[OldNorth] Re: Old East Infill meeting

[sheryl lynn gerety]

Valerie and Old North Neighbors:

	Here, as best as is possible in a quick summary, is what has been 
happening. . .

	I suppose the first thing is to say far too much far too quickly for 
volunteer neighborhood organizations to appear as if they are entirely 
'on top of it.'  But, we are trying.

	First, the response to in-fill and the discussion at the last City 
Council meeting is being choreographed by Esther Polito.  She has 
proposed to meet first with Old East, as their issues take the form of 
specific, urgent, pending projects on J and K Streets.  That will be 
the 12th, and will, I believe, include the Council subcommittee on 
in-fill, Sousa and Asmundsen.  It is open to observers, and we will be 
there.

	I have been trying to organize a date and a small working committee to 
meet just with Esther about the same time (in fact I proposed the 12th, 
but she argued for giving OE priority).  I also asked that the first ON 
meeting not include Sousa and Asmundsen, because we have the luxury of 
taking a more general and perhaps creative approach.  If this works, 
that is if I can get people to volunteer, the goal will be to bring 
several coherent possibilities to the next monthly meeting of the Board 
and residents, and, if we are ready, Asumundsen and Sousa.

	Polito envisions the next step as a broader meeting of all 
neighborhoods covered by the R2-CD district, to work on ideas emerging 
from these smaller settings, common to all of us.  U/Rice Lane probably 
will be represented by a consultant, as they are not as organized as 
the other neighborhoods under the R2-CD district.

	You are correct that all of our current "problem" issues, all of which 
rather suddenly have become urgent, are interconnected, but we don't 
yet have the ideas or person-power to work on them all at once, 
especially as a committee-of-the-whole.  So, I am trying to line up 
subcommittees of board members and others to tackle them outside of 
monthly meetings, and then coordinate as best as possible in those 
meetings.  There are also a few cases in which individuals have carried 
the burden, and could use some back-up, which I am trying to enlist:  
Steve on 5th Street, Z, Angela and I on parking, Z on garbage and 
alleys, etc.

	We also have going or planned: an attempt to complete John's 
suggestion of a pamphlet to aid a membership drive this September, 
continuing a developing relationship with the Davis Food Co-op on their 
project for the corner of 6th and G, coordination with the Old East 
group, a proposed "one-pager" defining what the Design Guidelines mean 
for us, an important proposal to schedule neighborhood 'walk-abouts' 
for new Council and Planning Commission members (a similar walkabout in 
OE was essential in the last Council meeting outcomes), and an attempt 
to assemble historical and trend data on housing and neighborhood 
demography which planners say will be needed for the R2-CD discussion 
and when and if we face in-fill proposals, etc.  Also, Barbara Boehler 
(OE pres.) has proposed that she and I coordinate to write an Op-Ed 
piece for the Enterprise on the Design Guidelines, our neighborhoods 
and in-fill.

	So, please, volunteer and please respond when your new president asks 
you to volunteer.   Some more specific responses:

> Re: Old East Aug. 12 meeting with Infill Subcommittee
>
> What's going on? Does the committee intend to meet separately with all 
> three neighborhoods? Wasn't the committee supposed to answer
> all of our concerns about infill policy in our neighborhoods?
	Yes, but (as above) we are moving toward a broad discussion by graded 
steps
>
> Or did the level of ONDNA concern and desire to participate get lost 
> at the Council meeting, given that public comment was cut short and
> the two projects under consideration at the Council meeting were not 
> actually IN Old North?
	Not at all, in fact various historical and other contingencies plus 
our organization put ON in a strong position of leadership on these 
issues, if we can get our selves coordinated.
>
> Personally, I was hoping (and expecting) a serious effort on the part 
> of the Council to step back, slow down, and do some in depth work
> on a holistic approach to "infill" and "densification" that addresses 
> the specific concerns of our three traditional neighborhoods, 
> including
> garbage, parking, noise, street tree & landscape maintenance, open 
> space; pedestrian, bike and auto traffic; public transit; and 
> affordable
> housing issues; the approaches being taken by other California small 
> and medium cities, especially those with similar traditional core
> areas (e.g. Sonoma, Santa Rosa, Grass Valley, & other towns with 
> student and/or senior populations like Chico).
	Partly because we are for the moment partly 'on the defensive,' 
responding as issues arise and as we all can find the time, and partly 
for other reasons, we simply are not able to do it all at once, 
although we have committees on just about all of those topics.  Some 
members of this Council are pushing hard to justify Covell, which 
unfortunately has ramifications for all of our issues, from pressure on 
staff time to the linkage between in-fill and boundary expansion.

> I'm very concerned that we're going to get a piecemeal, ad hoc 
> approach to the infill issue, an ill-thoughtout reaction to the latest 
> "planning" fad(s), or a divide and conquer strategy, or all of the 
> above.
	"Divide and conquer"?  I don't think so in the current scheduling, 
ordering of meetings; I have a lot of confidence in Polito's judgment 
of how to go about  this.  Latest planning fad?  Yes, "in-fill" is 
mesmerizing for some key decision-makers, but we are working hard to 
take a cautious, "Hey, let's slow down and think about this" approach.  
Piecemeal?  Pragmatically, yes we are operating somewhat piecemeal, as 
amateurs and volunteers.  But, the more people and good ideas we can 
get coordinated, the less it will be so.

	Thank-you for your note and the opportunity to get this 'on paper' and 
circulated to folks.  Please share your ideas and time,

		Bruce (ONDNA pres.)
>
> Valerie Vann
> valerie at vanngroup.com
Bruce Winterhalder
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