Southwest Common Council

SouthWest Common Council

Dawn Noto and Paul A. Jones, Co-Chairs

Thursday, March 15, 2012

SouthWest Quadrant: Eight Neighborhoods/One Community

·  Changing of the Scenes (COTS)

·  Corn Hill Neighborhood Association (Corn Hill)

·  Dutchtown

·  Neighborhood United (NU)

·  19th Ward Community Association (19WCA)

·  Plymouth-Exchange Neighborhood Association (PLEX)

·  SouthWest Area Neighborhood Association (SWAN)

·  Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood Association (SBA)

Present: Ron Allen (SWAN), John Borek (19th Ward), John Boutet (Location 19), John Curran (PLEX Riverfront Charrette), John DeMott (Sector 4 CDC), Carl Dickerson (RPD/NSC), DeWain Feller (19th Ward CA), Nora Herbert (JABA), Fred Jones (Neighborhood United), Paul Jones (Interim Co-Chair, Neighborhood United), Frances Johnson (NNO, Frost Ave Block Club, SWAN Board), Emily Klotz (NeighborWorks), John Lightfoot (COTS), Bonny Mayer (Corn Hill), Dawn Noto (Susan B. Anthony), Lynnette Robinson (COTS), Joan Roby-Davison (Sector 4 CDC), ), Robert Walker-Smith (SWAN), Richard Sarkis (Corn Hill), Bill Washington (Neighborhood United)

Moment of silence: well-wishes for the new leaders of the common council

Public Safety – Carl Dickerson, RPD (NSC): Update: Cottage Street – assault shooting yesterday evening. No ID, no cameras nearby; 570 Tremont Street shot-spotter activated (found casings) ; SIS Unit executed search warrants: on Brian Street (supplier on Jefferson), also search the Jefferson Street address recovering cocaine and weapons. Incident today started on Jefferson, chase to King Street (4 arrested).

Co-chairs held meetings with neighborhood presidents at all neighborhood associations except SWAN. Some community fractiousness has eroded some of the community building that has happened. Dawn Noto (SB Anthony) and Gloria Edmonds (PLEX) will begin immediately as co-chairs. Gloria can’t start until her retirement in July, and Paul Jones will serve as interim until July.

Dawn assumed leadership and gave an overview of her background in the neighborhood with Sector 3 leadership. First action is on by-law review, with presidents and three at-large members to review and finalize the by-laws, presenting them to the SWCC for approval (again) in April.

COTS:

·  Public Safety committee has been established, meeting 1st Monday of the month at 7 pm; 70 Cunningham Street.

·  will be partnering with SBA for Healthy Walks at 6-7 pm.

·  will be starting a soccer team sponsored by Voters Block (applying for FIS funds for Soccer Goals).

·  Hamm House project: they will put a sign and flower gardens, with hardy bushes.

·  Voter’s Block has been unveiled, and looks beautiful.

·  The café will be named 1872 Café.

·  Voter’s Walk Enterprise is promoting the SBA/Frederick Douglass neighborhood by sponsoring an event, March 27, ribbon-cutting for the traffic box mural at the voting box.

19th Ward:

·  The Brooks Landing Phase II was discussed; Planning Commission and Zoning Board approvals with conditions based on feedback from community (e.g., the façade toward Genesee Street will need to be as attractive a “front side” as the river side).

·  A recommendation was made that future developers be held accountable for how these projects are integrated into neighborhoods.

·  City input for committees seems to be fragmenting the community voice, with three committees for the Genesee Valley Park, the development at Brooks Landing, and a third committee for art. Anyone interested in serving on the committees should contact John Borek.

Corn Hill:

·  Charrette process has been major effort

·  They are looking at DES, and the brownfields including the upcoming PLEX meeting.

·  They are taking their time with projects: they will not move forward with their charrette recommendations that impact other neighborhoods without adequate input from the adjoining neighborhoods. Really sincere effort in place to reach out to the neighbors.

Neighborhood United:

·  City & Sector 4 CDC, working to get a grant for more planning through brownfield opportunity area program to support and keep the Bull’s Head project moving.

·  Question about the church at 660 and the home next door on West Main Street: the owner of the strip mall bought the church and wants to demolish the church and put another strip mall in place. Dawn has followed up on the plans,

·  The church, home at 646, those across the street is all eligible for landmark status; the church was built in 1867. Discussion followed about possible uses for the site. Suggestion made to invite the owners to the next SWCC meeting.

·  Strategies with NSC office needed on these problems. Dawn suggested that we all send a list of where there are problems (trash, whatever) and Richard Sarkis suggested that groups invite David and others to walk the problem areas, following up with letters.

·  Trash ordinance: city has a new enforcement staff person, and other strategies were discussed.

