AGENDA #5b
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Status Report on the Sykes Street Project
DATE: October 7, 2002
The purpose of this report is to update the Council on the status of the Sykes Street Project in the Northside Neighborhood. This fall, a new group of students is working with the Sykes Street Steering Committee to organize a charrette focusing on improving crime prevention and safety in the neighborhood.
BACKGROUND
On May 13, 2002, we transmitted to the Council a report prepared by Planning students on activities that took place in the Sykes Street area during the spring 2002 semester. The report also identified recommendations and next steps for future activities in the Sykes Street area. The two highlights of the semester’s activities were: (1) a community charrette held on March 2, 2002 where residents had the opportunity to voice their concerns and develop solutions to neighborhood problems; and (2) a Community Block Party for the residents of the Sykes Street area held on Saturday, April 27. Approximately 125 people attended the event that included music, dancing and lunch, that was provided with the assistance of local merchants.
A student from the class continued to work with the Planning Department throughout the summer to continue to implement activities in the neighborhood. On August 6, the Sykes Street Steering Committee planned a successful event, Neighborhood Night Out. The event included a group walk through the Northside neighborhood, music, and food provided largely by donations from local businesses and organizations. Please see Attachment 1 for a more detailed history of the Sykes Street project.
DISCUSSION
This semester, a new group of students plan to organize a charrette/neighborhood visioning that would take place in November. The focus of the meeting will be improving crime prevention and safety in the community through environmental design. The charrette would involve looking at the problems in the study area and developing alternatives for making public improvements. In addition, the students plan to continue to identify and develop neighborhood leadership.
A main topic of recent discussion among the members of the Steering Committee is the current boundaries of the Sykes Street Strategy area. Currently, the boundaries include Sykes Street, Nunn Street and a portion of Whitaker and North Graham Streets. In an effort to include more of the areas of concern as part of the study area, the Steering Committee recommends expanding the boundary to include all properties bounded by the Tanyard Branch Trail to the north, West Rosemary Street to the south, Mitchell Lane to the east, and the Carrboro border to the west. Please see Attachment 2 for a map of the expanded study area.
Previous classes have each used $500 of Community Development funds for the project. During the process of adopting the 2002-2003 Community Development program on April 24, 2002 and again on May 13, 2002, we reported to the Council that we would continue to work with the Sykes Street Steering Committee. We plan to use an additional $500 of Community Development funds for the next phase of this project.
CONCLUSION
Students from the Department of City and Regional Planning will plan a charrette for the neighborhood that would focus on improving crime prevention and safety in the Sykes Street area. The work will be done in an expanded geographic area of the neighborhood and will be funded through the 2002-2003 Community Development program.
ATTACHMENTS
1. History of Sykes Street Project (p. 3).
2. Map of Expanded Sykes Street Area Map (p. 5).
3. Work Plan Prepared by the Department of City and Regional Planning Students (p. 6).
History of Sykes Street Project
On January 8, 2001, the Council adopted a resolution authorizing the Town to participate and provide technical assistance and staff support in an advisory capacity to develop an Action Strategy for the Sykes Street area. Representatives from EmPOWERment, Inc., Orange Community Housing and Land Trust, the Sykes Street area, students from the University of North Carolina Department of City and Regional Planning, and the Town (including representatives from the Planning, Parks and Recreation, and Police Departments) have continued to meet to discuss a variety of issues facing the Sykes Street neighborhood. The Council agreed to provide $500 of Community Development funds for class expenses related to the project. Students working with the Committee on this project presented a final report to the Council on May 21, 2001.
On September 24, 2001, the Council endorsed the Sykes Street Action plan presented to the Council on May 21, 2001, and authorized the Town’s continued participation in implementing a plan for making improvements in the Sykes Street neighborhood.
During the fall semester of 2001, the Steering Committee and students focused on identifying and developing neighborhood leadership and planned two key events: a community charrette focusing on reducing crime in the community and environmental design changes to improve the community and a community clean up and block party. The students presented their report to the Council on January 14, 2002.
On February 11, 2002 the Council authorized the Town’s continued participation in implementing a plan for making improvements in the Sykes Street neighborhood and budgeted $500 of Community Development funds for class expenses. This including working with a third group of students during the spring of 2002.
On March 4, 2002, we provided a report to the Council to respond to a report on recommended improvements in the Sykes Street area presented to the Council on January 14, 2002 by the Planning students. At that time, we reported that we would continue to work with the Sykes Street Steering Committee and residents to identify problems and concerns in the community and to develop ideas for improvements. We also reported that based on recommendations presented to the Council by the Planning students on behalf of the residents, we would focus our immediate efforts in three key areas:
1. Providing increased Police coverage;
2. Improving property maintenance and housing conditions; and
3. Determining how best to address identified public improvements in the area.
On May 13, 2002 we reported to the Council that during the spring semester of 2002, the students work focused on increasing resident participation. Two highlights of the semester’s activities were: (1) a community charrette held on March 2, 2002 where residents had the opportunity to voice their concerns and develop solutions to neighborhood problems; and (2) a community event for residents of the Sykes Street area held on Saturday, April 27. Approximately 125 people attended the event that included music, dancing and lunch that was provided with the assistance of local merchants.
A student from the class continued to work with the Planning Department throughout the summer to continue to implement activities in the neighborhood. On August 6, the Sykes Street Steering Committee planned a successful event, Neighborhood Night Out. The event included a group walk through the Northside neighborhood, music, and food provided largely by donations from local businesses and organizations.