesting opinion.

There’s a distinct difference between the picture on your left and the one on your right.

The image on the left shows the former home of The Birmingham News in our city center being gutted for purposes of demolition. This will provide a net gain of 30 parking spaces after construction of what many would agree is a beautiful addition to the downtown Birmingham building stock directly across the street.

The image on the right shows the former Savannah Morning News building in downtown Savannah after being completely gutted for purposes of being used for mixed use development in their downtown district called News Place on Ellis Square. To develop it the City of Savannah had to demolish a parking deck on the site of the old City Market and replace it with underground parking, a project that will now provide more than 1,000 spaces to visitors and residents visiting one of the city’s busier districts.

The second example is one that will be part of a region that will have the same population as metro Birmingham in the next 20 years (when you include the portions of South Carolina that are never included in these studies). Some think that prediction could be a little on the conservative side. The first is the one that we currently reside in; one that will become a larger metropolitan area but not necessarily be that urban environment that we all hope and strive for if projects like The News’ continue to occur.

Before someone tells me that I’m using the term incorrectly, I’ll say that urban for me is when you can walk down the street in several neighborhoods and get what you need. It means reliable mass transit that gives you an excuse not to drive. It means not necessarily building taller but building smarter. There are some that have said that we need to build taller buildings just because Mobile built one. My question is response to theirs is, ‘Do we need it now or later?

The idea of losing another beautiful historic building in the name of progress disturbs me, but not in the way you might think. It is what that demolition means, or what it should trigger. See, I’m still not sure that losing building like the News’ former home or our namesake Terminal Station will ever really stir the emotion that is needed to fully realize an urban revitalization renaissance in Birmingham.

I’ve been accused of wanting to save too much, but hear me out. Every time I hand out a business card or show someone one of our t-shirts, they all say “It’s a shame what happened to Terminal Station… I wish that we could bring it back.” There are those that say “I wish we’d done more to save (insert building name here)” when the reason it wasn’t saved was because no one made it an issue, or at least not one that would stir up emotions from both sides. Those feelings are necessary for a city to move forward. I realize that there is a past that few want to remember. There are several pasts that I’m sure many of the specters do not want us to forget in fear that we will repeat them. Some would say we already have.

So what actually makes Birmingham what it is? Why is it that when people fly in and see Vulcan and a now-lit City Federal sign that they marvel at how much there is to do? Perhaps its some of those same things that we think are outdated – the remnants of our urban fabric, or at least the potential for the urban lifestyle that so many seek when they sign on the dotted line to live in our city center and our neighborhoods nowadays. As an aside, we must also remember that the urban lifestyle sought by those that are new to it is not all that it is made up to be on television (but that’s a topic for another time).

Why save buildings? Why not ask those cities that we are always trying to compare ourselves with. Despite their new tall glass towers and their one of their key characteristics is their ability to hold onto a piece of their past. For every building that is torn down, one that evokes the same memories that Loveman’s or Pizitz does for this city adapted for a new use.

You do not have to save every building. What you do need to do is be sure that you’re not going to leave a hole in the fabric of a city’s history that is too large to be mended.

André Natta is the publisher and managing editor of The Terminal. You may contact him directly at andre[at]bhamterminal.com.

CommuteSmarter, not harder

By Sean Saffle

Eighty-five percent of Birmingham commuters drive alone, and the average metro commuter spends 27 hours a year trapped in traffic. Think of all the things you could do with an extra 27 hours!

You might be thinking, “I have no choice. I have to get to work.” Fortunately, there are other options out there that you might not even know exist. For those of you that need a bit more convincing, let’s look at some other reasons you might want to consider a new commute.

Collectively, Birmingham congestion costs commuters $165 million over the course of a year. Gas prices have been fluctuating, but the trend is upwards. That means that the amount of wasted money is going to keep going up over time. When gas prices spike, folks are forced to adjust their budgets to cover the extra expense. Small adjustments over time equal big dollars down the road, but there is a place to turn to lower commuting expenses.

CommuteSmart Birmingham is a program of the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham. Its mission is to reduce traffic and improve air quality by encouraging the use of commute alternatives such as carpooling, vanpooling, transit, walking or biking. And if you’re already thinking that biking is impossible or transit doesn’t run by your part of town, stay with me.

