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Nov 11, 2024

Homewood board approves downtown safety, aesthetic improvements - HF Chronicle

Homewood trustees approved two projects — art and lighting in a new alleyway and tree grate repairs — that are intended to improve appearance and safety along Ridge Road and adjacent streets in and

Homewood trustees approved two projects — art and lighting in a new alleyway and tree grate repairs — that are intended to improve appearance and safety along Ridge Road and adjacent streets in and near the downtown area.

At the Oct. 8 meeting, trustees OK’d the alleyway mural, the second part of a project to improve the safety and aesthetics of an alleyway. This newly created gap came about when construction of The Hartford building at 2033 Ridge Road left a space between it and the building to the west at 2049 Ridge Road, home of Loulou Belle and Artistix Salon.

In August, the board approved the purchase of LED lights to be installed on the west wall of The Hartford to illuminate the alley and on Tuesday trustees approved an agreement with HCF Homewood, owner of The Hartford, for the lights installation.On Tuesday, the board also approved an agreement with Chicago artist Nate Otto to install a mural on the east wall of 2049 Ridge.

Assistant Village Manager Terence Acquah noted in a memo to the board that Otto spoke to the village Appearance Commission on Sept. 5 and showed samples of his work.Acquah said the commission unanimously agreed to support the project.“This concept will serve as a pilot project,” he said in the memo, “positioning the village as a leader in integrating contemporary art designs, moving beyond the traditional antebellum Richard Haas murals.”

Homewood has has 15 Haas murals scattered throughout Homewood, the largest collection of Haas Trompe l’oeil style illusionary paintings in the world.

Trustee Allisa Opyd had two questions for staff about the project: Will the village be responsible for maintenance of the new mural, and is the final design available?

Village Manager Napoleon Haney said the final design has not been completed, but Otto showed the Appearance Commission samples of his work elsewhere. Commission members offered design expectations, including familiar elements of the village’s landscape, that they would like to see included.

Haney said the mural upkeep will be the village’s responsibility. He said the cost and durability will not be as high as with the village’s Haas murals.

“This is a low-cost mural,” he said. “We’re talking $6,000, $7,000. The muralist is gonna paint the mural, put a seal coat over it, and it should last up to seven to 10 years.”

Trustees also approved a measure to replace 66 tree grates along Ridge Road from Gladville Avenue west to Harwood Avenue.

Over time, tree roots have pushed the grates up so they no longer align with the sidewalk, creating trip hazards for pedestrians, according to Public Works Director Josh Burman.

In a memo to the board, Burman said of the 66 grates identified for replacement, 34 were considered high risk and 32 low risk, but all 66 were included in the project to reduce future trip hazards.

The board agreed to a contract with low bidder C&T Lawn Care to remove the grates and concrete rings, then reinstall and level the brick sidewalk pavers.

Public works staff will mulch the area immediately around the trees and will install a permeable material in the spring 2025 after allowing the soil to settle for several months.

The project’s $66,263 cost will be paid for from the village’s American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Trustee Jay Heiferman cheered the project.

“This is something that’s been needed for a long time, and so I’m excited to see that it’s finally going to happen,” he said.

Eric Crump started his first newspaper with his best friend when he was 9. It was four pages and folded after one issue. Possibly as many as two or three people read it. In 2014, about 46 years later, he started another paper, the H-F Chronicle, which is still going and has a few more readers.