ECA 4-22

ECA Officers

West Bryant

President

704 898 5044 Kenmore Avenue west.bryant@gmail.com

Evan Kettler

Vice President

704 577 4901 North Laurel Avenue evan.kettler@gmail.com

Sarah Crowder

Secretary 704 502 7866 Greenway Avenue sarahcr@bellsouth.net

Danielle Kleinrichert

Treasurer

704 804 1509 Pecan Avenue danielle@neatbooks.co

Paul Shipley

Past President 704 651 5897 Kenmore Avenue paul.d.shipley@gmail.com

ECA Board Members

Isabelle Cosgriff

At-large 919 623 7855 North Dotger Avenue isabellecosgriff@gmail.com

Eric Davis

Transportation Chair 704 776 3013 Greenway Avenue ericadavis0123@gmail.com

Lauren Gomez Membership Chair 704 728 2066 East 5th Street laurenmcjo@gmail.com

Teddy Koch

At-large 336 830 0425 Greenway Avenue teddykoch@gmail.com

Anne Lambert At-large 704 589 9146 Hawthorne Bridge Court chickspeare@hotmail.com

John F. McBride

Newsletter

980 254 7367 East Eighth Street john.f.mcb@gmail.com

Nikki Moore Social Chair

704 576 6474 Kenmore Avenue nikki.s.moore@gmail.com

Debbie Rubenstein

Communications 704 998 9579 East Fifth Street debbie@flynnonline.com

Elaine Scott

Beautification and Trees 704 905 7352 Kenmore Avenue elainekscott@icloud.com

Robert Zabel

Elizabeth 8K Road Race Chair 917 873 8028 Pecan Avenue nycrcz@yahoo.com

Officer Jim Gilliland

CMPD neighborhood community coordinator 704 336 2878 james.gilliland@cmpd.org

VOLUNTEER

elizabethcommunityassociation @gmail.com

The ECA Newsletter

The ECA newsletter is published quarterly (March, June, September and December) and delivered to homes and businesses in the Elizabeth neighborhood of Charlotte. The production team:

John McBride editor

Jeremy Deese circulation czar

Susan Green editorial assistant and proofreader

Little Shiva designer

The UPS Store printer

ANNOUNCING

The 3rd Annual ELIZABETH MERRY MEANDER

Walking Holiday Festival Sunday, December 18 5 to 8 p.m.

Mark your calendars! Grab your winter outdoor attire! Join the neighborhood for an evening of merry meandering with festive stops, joyful holiday tunes and decorations galore!

Watch for an Elizabeth Families email for more information.

Volunteers are needed for this special event. Please email ECA social chair

Nikki Moore: nikki.s.moore@gmail. com if you’d like to lend a hand.

On the cover

Say so long to East 7th Street reversible lanes, at least until January. The center lane will left-turn only while the city evaluates equipment and studies traffic flow. Look for transportation chair Eric Davis’s report elsewhere in this issue.

Cover photo by John McBride

Photo of leaves p3 by Lolo Pendergrast

West Bryant

East Fifth Street west.bryant@ gmail.com

Sarah Crowder

Greenway Avenue sarahcr@bellsouth.net

Lolo Pendergrast

East Eighth Street lolopendergrast@ gmail.com

Lauren Sawyers

Sustain Charlotte lauren.sawyers@ sustaincharlotte.org

Eric Davis

Greenway Avenue ericadavis0123@ gmail.com

Paul Freeman

East Fifth Street paul@freeman landscape architecture.com

Lauren Gomez

East 5th Street laurenmcjo@ gmail.com

Evan Kettler

Laurel Avenue evan.kettler@ gmail.com

Craig Miller Louise Avenue craigmmiller@ hotmail.com

Nikki Moore

Kenmore Avenue nikki.s.moore@ gmail.com

contributors

John Short East Fifth Street jwesleyshort@ gmail.com

Kris Solow

East Fifth Street kjsolow@gmail.com

Lois Stickell

Lamar Avenue sstickell@hotmail.com

James Webb

East 5th Street james.lucius.webb@ gmail.com

It has been a fun and busy fall as usual in Elizabeth. The Pumpkin Wall was amazing. Huge thanks to John Short and all the volunteers who made this such a great showcase for not just Elizabeth, but for all of Charlotte.

The ECA concluded its 202122 fiscal year and we held our annual meeting on Sept. 29. We reported on the ECA’s work over the past year, got to hear from our new District 1 council representative Danté Anderson, and the membership elected a new board.

Since we did this virtually again this year, we were able to record the meeting and post it to our YouTube channel should you wish to rewatch it.

Several members rolled off the board after distinguished service to our community, and I wanted to call out their work and thank them one last time:

• Lisa Yagla is stepping down this year after serving as both social chair and then secretary. Her creativity around social events during the pandemic is legendary already and has resulted in an even better social calendar that is more inclusive for all residents including children. Lisa’s work on the Land Use and Development (LUD) committee has also been extremely beneficial given

her professional expertise in architecture and design. It would have cost the community a small fortune to hire her level of expertise if we didn’t have the benefit of her volunteer efforts.

