Grand Old Day is back - this Sunday June 4th 2023! Join your neighbors and support the Grand Avenue Business Association as we kick off Summer with food, music, an arts corridor, family fun zone, a parade, and much much more at the largest free festival in the Midwest!

Please note that this is NOT a Summit Hill Association Event - all inquiries should be directed to the organizers at info@grandave.com

Come Visit SHA!

We'll have a table next to the info booth at the corner of Oxford and Grand. You can:

• Find out more about the House Tour and buy tickets

• Learn how to get involved with our work improving Grand Avenue or Reimagining Linwood Park

• Meet some of our current board members and learn more about our events and volunteering with SHA

We hope to see you on Sunday!

More Information

For more information about the event, schedule, map, wristband purchases, and registration information, please visit the main Grand Old Day website.

The full SHA Board of Directors has voted to oppose the application of DWD Group (Gather Eatery / Billy’s on Grand) for its liquor licenses as submitted at a Special Board Meeting held on Tuesday 5/23.

• A motion to support all five licenses as proposed with DSI conditions failed 1-7.

• A motion to approve licenses as proposed with DSI conditions except an added midnight closure Sunday-Thursday and a 1am closure Friday-Saturday failed 1-6-1.

• A motion to approve licenses as proposed with DSI conditions except an added midnight closure on all days of the week carried 6-1-1.

SHA Would Support Midnight Closing TIme

Based on those votes and additional board conversation, the final recommendation from SHA to the City is:

• SHA does not support the application as submitted.

• SHA would support a license with:

  • 12am closing time

  • Improved camera and security coverage of common areas within the Victoria East complex and the parking lot. SHA would encourage the DWD group to seek outside security expertise in placing cameras.

  • Strengthening proposed condition 8 to apply an “upward departure” to any license violations accrued in the first two years of the new license given recent enforcement actions under this management team and at this location.

From the letter:

SHA is supportive of DWD’s plans to rebrand Billy’s and focus more on food and a wider range of customers and entertainment options. We believe an earlier closing time and more vigilance around safety within and outside the property is compatible with their goals to modify their business model. It would also represent a commitment from DWD group to taking safety and neighborhood concerns seriously and make it possible for Gather Eatery & Bar to thrive in this location for many years to come.

Thanks to all the neighbors that sent in written comments or showed up to our public hearing. We look forward to continuing to work with DWD Group / Gather Eatery as they rebrand and refocus their business to serve Summit Hill and the wider Saint Paul community.

This signature event of the Summit Hill Association will take place on October 8, 2023, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM and will showcase some of the most stunning and historic homes in the Summit Hill neighborhood.

"We're thrilled to be able to bring the Summit Hill House Tour after a few years off due to the pandemic," said Summit Hill Association Executive Director Monica Haas. "This event is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the beauty and history of this unique neighborhood and to bring together community members to celebrate our shared heritage."

"We encourage everyone to come out and join us for a day of fun, history, and beautiful homes," said Haas. "The Summit Hill House Tour is a true highlight of the fall season in St. Paul, and we can't wait to share it with you."

The Summit Hill House Tour has been a special event in St. Paul for many years, and this year's tour promises to be one of the best yet. Visitors can explore beautiful homes, ranging from modern residences to historic Victorian homes, each with a unique architectural style and history.

“The Summit Hill Association has been instrumental in helping preserve the integrity of our beautiful neighborhood over the years. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share some of our neighborhood’s best homes with the public and help raise money for our neighborhood association in the process. We have handpicked some of the most beautiful homes in the area to showcase on the tour, and our guests will not be disappointed!” said Marcy Wengler, area realtor, neighborhood resident and Summit Hill House Tour event chair.

In addition to the beautiful homes on display, visitors can enjoy strolling the neighborhood and visiting Grand Avenue's local shops and eateries. The event features general admission tickets and a VIP Access option, including a pre-event brunch in the neighborhood and early access to the properties. The Summit Hill House Tour tickets are $40 for general admission or $135 for VIP access.

Tickets go on sale June 1st at www.summithilltours.org

Summit Hill, Mac-Groveland, and Highland Park are co-hosting Neighborhood Garage Sales June 9 & 10.

On the weekend of June 9th and 10th, households across these neighborhoods will be hosting garage sales, offering a variety of items. From clothing and furniture to books and household appliances, there's something for everyone at this event. To participate in the garage sale, be on the lookout for our sign-up form on our webpage at Garage Sale — Summit Hill Association

Thank you to brave 25 or so neighbors who joined us last Saturday in the rain, cold, and wind for the clean-up at Linwood Recreation Center. You filled nearly 20 bags with trash, not counting those of you who kindly brought your own bags! Maybe next year Mother Nature will be a little more forgiving.

Earth Day can be every day - if you see some rogue trash, please help and pick it up and drop it in a bin.

The City’s Website has a great project page explaining its Zoning Study here.

The 13-member Commitee has been chosen after a selection process by the City’s consultant, Michael Lamb, and had its first meeting on November 9. Notes from that meeting can be read here.

From St Paul Parks & Recreation:

The weather has been hot and dry and we could use your help keeping newly planted boulevard trees watered. To water recently planted trees, set a hose at a trickle for one hour, three times a week, or place a watering bag around the trunk and fill it weekly. Contact our Forestry team if you would like to have a gator bag put on your newly planted tree and follow these other tree care recommendations.

Image: MN Pollution Control Agency

Image: St Paul Parks & Rec

[PLEASE NOTE: Information in this message related to Billy’s On Grand is no longer accurate as of May 23, 2022.]