PLEX:

·  John Curran gave update on the PLEX discussions about the park road and brooks landing project. The neighborhood wants a 2-way road, although it is willing to compromise for the project success..

·  Restaurant proposal at 1155 S. Plymouth was reviewed by PLEX

·  Questions and discussion about the riverwall/retaining wall: it will take up to five years to complete.

·  Next Wednesday, at Carlson Commons, will be the city’s Brownfield Planning meeting; the PLEX process is broader and looks at additional issues.

·  Railroad Bridge: some construction has been done, but more work is needed. The schedule for completion is not known. Major concern: lack of funding for the illumination on the bridge, and the U of R will discourage students from using the bridge after dark. PLEX has made it clear it believes that the university has an obligation to make the bridge and surrounding area safe. (NOTE: additional student housing is planned on the east side of the river). Lighting: this was an issue when the pedestrian bridge was first built near Brooks Landing. Some students have already written negative letters to the Campus Times. U of R continues to maintain that they lack funding. (John Curran updated the history of the railroad bridge – being pushed by the city as they got funding for the bridge). The city funding did not include the lighting, but they did put the infrastructure for lighting in place. More discussion followed.

·  Canalway grant: An award was received from the Erie Canalways Heritage Foundation for an event that will take place at Rochester River Romance Weekend in October 6.

SWAN:

·  Robert Walker-Smith welcomed by the group as the new Executive Director of SWAN

·  He gave an overview of some of the changes that might be taking place; he introduced two board members & Nora who is secretary of JABA

·  Ron gave information on the retirement party for Pat (3/16) at the Wishing Well

·  Nora gave an update on JABA: had a successful Black History event

·  Jefferson Avenue Beautification project planned with the Billy Graham Foundation – they have identified areas where Pastor Willie will bring 150 volunteers to do some major beautification along Jefferson Avenue.

·  Robert gave overview: he grew up in the neighborhood (remembers the green stamps at A&P) – he’s FROM the community

·  He will be working on partnership, collaboration, etc., as the organization moves forward (already working on projects with the CDC).

·  Robert spoke about the similarity (and vision) between Jefferson and 125th Street in Harlem – mixed use, open air, etc.

NeighborWorks:

·  A lot of stuff in the works – more next month

·  Green neighborhoods – check www.greenneighborhoods.net

·  Goal is to reduce emissions by 325,000 pounds

·  If you live in BL target area, the first fifty residents who complete info, get prize.

Sector 4 CDC:

Reviewed activities (report will be on Location 19).

Thurston Y was briefly discussed. It is a goal to keep this as a resource in the community, with needed services.

Brooks Landing: DES has asked to set up a meeting regarding the Genesee Valley Park Master Plan. They want to set up a meeting before the city council meeting on March 27. The park road is one of the key issues, according to John Borek. Adam has requested that DES reconvene the advisory committee.

Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood

·  Very busy with development on West Main – the new project is unveiled, and you can get a good look at the building.

·  Walks are on Monday and Wednesday at 6:00 pm, and they stop to visit the businesses. Jeannette at ABC can help get a group started. They are displacing some of the hanging out on W. Main.

·  The ribbon cutting for a traffic box project, a joint effort between SBA and the Voter’s Walk Enterprises. They are doing public art in the neighborhood.

·  Neighborhood meeting to discuss the parking and traffic in the SBA neighborhood. Most of the bus traffic is elderly, so they need to be able to drop off at the house. Businesses and volunteers (from SBA House) came to the community meeting.

·  DePaul project at Cunningham Carriage Factory will go before the City Council on March 27, with SBA support.

·  3 houses in the neighborhood will be rehabilitated by end of year and will be back on tax rolls by end of year.

·  Question was raised about water pressure impact from all of the new development.

·  Walkway along the new building will go from historic site to playground.

·  Only one apartment left in the new building. Ribbon cutting in July.

Westside Farmers Market

Starts on Tuesday, June 12.

Committee Reports:

Communication Committee: We had a meeting at 5, with a conference call with Frontier. We have been collecting surveys from neighborhood residents, identifying needs and tech issues. We are looking at possibility of some sort of community wi-fi, starting with a number of hot spots, where they would be most needed. We’re looking at where the hot-spots are currently, or will be starting soon (SWAN will be getting wireless soon). Bonny just returned from Southeast Asia, where she had access to wireless internet everywhere.

Dawn suggested contacting RIT for more technical assistance

OTHER:

Hearing at city hall on Monday, 3/19, on CDBG. Huge need for housing rehabilitation.

19th WCA Housing Committee has been active in addressing housing issues and code enforcement issues. There is a group on Location 19 that others can join.

South District neighborhood presidents meeting last month: number one concern was students and student housing.

Submitted by,

Joan Roby-Davison