• Marie McDaniel took over the reins from Lisa last year as social chair. She did a wonderful job coordinating all the volunteers in our neighborhood and enhancing all our community events including the second incarnation of the Merry Meander.

• Paul Freeman was the first person I talked to at my first board meeting. He has been our trees and beautification chair for many years, and as you might imagine the results of his good work are sprinkled throughout the neighborhood. The aging tree canopy in Elizabeth has been taking some hits in recent years, and because of Paul’s work we have new trees in place to rebuild our natural landscape.

• At-large board member Regan Miller also brought a wealth of wisdom from his professional experience to the board during his multiple years of service. I found the insights and perspectives that he brought to be particularly helpful as we discussed projects in the neighborhood, and Regan either led or helped address multiple complex issues during his service.

• At-large board member Cheri Swarthout leveraged her skills as a person who knows

everyone in Charlotte to get us connected to lots of people that helped the ECA during her two years on the board. As a resident of Sunnyside, Cheri also helped monitor and thoughtfully address the rapid changes occurring on that side of the neighborhood.

We also have five new board members joining, and I am very excited to have them on board.

Paul Shipley returns to the board in the past president role, Nikki Moore has hit the ground running as social chair, and Elaine Scott has already gotten in the weeds – pun intended – as trees and beautification chair. We also welcome two new atlarge members: Teddy Koch and Isabelle Cosgriff.

The new board’s work is already well underway. In addi tion to continuing nearly all of the work that happened last year, this year’s docket is ambitious.

Our newsletter, membership, and communications teams will continue to keep us all informed and engaged. The LUD and Transportation committees will continue to work toward the best possible outcomes for Elizabeth with the many parties involved around development of our corner of Charlotte. Our planned social calendar looks amazing. I can’t wait to see the new ideas integrated into the landscape of our neighborhood. Somehow the Elizabeth 8K Road Race will be even more amazing than last year. Safety for residents and visitors

From the president: The ECA will miss these folks by West Bryant

will again be a top priority with several specific areas of need slated for attention. We hope to modernize the ECA’s governance and have a new set of bylaws for member review by early spring at the latest.

Being a good citizen community in Charlotte will continue to help guide us as we work closely with residents and our government leaders. Throughout it all, we will strive to work for the benefit of Elizabeth’s residents and businesses.

On a personal note, I wanted to express my gratitude to everyone in the neighborhood for your support, feedback and encouragement. I appreciate the trust that you put into the ECA

board, and I am honored to serve as president again this year. I couldn’t be more proud of the work of the board, and it wouldn’t be possible without the patience, cooperation, feedback and engagement from our dynamic and wonderful community of neighbors. Onward!

From the LUD chair: Updates on Elizabeth projects by Evan Kettler

Development in Elizabeth, and throughout Charlotte, is extremely dynamic as the city continues to grow and as we approach the implementation of the new Uniform Development Ordinance (UDO) in June 2023.

By the time you read this, some questions will be answered and some unknowns will be known.

As of early November, here are some updates:

Royal Gardens: The “boutel” proposed by Lucrum Seven for the former Royal Gardens and the adjacent parcel will not be moving forward. Buyer and seller were unable to agree on terms for a contract extension. A variety of projects could be developed on this site. The type of project will depend on whether it is done via rezoning or “by right” (what is allowable without the need for rezoning) under current zoning or by right under the projected zoning after the UDO takes effect. You might be interested to learn

Some improvements at Independence Park took place during early morning hours using lights. According to Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, the “hardscape” part of the improvements should be complete by the end of 2022. Work on landscape installation may extend into early 2023. The ECA will work with Park and Rec to plan a special reopening event. Check the ECA communication channels for

updates. Photo by John McBride

that the last UDO plan revision reflected a negotiated height reduction from 73-feet initial filing to 56-feet fronting 7th Street, 46-feet in the rear, with an open item regarding further reductions; our next agreedupon step was a design charette that became unnecessary.

1800 block of East 7th: Across Lamar Avenue from the former Royal Gardens site, Centrum Realty & Development has purchased the five parcels fronting the 1800 block of East 7th Street. They will be evaluating whether to develop this property via rezoning or by right, under current or future development ordinances. Though this project is in its infancy, Centrum has met with ECA twice and indicates it will remain engaged with ECA.

Elizabeth on Seventh:

The award-winning mixed-use property at the corner of 7th and Caswell has begun the upfit process for Rosemont Market and Wine Bar. We eagerly anticipate more tenant announcements in December.

Blue Azalea: On Weddington Avenue, across the street from Queen City Lumber, land has been cleared for 18 townhomes after Blue Azalea worked closely with the neighborhood on design elements and City Council approved the rezoning petition.

More East 7th: We have reached out to the owners of the parcels between the Langston and Pecan Avenue, on 7th Street, where the shopping center is undergoing renovation. The same group owns a significant

portion of the block bounded by 7th, Pecan, 8th and Clarice Avenue – all but the water tower, Pecan Point shopping center and two other parcels. They have no immediate plans to sell or develop this land and have expressed a willingness to engage with the ECA moving forward.

