S. Brandon Coan's Plan for District 8

8/20/2019 S. Brandon Coan's Plan for District 8

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S. BRANDON COAN’S

PLAN FOR DISTRICT 8


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CoanforMetroCouncil.com

S. Brandon Coan’s Plan for District 8

Dear Neighbors,

This is my Plan for District 8. These are the problems I see in our

neighborhoods and independent cities, and how I intend to solve them

through legislative action and policy change. This is a stand for: Changing Local

Politics; Reorienting the Transit System; Protecting Our Built Environment;

Keeping District 8 Clean and Beautiful; and Organizing Against Crime.

Please send me your ideas and feedback, and let’s build-out this platform

together. Help turn my Plan for District 8 into Our Plan for District 8, and

let’s give District 8 voters a clear choice on Primary Election Day, May 17.

Thanks Very Much,

S. Brandon Coan

S. Brandon Coan


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S. Brandon Coan’s Plan for District 8 3


CHANGING LOCAL POLITICS

The world is a dierent place now than it was in 2003, when Louisville

and Jeerson County merged. Our city has changed with the times but

our politics have not, and that’s a problem. In this Information Age and

hyperlocal economy, we need to cycle faster, invest in diversity and inclusion

and put past dierences aside for our common future’s sake. We need to

increase involvement of the next generation in decision-making. Here is

my plan:

Follow the example of Nashville by adopting limits of no more

than two consecutive terms of four years for Louisville’s council

members and mayor, to avoid entrenchment and complacency

in our local government leaders.

It is important for our city to give new energy and ideas a chance to ourish.

After eight consecutive years of service, elected ocials should be required to

leave oce for four years and then run to serve again, if they so choose.

Create a District 8 Advisory Board composed of all

neighborhood association presidents and independent city

mayors to meet with regularly and solicit advice and counsel

on Neighborhood Development, Capital Infrastructure, budget

priorities, general community business and to explore cross-

boundary partnership opportunities.

District 8 is blessed with a multitude of strong leaders, and we need to operate

under more open source and collective impact principles to take advantage of

their talents in order to maximize our overall eectiveness at self-government.


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Continue in the spirit of Councilman Owen’s “Talk with Tom”

series – but arrange to hold meetings at District 8 schools, with

programs geared towards students and young people. District8’s Jeerson County School Board representatives and other

education leaders would be invited to participate.

Engaging students and young people in civic life and bringing our city government

and school systems closer together is the most valuable succession planning

our community can have.

Experiment with pop-up town halls and other new tactics to

bring local politics into the 21st century and build interest in

civic engagement.

There is no reason why some aspects of city business cannot be conducted in

more interesting settings and, also, incorporate technology, entertainment and

more to celebrate the important work of building the community we choose to

be part of.


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REORIENTING THE CITYTRANSIT SYSTEM

Streetcar service along Bardstown Road last ran 69 years ago, in 1947. I

intend to be among the last generation of District 8 residents to want for

adequate public transportation. People can bemoan lack of funding all

they want, but what’s equally needed to get things moving is political will

and leadership. Here is my plan:

Spearhead a study to determine the possible benets of

consolidating PARC and TARC to move Louisville closer to

having a true “Department” of Public Transportation.

Currently, the Parking Authority of River City works at odds with our Transit

Authority. Rather than building more garages and lots – it has 20 and counting

– and issuing $17 million in bonds to pay for the Omni Hotel, PARC’s mission

should be to minimize parking in the central business district. Public ridership

should be encouraged, and parking revenues should be dedicated to funding

transit. Moreover, consolidation between the two agencies should save the

city millions of additional dollars that can be used for even further system

improvements. Mayor Fischer expects his similar One Water initiative involving

the Louisville Water Company and MSD eventually to yield savings of as much

as $25 million per year.

Systematically replace the most dangerous, inhospitable TARC

stops with new prototype bus stops or shelters in order to

protect people who rely on bus transportation.

No person in District 8, much less anywhere else in Louisville, should have to

wait for the bus in the dark, in the rain, at a stop with no sidewalks leading to it.


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Complete the Beargrass Creek Trail to connect District 8 north

to Waterfront Park and the Louisville Loop; and explore new

trail opportunities to connect District 8 south to Germantown,Audubon, Audubon Park and beyond.

Whereas Cherokee and Seneca Parks provide safe bike and pedestrian

connections to areas north and east of District 8, Tyler Park, Deer Park and

Belknap are eectively landlocked south and west by institutional landowners.

We need to bring those parties together to nd new ways for District 8 families

to connect to shopping, schools and other destinations in a safer and more

convenient manner.

Join the international movement to slow down speeding through

neighborhood streets to 20 miles per hour.

There are too many bicyclists and pedestrians – including students and parents

on school commutes – for drivers to be going as fast as they do. Lucia Avenue

in Tyler Park, for example, could benet from being designated a Slow Zone.

Evaluate the accessibility of District 8’s existing sidewalk network

to inform infrastructure funding decisions, and work with District

8 businesses to understand and increase compliance with the

Americans with Disabilities Act.

I feel strongly about ensuring that people of all ages can move freely and

safely through our dense and bustling community. Additionally, sidewalk

improvements present opportunities for new green infrastructure and trac-

calming enhancements.


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PROTECTING OURBUILT ENVIRONMENT

In 1960, 390,639 people lived within Louisville’s historical 62-square mile

core alone; today that number is less than 250,000. There is room for

greater density in District 8, downtown and elsewhere inside the Watterson

Expressway – but not at the expense of our architectural heritage or way

of life. Here is my plan:

Start by xing demolition policy.

