Author: Tom Eblen

Lexington city officials are seeking the public’s priorities and ideas for spending $120 million that city government will receive from the federal government as part of the  American Rescue Plan Act. To give your feedback and ideas, fill out the survey. It and related links are below.

An online survey asking for your input of the top priorities for spending this money is live here.

A document outlining the principles and framework behind the decision making can be found here.

Any and all community members are encouraged to submit project proposals here.

If you need a printable version of the survey, it can be found here and it is also attached (please use the digital version if you can, it makes data collection easier!).

The Mentelle Neighborhood Association board will have its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday (July 21) at 250 Walton Ave. Suite 150 (enter from back parking lot).

One agenda item is a discussion of what industrial/commercial uses neighborhood residents would like to see excluded as a part of the Warehouse Block’s requested rezoning for Mirror Twin Brewery, which is explained in this previous post.

Any MNA member is welcome to attend monthly board meetings. Because this one may be of special interest, we ask that any member wishing to attend email President Ann Olliges (annolliges@gmail.com) in advance to make sure the meeting room is big enough.

Mentelle Neighbors –

Following a preliminary meeting with some Mentelle Board members and Aurora Avenue neighbors, I wanted to offer an update on an upcoming proposed alteration to the Warehouse Block.  Mirror Twin Brewing has been enjoying a slow organic growth since first leasing 725 National Avenue in 2016.  The temporary outdoor area between the two buildings allowed them to weather the COVID storm, with their new focus aimed at the future.

Mirror Twin would like to move its “brewing” operation to 720 National Avenue, which they currently utilize as storage for kegs filled at their brew-pub at 725 National Avenue.  A current oversight in zoning restrictions has forced us onto the path of obtaining a zone change to accommodate this action.  Although this action would not alter any current structures, operations or traffic, in order for Mirror Twin to accommodate their demand, and ultimately stay in the neighborhood, this alteration, as advised by the LFUCG Planning Division, is our only option.

The group that met earlier this week asked to meet at Mirror Twin to discuss the intended operations direct with Head Brewer Derek DeFranco.  Please consider this email an invitation to attend an open meeting for members of the Mentelle Neighborhood Association.  We will meet at my office, located at 250 Walton Avenue, Suite 150 (down the alley next to Willis Klien and around back) at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29th.  There, I will have the development plan (as currently approved by the LFUCG) and speak briefly about the intent as an effort to “catch-up” anyone who was not in attendance at the first meeting.  Immediately following, at approximately 7 p.m., we will walk to Mirror Twin where Derek will give a tour of his current facility and discuss the usage at the proposed new location.  Mirror Twin has offered to provide beer, and I will provide pizza, to all attendees.   

Please RSVP to Ann or myself so that we know how many folks will be attending.  In the meantime, if you have any questions, please call me anytime.

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Chad T Walker

(859) 227-0774

Mentelle neighborhood residents wanting to have a yard sale are encouraged to have it Saturday between 8 a.m. and noon.  We are promoting the event with signs and on social media to draw a bigger crowd.

Anyone with yard sale-worthy items they would like to donate to a community table, with proceeds benefitting the Mentelle Neighborhood Association, should bring it to the north end of the Mentelle Park Median between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and help price and display.  Some pinwheels and balloons will be available there for families wanting to use them to attract attention for their individual yard sale.

The Mentelle Neighborhood Association board will have its regular monthly meeting (third Wednesday of each month)  at 7 p.m. Any MNA member is welcome to attend. This is our first in-person meeting in many months, and it will be at the new Walker Properties offices off Walton Avenue in the Warehouse District. Enter the driveway between Willis Klein and the Rag Peddler.  It is Suite 150.

The MNA board has set Saturday, June 19, from 8 a.m. until noon, as the time when Mentelle Neighborhood residents are encouraged to have their spring/summer yard sales. We will promote the event on social media and set up signs and pinwheels to help attract customers that day.

If you don’t want to have a yard sale but have high-quality items you want to get rid of, you may donate them to a community yard sale booth that will be set up in the Mentelle Park median. Proceeds from from that booth will go to the neighborhood association treasury for future MNA projects and activities. If you plan to donate items, please email Ann Olliges.

So start cleaning out your closets, garages and basements; it’s time to turn all of that clutter into cash!

A note from Jill and Ray DeBolt, the Mentelle Park Median Committee chairs:

A huge thank you to all those who worked on the Mentelle median over this spring and on our workdays, May 15 and May 22. The following neighbors contributed a total of more than 60 hours of sweat equity to keep the median beautiful:

Jill and Ray DeBolt
Gil Dunn
Tom Eblen
Janet Howard
Susan and Jerry Janecek
Tom Lillich
Barbara Wagner
Shirley Warren
Logan Wilson

A special thanks to Logan Wilson, who donated a large amount of mulch, and to Gil Dunn for providing the trailer to haul the mulch.

Based on a lot of good feedback from neighbors, the MNA board has scheduled a community yard sale day for Saturday, June 19, from 8 a.m. until noon. (While anyone can have a yard sale anytime they wish, organizing it as a neighborhood-wide event at a single time allows us to do some marketing and attract more customers.)  More details to follow.

 

From Jill DeBolt, Mentelle Median Committee chair:

Thank you to all those who came out last Saturday to work on the Mentelle median. We put in a total of 36 work hours weeding and edging the beds and removing some invasive plants.

This Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon, we need help spreading mulch to keep the weeds down and the beds looking good.  Any and all help is greatly appreciated, even if you can only help for a short time.

Please email Jill DeBolt if you have any questions or concerns.

Efforts to improve the appearance of the Mentelle Park median — a city park where we have many of our neighborhood activities — aren’t new. In fact, they have been going on for more than a century. The widow of bourbon distiller James E. Pepper, who lived at 9 Mentelle Park, organized this effort, which was mentioned in the July 30, 1910 issue of the Lexington Leader.