Even more East 7th: We continue to coordinate with the ECA’s Transportation group, led by Eric Davis, in our pursuit of a rationalized 7th Street corridor. The 90-day deactivation of the reversible lanes is a start — more work is needed to address zoning, right of way and mobility issues on East 7th.

Light rail: Another item worthy of your attention – one recently-revealed route option calls for the proposed Silver Line light rail to travel from Indepen

Former Carolina Panther Greg Olsen (behind the wheel) and crew shot a commercial on Clement Avenue between Bay and 7th on Aug. 31. Photo by Kris Solow

dence at Seventh Street, down Charlottetown Avenue and then head uptown along Elizabeth Avenue/Trade Street. This is just one option; the plan will be evolving slowly but it is some thing you should be aware of.

Despite the many uncertainties and competing interests, our volunteers on the land use and development (LUD) working groups do their best to navigate these challenges and opportunities on behalf of the community. We understand that Elizabeth has stakeholders with diverse and frequently divergent perspectives on what the optimal outcome looks like, literally and figuratively. We work diligently to balance those perspectives – with the added prism of what is best for the now and what will prove to be wise in the long term.

Reversible no more: 7th Street center lane left turn only by Eric

On Oct. 13, CDOT modified the reversible lane structure in Elizabeth to address safety concerns. The aging reversible lane signal equipment had been displaying conflicting or missing information, putting both commuters and residents at risk.

The portion of 7th Street with the reversible lane system (which had operated from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays between Laurel Avenue and Charlottetowne Avenue)

Pecan and 9th.

Davis

Thanks to efforts by the ECA, CDOT recently installed a 4-way stop sign at

A pedestrian crosswalk is scheduled to be installed in early 2023. Photo by John McBride

now has one travel lane in each direction at all times, preserving the center lane for left turns only.

For inbound traffic between Laurel and Ridgeway, there will be continued green arrows in the middle lane. The overhead signs on this stretch of road do not have the ability to display the left-turn-only status. Because of this limitation, CDOT has the signs currently defaulting to the previous off-peak two inbound lane configuration.

Inbound traffic in the middle lane will be forced to turn left at Caswell/Pecan and west of this intersection the middle lane will be reserved as a turn lane only.Because of the age of the equipment, repairing and/ or replacing the equipment is challenging.

The revised reversible lane structure is scheduled to be in place for 90 days after Oct. 13. During this time, CDOT will evaluate equipment options and study traffic flows.The ECA Transportation committee will meet with representatives from CDOT in December to discuss CDOT’s preliminary findings and identify next steps.

Given how critical 7th street is to Elizabeth, updates will be shared with Elizabeth residents through the ECA and Elizabeth Families email distributions. If you want to join these lists, go to elizabethcommunity.com and go to the email lists tab.

Master of ceremonies Hardin Minor, as Granpa Harlequino, entertains the crowd before the lighting of the Pumpkin Wall. Photo by John McBride

On Greenway, a great wall rises, spreading HARMONY

by John Short

This Halloween the Great Elizabeth Pumpkin Wall once again rose above the streets of the neighborhood for the 18th year. This year’s wall was located at 2023 Greenway Ave. in front of the home of the 2022 wall’s gra cious hosts, Rob and Dale Hall.

The ECA made more than 120 pumpkins available for neigh bors to carve. Neighbors had the option of picking up pumpkins to carve at home or join neigh bors at the carving party, which was revived for the first time since 2019. Neighbors came together to carve jack-o-lanterns as a group before placing them on the wall.

At the lighting ceremony Pumpkin Wall master of ceremonies Hardin Minor reprised his role, drawing the assembled crowd into a frenzy ahead of the countdown to the lighting of the letters on the wall, which this year spelled out HARMONY.

Days after the Halloween festivities concluded, the jacko-lanterns from the wall were provided to Morgan Farms north of Charlotte, where they give them to their hungry pigs. It’s a true win/win, as the pumpkins serve as a healthy snack for the pigs, aiding in digestion and serving as a natural de-wormer for the animals.

As always, the Pumpkin Wall comes together with the help of a group of dedicated volunteers. Thank you to everyone who pitched in with pumpkin deliv ery, wall construction, pumpkin removal, lighting the letters and all the other activities required to pull off this unique neighborhood event.

areas like the Trolley Path. Membership also maintains the position of the ECA as a strong liaison between our neighborhood and the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, other neighborhoods, businesses, developers and other entities with interest in our community.

Already joined? Pick up your 2023 ECA Window Cling on the front porches of:

• 515 Pecan Ave.

• 2304 E 5th St.

• 2050 Greenway Ave.

Questions? Email membership@ elizabethcommunity.com.

Meet ECA board volunteer Isabelle Cosgriff

Display your 2023 ECA window cling proudly. Photo by Lauren Gomez

The 2023 ECA membership clings are here!

by Lauren Gomez

It’s not quite 2023, but now is a great time to get a jump on renewing your ECA Membership (due annually). Just visit elizabethcommunity.com and scroll down to Membership.