No urbanist likes when something ugly gets built – but it is far more important

for us to focus on preventing the demolition of irreplaceable buildings in the rst

place. The demolition of historic buildings having economically feasible reuse

potential should be conditioned on the approval of redevelopment plans and

issuance of building permits. This city has enough parking lots where iconic

structures used to stand.

Imbue neighborhood plans with the real force of law.

Under the law, in order for our neighborhood plans to eectively inuence

development, they must be reviewed and updated at least every ve years. I will

create a system that provides for all District 8 neighborhoods to guide their own

spatial destinies.

Sponsor an urban intervention and design competition to help

guide the future redevelopment of the Urban Government

Center on Barret Avenue, following the examples of ReSurfaced

and the River Metals Mediative Urbanism contest.

The fate of the nearly 7-acre Urban Government Center – though technically

situated in District 4’s Paristown Pointe neighborhood – will have a very signicant

impact on the Original Highlands and, therefore, we need to be involved in the

decision-making to lay out a clear vision of what we want that future to look like.


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Extend the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue Overlay District

south of Eastview Avenue, to the Watterson Expressway.

Good commercial corridor design shouldn’t stop in District 8 at the Belknap

neighborhood. Our independent cities and the Gardiner Lane neighborhood

deserve guidelines in place to support the quality of their built environments,

too.

Preserve the smaller single-family houses within District 8

residential cores, and encourage multi-family and mixed-use

development activity along transit and commercial corridors.

Both smaller houses and transit-oriented development are important parts of

good aordable housing policy and safeguarding neighborhood character.


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KEEPING DISTRICT 8CLEAN AND BEAUTIFUL

The amount of litter and debris along District 8’s major roads and highways,

in our creeks and streams and woods is shameful. Littering disrespects

other people, demeans our planet and devalues our property. We don’t

have to tolerate it. Here is my plan:

Encourage enforcement of existing littering laws to equal

parking enforcement eorts, and dedicate all littering nes

paid to public education campaigns and other litter abatementactivities.

We need to raise awareness that cigarette butts are trash, too, and it is not okay

to just toss them on the street. Otherwise, oenders may be subject to a $250

ne.

Lead a local eort working with state lawmakers to pass a

container deposit bill to keep bottles and cans o Jeerson

County roadsides and out of our waterways.

States with bottle bills have seen total roadside litter reduced by between 30%

and 64%.

Upgrade and improve District 8’s network of litter baskets,

including placement, design, technology, recycling receptacles

and tools to clean-up after your pet.

Overowing trash containers are a major source of our litter problem. We need

smarter strategy and solutions to support people who want to do the right thing

and stash their trash.


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Installing security cameras at parks, cemeteries and key

commercial intersections to abate and deter destructive grati

and vandalism.

The city has spent close to $100,000 on vandalism and grati repairs this year

alone. Imagine spending our money on murals and other public art instead!

The Highlands Commerce Guild has led District 8 eorts to ght grati for years

– it is time to build on their eorts and work closer with police to prosecute

oenders.

Support our parks, create new greenspaces and plant more

trees.

District 8 wouldn’t be as clean and beautiful as it is without our magnicent

parks and vital urban tree canopy. The cities of Seneca Gardens and Kingsley,

near Bowman Field, in particular, are areas under threat of losing cover.

Developing new pocket parks, like Warheim Park in Belknap and Beechwood

Park in Tyler Park, is part of the solution.


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ORGANIZING AGAINST CRIME

Too many District 8 residents have been victims of robbery, vehicle break-inand other crimes. The drug and gun epidemics infecting our city demand a

renewed commitment to preventing violent crime against persons, animals

and property. We can and must all help to keep District 8 safe. Here is my

plan:

Provide every District 8 neighborhood, independent city,

subdivision, homeowners and condominium association and

apartment complex the tools and training to operate a bestpractice block watch.

This includes improved reporting to local law enforcement and, in return, higher

expectations regarding crime report status updates, service requests and overall

community engagement.

Invest in our late night economy to make sure that it remains a

net positive for our community.

I oppose moving last call to 2 a.m. because it would hurt local independent

business, hospitality and tourism. Instead, the better way to enhance

the Baxter Avenue bar and restaurant corridor is to expand our District 5

Patrol, secure ride service sponsorships to curb drunk driving and upgrade

street cleaning to leave no trace of nightlife during the day.

Advocate for the creation of a District 8 Independent Cities

Coordinator position within the Louisville Metro Police

Department Fifth Division to optimize LMPD’s relationship with

the Strathmoor Village Police Department and better serve the

citizens of Strathmoor Village, Strathmoor Manor, Kingsley and

Seneca Gardens, and users of Seneca Park.

It is vital to coordinate police visibility within communities of unclear of

overlapping jurisdiction.


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Combat illegal guns by doing everything within the city’s power,

including advocating for a dedicated police unit for gun crimes.

Kentucky’s ban on local rearms control ordinances (KRS 65.780) is strict but

not absolute, and I will seize on every available loophole to get illegal guns o

our streets.

Crack down on animal cruelty by sponsoring a local ordinance

to increase penalties from Class A misdemeanor to Class D

felony status for all oenses involving the intentional iniction

of serious suering, injury or death to an animal, including cruel

neglect and whenever any animal is caused to ght for pleasure

or prot.

There has been a disturbing amount of violent crimes committed against

animals over the last several years. Animal abuse is indefensible. Moreover,

the link between animal cruelty and both domestic violence as well as child

abuse has been shown to exist. Therefore, this issue demands a more serious

response.


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S. BRANDON [email protected]

VOTE

MAY 17,2016

S. Brandon Coan's Plan for District 8

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