Washington Heights

While the Washington Heights Neighborhood Development Plan is still in its early stages, a new phase is about to be unveiled when Keith and Schnars, the city's planners present its conceptual plan to the community.

Residents and the public are invited for a presentation at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Boys and Girls Club, located on Martin Luther King Boulevard and Center Street.

The planners are excited, but what about the residents?

What The People Are Saying

A cool breeze and groups of shady trees attracted small pockets of residents throughout the Washington Heights community Wednesday afternoon, near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Lemon Avenue.

Four men in the predominantly black community sat at a table and watched television. Others, across the boulevard, sat hunched forward in beat up old chairs and talked amongst themselves. Some others sat in front of a nearby store.

Robert Saffold, chairman of the New Washington Heights Concerned Citizens Group, and Barbara Walker, the group's treasurer, approached a small gathering of men in a sandy clearing near Martin Luther King Boulevard and E.O. Douglas Street.

Their faces revealed that the men weren't sure what to make of the unfamiliar faces of a newspaper man and a female photographer who approached along with them.

The men stopped their conversation and listened while Saffold explained about the upcoming meeting with the city's planners and invited them to come see what's being proposed and to share their vision for the community.

"I want to see it improve," said Sherman Hill. "Yeah, I'd like to see more things for the kids to do, and adults, and find some work."

Saffold said he is hoping to see a center established where residents can get help finding jobs and earn their GED.

Hill agreed with Saffold, that businesses like meat markets, stores and a pharmacy would be welcome.

"We shouldn't have to go to 27 to get a hamburger," Saffold said.

There used to be businesses in Washington Heights, but, over time, many have closed.

"There used to be stores that sold dry goods, clothing, service stations, a laundromat," he said. "We had three grocery stores."

John Hampton said he would like to see a little park built where they were sitting, rather than a sand lot. Ironically as he finished speaking a woman got her SUV stuck in the soft sand.

She accepted a man's help, who spent about five minutes rocking it back and forth until it was free.

"We need some work," said Sam Jones. "Let us do the work. Let the community build the community. Some of us can do the contracting. Let us get paid for the rebuilding.

"We got to see people come in here and getting paid to do the work, (he said speaking of outside workers who did some of the streetscape project). It's work we can do; and we're qualified."

Felix Cooper said he was concerned that some of the paving that was done six months earlier was already breaking up.

The city will have the paving contractor revisit the job site, Saffold said he was told.

A Motivated Community

Saffold said Wednesday, they're proud of what they've accomplished so far. They've been working on this project in some form for about four years.

Seeing is believing; and with the streetscape finished and a new phase of neighborhood redevelopment underway, the people could finally see something concrete.

"It has changed the appearance of the whole community," Saffold said referring to the streetscape project. "It by far meets our expectations from the beginning.

"A lot of people felt if they put these (antique) lights up the lights would get broken, but so far since they were put up nine months ago none have been broken."

As a matter of fact, it's the very kids they thought might break them, who have assumed the role of protecting them, he said.

Walker, who is also the business manager of the citizens group, elaborated on how some kids have taken on the role of caretakers of the community.

"The kids are proud of it and they don't mess up the streets like they did," she said. "Every morning it used to be terrible with litter, but now the streets are clean."

Still, Saffold said he would like to see a street sweeper go through a little more often.

Poorly lit side streets and a lack of sidewalks were concerns expressed at the July meetings, he said.

"We've only begun to deal with that," Community Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Pete Pollard said earlier of the poorly lit streets.

Some narrow streets couldn't take a sidewalk, Saffold concurred, but they still could be repaired. They don't have to be all broken up, he said, pointing to cracked and broken pavement lining half a block as he walked the neighborhood.

"And on some streets, we still can do the sidewalks," Saffold added as he got to a wider street.

Pointing to the home of Walter Hunter, who was known as a community pioneer, a leader, an educator and a church deacon, Saffold spoke of an educational opportunity.

"We've remodeled the building to become a computer and photo lab," he said. "If you don't have the up-to-date technology, you're going to fall behind and you're going to stay behind."

