Just as I was started to fix dinner on a recent Friday night, our neighbor calls.  “Let’s go out for Mexican food!” he says.  I picture a  frosty margarita, a night off from cooking and immediately agree!  So we head over to Chelly’s’ Cafe in Waldo.

Chelly’s is one of those restaurants I’ve passed many times, but never thought about dining there.   All these years I’ve been living in Brookside--and haven't  tried this nice little neighborhood dining spot!  It’s a family owned restaurant, located in a strip mall on 85th St just east of Wornall Road . Open for about  eleven years, it’s the kind of place that gives you a lot of food for the  price with quick service..  I started off with a  margarita in a large bowl glass that was just $5.  It felt like two drinks for the price of one.

For dinner, I ordered the Steak Tacos ($8.50).  They came in doubled shell corn tortillas, dressed with onion (raw, wish it had been grilled) and cilantro.  On the side was fresh lettuce,  a scoop of guacamole, rice, black beans and a lime wedge.  I ate two tacos and had enough left over for lunch the next day.  Very tasty.  I don’t remember what the rest of our group ordered, but everyone liked their food.  (I think we were all too busy talking!)  Chelly’s has all of the usual selections you would expect in a Mexican restaurant, plus a hamburger and grilled chicken sandwich option .  I also like the fact that you can order  many items a la carte. Fresh chips and salsa were on the table shortly after we were seated.   Service was friendly and quick--and the restaurant was very busy.  A lovely woman sang songs in Spanish from the front of the room, but it didn't look like too many folks were paying attention.  

Chelly’s is open seven days a week, and they  serve breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. The breakfast nachos and breakfast burrito are especially popular. And they have a full bar, so you can stop in for drinks.

I’m looking forward to going back to Chelly’s soon--I want to try their fajitas.  Thank you for supporting locally owned Brookside/Waldo businesses!

Now in it’s third year, the Waldo’s Farmers’ Market is preparing to open for the  season  this week:  Wednesday  May 1, 2013.  It’s located one block east of 79th and Wornall next to Habitat ReStore and the hours are 3pm-7pm every Wednesday.

I view the Waldo Farmers’ Market as the little sibling of the Brookside Farmers’ Market--a bit smaller, grungier and casual then it’s neighbor to the north.  Here you will find the usual organic and sustainably grown vegetables, meat, eggs, cheese, jams, honey, flowers, body products and herbs. However,  this market offers a couple of unique items:  this year you can buy  H and C handcrafted ice cream or try organic barbecue from Smokin’ Fresh Streetside BBQ--including vegan options--that sounds interesting.  (Will have to have my vegetarian daughter try it! ).  One stop at this market on the way home from work and you can pick up all the ingredients for a  delicious dinner in just a few minutes.

Check out the Waldo Farmers Market website for more info, or look for their Facebook page.  A portion of the vendor fees go to Habitat ReStore.  Remember to bring a bag for your purchases, cash for easy transactions and pets are ok if they are on a leash.  Thank you for supporting Waldo!

Locals call it ‘wonderful Waldo’ and here’s why...charming, older homes that are  affordable for first time home buyers and in a terrific location close to restaurants, retail, bus service and the Trolley Track Trail. Just about everything you want is in walking distance! Waldo is an active community, with several neighborhood events each year, such as the Waldo Fall Festival and the Waldo Pub Crawl.

I have a great new listing in Waldo at 7534 Grand, just down the street from the Waldo library. Here’s what makes this house so appealing:

It has four bedrooms (rare for Waldo!) and two full baths. Two bedrooms are on the first floor, and two are on the second floor, with a full bath on each level. The master bedroom is very large, and features a walk in closet. There is an open feeling to the floor plan, with the kitchen opening to the dining room. Hardwood floors throughout! The back yard has a privacy fence and a spacious two tier deck, perfect for cookouts and entertaining friends! There’ is a private driveway and a one car attached garage. The home is priced well at $199,000.

If you know someone looking for a move in ready home in Waldo--contact me!

I’ve been following the Walmart-Bingham school controversy and recently drove the area, examining for myself how the neighborhood would be impacted by Wal-Mart taking over the site. There was a story recently in the Kansas City Star outlining some of the issues, but no photos! For a true perspective, you need photos to get a sense of the proposed changes.