More likely than not, you have a friend, relative or co-worker who lives near you and travels to the same part of town for work. If you’re not sure, CommuteSmart has a database of commuters looking to find someone like you. Sharing the ride with someone else will save you money, save wear and tear on your car and let you get to work feeling a little less stressed and a little more ready to start the day.

CommuteSmart currently works with more than 40 partners in the metro area, so you might be one step ahead of the game if your employer is one of them. Ask your employer if they work with CommuteSmart, and if they don’t, come to us directly. We also work with individual commuters.

If you got this far and still think that an alternative commute is out the question, there are a few things that you can do that will help save money and improve our air quality.

1. Combine errands – Take that handful of small trips and create one big trip.

2. Change your light bulbs -Replace regular light bulbs with energy-efficient, compact fluorescent bulbs.

3. Keep your car in shape – Get regular tune-ups, keep the tires properly inflated and change the air filter for better gas mileage.

4. Buy green – Energy Star® appliances use less energy and save money.

5. Put some muscle into it – Switch the gas-powered mower for a push model or replace the leaf blower with a rake.

6. Unplug chargers – Even when not in use, chargers for cell phones, computers, PDAs, etc. draw small amounts of electricity.

7. Don’t idle – Walk inside the restaurant instead of using the drive-thru or turn off your car while you wait to pick up the kids at school.

8. Take a bike ride or walk – Replace short car trips with trips by foot or two wheels to keep pollutants out of the air.

9. Lose the toxins – The chemicals in household cleaning products contribute to air pollution. Try buying a natural cleanser next time – or make your own with vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda.

10. Skip the drive entirely – Teleworking one or two days a week can save hundreds of dollars. Chances are you’ll be more productive too.

Take the first step to a better commute and improved air quality. Go to www.commutesmart.org. Together, we can make Birmingham a better place to live, work and play.

Sean Saffle is the Project Manager of CommuteSmart Birmingham. He can be reached at ssaffle@rpcgb.org or 1-87-RIDEMATCH.

Thanks for caring, Birmingham

That’s one of the first things that stood out to me when I was deciding where to move to live after living life in Savannah, GA for 11 years. It was extremely important to me (despite still barely making ends meet) that I be able to find a way to give back to the community in the same way if not more than I was able to do while living in the South’s Hostess City. There are many cities that claim to be a giving community, but Birmingham is one that continues to amaze at every turn.

If a main goal of The Terminal is to serve as a hub for information in our region, a by product of that is to raise the awareness level about people and organizations that have not received the recognition that they deserve, whether passively or actively. It impressed me that we’ve received more responses from readers when asked about a cause that they feel passionate about than we have for questions to be directed at the people that we hope will help us continue to be able to serve these groups as we move our city forward at the beginning of the 21st century.

There were many groups that were nominated; we’re now ready to see which group people will choose as our poll will run through Friday afternoon. The purpose of this exercise was to get participation from those that read the posts and pages of this site and to help determine a direction for our social responsibilities.

That said, there were some organizations that are not listed in the final poll question. This is not because they are not worthy causes; I currently serve on Ruffner Mountain’s board of directors as its vice president and have had the opportunity to work with our local Community Foundation on a couple of projects since my arrival in town. Muse of Fire is an excellent program that is only beginning to determine its potential impact on our region and words cannot begin to describe the importance of Children’s Hospital. These are very important organizations in our daily lives here and some of them have not received the accolades that they so richly deserve as we tend to focus on things that are new and shiny rather than those things that lend to an area’s character (and that’s a shame). By not revealing my connection with Ruffner Mountain and other organizations before the beginning of the comment period, I felt I was violating the first of our guiding principles for the site. In running this site, I must always be able to make sure that no conflicts of interest arise that would jeopardize the integrity of any exercise undertaken by The Terminal. Those that want further explanation are asked to contact me directly.

Just because those organizations or movements are not listed in our front page poll does not mean that we do not support them. We wouldn’t have linked to their sites here if we didn’t want you to visit them virtually and physically and share whatever you can with them. The fact that people took it upon themselves to share their love and commitment to these efforts shows more about “the Birmingham that we want” than anything else. We just hope that those that wanted these to be included will still be willing to vote for the charities listed on the front page through Friday.

Thanks for caring; we’ll look forward to sharing our results with you.

André Natta is the publisher and managing editor of The Terminal. He also has returned to sporadically writing his personal blog, Dre’s Ramblings. You may contact him directly at andre[at]bhamterminal.com.