The group is negotiating with the city and a few other places for its used computers and hopes to open in a few months. They also want to start an entrepreneurship program where children will be able to work with business people and "get a picture of a future."

With crime being a reality, another part of Love's vision is a possible police or sheriff's sub-station in the heart of the mix.

"We've been asking for that," said Walker. "Mary Toney asked for a substation and they said we've got nowhere to put it. But that's no problem finding a place to put it."

The details haven't been worked out, yet.

Saffold pointed to a stretch of Martin Luther King from E.O. Douglas Street to a cul-de-sac at the Sebring Parkway, where the citizen's group envisions a long park with pavilions.

Results Of The Charrette

On July 18 and 19, about 50 to 60 residents took part in a planning session held at Bountiful Blessings Church, with city and county officials as well as Keith and Schnars' representatives.

One of the things that struck Debbie Love, senior planner at Keith and Schnars, was the spirit of cooperation and input they received from the community. She hopes to see the community turn out as it has.

"It's really clear what flavor the community is working for," she said. "At 7 p.m. on Nov. 6, we'll be taking further input. That's the entire purpose of this meeting. I can't wait for the community to see what we've done."

Love and her colleagues will give a presentation with the different elements of the conceptual plan followed by an opportunity for people to walk around the room, look at the plans from a larger perspective and on note paper make any recommendations to add or make changes.

"If we've done our job well, they'll be very pleased," she said. "The purpose is to get a back and forth dialog going. We're there to get the community to talk with one another and seeing it through."

The idea is to take what's good in the community and adding to it. The plan includes important sub-plans like extending the neighborhood's storm water system, by first creating a storm water master plan.

Creating a plan for landscaping and green spaces will be important, and with it plans for economic growth and recreation, with basketball and maybe a skate park.

The planners will present plans for an open market area with a fountain, Love said, and an active park, as well as a civic center.

"We're taking the existing fabric of the neighborhood and reweaving it," Love said.

First Draft

"This presentation on Nov. 6 is going to be the first draft," said Pollard. "The intent is to put together a long-term plan for the neighborhood."

But many of the improvements will not happen overnight, he said. They will require planning and community involvement.

"I think the neighborhood plan will help improve the structure of the neighborhood," Pollard said. "The Washington Heights Concerned Citizens Group has already made great strides to turn the neighborhood around.

"Lasting improvements will come from within rather than from the outside. If the changes are coming from within, there is a greater chance they'll be successful.

"Washington Heights has a reputation and a perception they need to overcome (high crime and illegal drugs) and that will be a tough task, but residents want as badly as everyone else to see change."

In August work was completed on the Washington Heights Streetscape with a Community Development Block Grant, through the Department of Community Affairs, in conjunction with the city and the CRA.

New sidewalks with curbs and antique-style streetlamps were installed in the neighborhood along Martin Luther King Boulevard and on Lemon Avenue, but there is more work to be done.

Moving Forward

Love can't wait to get feedback and move ahead.

"I'm really excited because they worked at it so personally," she said. "It's important for us to make sure we've captured that in a plan everyone can understand."

"We're going back to the community for confirmation," said Pollard. "To make sure we've included everything. This is an evolutionary process."

There are also economic and marketing forces at work, he said.

Finding the funding to get this done will take time, by obtaining grants such as the Florida Recreational Development Assistance Program and others or perhaps through the CRA's façade grant program to fix up some of the substandard housing conditions.

Another issue is parts of Washington Heights extend into the county. Parts of Washington Heights are in the city but are not part of the CRA.

"The core area is the area that's going to receive the most attention, and that area is in the CRA district," he said.

Another issue that will need to be dealt with is zoning. Much of Washington Heights is zoned for mobile homes.

"Let's say somebody wants a grocery," he said. "We're not going to be able to make that happen. (That may happen on its own, or when the economic and social conditions are right.) But it will be part of the plan. That allows us to use the plan in terms of marketing. It allows us to prepare a roadmap."