Lewton-Rich Neighborhood Association

February 15, 2007

  1. Welcome—meeting started at 7:02 p.m.
  2. Pledge
  3. Introductions—17 people present
  4. Minutes were read and approved
  5. Treasurer’s report: Balance of $219.60 everyone is invited to donate. We don’t spend a lot of money!  Patty mentioned that there is a stipend allowed for the picnic, which we hope to obtain.
  6. Josh Hovey from the Mayor’s office:  Josh mentioned the site for the Southside community center, which would be Hill center.  The school board is voting this evening. (His email is jhovey@ci.lansing.mi.us.) The mayor’s office is very excited about this possibility.  Tech Smith has committed to moving to Lansing, which will provide about 100 jobs. Josh also was asked about Oliver Towers, and mentioned that the funding for the library and Impression 5 project would not be provided by the city.  On Monday, the mayor held his Go Green, Go Lansing press conference, which deals with environmental issues.
  7. Lansing Police Department’s Report: Sgt. Frank Koenigsknecht passed out a crime map, and commented that things were fairly quiet.  The two men who had been burglarizing homes on the south side have been apprehended. He mentioned the idea of keeping track of all of our serial numbers for computers, bikes, etc.  If the item is stolen and pawned, the pawn shops are required by law to enter all serial numbers of items that they receive into a data base so that you have a better chance of retrieving your lost or stolen items.
  8. County Commissioner’s Report—no one was available to attend.
  9. Code Compliance Officer’s report: (Gregg Scrimger). Greg mentioned that they’ve retired the old red tag and replaced them with a new type of tag.  There are three colors, red, green and yellow; depending upon what the actual infraction is in the property. If a property is tagged, no one can be present after 5:00 p.m. unless they have a letter of after hours.  (Green is lack of utilities; yellow is substandard, and red is unsafe.  If we see someone in the building after hours, we should call LPD).
  10. Elections took place and the current board was re-elected, with the subtraction of Clarence, and the addition of A’Lynne Robinson as an at-large board member.
  11. City Council report:  Kathy Dunbar was present.
    1. Extra Community News, are available.
    2. Survey for MSU project of marketing plan for the Three Corners. About the Negative Social Impact between Pleasant Grove/Holmes, Waverly/Holmes and Waverly/Jolly. To address perpetuation of poverty in the neighborhoods with improving new stores and reality. Similar to other models and valuations, elsewhere. The survey is asking for what the neighborhoods would like to shop, for city to try place into these locations.
    3. There are problems with Pool Hall and RV-Restaurant at Pleasant Grove/Holmes.
    4. Logan Center is languishing, has not been actively marketing for new tenants. SDLCA has tried to use it for South Side Farmers Market and was blocked by Save-A-Lot who has an exclusive for food distribution in Square.
    5. Cold Cart with Fresh Food at School, has opened a possible site of S.S Farmers Market at Boy & Girls Club on Pleasant Grove.
    6. Open Door Ministries has investigating the acquiring of the City’s HRSC Oliver Towers at Seymour and Ionia. To create Liberty Towers that would assist the homeless in Lansing by transitioning them away from homelessness, through are a Pod setting. The City’s Development Committee has meet about this. The Fire Reports state it is not safe, where as Churches are stating it is. Proper modernization to current code would exceed initial surveys. Additionally there is $700K Title search problem.
    7. Hill vs. Our Savior as a South Side Community center; the later had a lot of great facilities and was the initial choice. A 2nd committee was concerned about it being 50 yrs old and within $3mil limit. Building new would have resulted in too little floor space. Hill was an initial target, but not initially available. Joe McDonald assisted in opening the possibility of using Hill, which has the following; Pool, Green House, 2 café’s, Gym, and other vocational school resources. Many Organizations are already based out of Hill. Plenty of Parking and out door fields for future outside ideas.
    8. Colored Code Tag’s; Supposed to help route tagged homes to city resources and donation of human services to assist and prevent houses from going from green to red. As it was perceived by a lot of people that city council was not assisting homes prior to demolition of the homes.
    9. Budget issue’s are revisiting old issue, such as the refuse and compost services. This area is willing to raise taxes. Where others are not as willing. There is a discussion about the total house and property valuation plus taxes versus the similar outside of Lansing City.
    10. Discussion about Old School for the blind versus Condo’s and its impact on that immediate area.
    11. There is a proposed development of 20 acres in the Wexford area south of the church on Wise Road that would operated by the church and be rentals sold as condos for older assisted living.
    12. Home Street School, Team Challenge wants to by homes and is being debated.
    13. Discussions about alcohol permit for Waverly Plaza.
    14. Urbanization and investment of $200k+ allows for opening of new Liquor license to assist in Economic Development, buy-passing acquiring of an existing permit.
    15. Gone Wired, had house fire from defective Christmas tree lights lights, has delayed the development of Gone Wired II at Colonial Village, along with a delay in the expansion of the building.
  12. New Business:
    1. Garage Sale—Saturday June 23rd 2007.
    2. Frances Park is accepted as a tentative location for the Lewton-Rich Neighborhood Assoc. picnic, and we are open to alternative suggestions until March 16th. Pre-Planning for the underwriting of Frances’s fee is being acquired through Randy.
  13. Skipped to due Lack of Time; Guest Speaker: Micki Fuhrman, speaking on: “Ingham Substance Abuse Prevention…what it means to you!” The website for ISAP is www.drugfreeingham.org or www.isapcc.org
  14. Good and Welfare—no comments
    1. Snow at 2300 Hampshire has not been removed yet this season.
  15. Raffle.
  16. Adjourned: Meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.

 

 Respectfully submitted by Micki Fuhrman & MPF