23rd Avenue Corridor Action Team

23rd Avenue Resident Engagement Meeting
June 21 , 2004
12-2pm – EBAYC

NOTES

Attendees:

Don Davenport, San Antonio CDC
Eric Cone, San Antonio CDC
Darlene, Urban Transfer
Dung Thi Tran
Chandra, EBAYC
Lew Chien Saelee, EBAYC
Isabel Toscano, EBAYC
Rosa Vicente, EBAYC
Jennie Mollica, Lao Family
Suzanne Takahara, ESAA
David Kakishiba, EBAYC
Diana Williams, Urban Ecology
Robert Hickey, Urban Ecology
Carl Pascual, EBALDC
Bill Wong, LSAC Diarist
Mara Guccione, USC
Sandra Chapin, Casey Foundation
Fred Blackwell, Casey Foundation

I. Opening/Goals/Agenda

Diana Williams began the meeting by explaining that today’s presentation is a presentation o fa blueprint of change and it is not always clear how to organize change. She briefly laid out the goals of the meeting, which included:

• Receive reactions and feedback to the LSA action plan content
• Discuss how to best communicate content of the plan to other audiences

She also mentioned that 80% of the plan is the same as the last time it was presented but it has been cleaned up. Diana said that there will be a condensed version for other intended audiences, including: Garfield PA, school staff, house meetings, constituents of the Cultural Center, youth (w/YEP), NCPC, merchants, and at public meetings with public officials.

II. Presentation on 23rd Avenue plan by Urban Ecology

Robert Hickey went through a PowerPoint presentation of the plan, which included the stages of development of the plan, the rationale for creating the plan, and the four interconnected goals:

• Make 23rd Avenue a vibrant center of activity
• Create safe and beautiful streets
• Improve access to public service and open space
• Develop without displacement

Robert went through the strategies and activities in the plan that can help to reach the goals. Time was limited to present all of the details of the plan, but Urban Ecology gave a handout that detailed the plan on paper for people to refer to.

 III. Feedback/Discussion

General feedback on the plan given by the group included:

• SACDC is working on turning commercial areas into business improvement initiatives. These types of activities should be included in the plan. Could go into goal #4.
• How do we reconcile what is already being done/has been done with what is in the plan (i.e., Access to capital)
• What will the streetscape look like with the AC Rapid Transit bus line?
• With every objective, there should be an accompanying diagram or picture. People don’t necessarily believe that change is going to happen, so it helps if they see it. Also, some people might not read the document, but they will engage with a picture. This point was made repeatedly by many participants.
• Workshops and house meetings are important, and to do them in an ongoing way. Keep in touch with people to keep the momentum going.
• Emphasize “developers that share our vision” into the concept of development without displacement.
• We have an Enterprise zone that encourages businesses, but they still have to go through the zoning change process.
• A credit union has been attempted (Bank of Mexico) but the Federal Government put a halt to it. Bank of America was there but their research showed that it was not beneficial to them to stay.
• The plan is focused on services as a centerpiece. We need to know the ways in which people are spending their money and where, and what kinds of businesses go along with an arts and culture focus.
• Fruitvale is an example of bold people with a bold vision. Is our vision bold enough?
• We should capitalize on existing assets. The plan is great and implementation is key. We should focus first on easy projects that make people engage. What are some projects that we can implement right away? We can begin the implementation of these while we finish the planning – don’t lose momentum.
• We need higher visibility for services but consider which services probably should not go on 23 rd Avenue.
• Make sure that we know the Rapid Transit bus is coming and comes in a way that we are prepared for it.
• In the materials for public consumption, we should communicate the broad vision and answer questions when they arise. Think about the questions might come up for the cultural center, including what is it, what do people want? We should also consolidate redundant pieces and choose our key projects.
• Incorporate the work of the UC Berkeley students on International Blvd.
• We need a story for why the Cultural Center is the centerpiece.
• Two main issues: 1) This plan needs to be distilled and reframed into not more than 5 points. EBAYC and its organizers can do this. 2) What are the immediate opportunities (over the next 6-12 months) that we want to take advantage of?
• Make sure that there are action plans and activities that correlate with the work of different outreach agencies (SACDC, EBAYC, etc).
• Results:
• Prioritize
• Parcel down
• More visual
• Clarity on timelines and roles

IV. Next Steps

Urban Ecology will work with David and EBAYC organizers, as well as other members who are interested, to distill the plan into concise, comprehensible materials (pamphlet or brochure-type document) that can be distributed. All interested parties should attend the meeting on Thursday June 24, 1:00pm at EBAYC. Bring all drawings to the meeting.

The 23 rd Avenue work group will reconvene to review the materials developed by the small group on Monday July 19 th, 12:00-2:00pm at EBAYC.