Kirkwood Pulse • October 08, 2025
Autogenerated on Wednesday, October 08, 2025 at 22:14 UTC • 5 stories from the last 36 hours.
Kirkwood Pulse • October 08, 2025
context: Kirkwood has invested heavily in making the city more walkable through infrastructure improvements like curb bump-outs, bike lanes, and lane reductions. speed_study: date: May 2024 locations: 75 scope: City streets plus county and MoDOT roads key_metric: 85th percentile speed findings: In 55 of 75 locations, the 85th percentile speed exceeded the speed limit by more than 5 mph, indicating a need for intervention. recommended_actions: -: Lower speed limits -: Redesign streets to encourage slower driving -: Increase enforcement
| interventions_and_effects: |
|---|
| treatment: Speed Feedback Sign |
| speed_reduction_mph: 3 |
| crash_reduction_percent: 70 |
| -: |
| treatment: Roundabouts |
| speed_reduction_mph: 6 |
| crash_reduction_percent: 75 |
| -: |
| treatment: Raised Intersections |
| speed_reduction_mph: 5 |
| crash_reduction_percent: 40 |
| -: |
| treatment: Horizontal Deflection (e.g., curb extensions) |
| speed_reduction_mph: 3 |
| crash_reduction_percent: 30 |
| -: |
| treatment: Lower Speed Limits |
| speed_reduction_mph: 4 |
| crash_reduction_percent: 25 |
| -: |
| treatment: Speed Humps/Tables |
| speed_reduction_mph: 10-20 at placed countermeasure |
| crash_reduction_percent: 40 |
| ongoing_and_planned_projects: |
| -: Raised intersections at Clay & Argonne and Clay & Jefferson |
| -: Lane reductions and mid-block crossing on Kirkwood Road Phase I and II |
| -: Curb bump-outs on Lindeman, South Geyer Big Bend, and West Essex |
| -: Sidewalk infill on East Essex (Glendale partnership) |
| -: Purchase of eleven speed feedback cameras by City Council for $59,815 |
| -: Speed limit reductions on West Monroe (25 to 20 mph) and West Jefferson (20 to 15 mph) |
| analysis: |
| effectiveness: Interventions expected to reduce 85th percentile speeds by 3-6 mph and improve pedestrian safety significantly. |
| limitations: Concerns remain about extreme speeders (99th percentile) who drive much faster than typical speeds; some top recorded speeds may be measurement errors. |
| criticisms: |
| -: Desire for lane reductions to extend further south on Kirkwood Road |
| -: Frustration with city staff removing sidewalks to avoid stop signs or opposing speed limit reductions The article discusses Kirkwood's tear-down crisis, attributing it to the high cost of land. It highlights that after spending around $500,000 to buy a lot, the additional $200,000 to demolish an existing small home and build a larger one is considered a minor expense, contributing to the trend of replacing starter homes with bigger houses. issue: Kirkwood is facing a tear-down crisis where small starter homes are being replaced by larger, more expensive homes due to high land costs. |
| key_points: |
| -: Land cost accounts for 65% to 100% of property value, making it difficult to maintain affordable starter homes. |
| -: Mandating small, affordable homes alone won't solve the problem; land affordability must be addressed. |
| -: Two ways to reduce land cost: increase supply or reduce demand. Reducing demand is undesirable as high demand supports home value appreciation. |
| -: Increasing supply can be done by building multi-family or multi-story buildings to share land costs among multiple families. |
| -: Small condo/apartment buildings and townhomes help but don't fully meet the desire for detached single-family starter homes with backyards. |
| -: Another solution is subdividing land into smaller lots to lower individual lot prices, making land more attainable for modest-income families. |
| -: Kirkwood's zoning code limits lot subdivision due to minimum lot size requirements (7,500 sqft to 1 acre depending on zone), preventing splitting lots for multiple smaller homes. |
| -: Example: A 10,100 sqft lot at 511 W Rose Hill Ave could not be split to build two homes due to the 7,500 sqft minimum, forcing owners to sell to developers building larger homes. |
| conclusion: To revive starter homes in Kirkwood, zoning reforms allowing smaller lot sizes and encouraging multi-family housing are necessary to make land more affordable and accessible to young families. |
Vibe-O-Meter
- Score (0-100): 50
- Sentiment (-100..100): 0
- Mood: Even Keel
- Why: Mix of 0 positive, 5 neutral, and 0 negative stories. Average sentiment lands at 0.
Stories worth a look
- Tired of the Speeders? Turn on the Cameras. (Kirkwood Gadfly) — context: Kirkwood has invested heavily in making the city more walkable through infrastructure improvements like curb bump-outs, bike lanes, and lane reductions.
speed_study:
date: May 2024
locations: 75
scope: City streets plus county and MoDOT roads
key_metric: 85th percentile speed
findings: In 55 of 75 locations, the 85th percentile speed exceeded the speed limit by more than 5 mph, indicating a need for intervention.
