Well because I don't care enough anymore to go down and speak each time I feel like somebody needs to, I just made a list and the topics that I had gotten through before Mick cut me off were P180 gross mismanagement, streetscape lighting in 4 different areas I listed, tied that into public safety downtown, the disappointment of giving up on Thunder Alley when the NBA tax promised video boards (which another speaker touched on), the folly of the convention center, and needing a new C2S plan..I think that was all. Shadid has become a huge advocate of the traffic circle so I didn't need to echo him.

I will say Cornett and Couch together make me wanna puke.

Thank you for squeezing in the comment and I may be there next Tuesday with you if the lights aren't on by Friday!

Sounds good. Next time I swear I will just sign up before the meeting begins to speak and then go hang out at Coffee Slingers or Panera for an hour or two and then return to speak...

Well because I don't care enough anymore to go down and speak each time I feel like somebody needs to, I just made a list and the topics that I had gotten through before Mick cut me off were P180 gross mismanagement, streetscape lighting in 4 different areas I listed, tied that into public safety downtown, the disappointment of giving up on Thunder Alley when the NBA tax promised video boards (which another speaker touched on), the folly of the convention center, and needing a new C2S plan..I think that was all. Shadid has become a huge advocate of the traffic circle so I didn't need to echo him.

I will say Cornett and Couch together make me wanna puke.

Mick's act is getting old.

I agree about signing up and coming back - there is someone who tweets updates from the meetings so we could just watch the tweets and then go back when it was close to time.

Still no lights on 2nd Street. Contacted City Council again - they are checking on it. Really- still no answer. SOOO FRUSTRATING

This whole thing is outrageous.

Lindsey, I think you need to go to City Council this Tuesday. They need to know how absurd this has become; not just this incident, but the complete lack of accountability and action.

I'm planning on it. I think I'm also going to contact "In Your Corner" at News channel 4.

Well I'll see you there, lindsey.. :cool:

You could consider giving a friendly shoutout to the traffic circle in your talk time as well. Call it "Real Talk with Lindsey."

UPDATE:

Just spoke with Richard McKown (developer at LEVEL) and Larry McNutt (OG&E) on a conference call. Larry said he will personally be at the site tomorrow and will make sure the lights are on before he leaves. Everything is done from the LEVEL construction that needed to be done (and has been for I don't know how long). Larry made sure to point out that the City signed off on the project knowing full well that these lights would be out and for over a year. Richard basically asked me not to go to the City Council meeting because he doesn't think it will get the lights turned on and the only good it will do is hender the development of the area and make it harder for people to build downtown. Perhaps he is right but I said I was at the end of my rope and didn't know what else to do. So I am now thinking I will not go to the city council meeting until next week (if the lights are not turned on by then).

Also, found out that the six lights under the railroad bridge are NOT part of this problem. The lights, according to Larry, have not worked since 2001 and need to be re--installed by the City. Hmmmm, yet another battle to fight? I'll celebrate my (half) victory though if these other lights on 2nd Street are back on tomorrow....we shall see.

Intriguing.

I appreciate what McCown is doing for downtown, but find his commentary to you to be preposterous. You have every right as a citizen to inform Council. By doing so you will likely prevent this from stupidly happening again with other developments in residential areas. Do not feel guilty for pointing out the obvious. The way this city is often run is that city hall will seemingly push the envelope with citizens until the outcry is too intense. No outcry equals status quo on future endeavors.

I'm sure McKown is worried because the word is he is planning to develop the lot right behind Maywood Lofts as his next project. So, he doesn't want his plans held up if that means they have to spend some time and/or money finding a work-around for street lights.

But it's absolutely absurd to merely cut the street lights in a downtown neighborhood for ANY length of time, let alone a whole year. That the city would even allow this at all is very troubling.

The problem with City Hall is they have all come up through the OKC system of doing things and many of these issues are completely new to them. I'm sure they never had to worry about people actually *living* downtown... Well, that's changed in a big way and they need to find ways of dealing with it.

I'd say this is the perfect time to raise this issue. Once the lights get turned back on, nobody will care and next time around there will be another months-long battle, starting all over again.

I am intrigued by McKown's lack of regard for the residents in this area and his reluctance (understatement) toward seeing any downtown controversy before City Council.



I'm sure McKown is worried because the word is he is planning to develop the lot right behind Maywood Lofts as his next project. So, he doesn't want his plans held up if that means they have to spend some time and/or money finding a work-around for street lights.

Yay, another white EIFS cube. I heard he's gonna call it "Level 2."