Wal-Mart has made an offer to purchase the school and turn it into a ‘neighborhood market’, open from 6am-midnight. Bingham school sits at 77th and Wyandotte, just south of the CVS Pharmacy and Planet Sub. Wornall Road is close to the west side of the property. For the most part, this is a residential area.

One of the major concerns is the Trolley Track Trail that runs between Wornall Road and the school property. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority does not want the trail interrupted for a traffic entrance. A proposed alternative for this problem is creating a bridge at 77th for the trail that cars would drive under . This would be rather awkward but may work. However,  If this intersection was the main access for the store, it would create another constant bottleneck of traffic, similar to what we already have at 75th and Wornall.

A bigger issue of concern is access to the site for 18 wheeler trucks. This road, near the Waldo marker, is actually a private road and would be the access road for the delivery trucks. (and the general public as well? Not certain about that.) Again, this road is so close to the always busy 75th and Wornall intersection. I can’t imagine 18 wheeler trucks trying to turn into the drive from 75th Street. It would be a very tight turn. Vehicles heading west on 75th are already prohibited from making a left turn here during certain hours of the day.

Nothing is confirmed regarding Wal-Mart purchasing this site. There is a quite a bit of neighborhood opposition to the proposal. The final decision to sell (or not sell) the school site to Wal-Mart will be made by the Kansas City MO Public School board. There is a facebook page for those who object to this plan, www.waldoniansforwaldo.com.  No more proposals for this site will be entertained unless a decision is made against the Wal-Mart proposal.

(As I was researching this blog, I learned that Wal-Mart may be interested in putting the grocery at 85th and Wornall, in the current Price Chopper store. That makes the most sense --because it’s already a grocery store in a commercial development strip with plenty of parking and major road access! If that site was chosen by Wal-Mart, KCMO Public Schools would have to find another buyer for the Bingham school.)

A large, commercial grocery store is the wrong fit for the Biingham school site, primarily because of the access for the huge delivery trucks and disruption of our beloved Trolley Track Trail. Any business that moves into this location will bring more vehicles to the area. But I don’t want to see daily truck traffic trying to access this mostly residential area. What do you think?

There is much discussion and dissension on the proposal to put a Walmart into the old Bingham School at 7618 Wyandotte Street in Waldo. The Kansas City MO School Board has not released details of the possible sale. A group of citizens has started a petition opposing the move. 

Their objections are manifold. Harm to privately owned local businesses, increased crime, loss of the 'small-town feeling', 'infiltration of cheap goods and low wages', and increased traffic congestion in an already busy area are a few of the reasons given by petition signers.  

One voter puts it like this: "...Walmart is a parasitic company and promotes only the lowest commnon denominator. Perhaps they could clean up the mess they left out across from the former Bannister Mall before they move anywhere else..."

We certainly cannot argue about the mess left across from the former Bannister Mall - it's right there in plain sight. What about the other concerns? Does Walmart kill small, locally owned businesses? Would Walmart's presence destroy Waldo? 

The Chicago Tribune & MSN Money published articles stating that a Walmart coming into the community causes a rise in home values. Both based their articles on the study done by Devin G Pope at the Booth School of Business / University of Chicago & Jaren C Pope at the Department of Economics at Brigham Young University. (The two are brothers.) Their study concludes that property values rise 1 -3% after the arrival of Walmart into a community.  

Really? Property values rise when Walmart comes to a neighborhood? That's what they say. Not only that, there was a thesis written in 2010 by John Loyer at the College of New Jersey which attempted to answer the Walmart question. This paper concludes that Walmart has no effect on the tax base or residential or commercial property values. 

Now, these studies were rather long and dry so I may have missed a few points but I do recall John mentioning a rise in EITC claims, an increase in poverty ratios, and 'other costs to social programs.' 

So, is he really saying that his research shows that a 1-3% rise in property values is offset by the increased strain on social programs thus maintaining an overall equilibrium in the tax base?  

I also spoke with a few individuals who are in favor of a Walmart in Waldo. They want cheaper groceries closer to their home. Well, that's certainly understandable! 

If you're pulling in more than $100,000/year/adult in your family, perhaps it's easier to oppose bringing the big box giant into your neighborhood than if you're a single mother pulling in less than $30,000/year. 

