NRP – Renter’s Focus Group – Jan. 27, 2005

Attending:

Brian

Dorothea Moga

Claudia Egelhoff

Kathilynn Solomon

Anathea

Facilitator: Greg Lecker

Note taker: Vida Y. Ditter

Strengths of the neighborhood:

Solid neighborhood, longevity of residents who’ve lived here for years, neighborhood feels settled, and is a comfortable place to be in

Parks, lakes, and trails – all of which I use. Buses are pretty good. (Which parks do you use – all of them)

Can walk to coffee shop and other places that we are in close proximity to. Like things that are in the neighborhood for kids

Sense of community in the neighborhood. Parks are great. Can run in the park instead of on sidewalks. I like Bryn Mawr downtown.

Parks and buses. Cohesiveness of the neighborhood yet it is diverse – old people, young, gay, straight, single, married and with proximity to Harrison, close to people of color. Lots of dogs.

Weaknesses of the neighborhood:

Working on another co-housing group where can be with my autistic son that’s affordable – encourage land trust which encourages older/longtime residents to contribute their homes to the neithborhood for re-use by others at affordable rates since there is little land in Bryn Mawr.

Laundromat that is handy would be nice. Would like more rental in the neighborhood. Could use a photo-copier in the neighborhood. Bus service could be better. Change signals at Cedar Lake Road to give more time to drivers on Cedar Lake Road. Signals currently favor Penn Avenue travelers. Traffic is an issue, especially people who run the lights at intersection of Penn and South Cedar Lake Road.

Continual traffic on Laurel/Queen. Would not choose to buy in Bryn Mawr because lot sizes are too small, especially if you have kids. Housing is too expensive here. Also, houses are too close to I-394 with its noise.

Bryn Mawr is a pretty white neighborhood. – not enough people of color here. Get affordable housing to get more ethnicity and people of color. No more than $200/400 rent for apartments for affordable rental.

Cost of living in Bryn Mawr is high – rent is going up. Lots of noise on Laurel. Detracts from using front porch in the summer. Lack of photo-copying, Laundromat, library, bookstore, drug store.

Important Issues Facing Bryn Mawr

Was on Land Use Committee – people like the heterogeneity of Bryn Mawr, but there’s room for lower incomed people. Neioghborhood having a very narrow range of incomes and professionals that can live here – and neighborhood started out as a blue collar community.

LGA drying up. Lack of money hurting the city neighborhoods. Diversity – could have more of it. Thankful that Sewer folk done with big city water project.

Like to see affordable housing meeting people’s needs, enabling a person to buy a home using NRP funds to make housing affordable or to make mortgage affordable.

Elderly woman in Harrison on Cedar Lake Road who could not walk was blocked off for two years by sewer project. Her health deteriorated as a result of lack of contact, lack of being able to go out and take care of things. Would like to see programs that address such human needs. Also would like to see programs like cub scouts for the youth.

No comment, haven’t lived here long enough to know the issues.

There is a squeeze on housing costs

Enabling folk to buy housing in Bryn Mawr. Income issue. What a person can afford for a mortgage – how much mortgage can be bought – buying down the monthly costs, not just a Bryn Mawr issue, but a problem across the city.

Service that BMNA can provide

More intra-neighborhood/community volunteers. No networks within the neighborhood for volunteering in the neighborhood – create more loosely organized volunteer corps.

Bryn Mawr does have a few rentals. Landlords very nice, but repairs not prompt on the building, hard to get things done.

No Comment. Go out of the neighborhood for groceries – grocery store in the neighborhood is too expensive.

No comment

Am Director of Provider Services of Community Bartering Group put together by Pillsbury House. Working with Pillsbury house on creating a bartering network in Bryn Mawr. Very hard for people needing help to ask for help, but if they have a sense of giving back, they won’t mind asking for help. Create that kind of bartering system in place in the neighborhood.

Free recycling of goods – stuff to trade instead of throwing out or having to buy. Part of bigger city and a larger issue – transit needs to be improved.

Area 4 reps need to help me to get to know my neighbors – have parties to introduce folk to each other – help me to know what to do. Joined the neighborhood Association, did not feel as though I’d gained anything – what was my membership buying me. Help me to become more familiar with my neighbors, with the history of this neighborhood, etc.

(on being asked to clarify comments on neighborhood being more welcoming:

Provide better communications on urban issues)

(expansion of “how communications in the neighborhood can be improved” –

By email, flyer, phone, Bugle, face to face, bulleting board – flyering the neighborhood – word of mouth also.)

(Did you receive a Welcome Package when you moved into the neighborhood? Not certain)

(How to improve communications between the various neighborhood areas?

Bugle is a good vehicle at basic information about the neighborhood

Flyers would also work – alert folks to things happening

Information on the website as an alternative to attending meetings or to provide history)

Housing Issues and Comments

Need landlord incentives for improving rental properties – incentives could include loans to get work done and get things fixed, so that rent won’t go up. Advocates tying grant request to not raising the rent and getting stuff fixed.

Incentives to people who have space they’re not using to convert that space to rental use for other people and to maintain that space for rental and advocate for lower taxes for that landlord. Either adding kitchens/baths for new rental space in the house, or sharing such spaces with owner. Change the zoning codes to allow more rental in R1 neighborhoods.

Density of apartments under one roof – higher density apartments not as appealing – like the triplex I’m in.

Advantages/disadvantages of apartments vs. houses

If NRP funds cannot be used to subsidize my rents, then foster ideas of co-operatives – each person rents own condo, but not-for-profit ownership of the land and building. Each person owns their own habitat. Use NRP funds to help tenants buy small buildings which they can use to own cooperatively.

Put NRP funds into resources for buying a house. List programs on a web site that would help people buy houses, e.g. mortgage assistance, etc. Bugle is a resource on news and information for those who don’t have access to internet.

Create rent control ordinance

Gap between rent and other expenses and have to be really poor to benefit from available programs

What is the tax situation, zoning situation – how easy/how difficult to rezone to permit R! housing to be turned to rental property?

Sometimes, be careful what you work for and what you want to get. Crunch time coming for renters.

Use the website for history of the neighborhood – short and sweet, put into newspaper – use links for the website:

History of NRP:

BCV?ROC - redevelopment timelines and who’s involved. Have open houses

Language – use simple English – why special words are being used

Qwest building – is it for sale – current status

Dixons complaining of gas fumes coming into their home from the gas vent at the station. New city ordinance (I think) that forbids this. What is the neighborhood doing about it.

Membership:

What can you gain from membership?

Follow ups and contacts for assistance

Bryn Mawr known for Garage Sales and Garden Tours, can you build on more of these two kinds of events for those in the neighborhood