recommended_actions:
-: Lower speed limits
-: Redesign streets to encourage slower driving
-: Increase enforcement
interventions_and_effects: treatment: Speed Feedback Sign speed_reduction_mph: 3 crash_reduction_percent: 70 -: treatment: Roundabouts speed_reduction_mph: 6 crash_reduction_percent: 75 -: treatment: Raised Intersections speed_reduction_mph: 5 crash_reduction_percent: 40 -: treatment: Horizontal Deflection (e.g., curb extensions) speed_reduction_mph: 3 crash_reduction_percent: 30 -: treatment: Lower Speed Limits speed_reduction_mph: 4 crash_reduction_percent: 25 -: treatment: Speed Humps/Tables speed_reduction_mph: 10-20 at placed countermeasure crash_reduction_percent: 40
ongoing_and_planned_projects: -: Raised intersections at Clay & Argonne and Clay & Jefferson -: Lane reductions and mid-block crossing on Kirkwood Road Phase I and II -: Curb bump-outs on Lindeman, South Geyer Big Bend, and West Essex -: Sidewalk infill on East Essex (Glendale partnership) -: Purchase of eleven speed feedback cameras by City Council for $59,815 -: Speed limit reductions on West Monroe (25 to 20 mph) and West Jefferson (20 to 15 mph) analysis: effectiveness: Interventions expected to reduce 85th percentile speeds by 3-6 mph and improve pedestrian safety significantly. limitations: Concerns remain about extreme speeders (99th percentile) who drive much faster than typical speeds; some top recorded speeds may be measurement errors. criticisms: -: Desire for lane reductions to extend further south on Kirkwood Road -: Frustration with city staff removing sidewalks to avoid stop signs or opposing speed limit reductions Impact: Impact unclear based on automatically extracted text. Sentiment: neutral (0) Priority: medium Read more
- Kirkwood minimum lot size (Kirkwood Gadfly) — The article discusses Kirkwood's tear-down crisis, attributing it to the high cost of land. It highlights that after spending around $500,000 to buy a lot, the additional $200,000 to demolish an existing small home and build a larger one is considered a minor expense, contributing to the trend of replacing starter homes with bigger houses. Impact: Impact unclear based on automatically extracted text. Sentiment: neutral (0) Priority: medium Read more
- How To Revive the Starter Home (Kirkwood Gadfly) — issue: Kirkwood is facing a tear-down crisis where small starter homes are being replaced by larger, more expensive homes due to high land costs. key_points: -: Land cost accounts for 65% to 100% of property value, making it difficult to maintain affordable starter homes. -: Mandating small, affordable homes alone won't solve the problem; land affordability must be addressed. -: Two ways to reduce land cost: increase supply or reduce demand. Reducing demand is undesirable as high demand supports home value appreciation. -: Increasing supply can be done by building multi-family or multi-story buildings to share land costs among multiple families. -: Small condo/apartment buildings and townhomes help but don't fully meet the desire for detached single-family starter homes with backyards. -: Another solution is subdividing land into smaller lots to lower individual lot prices, making land more attainable for modest-income families. -: Kirkwood's zoning code limits lot subdivision due to minimum lot size requirements (7,500 sqft to 1 acre depending on zone), preventing splitting lots for multiple smaller homes. -: Example: A 10,100 sqft lot at 511 W Rose Hill Ave could not be split to build two homes due to the 7,500 sqft minimum, forcing owners to sell to developers building larger homes. conclusion: To revive starter homes in Kirkwood, zoning reforms allowing smaller lot sizes and encouraging multi-family housing are necessary to make land more affordable and accessible to young families. Impact: Impact unclear based on automatically extracted text. Sentiment: neutral (0) Priority: medium Read more
- String of Errors Leads to Rejection of Parking Solution (Kirkwood Gadfly) — event: Kirkwood City Council unanimously voted down a contract with Fybr for a parking technology solution on September 4, 2025. technology: provider: Fybr description: Sensors placed under parking spaces to provide real-time occupancy data via the Park Kirkwood app and assist police with parking enforcement. previous_use: Installed 275 sensors from Dec 2020 to Dec 2021 at no cost as a proof of concept. issues: -: City staff misrepresented the original contract history, incorrectly stating 69 spots at a cost of $14,973 instead of 275 spots at no cost. -: This error led to confusion and misunderstandings during the contract renewal process. -: After the original contract expired in Dec 2021, the city assumed ownership and maintenance but failed to maintain the system properly, causing hardware failures. -: Fybr identified only 69 sensors with sufficient battery life for reactivation and proposed relocating them for $14,973. consequences: Council rejected the new contract without a clear understanding of the proposal or alternative solutions, leaving Downtown Kirkwood's parking issues unresolved. stakeholders: -: Kirkwood City Council -: Fybr (technology provider) -: Kirkwood Police Department -: Kirkwood Electric (Mark Petty) Impact: Impact unclear based on automatically extracted text. Sentiment: neutral (0) Priority: medium Read more
- Pitman Project Heads Back to P&Z (Kirkwood Gadfly) — project:
name: Pitman Project
location: 300 N. Kirkwood Rd
description: A 60-apartment development with retail space
developer: Stock & Associates
zoning: Fits within city’s zoning code
issue: Design concerns with original flat, bulky, uninspired renderings
design_options: option: 1 features: Three-tiered gable roofs, alternating bands of stone and brick, horizontal visual emphasis, shorter and more human-scaled appearance -: option: 2 features: Includes Option 1 features plus balconies and five direct-entrance apartments on Adams side, creating active street presence and townhome-style living drawbacks: Facade cohesion affected by white stone interrupting horizontal banding; fixable by replacing white stone with red brick
prospects: legal: Council has limited ability to block project due to zoning compliance decision: Council must choose between two improved design options considerations: Option 2 requires variances and active Council approval for code departures community_action: Residents encouraged to support the project by attending Council meeting or emailing City Clerk Laurie Asche Impact: Impact unclear based on automatically extracted text. Sentiment: neutral (0) Priority: medium Read more
Keep an eye on Tired of the Speeders? Turn on the Cameras. from Kirkwood Gadfly.