In an ideal world, it would be nice to have only local businesses in the part of Kansas City MO known as Waldo. It was pointed out to me that we already have CVS, Walgreens, Maaco, McDonald's, and other national brands and franchises. 

It's hard to imagine that Walmart could destroy Governor Stumpy's, Waldo Pizza, the Gaf, Classic Cookie, Dave Smith Lamp Maker, the antique shops, Walsh's Corner Cocktails, Taj Mahal, and all the other shops & restaurants we know and love. But will Walmart improve the Waldo neighborhood?

Many of the people opposed to Walmart in Waldo would like to see a community center put in place of the old Bingham School. Children are already using it for basketball, soccer, and football practice.

If Walmart comes to Waldo, will it improve the Waldo neighborhood?

If they come, I hope that they will build a tastefully designed building, use solar canopies in the parking lot, keep at least 30% of the land as a green space buffer, and contribute to the community like a real member of the Waldo neighborhood.  

Look at the map. It's a big hunk of land in Waldo. The Kansas City MO School Board needs to make a wise decision which will benefit the citizens of Waldo. 

Real Estate Market Report for the Kansas City Greater Metropolitan Area 4th Quarter 2012: Jackson County, MO. Waldo is in zip code 64114, city of Kansas City, county of Jackson, state of Missouri. 

I was disappointed to read in today's Kansas City Star that the proposed sale of the Bingham Middle School in Waldo has been cancelled.  Bingham is one of several closed Kansas City MO public schools that  is up for sale.  These vacant buildings are eyesores in the neighborhoods they are located..it's sad this deal won't go through.

The plan was to open a new Hen House grocery store at the site (7618 Wyandotte).  This area is next to hundreds of lower priced homes and the popular Trolley Track Trail.  Although officials with the grocery chain did not give a reason for the cancellation, the Star reports the developers weren't pleased with the expense of tearing down the school building and creating new infrastructure to support the store.  In addition, a new road crossing the Trail would have to be built to get access to the store which many residents were not in favor of.

The  Trolley Track Trail is one of our finest amenities in the Brookside/Waldo area.  There are already several places along  the trail that connect with heavily trafficked roads.  Any type of development on this site is going to need access from Wornall and Wyandotte for customers to reach the business. 

If the true reason for the contract cancellation was the objection of neighborhood residents who don't want more traffic in the area, then the site will sit, vacant and rotting, for the foreseable future. No business is going to redevelop the site if the public can't access it. 

As a real estate agent, I am often asked about the public school districts in the metro area. It’s no secret that many KCMO families move to Kansas when their kids reach school age. A recent study by the Kauffman Foundation estimates that less than 10% of the approximately 6000 elementary school aged children living in zip codes 64112, 64113 and 64114 attend a public school. But that’s what Friends of Hale Cook are trying to change. Located at 7302 Pennsylvania, this group is trying to re-open Hale Cook as a neighborhood school run by the KCMO district .

So will the school be ready for the 2013-2014 school year? Too early to say. Kansas City School Superintendent Steven Green and Mayor Sly James are supportive, and the next step is a feasibility study which will be taken to the school board in the fall. Friends of Hale Cook welcome all area residents to participate in  the study--and it’s easy to do. Just go to the Hale Cook website and click on the link. It took me less than five minutes to complete. 

  Although operated by the KCMO school district, Hale Cook will feature focused and constant parent involvement with volunteers in every classroom. The volunteer advisory board will push to partner with the hiring of the principal and teachers. Even though the school is still in the planning stages, many teachers who live in the area have contacted Hale Cook volunteers about their interest in working at the school.

In the meantime, Friends of Hale Cook are maintaining a very visible profile in the community.  Yard signs dot homes, there are regular meetings and events open to the public, and the group has a grant from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce to grow food on the school grounds for the needy. Stop by and look at the garden!

Friends of Hale Cook is the best example of a group of parents committed to changing the reputation of the KCMO school district by bringing back this community school. It’s a true grassroots movement. So how will the school district respond? Will they support Hale Cook, cooperate with parents, push through entrenched bureaucracy to get the school open next year? This will be a test. The KCMO school board is always talking, talking, talking about ‘getting the community and business leaders involved’ to improve the schools. Here’s the opportunity to see if they mean what they say. Prove it, KCMO school board, by supporting Hale Cook. And voice your opinion by taking part in the survey.