Minutes 12/10/1974 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Horace Johnson: Mr. Wentz: Terry Brady: considered and have a direct e££ect on the final plan that is finally approved. In the order that we received the requests to speak, at this time I would like to call on Mr. Horace Johnson from the Park View area. Mr. Johnson." "Members of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, I am Horace Johnson; I represent the Park View Project Area Committee. Most of you already are familiar to some degree with the Park View Conservation and Redevelopment Project. We have pre- viously discussed this project with you and brought to your attention most of our problems. I would like very briefly to reconstruct for you the history of the project, how it now stands, and what our future plans are for the area. The project was planned in 1965 as a conservation project. It was approved by the City in 1966, and funded by the federal government in 1968. No appreciable work was started by the Housing Authority until late 1970. During the five years between the planning and the starting of the work, the area suffered a disastrous change. Residents of the area were moving to the suburbs. Most of the properties were being acquired by individuals and corporations for the purpose of renting. These properties, in majority, were already blighted, and were rented at a price attractive to people that brought further blight. This has destroyed the concept of family living that this neighborhood has enjoyed for so many years. It also destroyed the possibility of successfully rehabbing this area. By mid-1972, it was apparent to all concerned that voluntary rehab was not the answer. The citizens developed a plan and submitted it to the Authority which would allow for clearance of some of the most blighted areas, in which new, attractive family-type houses would be built. This, we hoped, would offer the incentive for residents and home owners to improve their surrounding property. This plan, slightly modi~L~ fied, was adopted and approved in November, 1973. During the past year, a three- block area has been acquired and we are in the final stages of demolition and clearance. With new construction of homes, we hope to attract to this area, families that we can enjoy as neighbors. There are other small, blighted areas within the project that must be dealt with. If they are allowed to remain, large areas, including that part of Park View not in the project, known as the c6re area will be seriously affected. As a joint effort between the citizens and the Hous- ing Authority, the plan to rid the project of these spot-blighted areas has been developed. The plan includes clearance of these blighted areas, to provide for new housing compatible with the needs of the people in those areas. This plan has been thoroughly discussed at the recent PAC meeting. It was approved by the PAC without opposition. Completion of this plan is projected over the next three year~ The worst blighted areas receiving attention first. The first phase, which is planned to start in January, 1975, will cost slightly over one million dollars. Areas affected will be along the south side of Holiday Street Between Fort Lane and Elm Avenue and the west side of Elm Avenue between Blair and North Streets. At present there are no funds available to acquire and clear these properties. We ask you to allocate from the Community Development funds the money required to accomplish these plans. Further, we request that you accept and maintain a direct interest in the fight against blight in Park View. There is a great need for stronger enforcement of the minimum housing code and rental inspections in the are~ Owners of rental properties must be required to put something back into their properties. This committee, with 38 members, of which 35% are black and 65% white representing the whole community, pledges maximum effort to gain citizen interest and participation in the project. Through joint effort of the City, the Housing Authority, and the citizens, we will reach our goals. Are there any questions? Thank you." "The next speaker is Mrs. Terry Brady, representing the American Association of University Women. Mrs. Brady." "The Community Committee of the Portsmouth branch of the American Association of University Women wishes to commend the Community Planning Management Office, the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority, and the Citizens Advisory Commit- tee for the detailed and comprehensive planning that was directed toward imple- mentation of the Housing and Community Development Act. In our opinion, the re- sultant plan proposes effective utilization of the community development funds. We would like to commend the Task Force for its openness and receptivity to views of interested citizens, actively solicited during the deliberations. The plans proposed for Southside I and Southside II Redevelopment areas and for the Park View Conservation and Redevelopment Projects realistically address some of the more urgent priorities of our city, such as provision of adequate housing, reser- vation of a limited land base for tax-generating usage, development of neighbor- hood-based employment opportunities, and correction of inappropriate land usage. It is hoped that the physical upbuilding will be matched by a similar comprehen- sive upgrading of human services within the area, by outreach projects. Although the plans call for expansion of human services effort in the community develop- ment areas, these service elements remain ambiguously defined at this time, under- standably so because of the limited time available since enactment of this act and stipulated submission time for this application. Hopefully, before the next ap- plication presentation, the planninq and cooperation that has already begun among the Task Force and the human resource agencies, will be deepened and expanded to ensure formulation of an effective delivery pattern. Ideally this calls for the physical presence of components of delivery agencies within the project area, preferably consolidated into one, distinct accessible location. Visibility should be apparant to all area residents. Referrals and agency-interactions would be greatly assisted and enhanced. Whole family remedies would become more possible rather than fragmented, single-fac~ted solutions. Overlapping and duplication of services should thus become significantly lessened.