ECA Membership is only $30 per household and supports events we love (like the Pumpkin Wall and the Merry Meander), plus maintenance of common

Editor’s note: Isabelle Cosgriff recently became an at-large member for the ECA. We asked her to tell us a little about herself.

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: Software sales manager at Red Hat.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: In my spare time I like to read, walk, exercise or take our dog for a hike.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: I live with my boyfriend, Drew, in the Elizabeth Glen townhomes. We have a 1-year-old dog named Asa. I have two sisters in Denver and

New York and my parents are close by in Raleigh.

Q: How long have you lived in Elizabeth?

A: Just over a year now.

Q: From where did you move?

A: Raleigh.

Q: Why Elizabeth?

A: We had rented short term in Elizabeth and loved walking the neighborhood and exploring the local spots (Caswell Station for an NC State game or People’s Market for breakfast).

Q: How did you come to volunteer for the ECA?

A: Paul Shipley was kind enough to refer me – he was a great person to chat with as he was innately familiar with the board and its history.

Q: What do you think are the three most important issues facing Elizabeth today?

A: 1. Discussions surrounding redesign of key streets for our neighborhood (7th street for example); 2. Safety (I consider this a very safe neighborhood but as Charlotte urbanizes so does our neighborhood); 3. Development and land use.

Q: Favorite Elizabeth moment?

A: Has to be when we had just moved into the neighborhood and stumbled upon the great Rosemont Manor! Halloween has quickly become one of our favorite holidays in the neighborhood.

Q: One thing you wish everyone knew about you.

A: I am terrible with names! This is something I’m consciously trying to work on but If I need a reminder, just know I remember all of our conversation but tend to miss the introduction.

Meet ECA board volunteer Teddy Koch

Editor’s note: Teddy Koch recently became an at-large member of the Elizabeth Community Association board. We asked him to tell us a little about himself.

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: I work for Wells Fargo lending money to corporate clients.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: I love playing with our kids and going on walks through the neighborhood or hikes at some of the nearby parks/preserves. During Covid, my wife and I adopted an evening cocktail on the front porch, and that tradition will continue until the case count drops to zero (and we’ll find another excuse after that).

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: My wife Sarah is my high school sweetheart and practices dermatology north of the city. We have two girls, Madeleine, 7, and Nora, 4.

Q: How long have you lived in Elizabeth?

A: We moved here in 2016 and have never looked back.

Q: From where did you move?

A: I bounced around between

Isabelle Cosgriff

Teddy Koch

Uptown and Midtown while my wife finished training at Wake Forest.

Q: Why Elizabeth?

A: It’s funny – Elizabeth wasn’t initially on our list, but the perfect house for us came on the market, we dove right in, and now can’t imagine living anywhere else. We love the mix of generations, beautiful trees and walkability of the neighborhood. And the neighbors themselves don’t hurt!

Q: How did you come to volunteer for the ECA?

A: West reached out after a friend gave him my name, and I didn’t hesitate to say yes.

Q: What do you think are the three most important issues facing Elizabeth today?

A: Development, community and traffic.

Q: Favorite Elizabeth moment?

A: The first Merry Meander holds a special place in my heart. It represented a great pivot during a trying time and showcased the neighborhood’s spirit and creativity.

Q: One thing you wish everyone knew about you.

A: I grew up in Hershey, PA, the sweetest place on Earth (if you see me out walking, ask me about the melting point of Hershey’s chocolate).

Meet ECA board volunteer Nikki Moore

Editor’s note: Nikki Moore recently became social chair for the ECA. We asked her to tell us a little about herself.

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: I wrangle my children these days, but ran a business offering in-home catering and cooking lessons for ten-plus years.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: I am a total bookworm. When I’m not curled up with a book, you’ll find me cooking or doing something outside.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: My husband North and I have been married for 15 years and

have three girls ages 3, 5 and 8. We also have a Newfoundland dog named Lulu.

Q: How long have you lived in Elizabeth?

A: My husband and I have lived in Elizabeth for 11 years. We lived in a townhome on Hawthorne when we were first married and have been on Kenmore Avenue since 2013.

Q: From where did you move?

A: We’ve been in Charlotte since 2004, but my husband and I hail from Texas and Florida respectively. We met at Davidson College and fell in love with each other and the area.

Q: Why Elizabeth?

A: The community. I like living in a neighborhood where people are engaged, creative and fun. I think our neighbors exemplify those characteristics.

Q: How did you come to volunteer for the ECA?

A: West Bryant is very convincing. Just kidding! Seriously, I have enjoyed participating in ECA events for years, and I’m excited to give back and put in the work behind the scenes.

Q: What do you think are the three most important issues facing Elizabeth today?

A: I’m going to choose one and that’s Charlotte’s growth. We are a small section of a big city that is growing quickly. Along with new opportunities come challenges and walking the line between the

Nikki Moore

two is not easy.

Q: Favorite Elizabeth moment?

A: I love a good pumpkin wall lighting ceremony.

Q: One thing you wish everyone knew about you.