To McKown's credit - he has been very helpful. He is the only person who even took time to explain to me why the lights were out. He suggested that he conference call his OG&E rep to try to figure out the situation. There is blame to spread around. OG&E needs to get the lights on - period. The city should have never agreed to allow the lights to be out for an extended period of time without requiring some sort of temporary solution...crossing my fingers that the lights are on tomorrow. If they are - one of the reasons they are will be McKown. I really think the city and OG&E have dropped the ball here...can't really blame McKown - I'm happy to have the development. Just unhappy it's resuled in lights being out for over a year with NO explanation to the residents.

The idea that people in charge of such things in OKC all got together and decided it was completely fine just to cut street lights in a downtown residential neighborhood frightens me.

Somebody needs to raise this issue so they change the way they operate. Street lights where people live -- especially in a downtown area -- shouldn't be cut for a DAY let alone a year. And even after that period of time you have to call 10 people over the period of months?

This needs to be addressed far beyond this particular incident.

OG&E is out in full force right now attempting to remedy the situation. Crossing fingers (again).

Around 11pm I thought to myself, "It looks strangely bright outside tonight". I then opened the shades to find 2nd street lit up like a Christmas tree. Almost surreal... Way to go, Lindsey!

Yes, thanks Lindsey, you made 2nd Street safe...

Yay!!! Great persistence!

1809

Here's a picture of Maywood Park with the lights on last night. YAY!!

Does anyone know if they were on on 3rd Street?

Only a slight issue - the lights under the railroad bridges were not on...so I'm still working on that but overall a victory for 2nd Street!!

Yes, so far two of the light posts removed by Level have been replaced and were on last night. Great job!

While you are beating them up about the overpass lights, please remind them about the third street overpass. My dog and I almost tripped over a guy that has drug a sheet of plywood under there to pass out on.

I thought the lights were on under the bridge at 3rd Street? They are for sure at Main Street because I saw them last night walking back from the game - so no light under the railroad bridge on 3rd Street?

Lindsey, great job. Remember people when you say "somebody ought to do something about that" that "somebody" just might be yourself.

They were on last night, but now two of the previously working lights at the corner of Oklahoma and 3rd are out again (Not the new ones in front of Level), must be Gremlins.

I'll check it out and follow up with my contact at City Hall when I follow up about the bridge lights on 2nd Street. It's so nice to have the street lights on.

Is it just me, but I feel these apartmets are expensive

They're not apartments. But they are expensive. Just like a quality house in a great location.

Is it just me, but I feel these apartmets are expensive

They are right on par with most other downtown residental developments - plus the view of downtown from the south units is one of the better.
Also, not much threat that this will ever be blocked, with the Clark building renovation and all. Location-wise, it is ideal...for me anyway.

Lights on under the 2nd Street bridge - but still off under the 2nd Street bridge of the abandoned railroad tracks. Working on it.

Also, has anyone noticed that the trains don't seem to be observing the quiet zone (in the last week or so)? Does anyone know why? or who to contact about this?

More - does anyone know if ALOFT is planning on building stairs over the abandoned railroad tracks down to bricktown?

I'm trying to get in contact with the Maywood Park Owners association regarding the Maywood Park landscaping (or lack thereof) and the street scapes along 2nd St that have been ruined and need to be replaced in the fall or next Spring. Hopefully, if all goes well we can have the street looking in top shape BEFORE the ALOFT opens in June 2013.

Also, has anyone noticed that the trains don't seem to be observing the quiet zone (in the last week or so)? Does anyone know why? or who to contact about this?



A Quiet Zone does not yet exist.

Lindsey, you should contact Jim Couch and/or your councilman, who is probably Skip Kelly - but both a wall and a couch would probably be more receptive than Skip.

The quiet zone was first recommended before 2000. It is now 2012 and there have been three separate studies done on it, conforming to the City Council policy of daze and confuse (drown something they don't care for in a million studies). It will happen eventually as they've run out of time to delay it further, but it's just one issue that I've been dismayed over. It's difficult to get a factual record on it as well, as nobody will just come right out and explain why they won't support it. Inability to locate $6 million is a lame excuse when the city could pay for it with what they spend on consultation, and is running a surplus, with several entities like the zoo squirreling away millions on top of that.

Everyone's best guess at this point is that it will be included in the next bond package unless a funding source is found sooner rather than later. The next bond package won't be drafted until 2016, voted on until 2017, (someone correct me if I'm off a bit there) and implemented several years after that depending on the city's ability to issue the bonds quickly. We're still waiting on some bond projects from 2000 and the majority of 2008 GOLT bond projects, for example.

