Current Projects
HVAC at Twillman
An Update on The Twillman House Renovation
(from the SLCA Column in the Spanish Lake Word, February 2008)
In February of 2008, the following headline appeared in this newspaper:
Twillman House Designated as St. Louis County Landmark and Gets new Red Metal Roof – a Major First Step in Renovation
It had only been one year before that the Spanish Lake Community Association (SLCA) purchased this historic building at Bellefontaine and Redman planning to renovate it as a Community Center for Spanish Lake.
We are delighted to report to the community that another large chunk of the renovation is underway and should be completed soon – the installation of a heating/cooling system (HVAC).
Much had to be coordinated to accomplish this $100,000 project. Our architect and contractor researched many HVAC systems, eventually selecting one. Volunteers logged hundreds of hours removing old systems and ductwork. The Asbestos Union donated remediation services. Laclede Gas donated engineering services to calculate heating and cooling loads. Application for a Community Development Block Grant was made; ultimately a $50,000 grant was approved – part of which will fund this project. Electrical, mechanical and structural engineering studies were contracted for. Plans were drawn for an energy efficient HVAC system with 4 furnaces and 4 air conditioning units, enabling us to save substantially on future utility costs.
Requests for proposals were developed and an HVAC contractor selected. A permit application was submitted to the Public Works Department and granted. Laclede Gas moved the exterior service line because the existing location was too close to a foundation wall. Sheet Metal Workers Local #36 is donating the necessary labor for new ductwork and registers. Briner Electric Company is donating the labor to install a new junction box, 8 junction boxes for the furnaces and air conditioning units and six exhaust fans for bathrooms. Plumbers and Pipefitters Local #562 will donate the labor to run interior gas lines and install the necessary condensate drains and floor drains. And the SLCA used donations from folks like you to cover costs of equipment and services not covered by the block grant. Support for the installation of a new roof on the one-story addition – needed not just because it is leaking, but also because it must be strong enough for the air conditioning units – has been donated by Dave Sielfleisch Roofing
That’s what it takes to install HVAC at The Twillman House. Putting a new furnace in one’s home sure is a lot simpler!
Lead Abatement Project at The Twillman House
By the 10th of September, 2010, we will complete an extensive lead abatement project at The Twillman House. Prime contractor Fitzgibbons Painting, LLC, has done an excellent job on all phases of the project, all under the watchful eye of our owner’s representative, United Infrastructure Corporation. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources made periodic visits to the project to monitor for compliance with strict state regulation of lead abatement work.
All of the work on this project was completed by skilled workers receiving Federal prevailing wages and benefits. Companies and workers were licensed as required under Saint Louis County and Missouri business and lead abatement regulations. Approximately half of the cost of this project was funded by a Community Development Block Grant obtained through the Saint Louis County Planning Department’s administration of Federal grant monies. The remaining cost of the project was funded by the contributions of members and friends of the Spanish Lake Community Association.
Many layers of lead base paint were carefully and safely removed from the exterior brick surfaces of the building and wood siding with lead base paint was similarly removed from the remainder of the building. All of the debris was hauled away to properly licensed facilities. Interior woodwork was removed for off-site stripping of lead base paint, walls were scraped and painted to seal off older paint, and selected walls were removed to accommodate future renovations. The final touches included painting exterior trim and replacing all of the windows that were severely weathered and covered in lead base paint. Energy efficient Anderson Windows were selected to match the original style of The Twillman House and obtained from Bi-State Window and Door, Inc.
Gardens at The Twillman House
The Twillman House Community Garden sits on the grounds of the historic Twillman House in the unincorporated area of North St. Louis County known as Spanish Lake. The garden was started in 2005, but its history dates back to 1870. The Twillman House was the home of Henry Twillman, a German immigrant who built the home back in 1870 and raised 10 children there. The farm included 375 acres. Most of the suburban homes surrounding the area, along Bellefontaine and Redman Roads, were built on Twillman’s land. Twillman Elementary School on Bellefontaine Road is named after his family as well as Twillman Road and now, The Twillman House and Community Garden. The Twillman House is now listed on St. Louis County’s list of Historic Landmarks.
