AGENDA #3a(3)

March 24, 2003

Petition from the Northside Community Association and the Sykes Street Steering Committee

The Council has directed that the first Neighborhood Conservation District initiative should be focused on the Northside neighborhood. We suggest the district be defined as North Columbia Street on the East, Carver and McMasters on the North side, Sunset on the West and West Rosemary on the South side.

We suggest a committee be formed whose core is a combination of the Northside Community Association, the Neighborhood Watch and the Sykes Street Steering Committee (SSSC). The Northside Community Association and Neighborhood Watch have petitioned for this cause for several years and the Sykes Street Steering Committee has been in place since 2001 working towards improving the Sykes Street/Mitchell Lane areas of Northside. All three groups composed of Town employees and neighborhood representatives have worked diligently to maintain and improve the Northside Community.

We further suggest the core group of this committee consist of:

1) Co- chairs of the Northside Neighborhood Association (or one co-chair and member)

2) Two representatives from the Neighborhood Watch

3) Two representatives from the SSSC

This group under the leadership of a representative selected from the aforementioned groups will seek additional individuals who live in the Northside Community, own property in the Community and who represent organizations working in the Northside neighborhood and include one member-at-large. A proposed slate of members will be brought to the Council on April 14, 2003 so that the Council could appoint this group as the steering committee for the Neighborhood Conservation District project.

We would also like to ask the Council to appoint representatives from the Planning Board and appoint staff to assist the Committee in this process.

We anticipate the Committee will begin work in early May.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Delores Bailey

Northside Community Organizer and Sykes Street Steering Committee Member