[PDF version is here]

Dear Neighbors,

Over the past couple of weeks, a number of you have expressed concerns over a business within our district as well as police-related matters, with an expectation that the Board would relay them on to the appropriate City department. We would like to take the opportunity to clarify the role and actions of the SHA board.

1)    SHA’s role with the City is to hold public hearings on applications from businesses.

In response to an application that was filed in the fall and then reprocessed earlier this year, SHA held our hearing for the 6 licenses applied for in April, revising our earlier recommendations in response to community input. We opposed a 2:00am license and suggested a midnight closing time. We await a final decision on this matter from the City.

This business now has separate event applications before the City (for sound and outdoor liquor service on several dates in the coming months). A public hearing has been scheduled for next Thursday, May 19, after which the Board will send a letter of recommendation to the City along with any public comments received.

As far as SHA’s official role with the City, that is the end of our responsibilities and the limit of where our input can be effectively made.

2)    SHA serves as a facilitator of communication with the City

The Board’s mission includes facilitation of communication between the neighborhood and the City. When neighbors have concerns about a business, that is most effectively expressed through direct communication with the City, and SHA is here to help neighbors find the right person or department to share complaints with.

●      SPPD has explicitly said that when neighbors have a concern about a crime (including disturbance of the peace) it is best to call 911 directly. This allows police familiar with our neighborhood to respond.

●      Non-urgent issues may be reported to the police at (651) 291-1111

●      Issues regarding liquor licenses should be emailed directly to the Dept of Safety & Inspections at eric.hudak@ci.stpaul.mn.us, or residents can use the online complaint form at https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/safety-inspections/report-incident

●      To report a property with ongoing issues, from poor maintenance to excessive noise, use the Saint Paul Police Department’s (SPPD) Problem Properties form.

●      For more information on the City’s process for handling license- or code-related complaints, check out this webpage: Complaint Process | Saint Paul Minnesota 

By contacting the correct City agency, all complaints can be gathered in one location and looked at as whole. Likewise, the City agencies which have control over business licenses, can take appropriate action when there appears to be a pattern of problems.

At the same time, SHA will share with the neighborhood any publicly available information regarding business applications, keep neighbors informed of upcoming decisions and meetings regarding neighborhood businesses, and advise neighbors and business owners where to go at the City with questions or for more information.

3)    SHA does not have a dedicated staff member to address concerns about crime or policing.

SHA used to have a part-time employee who focused on this. This position is no longer funded by the City.

SHA does not serve as a neighborhood crime watch organization.

 If you would like to start a neighborhood watch group or take more proactive crime-prevention steps, we refer you to these resources:

●      National Neighborhood Watch https://www.nnw.org/  can help you start a neighborhood or block watch program.

●      SPPD’s crime prevention webpage  https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/police/administration-office-chief/community-engagement-division/community-1  provides links and information on a variety of crime prevention programs, strategies, and tips.

Periodically, SHA arranges for a police liaison to schedule neighborhood meetings to discuss general crime prevention or specific concerns in the neighborhood. SHA will continue to do so.

SHA does not provide crime statistics or reports.

We have all heard that “crime is up all over the city,” but what does that mean for our neighborhood? We wish we knew. SHA is currently working with a volunteer to possibly provide some analysis of the City’s 389,000-incident crime database in hopes that we can observe crime trends from our neighborhood in a meaningful way. In the meantime:

●      The City’s Crime Incident Report database is available online here: https://information.stpaul.gov/datasets/stpaul::crime-incident-report/about

●      The Crime Incident Report by Neighborhood report is available online here:https://information.stpaul.gov/apps/stpaul::crime-incidents-by-neighborhood/explore

●      The PDF version of this letter shows a graph of crime reports by district for the period May 1, 2021–April 30, 2022.

SHA does not hold or organize meetings about sex predator registration.

Periodic meetings regarding sex predators are held at the Western Precinct Office regardless of where the sex predators are proposing to live because that building has a space to accommodate public meetings. When a meeting is held at the Western Precinct Office, it does not mean that a sex predator is planning to move into the surrounding neighborhoods.

o   Learn about the sex predator notification system here: https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/police/administration-office-chief/major-crimes-division/family-sexual-violence-unit-1

o   We are searching for the address with which you can subscribe to the sex offender notification bulletins and will post it on Facebook once we have it.

o   Additional questions can be directed to Officer Koski or Officer Doverspike with the St. Paul Police Department Sex Crimes/Predatory Offender Registration (POR) Unit at 651-266-5617/651-266-5871.

If you have other questions for the police, you can contact our neighborhood SPPD liaison, Patty Lammers, at (651) 266-5455 or patricia.lammers@ci.stpaul.mn.us.

Also, note that in the wake of racial uprisings in response to systemic police violence, SHA is growing in its awareness and pursuit of a racial-equity-informed approach to meetings about crime and responding to neighbor complaints. In neighborhood reporting, discussions about crime, or meetings with law enforcement, racial profiling will not be tolerated, and racial bias will be interrogated.

In Conclusion

We are grateful to live in a neighborhood with so many concerned and involved neighbors. SHA will continue to make every attempt to share information from the City or SPPD regarding meetings of interest to our neighbors when we receive notice in a timely manner.

If you have thoughts on how much time and energy SHA should devote to crime-related topics versus other activities, please join our discussion on the matter at our Board meeting this week Thursday, 7:00pm via Zoom at https://bit.ly/SHA_BoardMtg.

If you would like to volunteer your time to help Summit Hill Association provide additional services to our neighborhood, please contact us at info@SummitHillAssociation.org. Or consider applying for a position on the board of directors. Details and an application are available at SummitHillAssociation.org/join-the-board.

--Denise Aldrich

SHA President