A: I adore really stinky cheese. This is the way to my heart.

Editor’s note: Elaine Scott recently became chair of beautification and trees for the ECA. We asked her to tell us a little about herself.

Q: What do you do for a living?

A: My current work revolves around the home. I’m the cleaner, chef, grocery shopper, gardener and handyman.

Q: What do you do in your spare time?

A: I enjoy gardening, playing ball sports (tennis, pickle, and golf), cooking and shopping farmer’s markets. My husband and I are empty nesters, so we travel a lot.

Q: Tell us about your family.

A: My husband Jerry Tylman and I raised our two children in Elizabeth. Our daughter Katie is now 26 and living in LA, and our son Ben is 23 and living on 5th street (he can’t get away from the ‘hood).

Q: How long have you lived in Elizabeth?

A: Jerry and I moved to Charlotte

in ’94. Our first home was on Greenway and we moved to Kenmore in 2006.

Q: From where did you move?

A: Our work had a lot of traveling (Jerry and I met at the same consulting firm, we were fortunate to travel together). I was based in CA but lived in DC and working on a project in NY.

Q: Why Elizabeth?

A: We looked for a neighborhood close to downtown and easy access to Talley’s, the only healthy grocery store in the area at the time.

Q: How did you come to volunteer for the ECA?

A: We’ve always been a member. Both our homes have been on the Home Tour, we’ve hosted the annual Christmas party twice,

and we hosted progressive dinner gatherings. Now that I live next door to the president, I guess it’s time to be on the board.

Q: What do you think are the three most important issues facing Elizabeth today?

A: We have many close friends who rented in the neighborhood, so I worry about keeping the diversity or mix of neighbors as duplexes and small homes get torn down. Traffic is an issue.

Also: How to attract businesses that support the neighborhood.

Q: Favorite Elizabeth moment?

A: Watching our kids grow up. So many fonds memories.

Q: One thing you wish everyone knew about you.

A: My original home is Nebraska, and the longest I’ve lived anywhere is Charlotte. My parents were born and raised in the same small town of 400 people. I was born in Omaha, and then we moved around following my dad’s job with IBM (Germany, Colorado, Maryland, Washington and California before I was 12). Every summer, I traveled back to Nebraska to spend time at my grandparents’.

Understanding three different historic designations by Craig Miller

Editor’s note: Craig Miller sits on the Historic Elizabeth Neighborhood Foundation (HENF) board. The

Meet ECA board volunteer Elaine Scott

Elaine Scott

views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the ECA.

With interest in having Elizabeth designated as a local historic district growing, HENF has fielded many forms of the same question: Isn’t Elizabeth already a historic district?

Elizabeth is not a designated local historic district but is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a form of historic designation, just not one that confers any protections from the development pressures our neighborhood is now facing. Read on to learn more about other relevant types of historic designations.

Local historic landmark:

The purpose of designating local historic landmarks is to preserve assets that have special historical, architectural or cultural significance. Elizabeth currently has 20 local his toric landmarks including 11 residences, Independence Park, Memorial Stadium, the Trolley Walk, Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church, and others. It is important to note that local historic landmarks apply to indi vidual assets while local historic districts apply to an entire area. The latter of the two is currently the subject of public debate.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission (CMHLC) is a local government agency charged with overseeing

the designation and rule enforcement processes that are enabled by and outlined in state statute. The CMHLC also buys and sells endangered historic properties as a preservation tool. Applications for changes to landmark exteriors must be reviewed by the CMHLC which then approves or denies the changes based on written standards. It also reviews applications for demolition of historic properties and can delay permits for up to 365 days. Besides the obvious benefit of preserving historically significant properties, a major benefit is a 50% property tax reduction. For more information, visit www. landmarkscommission.org.

Local historic district:

Local historic districts (LHDs) are created to protect the historic integrity of a designated area through enforcement of written standards. They are established through a collab orative process that includes property owners within the proposed district, local elected officials (who vote on it) and local and state government staff. There are currently eight LHDs in Charlotte including PlazaMidwood and Dilworth.

LHDs are administered by the 12-member Charlotte Historic District Commission and its staff from Charlotte’s Planning department. Guided by state statute and LHD design standards, this group reviews

certain proposed changes to building exteriors and grounds as well as new construction and can approve or deny changes. It also reviews applications for building demolition which may be quickly approved if no historic significance is found or delayed up to 365 days if historically significant. While there are no tax benefits as with historic landmarks, the primary benefit of LHDs is the preservation of historically significant properties and neighborhood character.

Elizabeth achieved LHD designation in the late 1980s, but that was overturned after a lawsuit revealed a minor technical oversight in the process. With the rapid growth and destruction of historically significant properties in Elizabeth, HENF is advocating LHD status once again as the best way to preserve the historic integrity and character of our neighborhood.

HENF recently worked with a historical research and preservation consultant to complete a survey of all buildings in Elizabeth for their historical significance, which is a required step in the LHD designation process. The survey revealed that buildings having historical significance since the last survey in 1989 declined by more than 10 percent. For more information about LHDs and HENF, visit www. historicelizabethnc.org.

