Kelly’s coffee with residents: police chief, Manhassett Village, Brentwood Boulevard

Brentwood Mayor Pat Kelly held his monthly coffee Friday morning at City Hall, updating residents about the new police chief, Manhassett Village in Richmond Heights, the Drury Hotel and Bonefish Restaurant and more.

• Kelly’s nomination for Dan Fitzgerald for police chief was passed by the board of aldermen. It took two meetings. “There was push-back because we didn’t do a full search, but after thinking about it for a little bit, I really didn’t think there was anybody else I’d want to recommend. It’s the mayor’s right to make the appointment, no matter what process we go through,” Kelly said.
• He said there have been “issues” raised by residents opposed to the new Manhassett Village.   “I’m a firm believer that we’ve got to let Richmond Heights go through their processes,” Kelly said. Kelly said Eager Road is split down the middle — half Richmond Heights and half Brentwood, and a resident encouraged enforcing weight limits on the Brentwood side so construction trucks couldn’t use it.

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• The Drury Inn is  planning on opening in July, and Bone Fish restaurant plans an October opening.
• City revenue is doing well. Stores are doing well.
• Work is continuing to acquire the old Petrolite site, which would allow removal of five and a half acres of property along Deer Creek that would reduce flooding on Manchester.
• Kelly said he’s been pushing with the county to see if Brentwood Boulevard work can start earlier. He said some of the aldermen have been “sticking their noses in where they don’t belong” and also talking to people in the county. He said the county has sent the city a letter that curb work will be this summer and the overlay will be done next summer.
• The board of aldermen approved a grant for additional sidewalks in Hanley Industrial Court. Sidewalks will continue all the way down in front of the police station, and down Strassner. Pedestrian lighting will also be added. Next year is the project design, the second year is right of way acquisition and the third year will be construction.
• The inline rink renovation is complete. It’s the only full-size inline rink in the entire county — bigger than Webster’s and Maplewood’s, Kelly said.