Residents of Union Square East (ROUSE)
Workshop #1 (April 15, 2015) notes
(prepared by Karen Narefsky and Maschel Majid)
General Concerns
- Flooding and sewers
- New jobs
- Electrical substation
- Will there be an entrance to the T from Allen Street?
- New zoning
Affordability, Gentrification and Displacement
What is gentrification?
- Changes the character of the neighborhood
- I can't afford to live here anymore
- People get displaced
Breakout groups
Small group #1
Residents: Father Richard Curran, Frank Martelle, Jean Martelle,
Gary Trujillo, Katie Klipstein, Nancy Saldaña, Kristen Lucas
Staff: Danny LeBlanc, Iric Rex, Brad Rawson
Facilitator: Mashael Majid
What is the potential impact of new development?
- Upgrading properties, landscape, and infrastructure
- How we conduct our process and execute projects (example: GLX)
- Multimodal mobility and accessibility (positive)
- Displacement (negative)
- Community control (How much power do we have?
Will our voices be heard?)
- New buildings might be too tall
What values and priorities would we like to see represented?
- If there is a library, make sure it has other community amenities
- Community center
- Job training
- New public safety building
- Parking and traffic for cars, bikes
- Historic preservation of old post office and fire station
(present home of SCATV)
- Too much residential
- There's a lot of demand, but do we have enough supply?
Who needs to be involved?
- City
- US2
- Community residents
- State and federal agencies
Small group #2
Residents: Joe Lavoie, Jess Kosloski, Yenii Majano, Josh Kellerman,
Joe Beckmann
Staff: René Mardones, Scott Hayman David Feráándiz, Tori Okn,
Maria Baudler
Facilitator: Karen Narefsky
What is the potential impact of new development?
- New jobs and commercial space
- Traffic mitigation
- More walkable neighborhood
- Construction noise
- Increase in property values
- Need for new parking
- Shadows over the neighborhood
- Chain stores
What values and priorities would we like to see represented?
- New jobs going to local residents
- Artist and maker spaces
- Open space and parks
Who needs to be involved?
- Residents
- Local businesses and organizations
- City and developers (together with the community)
- There needs to be a clear process and platform so people"s
ideas are incorporated
Evaluation
Positives:
- Well organized
- Doorknocking was helpful
- Having Brad and Tori participate
- Small groups
Things to improve:
- Point to food early
- Not enough people (everyone should bring a friend!)
- More small group discussion
Ideas:
- Create a localized version of Somervision
- Share group emails with everyone
- Create a calendar of upcoming events
(
Union Square Futures has events from City, CAC, Union United,
and Union Square Neighbors)