Councilman Niland,
This evening I attended the monthly Ventura Village neighborhood meeting,
and heard some disturbing news about the progress of the AIHCDC Many
Rivers project.
(For those from other neighborhoods, this is a development project for
the 14-1500 blocks of Franklin Avenue which would be consistent with the
Ventura Village Master Land Use Plan, and provide eighty-some units of
housing for Native Americans and others.)
Councilman, the presenters told us that "downtown" (forgive me for not
recalling the particular agency's name... it had something with finance
in it...) was reconsidering funding due to the fact that over half of
Many Rivers' proposed units would be three-bedroom. The reason given was
that Many Rivers would be "too dense" and it wouldn't be good to have
that many families (children) so close to Franklin Avenue.
Clearly, the members of my neighborhood found this appalling. Reason
number one is that this project has been in the works for quite some
time, and it's only now - when we look toward groundbreaking - that the
density concern comes up. Reason number two is that the Near-North
project is lauded while they plan larger ("family-friendly") development
just a stone's throw from Olson Memorial Highway. Reason number three is
that the Many Rivers project is nearly prototypical of the entire Ventura
Village Master Plan. What implication does this situation have for the
outcome of our entire neighborhood?
I look forward to your insight,
Connie Sheppard
Ward 6 - Ventura Village
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