So in other words the prognosis for the quiet zone is not good right now.

Well, the train doesn't normally honk it's horn around 2nd and 3rd streets (perhaps) because they are above-street level crossings. It is a new thing for the trains to be doing this - so my question is...why now?

Well, the train doesn't normally honk it's horn around 2nd and 3rd streets (perhaps) because they are above-street level crossings. It is a new thing for the trains to be doing this - so my question is...why now?

Because they're working on the rails and surrounds right now. If you look, you'll see pickup trucks and people on the elevated tracks. They're taking down volunteer trees and probably doing other track maintenance. So, the trains are blowing their horns to make sure they don't run over fellow employees. Once they're done, they should go back to only blowing their horns at street level crossings. I don't know where the wind is blowing from also. My husband the sailor could tell you. But he has told me that in one season the wind blows to the north and in the other generally to the south. You'll hear the horns better when the wind is blowing north to south. But. once you live here long enough, you won't hear them at all when you're inside. I do hear them sometimes if I'm out with my dogs. Your brain will usually selectively ignore the sound. The only whistle I hear, generally, is the Amtrack "toot toot" because I like it.

Well, the train doesn't normally honk it's horn around 2nd and 3rd streets (perhaps) because they are above-street level crossings. It is a new thing for the trains to be doing this - so my question is...why now?

Is it Amtrak arriving or departing? I know it usually blows horn when departing and that's gonna be at 8:25am every morning...

I only hear the AMTRAK (which I call the ghost train) toot toot at around 10pm in the evenings - when it has just arrived from Dallas.

I only here the AMTRAK (which I call the ghost train) toot toot at around 10pm in the evenings - when it has just arrived from Dallas.

Yeah, I knew it blows whistle when it departs because I've ridden it before, but I failed to remember if it whistled too when it came back at 10pm (little worn out by that point lol).

as far as the streets go ... the level and aloft contractors are required to fix and damage they did the street when the finish

as far as the streets go ... the level and aloft contractors are required to fix and damage they did the street when the finish

It will further enhance their curb appeal ;-)

They need to enhance their curb appeal. The Maywood Lofts need some major help with weeding and landscape maintenance.

They need to enhance their curb appeal. The Maywood Lofts need some major help with weeding and landscape maintenance.

I would agree. However it is my understanding that the Lofts are not responsible for this maintenance. It is instead the duty of “Maywood Park” that includes the Brownstones, Level, Aloft and other properties. All those properties are required to pay dues to this organization and it’s this organization that is responsible for the streets and maintenance of the plants and also the park on Second Street.

I would agree. However it is my understanding that the Lofts are not responsible for this maintenance. It is instead the duty of “Maywood Park” that includes the Brownstones, Level, Aloft and other properties. All those properties are required to pay dues to this organization and it’s this organization that is responsible for the streets and maintenance of the plants and also the park on Second Street.

Well, they're not getting it done. I weed my little plot of land as well as my neighbors. I water my trees and flowers and sometimes water my neighbors as well because if I don't, no one else does. And no one is maintaining the park on Second St. at all. I was just thinking about getting some sort of group together to "adopt" that park once the weather improves. I'm not adopting anything out of doors right now.

Not sure how much retail space is still available here, last time i drove by seemed like there are only 2 tennats not including the corner that has the Aloft (might be level couldn't remeber which one) office. But with the Maywood apartments, Level and Aloft it should def raise the demand for retail and be a great opportunity for them to get those spaces filled with quality retail.

Doubt anything great will move into those spots. They're just not very desireable for any businesses that benefit from foot traffic because of their elevation. The salon is perfect because they bring their own business. It would be great if a neighborhood bar would locate their, but I don't see it happening...

Doubt anything great will move into those spots. They're just not very desireable for any businesses that benefit from foot traffic because of their elevation. The salon is perfect because they bring their own business. It would be great if a neighborhood bar would locate their, but I don't see it happening...

That space in the brownstones in front of the park at 2nd/Oklahoma needs to be a trendy coffee shop or bar. That space is great.

That space in the brownstones in front of the park at 2nd/Oklahoma needs to be a trendy coffee shop or bar. That space is great.

Are you talking about where the cool sculpture is? If so, I agree... and I'm an outsider, as far as that neighborhood goes, lol.

That space in the brownstones in front of the park at 2nd/Oklahoma needs to be a trendy coffee shop or bar. That space is great.

That space is probably at its highest and best use as is - a photography studio. Don't know how it got by the city planning department, but it has NO off street parking. Wasn't a big deal before, but now the Level tenants utilize 80-90% of available street parking.