The Spanish Lake Community Association bought The Twillman House back in 2005 with plans to use it as a headquarters for the association as well as a Community Center for residents of this unincorporated area. The 6,000 square-foot, two-story brick building, situated on six-tenths of an acre, had formerly been the Old Homestead Restaurant. It had actually been one restaurant or another since the 1940’s, but was vacant and in foreclosure when purchased by the association. Shortly after the purchase of the building, the vacant lot to the east of the parking lot was donated to the association. A perfect location for community gardens!
The Twillman House project and the Community Garden are both the successful result of hundreds of local volunteers, foundation grants, local unions and Gateway Greening. It proves what can be done when people put their minds together and care enough to give back to their community to make it better for everyone.
To volunteer, Contact Us here
The Spanish Lake Youth and Family Council (SLYFC), sponsored by the Spanish Lake Community Association, is an organized effort to create and maintain structured after school activities for children and youth and build a social service network that ensures that families have access to basic information and services. Key partners are St. Louis County Government and Hazelwood School District. For more information Contact Us
The St. Louis County Department of Planning is collaborating with an Advisory Committee to develop the Spanish Lake Bellefontaine Road Commercial Improvement Plan. To learn more about this plan click here.
Spanish Lake Community Garden
Stand with the tenders of the Spanish Lake Community Garden in what was once a weedy, trash-strewn median in this St. Louis community and you hear passers-by shout things like “It’s pretty!” or “Can I give you some money for plants?”
What is there now is not always pristine. Grass sometimes needs trimming. At certain times a small bed for incubating new plants may look a bit ragged. But the main, diamond-shaped perennial bed, measuring 60 by 60 feet, is a gem. It is anchored on either end with clumps of River-Oats. Velvety artemesia surrounds the diamonds’ four sides, while Shasta daisies, asters, day lilies, iris, coneflowers, Queen Anne’s lace and gooseneck loosestrife fill in the middle. Presiding over the garden is a scarecrow whose fashionable wardrobe changes throughout the year.
It is this diversity – guaranteeing three seasons of bloom – that won this garden the Best Community Garden award in the 2001 Great Garden Contest sponsored by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Missouri Botanical Garden.
This garden was first planted in 1998, just a short time before the Spanish Lake Community Association was formed, to address some of the problems of this older, inner-ring suburb. “We wanted something immediate,” said one of the early volunteers. Natural beauty – symbolizing strength in the community – was desired.
Many volunteers are involved over the gardening season. On big projects, senior citizens work alongside high school students (earning their community service hours) and home-schoolers (working on science projects). Contributions have come from Gateway Greening, a non-profit group that supplies community gardens; ORMI, a local composting facility; Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 562; and the Spanish Lake Community Association. The ground crew of the neighboring Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall keeps the grassy areas neatly mowed.
Garden volunteers have spearheaded other gardening projects in the community. They helped students from Larimore Elementary School across the street plant bulbs on their school grounds. A native plant garden in Spanish Lake Park was established. An annual plant sale is held using plants from residents’ gardens and the community garden.
The Spanish Lake Community Association recently purchased The Twillman House, an historic home that will be renovated as a community center. Residents will gather for meetings, events or a cup of coffee there. Our new residents will feel welcome, become invested in the community and learn of ways to participate in a number of projects such as the new demonstration gardens on the grounds of this community center.
Brochure for Watkins Creek Watershed
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) – St. Louis County Phase II Storm Water Management Plan
Read the Watkins Creek Water Quality Summary Report, 2009
By Claire Schosser on behalf of Stream Team 3553
Watkins Creek Management Plan 2012
To learn more about this project click here.
SLCA
11840 Bellefontaine Rd
Spanish Lake, MO
63138