SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
March 26, 2024
Sullivan’s Salvos 3/28/24
In this edition:
*Happy Easter!
*Opening Day!
*Prairie Preview
*Pagliai’s Building
*Hills Elementary
*Dems Hall of Fame Event
*Did You Know?
*Happy Easter!
Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it! Please take care if you are travelling, and have a safe holiday.
*Opening Day!
March 28 is Opening Day! Even if one is not a baseball fan, there is a wonderful rebirth that happens every year with Opening Day. Like so many things we associate with spring, a new baseball season is a fresh start. Every team is 0-0, with an opportunity to do great things. Once again, there is hope. And we all need that!
I hope your team (however you wish to define it!) has a “dream season” this summer!
*Prairie Preview
Meaningful environmental work is happening in Iowa and we want to share the good news with you! Get ready to learn about the many programs and projects impacting our local outdoors at Prairie Preview.
More than 30 organizations will share ways for nature enthusiasts to get involved from 4:30-7 p.m. Thursday, March 28 at the Iowa City Senior Center. This event is free and open to the public thanks to generous support from the Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund.
New to Prairie Preview this year is a pawpaw presale! Pawpaws, North America’s largest native fruit, were once common in eastern Iowa. These trees are the host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly and contribute to greater biodiversity. Be a part of our effort to help pawpaws, and the zebra swallowtail butterfly that depends on them, make a comeback in eastern Iowa.
Preorder your pawpaw kit and pick it up during Prairie Preview. Kits include 12 seeds, 6 pots and instructions for growing your pawpaws.
*Pagliai’s Building
You may or may not be aware of the current discussions surrounding 302-316 Bloomington Street in Iowa City – otherwise known as the longtime home to Pagliai’s Pizza.
Alarms went off for many Iowa Citians a few months ago when the properties showed up for sale on Zillow, with an asking price of $5 million. The owner indicated that the parcel could be redeveloped.
Many Iowa Citians, myself included, wondered if anything could be done. Luckily, the answer is yes. A group of citizens reached out to the Historic Preservation Commission, and got quick action. The Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend this building for landmark status, and the Planning and Zoning Commission followed suit two weeks later. Now it is up to the Iowa City Council. So the time is now to reach out to your Councilors!
Why should these properties be preserved? Here are several reasons:
IMMIGRANT HISTORY
At a time when some are hostile to immigrants, 302 Bloomington represents how immigrants help build this city--it is a symbol to help welcome new generations of immigrants. This is a visible physical representation of the history of immigrants making new lives here while also keeping a connection to their previous homelands and culture. This symbol applies not only to 19th-Century Bohemians but also to immigrants who come to Iowa City today.
LANDMARKS ARE RARE
Iowa City has over 27,500 properties, of which only 67 (0.2% — not even 1%) are Landmarks. They represent not just highly loved properties but properties of great historic importance. They are so rare and outstanding that it is sometimes necessary to apply landmark status to them even if the owner objects.
For example, Tate Arms (914 S. Dubuque St.) was made a Landmark not because of exceptional architecture (it is not a fancy building) but because it is the last African American rooming house standing in Iowa City. It is physical evidence of the strength and determination of African Americans to succeed at a University that allowed them to enroll but did not welcome them in the dormitories.
Without such historic sites, these stories get lost and forgotten. Preserving these landmarks keeps the stories alive to inspire future generations.
THIS IS NOT A LAST-MINUTE EFFORT
This building has long been recognized as a gem. Going as far back as the 1980s the Historic Preservation Commission made at least three attempts to include it in a Northside Historic District or give it historic zoning status, but those failed. Previous City Councils did not have the political will to protect this building before it was on the market. It is now or never. It is up to this City Council to protect this icon in our community.
PROPERTY RIGHTS
Some will say historic landmark designation is not fair to the property owner, but the community built and maintains the roads, provides the infrastructure to dispose of the sewage and storm water, provides police and fire protection, and supports the marketing of the Northside Market Place. Iowa City and its residents have provided the services that have helped make this property a commercial success. The Supreme Court has recognized historic landmark zoning as a legitimate way for the community and the landowner to benefit from individual and collective investment.
In fact, the current zoning, Central Business Service Zone (CB-2), already places many restrictions on this property. Historic Landmark designation actually provides some incentives and allows the City to waive certain zoning requirements and to transfer development potential to other properties.
Historic designation also makes this property eligible for Federal and State Tax Credits that would help make this property more profitable. This would be better than tearing it down, sending valuable materials to the landfill, and ending up with an expensive new structure at the loss of this beautiful building and the history of immigrants that it represents.
Generations of Czech immigrants made lives in and around this building. Generations of college students (and townies) have had a memorable pizza there. We get this ONE CHANCE to preserve it. If you care about preserving this piece of our history, please make your voice heard! Tell the Council to vote YES on Landmark status!
*Hills Elementary
It is heartbreaking to once again see Hills Elementary a victim of ICCSD budget cuts. I certainly hope all the people who want to keep Hills open will look at their State Representative (Heather Hora, a Republican) and State Senator (Dawn Driscoll, a Republican) and hold them accountable.
These are the two people who voted to give unlimited taxpayer money to private schools. These are the two people who forced the ICCSD into difficult budget considerations. These are the two people who refuse to take your calls.
The proposed closing of Hills Elementary is a DIRECT RESULT of the policies of Governor Reynolds and the Republicans in the Iowa Legislature. Do not let them avoid accountability!
*Dems Hall of Fame Event
The Johnson County Democratic Party is holding our Annual Hall of Fame Awards on Saturday, May 11 at 7pm at the Radisson in Coralville. 2024 marks the 14th consecutive year that the Johnson County Democratic Party has held a separate Hall of Fame event.
Please join us for coffee, desserts, and plenty of old war stories! A cash bar will be available.
The Hall of Fame inductees for 2024 are: Former County Attorney Janet Lyness, former County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek, longtime Solon activist and retired IBEW President Bill Hanes, and the late Kathy Stahmer. We hope you can join us in recognizing this remarkable group!
Tickets are available for a $35 suggested donation. People who cannot afford that amount should still feel welcome. Sponsorships are available at the following levels:
$100 includes two tickets
$250 includes 4 tickets
$500 includes a whole reserved table (8 tickets)
$1000 includes a whole reserved table plus special mention.
*DID YOU KNOW? The Pagliai family immigrated from northern Italy to the US in 1914. Pagliai’s Pizza opened up at 302 E. Bloomington Street in the late 1950s – about 70 years ago.
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.
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As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 9:15 PM
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