National Register of Historic Places: This is the type of historic designation that currently applies to Elizabeth. The official listing for Elizabeth occurred on Jan. 3, 1989, and we are one of seven Charlotte neighborhoods with such designation. The National Register is managed by the National Park Service and includes “historic places worthy of preservation,” according to the federal website. It includes more than 96,000 properties (an expansive term which includes buildings, sites, structures, objects and districts such as our own historic Elizabeth neighborhood). There are no controls or limits on rehabilitation or demolition, but there are potential federal and state tax credits available for certified rehabilitations of income-producing historic structures. Owner-occupied residential properties do not qualify for the tax credit.

Several of Charlotte’s existing LHDs have boundaries consistent with their National Register boundaries. Given this precedent, the HENF is examining Elizabeth’s National Register boundary and recently completed properties survey as guides for determining an appropriate LHD boundary for Elizabeth. With the prevalence of local historic landmarks and many other historically significant properties spread throughout Elizabeth along with ever-increasing pressure from development, it seems reasonable to make most of what is already historic Elizabeth into the future Elizabeth LHD.

On 5th Street, a wee home for free art by

Kris Solow

It had been in the making for about a year, but the Free Little Art Gallery Elizabeth finally debuted in September at 2109 East 5th Street. My talented brother-in-law, Dan Harbacevich, designed and crafted the gallery to reflect our home, complete with a shingled roof, “copper” overhang and decorative board detailing.

I also take no credit for the idea. A woman in Seattle came up with it first, and it has taken off across the country. It runs on the same principle as the little libraries you see in neighbor hoods only, instead of books, it houses small pieces of art:

paintings, photographs, fiber art, origami, pottery, jewelry, etc.

Feel free to have a look. If you see a piece of art you like, take it. If you have a piece of art to contribute, leave it. If the gallery is full, please check back for available space to leave your art. Keep in mind this gallery is little, so please do not overcrowd it.

Here are the details to observe:

• It gets hot in the gallery, so don’t put anything in it that will melt.

• Please do not take the easels, people or bench. Thank you.

• Put contact info on your art if you have work to sell.

• Art needs to be 5” x 7” or smaller.

• If you have three dimensional art, collapse and lean an easel against the wall and put your art in one of the corners.

• There are small clothespins on two side walls for unframed art.

• There are two hooks in the ceiling to hang ornaments or 3-dimensional art.

And above all, enjoy it!

From a firm foundation, Crunkleton expands in Elizabeth by James Webb

Gary Crunkleton says he has one rule: Treat people the way you want to be treated.

When The Crunkleton first opened in 2018, Elizabethans

and Charlotte foodies alike flooded the restaurant for its first several weeks.

“We were overwhelmed with guests, there were long waits, and service wasn’t what it should have been. I was so embarrassed. I remember one night climbing the bar ladder and I just burst into tears,” said Crunkleton.

Gary wanted to get things right, so he closed the restaurant for a few weeks to regroup and ensure the food, drinks and service reflected the experience he and his team wanted to deliver. Four years later, The Crunkleton is the authentic and approachable restaurant he envisioned. And it has quickly become an Elizabeth

staple. “It’s the people in the bars that make bars great,” said Crunkleton. “When we’re opening a restaurant, we want the space, drinks and food to be world class so it transcends where you are. We want to create wonderful, unique places that are wellsprings for everyday gatherings and special occasions.”

This year, his team brought Cheat’s Cheesesteaks to Pecan Avenue. It’s a concept that The Crunkleton’s kitchen manager, bar manager and drink manager came up with.

In 2023, The Crunkleton team will bring two new restaurants to Elizabeth: Rosemont Market and Wine Bar (ground level,

across from Caswell Station), and a Mexican restaurant in The Stanley’s former space. Gary says Rosemont will open in the second quarter of 2023 and will feature quality ready-to-eat food, meals to take home for dinner, wine, a coffee bar and a deli. Gary expects it to have a coffee shop vibe, and he described it as a blend of Whole Foods, Reid’s Fine Foods, and Earl’s Grocery.

The Mexican restaurant will be Oaxacan-inspired and feature artisanal tequila, mezcal and rum drinks. Gary and his partners are flying to Mexico in November, where they hope to dissect mole sauces and finalize the food menu. “It’s not going to be Tex-Mex. We’re hoping for

At the soft opening and ribbon cutting on Sept. 14 are artists and friends (from left) Kris Solow, Leigh Williams, Lisa Stockton Howell and Nancy Albert – all of whom left a piece of art in the gallery. Photo by James Howell

authenticity, quality ingredients and a high quality product that’s more Mex than Tex. From our travels, and from what we know – there are a ton of great flavors down there we’re looking to capture – and we’re going to bring something truly unique to Charlotte.”

Gary said they’re considering a few different names for the restaurant, and the planned opening will be in January.

I asked Gary if there was anything he’d like to share with Elizabeth residents, and he said: “Thank you to the community for welcoming and embracing us. We’re so grateful and I can’t believe how receptive the community

has been and I just hope that momentum rolls into our new concepts. We’re always looking to improve and grow, so please share feedback with our team as these new restaurants open.”