That space is probably at its highest and best use as is - a photography studio. Don't know how it got by the city planning department, but it has NO off street parking. Wasn't a big deal before, but now the Level tenants utilize 80-90% of available street parking.

parking is not required in most of the downtown area

Good to know... I just remember the developers of Level saying they had to convert the parallel spaces to angle in, to satisfy the city. Said they needed X spaces for public access to the commercial portion of Level.

Maybe I misunderstood.

That space is probably at its highest and best use as is - a photography studio. Don't know how it got by the city planning department, but it has NO off street parking. Wasn't a big deal before, but now the Level tenants utilize 80-90% of available street parking.

I'm confused by this. I know a lot of residents in the Deep Deuce Apartments park on the street, but I thought parking in the garage was included standard with LEVEL leases?

I'm confused by this. I know a lot of residents in the Deep Deuce Apartments park on the street, but I thought parking in the garage was included standard with LEVEL leases?

You are correct, there is an internal parking garage for residents. It was my understanding the external spaces were for the general public, that wouldn't have garage access.

As it stands now, the city appears to not be enforcing the two hour limit and Level residents are using most of the on street parking overnight. Might be BF/GF visiting, but the same cars are usually there. Keep in mind, I am referring to 3rd street - can't speak to 2nd street.

Parking will be a huge issue in the near future, but that is just a part of growing pains associated with rebuilding the city core. The only reason I brought it up was in reference to a comment about the commercial space now occupied by the photographers being a good location for a coffee shop. The current occupants are good people and hard workers who were plagued by parking tickets, and are now using the DRIVEWAY behind the Brownstones to park (In violation of the covenants.).

It was mighty lonely for the first 3 years we have lived here and we welcome all newcomers, just don't block my drive and please pick up after your dog.:)

Hello, fellow Maywood loft residents - my first post on here so I hope I can contribute! Does anyone know what the laws are as far as why we can't have windows that can open? I asked the owners and they mentioned a particularly city ordinance because of the type of building it is - but why can Level have windows that open and we can't? It's okay for now, but I'm going to be really depressed when the weather is nicer and we can't get any fresh air. Especially for as much money we're paying.
Thanks!

Well ain't that some crap!

Hello, fellow Maywood loft residents - my first post on here so I hope I can contribute! Does anyone know what the laws are as far as why we can't have windows that can open? I asked the owners and they mentioned a particularly city ordinance because of the type of building it is - but why can Level have windows that open and we can't? It's okay for now, but I'm going to be really depressed when the weather is nicer and we can't get any fresh air. Especially for as much money we're paying.
Thanks!

Someone is feeding you a line. I've lived in three places downtown, and all of them allowed us to open windows. There is no such law.

Not sure if it is a line or not, but when I looked at the Park Harvey apartments, they said the same thing. The windows don't open because there is a city ordinance prohibiting certain types (heights?) of buildings from having functional windows.

Not sure if it is a line or not, but when I looked at the Park Harvey apartments, they said the same thing. The windows don't open because there is a city ordinance prohibiting certain types (heights?) of buildings from having functional windows.

That ordinance does not apply at Regency Tower, the tallest of all high-rise apts. in OKC.

The girl showing me the apartment at Park Harvey had said something about a former tenant, years ago, tossing something out the window and severely injuring a pedestrian on the sidewalk below. She had said that, when they remodeled, the City had required them to seal the windows.

Do you think it's really an insurance issue? I don't know why they would voluntarily seal the windows...it was a dealbreaker for me with Park Harvey. I've gotta have fresh air during the nice days of the year.

The girl showing me the apartment at Park Harvey had said something about a former tenant, years ago, tossing something out the window and severely injuring a pedestrian on the sidewalk below. She had said that, when they remodeled, the City had required them to seal the windows.

Do you think it's really an insurance issue? I don't know why they would voluntarily seal the windows...it was a dealbreaker for me with Park Harvey. I've gotta have fresh air during the nice days of the year.

Does anyone here know who we can talk to with the City to clarify this "law" that may or may not exist? I asked one of the owners and he said many people have asked about this in the last few months, so I'm not the first one to bring it up. It defies logic if the renters at Level can open their windows and we can't! And this very well may be one of the reasons these condos haven't sold quite as well as hoped? (along with the economic downturn)

I've lived at The Lofts since 12/2010 and have never heard this topic discussed in any of our HOA meetings. PM me if you need help getting in contact with our HOA directors. I don't believe that this is addressed in our by-laws, but certainly can be brought up for discussion.