Re: [UC] Rescheduled Meeting - BALTIMORE AVE btwn 49th & 52nd Sts

[Glenn moyer]

Title: Rescheduled Meeting - BALTIMORE AVE btwn 49th & 52nd Sts

Hi Naomi,   I haven't been able to attend the meetings to date.  I think I saw a meeting scheduled for tomorrow? Is that still on?  Thanks.     I'd like to thank all of you at Cedar Park Neighbors for making the appropriate efforts at notifying the public about your intended planning for 49th-52nd on Baltimore!     I live in Spruce Hill and our civic associations refuse to appropriately announce their secret plans, which betrays the entire community. (And it always ruins any good possibilities for good community projects, which might be widely supported.)     CPN is doing the volunteer work of community organization the right way!  You published an announcement to introduce your project in the local paper and used this public list!  Most civic associations that claim geographic boundaries present a written "Purpose" in their by-laws, which suggests that thier most important purpose is community notification. Civic associations aren't expected to volunteer to do all the work yourselves; but these associations are expected to notify and involve the community.  Well done.     The attempts to grab and concentrate power, like we suffer in Spruce Hill, always end with many problems and an unpopular plan.  Conversely, when leaders use the appropriate steps to engage a community, the community will always wind up with the best plan which is also widely supported.  It's important to remember that reasonable people, who are unhappy with portions of a community change can still support a plan that was born from a fair process and a fair hearing of their concerns!  But, no matter how technically sound any plan is, it will not be supported if the stakeholders are excluded and feel helpless or without a voice.   I've talked to people, who would like to see a local civic association stand out as a model to the others in the area.  Some of us tried several years ago at the Friends of Clark Park but we failed!  I hope CPN leads our community with a model for other civic associations to follow!     A few tips to offer CPN from experience.  You should continue to expend maximum notification efforts and invitations with the most local people to the plan.  Think of concentric circles around the blocks earmarked for changes and the stakeholders on those blocks.  Dropping a note of meeting times, dates, and locations at the closest houses and businesses really completes your work at appropriate notification and invitation to participate.  (Your newspaper notice is the appropriate notice for the larger community.  The main volunteers for direct leafletting need to come from the original proponents of the project.)  In Spruce Hill, civic association leaders will complain about too much work for "core volunteers."  If they can't do the legwork for the most important steps for engaging the community in their project, then they can't do the project!  This false argument can't justify failing to do the most important part of any "community" project.   Secondly, never close the planning committee to important stakeholders throughout the process.  If someone is missed initially, they must always be welcomed in the subsequent planning discussions.  Never insist that any deliberations be closed to spectators.  The right to know must be passed down at all levels of deliberation.  This keeps power blocks from forming and forcing their agenda, rather than offering convincing arguments in support of their agenda.  If a neighbor is not on the planning committee, he or she must still be allowed access to the full planning committee, and given some opportunity to state his or her comments or concerns orally and/or in writing to the entire committee.  The process must not allow any individuals to have the power to completely silence or exclude others.   Thirdly, All information about the developing plans must be offered openly to all and proponents must be open to questions.  Powerful special interests often push projects over a community.  If other organizations are behind any of your plans, they must be held accountable to both CPN members and the entire community, by your leaders.  It is incumbent upon the leadership of your organization to immediately reject and call out any bogus surveys or dishonest marketing, etc., which attempts to ignore appropriate public scrutiny.  It is again incumbent upon the volunteers facilitating the project to insist that only honest information and fair processes are tolerated.  Civic associations which are respectable are those which serve their community, not powerful special interests with secret agendas.    Again, I am hoping for CPN to model a community engagement process that will put pressure on the other local civic associations to follow.  Good luck, you're off to a good start!  And you're on track to craft a good plan!   Sincerely, Glenn          -----Original Message----- From: Naomi Fiordimondo Sent: Feb 17, 2010 11:29 AM To: "UnivCity@list.purple.com" Subject: [UC] Rescheduled Meeting - BALTIMORE AVE btwn 49th & 52nd Sts The Informational Meeting on the Baltimore Ave neighborhood conversation was snowed out last week. The rescheduled meeting is TONIGHT: Information Meeting about Baltimore Conversation Wed, Feb 17, 7:00 pm People’s Baptist Church, 5039 Baltimore Avenue ------------------------- What would you like to see on Baltimore Ave. between 49th – 52nd Streets? Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN) is hosting a conversation about Baltimore Avenue and we hope you will participate.  We have been working hard with others on neighborhood improvements. However, the portion of Baltimore Ave., 49th St. – 52nd St., once a thriving business district, has fallen on hard times.  What improvements do you imagine for this area of our community?  We are seeking input through this questionnaire and a series of community workshops.   CPN is pleased to be working with the Community Design Collaborative, a volunteer based community design center, on this listening process with community residents, businesses and organizations.  Let us know your thoughts. On the CPN website (http://www.cedarparkneighbors.org ), there is a questionnaire soliciting your input into this community discussion. You can drop it off by Feb 15 or bring it with you to: For more information visit: http://tinyurl.com/CPN-Balt-Ave ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see .