Reaching out for recipes: Let’s create an Elizabeth cookbook by James Webb

Hi, neighbors. I thought it would be fun to create a community cookbook that captures the flavors of Elizabeth and our residents. In November, I sent an email to the Elizabeth Families email group asking for recipes – and the response has been great. Based on interest and number of responses, my hope

would be this cookbook could turn into an Elizabeth tradition issued annually.

If you’re interested in submit ting a recipe, or recipes, for the 2023 Elizabeth Neighborhood Cookbook please email your recipe(s) to: james.lucius.webb@ gmail.com

My goal is to issue the first cookbook in January, so please submit your recipes by December 31. Once I compile all the recipes and design the cookbook, I will take orders for hardcopies. The hardcopy cookbook will be available for purchase at-cost (price TBD). Since we live in a digital world, I will also create a free PDF ver sion that can be viewed digitally.

A late October storm knocked down this tree at the corner of Clement and Park Drive. Photo by John McBride

We all have recipes we love, and gathering around the table is a big part of our community. I’m very excited for this book and the recipes that will shape it.

Recipe submissions should include:

• Name of dish.

• Ingredients.

• Directions.

• Any helpful tips.

• Photo of your dish (helpful and preferred, but not required).

• If it’s vegan, GF, vegetarian, etc., please note that.

• Your name.

• The name of the street on which you live.

The recipe can be anything. It can be one you created or a family recipe that’s been passed down. If you found it online and simply love making it, that’s great, too! The goal is to share recipes we love – they don’t have to be proprietary. If the recipe you submit is not a family recipe, please credit the source (if known).

Envisioned recipe categories will include:

• Appetizers

• Soups & Salads

• Dinner Entrees

• Desserts

• Snacks

• Breads

• Slow Cooker

or Instant Pot Dishes

• Breakfasts

• Holiday Favorites

• Drinks

• Sauces

You are welcome to submit multiple recipes, even in the same category. But please send a separate email for each recipe.

Keep the recipes coming!

Kind actions can be contagious. Thank you Elizabeth by Paul Freeman

Early in the year I sent out a request for recommendations on our Elizabeth email chain. As usual you did not disappoint, and provided me multiple sug gestions to explore. The request was for a friend who told me he thought he needed psycho logical and psychiatric care. He had been struggling for five years when we met. I wanted to share how much he’s improved. Through multiple avenues of counseling, diet changes and exercise, he no longer wakes up in the morning not knowing how he’s going to feel that day.

He thanked me recently, and I don’t deserve the credit –you do. We live in challenging times where our actions seem inconsequential to the problems we face. To me this was proof that tiny actions can have huge positive impacts.

Seeing the positive changes in him has inspired me to make

some changes that are improving my quality of life. I just wanted to share. We may not always be aware of our actions, but if they come from a place of kindness, they can be contagious.

Commuting uptown? Here’s how to leave the car at home

by Lauren Sawyers

While most of Charlotte shut down for the pandemic and uptown workers were relegated to home offices, some exciting developments were underway that today make it easier than ever for Elizabeth neighbors to commute to center city – for work or play – without a car.

Next time you head uptown, why not consider an alternate mode of transportation? Here are three simple ways to make the trip while saving gas, time, money and hassle.

Bike: If you haven’t been uptown much or at all over the past couple of years, you might be surprised by the extensive network of new, fully protected bike lanes, called CycleLink, that now traverse the city. Offset from traffic by concrete and plastic physical barriers, delineated with distinct road paint and marked with directional signs, these bike lanes offer a welcoming invita tion to all the mental, physical and environmental benefits that riding provides as you ditch the gas in favor of pedals.

The CycleLink runs east/west on 5th and 6th Streets, connecting Irwin Creek and Little Sugar Creek Greenways. At the Little Sugar Creek end of the CycleLink, you can head south or north for a protected ride to NoDa. Also accessible from the CycleLink: Charlotte Rail Trail, which you can follow (with some maneuvering across I-277) all the way through SouthEnd.

To access the Uptown Cycle Link from Elizabeth, simply make your way around Independence Park, through the tunnels under Charlottetowne Avenue/Kings Drive and up to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway at CPCC. The CycleLink begins on 7th Street in front of CPCC’s Van Every Culinary Building.

Ride the train: Last fall, the CityLYNX Gold Line streetcar opened for service. This develop ment has been many years in the making, but it’s all worth the wait. Not only are streetcars fun to ride, but they provide envi ronmental, social and economic benefits for our community.

The 2.5-mile track now runs through uptown, connecting Elizabeth to the Historic West End. The eastern line ends at Sunnyside Avenue after stops at Presbyterian Hospital at 5th Street and Hawthorne at 8th Street. The Gold Line runs from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Since it is a streetcar (versus light rail), it stops at lights and follows the flow of traffic. End-to-end,

depending on the time of day, it’s about a 30-minute ride. There are 17 stops, all fully accessible. For now, the ride is fare-free. What a deal!

