1897 Home Built by Seelbach Hotel
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Volume XXIII Issue III Fall 2014 www.cherokeetriangle.org 1897 Home Built by Seelbach Hotel Builder Sets the Scene For the CTA Membership Gala on Cherokee Road By Judy Swanick Those attending this year’s Cherokee The first occupant of Triangle annual membership party will the home was Jacob and have the pleasure of experiencing one of Fannie’s son, Harry, the Triangle’s many majestic homes. who was very involved David and Terri Ross will open their in the Louisville com- doors on Cherokee Road to host this al- munity. Harry Smyser ways highly-anticipated event. started working in 1883 The event will be held from 7 to 10 as a clerk at a manufac- p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, and will feature turing concern owned appetizers, snacks and sweets from a by his grandfather, wide range of restaurants, bistros, bars James Lithgow, and and shops on nearby Bardstown Road, later served as secre- Baxter Avenue and the surrounding area. tary, then general man- Beer and wine will be provided by the ager. In 1892 Smyser CTA. became treasurer of the Seelbach Realty Com- This stately home was built in 1897 by Rosses Open Cherokee Road Jewel for Annual Gathering. Jacob Smyser, who may be best remem- pany and co-owner of (Photo by Judy Swanick) bered for directing construction of Louis- the Audubon Park Real- ville’s famous Seelbach Hotel. Smyser’s ty Company. moved to Louisville from California ten wife, Fannie, was the daughter of James The current owners of the Cherokee years ago with their three daughters. S. Lithgow, who served as Mayor of Road home, David and Terri Ross, Continued on page 3 Louisville in the 1860s and early 1870s. Hearings Anticipated Neighborhood Events Family Festival Planned On Willow Grande Issues CTA Saturday, Sept.27 Fall Membership 7-10 p.m. The CTA sponsored Fall Family Festi- Procedures for Willow Grande hear- Party See Story above. val will be held Sunday, Oct. 19th from ings on requests for waivers and vari- 5th Division Monday, Sept. 29 1-5 p.m. at Willow Park. ances including building height have Crime Prevention 7 p.m. Activities are planned for the entire begun at the Planning Commission level. family. Children will enjoy bouncies, The Land Development and Transpor- tation sub-committee of the Planning Week in the Oct. 4—12 face painting, sidewalk chalk and sports- Highlands See page 11 related activities, to name a few. A fire Commission is expected to address the for details. truck and fire-fighters will be on hand. matter of setting a hearing date, time and Live music will provide a festive at- location in October. The developer has CTA Family Fun Oct. 19 mosphere and food from Boss Hog Ca- requested 6 variances and 7 waivers. Festival Willow Park Keep an eye on the CTA website, cher- tering will be for sale. Hubble Rumble Nov. 20 The event is free. In case of inclement okeetriangle.org, for further information — Benefit for 7 p.m. weather the event will be cancelled. on how to participate in this process. Planetarium Show Lilly’s Bistro See Story P.4. Page 2 Volume XXIII Issue III Message From Message from Louisville Metro CTA President Councilman, District 8 Tim Holz Tom Owen A certain tension defines a sense of “The older parts of Louisville with grid automobiles share the same place. pattern streets are ripe for bicycling,” lane with no separation be- When we talk of an oasis in the de- notes Councilman Tom Owen. “Metro tween them. It is indicated sert or an island in the sea, we recog- Louisville is operating off a bicycle net- by Shared Lane Markings nize these spaces as distinctly different work plan where some streets are empha- consisting of a bicycle from the areas that surround them. We sized as being safer for pedaling across our topped by two chevrons. The often overlook that it is the tension city. As a daily bicycle/bus commuter, I markings are also known as created by differences from surround- believe both motorists and bicyclists feel sharrows or “share arrows.” In addition to ing spaces that defines a sense of place. safer on busier streets when efforts are the sharing message, sharrows indicate the The Cherokee Triangle is often de- made to keep us apart or make us aware of proper positioning for bicyclists. scribed as an island or oasis amidst the one another.” Bike lane (not buffered) city that surrounds it. And like an is- “Safer bike passageways also tend to A bike lane is a portion of land there are things that make it dis- nudge drivers closer to the speed limit roadway specifically desig- tinctly different from the areas around which adds to the quality of life of those nated for the