Sandusky 2018 Neighborhood Initiative
SOUTH OF KILBOURNE PLAT
AGENDA | 8 December 2016 | 5:00 - 6:30PM
Sandusky Central Fire Station, 600 West Market Street
1. Introductions
2. Brief overview of Sandusky Neighborhood Initiative
3. Warm-up exercise: Place Attachment Quiz
4. Review of input from first Community Conversation + preliminary design responses and alternatives
● Neighborhood identity
● Nehemiah Center
● Neighborhood recreation
● Connections and access
● Monroe School: ideas for future use
● Get to know your neighbor events
● Neighborhood challenges
● Other
5. Wrap Up / Next Steps
Sandusky 2018 Neighborhood Initiative
SOUTH OF KILBOURNE PLAT
Summary of Community Conversation | 2 November 2016
The Sandusky Neighborhood Initiative will generate ideas for enhancing six neighborhoods in the city, with short-term investments that will coincide with the city’s bicentennial in 2018 and longer-term improvements. Planning recommendations will address
● Physical improvements, such as signage, lighting, public art, enhancements to existing parks and the possible creation of new green spaces.
● Housing concerns: including home maintenance, code enforcement, the demolition of deteriorated buildings, and possible new construction.
● Events and programs to build community connections and neighborhood identity.
● Anchor projects: opportunities to build on existing anchor institutions and planned investments.
This initial community conversation generated preliminary ideas for improving the South of Kilbourne Plat neighborhood. A second meeting will take place on December 8 from 5-6:30pm at the Sandusky Central Fire Station (600 West Market Street). At this meeting, more specific ideas and alternatives will be discussed and neighborhood priorities identified, leading to a neighborhood plan that will be adopted by the city in early 2017.
What follows is a review of comments from the first community conversation and a preview of some of the ideas and images to be discussed at the upcoming meeting on December 8.
ISSUES & IDEAS
1. Neighborhood Identity
● Stately historic homes in some areas (but not throughout the neighborhood)
[Enhance identity of Wayne Avenue historic housing/Cable Park Historic District with enhancing landscaping, signage, and lighting on the median at the intersection of Wayne and Finch]
2. Nehemiah Center as neighborhood anchor
● Gardens/community agriculture at Nehemiah Center could be more prominent, possibly with a farmstand structure that could also be used for other purposes.
● “Walk Wayne” was identified as an infrastructural priority from the Sandusky Bicentennial Vision Comprehensive Plan
● Pedestrian connections to Nehemiah Center could be improved, especially the complex intersection of Columbus Avenue, Campbell Street, and Scott Street
3. Neighborhood recreation
● Playground at Nehemiah Center needs attention; it is open to the public, which should be emphasized
● Guard rail between neighborhood and Jaycee Park is a barrier
[Entry point to Jaycee Park could be improved by eliminating part of the guard rail]
● Benches and basketball courts at Jaycee Park
● Huron Park tennis courts used to be flooded for ice skating in the winter
● Greenhouse as asset/anchor
4. Connections and access
● Traffic calming: Milan to Hancock
● Safe Walks to School initiative, with an emphasis on lighting along main routes to the high school, since school starts early and it is very dark. Better sidewalks and bike routes/bike lanes are needed.
5. Monroe School: ideas for future use
6. Get to know your neighbor events
● Friends of Park group--get kids involved
● Creative programming
7. Neighborhood challenges and concerns
● Vacancies, particularly on Neil Street, Wayne Street, and Scott Street
● Polk Street and Lindsley Street have deteriorated housing that needs attention
● Animal control is an issue
[Model Blocks Program with emphasis on code compliance and targeted rehabilitation or demolition efforts, community events and programming, and workshops/clean-up efforts for animal control]
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