Take the bus: A couple of bus routes hug Plaza Midwood. It’s easy to find a stop convenient to your house or place of busi ness. The Nos. 9, 15, 17 and 27 all run through the heart of Elizabeth in 15 to 30-minute intervals. Save on parking, get some steps on your way too and from the bus stop, and enjoy commute time without the hassle of navigating traffic.

For more information on making earth-friendly, healthy, equitable transportation choic es, visit www.SustainCharlotte. org. Whether you pedal, walk or ride, there are many reasons and incentives to a car-less commute – and, lately, many safe and easy ways to make it happen.

endured the infamous Bataan Death March. This is the first part of a twopart story.

Horace Buford Patterson, Jr. was born in 1918 and grew up on Clement Avenue near 7th Street. The oldest of six children, he attended Elizabeth Grade School, Piedmont Junior High and Central High School. He was obviously bright, graduating from high school at 16. He at tended Davidson College for two years before finances forced him to drop out. In 1941 he joined the military and trained as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. After receiving his commission as a second lieutenant, he was sent to Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines.

Editor’s note: Elizabethan Lois Stickell’s research on the history of First Presbyterian Church in downtown Charlotte led her to Buford Patterson’s diary in the UNC Charlotte archives. The diary documents Buford’s World War II experience in the Philippines. He and Milton Woodside are the only two native-born Charlotteans – both from Elizabeth – known to have

On Dec. 8, 1941, Japanese planes followed their Pearl Har bor attack by bombing bases on Luzon. The Japanese then sent in ground troops. Buford was on the front lines as Americans and their Filipino comrades fought with antiquated weapons and without air support. Eventually they were forced to retreat south to the Bataan Peninsula. With no hope of reinforcements or sup plies, Luzon was surrendered on Apr. 9, 1942. Buford wrote, “72 days on front line without relief.”

He was one of the estimated 10,000 Americans and 66,000 Filipinos who began the forced march that was later called the Bataan Death March. The men had already been on quarter rations for weeks and were weak

Elizabethan’s WWII diary captures horrors of battle, imprisonment: Part 1 by Lois Stickell

and malnourished. The atrocities of the march are well documented. Buford wrote only that on Apr. 10 he “began awful march out of Bataan.” Buford and four companions stuck together for moral support.

Seven days later he arrived at Camp O’Donnell and recorded, “God, what an experience –many never made it.” No exact numbers are known but 600 Americans and 2500 Filipinos are believed to have died on the 65-mile march.

On Apr. 22, 1942, Buford recorded in his diary that he ran into Milton Woodside in the large prison camp. Milton was a Charlotte native who was also from the Elizabeth neighbor hood. His family lived on Louise Avenue near 7th Street. The two men had grown up three blocks from each other. Buford wrote, “First time we meet since my arrival in Philippines.” It would not be the last.

Buford experienced the first of many malaria attacks at Camp O’Donnell and it left him very weak. He was also dealing with malnutrition, extreme heat, flies, mosquitos and a six-hour wait to fill his canteen with water. Esti mates are that 26,000 Filipino soldiers and 1,500 Americans at Camp O’Donnell starved to death or died of disease. Layered on top of that was systemic cruel ty that included making prison ers stand in the sun for hours and executions for something as

harmless as being caught with Japanese money.

In June 1942, Buford was moved to a different prison camp called Cabanatuan. It was also a grim experience. Several of his friends died from disease, starva tion and at the hands of brutal guards. Buford wrote, “Death rate now phenomenal – forty and fifty per day.”

He was moved again in Nov. 1942, enduring a “ride to Manila packed 80 in box car, stiffling [sic] heat.” From there he was “herded aboard” the ship Nagata Maru. Five hundred men were crowded into a hold that mea sured approximately 60 feet by 60 feet. The Nagata Maru would later be termed a “hell ship,” where prisoners were trapped below deck without food or water for days in conditions so crowded that some suffocated. The Japanese refused to paint Red Cross markings on the ships, resulting in the ships being relentlessly bombed by American planes and torpedoed by American submarines. One historian estimated that 19,000 Allied prisoners died on hell ships that came under American attack. Buford described his three weeks on the Nagata Maru as “one of the most awful experi ences a person could live thru (many didn’t).”

On Nov. 25, 1942, the Nagata Maru arrived in Moji, Japan, where the temperatures were freezing. Wearing thin summer

clothing, Buford “huddled on [the] docks” and waited to see what would happen next.

Next issue: Buford endures bitter cold, hunger, lice and a year of “extreme and limitless hardship” while memories of home feed his soul.

An old willow oak on East 5th Street had been in decline for over a year, dropping large limbs. It posed a threat to both residents and property and was finally laid to rest in October.

Photo by Kris Solow

This picture, captured from the Japanese, shows American prisoners using improvised litters to carry their comrades who fell along the road on the Bataan Death March. Photo from the National Archives - www.archives.gov

Inset: Horace Buford, pictured in the 1936 Davidson College yearbook “Quips and Cranks.” Photo courtesy of the Davidson College Archives and Special Collections