preferential or it. The Cherokee Triangle retains 95+ residents who live along the way,” adds exclusive use of bicycles. percent of its residential character in a Owen. “Safer city bicycling is just one It is typically indicated by very urban landscape. We are also sign of a vibrant city of the future. Metro a solid line painted on one blessed with 80 percent of our original Public Works recently developed a won- or both sides with bicycle emblems in the architecture that created that residential derful explanatory guide to the bicycle middle. Near intersections, dashed or skip character. These facts lie in contrast to striping that is being added to some of our lines indicate where autos may cross the the environs that surround us. streets.” (reproduced below) bike lane to make turns. This design is used where there is not room to add buff- On one side of the Triangle we have A Guide to Bike Symbols ers on either side of the bike lane. the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue The continuing growth of Louisville’s Commercial District that provides us network of varying types of bicycle facili- Bike lane with single buffer Buffered bike lanes are shopping, dining and entertainment. ties is presenting motorists with assorted conventional bicycle lanes On the other sides of the Triangle we road symbols. Below is a partial glossary paired with a designated have Cherokee Park and Cave Hill of the facility types and the symbols that buffer space separating Cemetery that provide us the peace and go along with them. the bicycle lane from the recreation of communal parkland and Sharrow adjacent motor vehicle green space. In many ways these bor- The most common kind of bike facility is travel lane and or parking der areas are the warp and weft upon a Shared Lane. This is where bikes and which the vibrancy of the Cherokee lane. The buffer is a precaution against Triangle is woven. They provide the contact with moving auto traffic or doors “tension” that supports the vibrancy that swing open from parked autos. A sin- and character that IS the Cherokee Tri- Cherokee Triangle gle buffer is installed where there is not angle. Association enough room for double buffers. Like a textile, when that tension is Newsletter Bike lane with double buffers neglected or changes, the character of Double buffered the whole becomes distorted or collaps- Published in March, June, bike lanes have buff- es. So it is important to remember that August and December er spaces on both the as we work within to strengthen, pre- Copyright c 2004 auto travel lane and serve and enhance those things that Cherokee Triangle the parking lane. define the Cherokee Triangle, we are Association Inc. Contra-Flow Bike Lanes also reaching out to support and pre- PO Box 4306 Louisville, Ky Contra-flow bicycle serve those things that surround us and lanes are bike lanes upon which our vibrancy and sense of 40204 divided by a yellow place as a neighborhood depend. Phone–459-0256 line to allow bike Fax-459-0288 traffic in both direc- tions on a road that is Visit CTA Website for [email protected] Www.cherokee triangle.org one-way for automo- Complete Explanation of biles. Bike Lane Symbol Bikes on the side adjacent to the auto Included in Metro Councilman Tom Editor: Co-Editors: lane travel in the same direction as autos Owen’s column is an abbreviated sum- while bikes farther away on the other side mary of new Bike Lane Symbols. Peggie Elgin James Millar Rhonda Petr of the yellow line travel in the opposite For a more complete overview go to direction. cherokeetriangle.org. Volume XXIII Issue III Page 3 Autumn Membership Party Planned in Home Built in 1897 Continued From Page 1 The Ross family initially settled on the had made the east side of town. After their daughters switch from graduated from high school, Terri jokes gas to electric that they wanted to relocate to where to light their their daughters had been hanging out homes. The (Bardstown Road). In actuality, their Smysers, goal was to purchase an income- however, producing property, but they met with were among little success after making offers on the last to properties in both Norton Commons and switch; the in Old Louisville. Finally, on the day new electrici- after Derby in 2005, the Rosses were ty frightened looking at a different property for sale on them. Once Cherokee Road when a new sign went up they did have in front of their current home. They electric lights, asked to see the house right away; it was they were still love at first sight! David and Terri were afraid and especially pleased to see that the apart- would have ments upstairs and the rental carriage their servants house out back were in very good shape.