Sertino's Cafe May Close

According to Hugo's newspaper, The Citizen, Sertino's Café may close soon.  Read more about it here.  Throwing the business a lifeline, the City of Hugo recently approved a large orange highway sign to attract customers to the business.  As of a few days ago, the sign had been removed.

Hopefully Sertino's will be able to continue in its Victor Gardens location.  It's a great place for a morning cup of coffee or an afternoon ice cream cone. 

New Charter School Looking to Open in Hugo

A charter school is investigating the potential to open in the Hugo/northern WBL area. An information meeting is set for Centennial Branch Library at 6 pm next Wednesday (10/20). 2011/2012 school year will be targeted to open for K-2, with expansion to K-6 if there is enough interest in the community. School hours will be 9-4 and the schedule will mirror the district schedule.

Cornerstone Preparatory Academy is a tuition-free K-8th grade school seeking to locate in the WBL/Hugo area. School founders are currently compiling an enrollment interest list for the 2011-12 school year. If interested, please Email: CornerstonePrepAcademy@gmail.com Cornerstone Prep views all children as high potential learners and will work hard to help students uncover their natural gifts and talents so that each individual will become highly successful. This approach evolves through the implementation of the Core Knowledge sequence and a variety of innovative teaching methods so that each child is enabled to embrace his/her own learning style. Cornerstone Prep is also rooted with strong partnerships among students, parents, teachers and the community, and is committed to fostering small instructional settings. This approach lays the foundation and paves the way for students’ future success in school and in life. For more information about the program or for upcoming events, go to:http://cornerstoneprepacademy.blogspot.com/

ARC Committee Meeting Summary

Last night the Victor Gardens Community Association (Master) Architectural Review Committee met.  The group discussed a number of topics including:

• Unauthorized satellite dish antennae on condo and town home buildings.
• The successful completion of Grantaire Green.
• Landscape applications for new Single Family Village homes.
• Compliance Certificates for newly built Single Family Village homes.
• A new Sharper Homes proposal for a new Single Family Village home in the last remaining corner lot on Provence Way.

Hugo City Council Approves Funding for Groundwater Remediation Project

Victor Gardens Residents spoke again at the October 4 Hugo City Council meeting to discuss ongoing groundwater issues.  Residents helped the Council better understand the problem.  The Council later unanimously voted to approve funding for a groundwater remediation project.    

A huge thanks goes to Tony Schwab and other residents for their work on this issue. In the last year, Tony coordinated numerous meetings and met with the group of affected homeowners, engineering companies, City staff, and the Rice Creek Watershed District. This group was successful in finding an affordable solution that will improve the groundwater situation for these affected properties.  

Residents should know that our City Council Person Becky Petryk, Mayor Fran Miron, and Hugo's Development Director Bryan Bear have been instrumental in helping our residents throughout this process.  They deserve our thanks for working with the rest of Hugo's City Council towards a unanimous vote to approve the project's funding.

The following article, written by Deb Barnes, appeared in the September 29, 2010 edition of The Citizen newspaper.  More details are expected to be published in The Citizen regarding the Oct. 4 Hugo City Council meeting. 

Council Reluctant To Proceed With Groundwater Control Measures

Council declined to take immediate action on a proposed cost-sharing arrangement that would lead to drainage relief in the Victor Gardens neighborhood through the installation of a shallow piped drainage system.

“Unexpected” groundwater issues have plagued 17 homes in the area since the development was completed and residents have been trying to solve the problem, resident Anthony Schwab told council members. Some homeowners’ sump pumps run continuously, he said, adding that the presence of water and significant algae growth in alleyways is an ongoing safety issue.

“The source of the problem is the water table,” Carlson Professional Services engineer Brian Krystofiak (Kris-toh-fee-ak) said.

Council Member Becky Petryk speculated that drain tiles located within Rosemary Wenzel’s farm fields may have acted to lower the water table at the time the development was planned.

Although residents formally requested that the city contribute $41,750 toward a $90,000-plus remedy, council members were reluctant to contribute funds toward a solution that may not be enough to solve the problem; a more rigorous and expensive engineering solution had been rejected by homeowners because of cost, council members were told.

Opinions ranged from, “Why is it the city’s responsibility?” (Council Member Chuck Haas) to “We do have a stormwater management fund, and I can’t think of a better way to use it” (Council Member Petryk) to “This seems more of a patch than a long-term solution” (Council Member Tom Weidt).

Assistance has been rendered by Carlson Professional Services, C.W. Houle Co., WSB & Associates, and the Rice Creek Watershed District, the drainage authority, which has agreed to provide a $50,000 grant to help correct the problem.

In the end, council directed staff to prepare a resolution with fi ndings of fact for approval. It’s not clear whether the measure will pass, however.

Agenda Available- Master ARC Meeting Tonight, 6:30pm

Tonight's Master ARC meeting will be held at the Neighborhood Activity Center at 6:30pm.  All are welcome to attend.   The meeting's agenda is available for download here.