“M/TRC-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E”

The Examiner reported correctly in their headline “Hope for Truman Road Corridor?” when they placed the question mark at the end. The Midtown / Truman Road Corridor (M/TRC) Neighborhood Revitalization Program started out strong, but its record has most definitely been questionable of recent years. They supported the demolition of two homes in the expanded National Historic Landmark District that were also judged to be historic by the City’s Heritage Commission. Then they did not follow through to make sure the developer filled in all the empty spaces. They cleared land in an “Urban Renewal” style with the promise of putting in a park and some housing. Now we are spending public money for mowing and maintaining empty lots. Some of these vacant lots had been called in for code enforcement (in other words, conditions that contribute to “blight”). They continue to operate with staff and board members who live in other parts of town or even other cities. Church representation on the board has always had a priority over representation from neighbors. They continue to send money to the Kansas City consulting firm of Ochsner, Hare & Hare (OHH), for helpful advice? I realize that the economy is bad but we’ve been working at this for 15 years and there was plenty of time to get this right when the real estate market was strong. The extra $38,425 the City Council has budgeted for this year doesn’t appear to be buying anything new but the continued bureaucracy of maintaining an approved group of property owners who are not paying property taxes. Actually, the sidewalks in front of some of those approved properties are in horrible condition. It seems the neighborhood would be better off to invest an additional $537 dollars to hire a full-time police officer (starting entry-level base salary of $38,962) devoted to this neighborhood and let the M/TRC Board (with church representation) solve their own budget problems. If I recall, the M/TRC Neighborhood Revitalization Plan was actually developed by the RLDS Church and OHH (maybe they would be interested in contributing). It seems the reputations of many are on the line. Those who are actually paying their taxes and those at the national level concerned about the fate of a valuable Presidential Neighborhood deserve more effort from the community to get this right.

Pink Slip Appears!

Just 3 days after the blog post on January 24^th that presented problems at 1306 W. Maple, it appears that the City responded appropriately with tagging this building as dangerous. Wow, someone must be actually reading this blog. Unfortunately, the property owner has still left broken glass on the front porch while children are playing at the neighborhood park just down the street. The tag (pictured above) actually references a fire at the property while there is no visible evidence of a fire (maybe it’s prophecy). Also, it has been 3 weeks since the date on the tag and it is still not registered on the city’s website as a complaint. Are city officials serious about this case? Is the property owner pulling a few strings? Does Rex know his name is on this tag? As average citizens and taxpayers, using property maintenance code complaints is our primary means of fighting neighborhood blight. I would encourage all citizens to use this tool that is available through our city government but, as you can see, it is important to follow up on these code complaints to make sure City Hall works like it is suppose to and that property owners respond appropriately. Government/institution-sponsored revitalization programs will not work without the helpful participation of local neighbors, citizens, families, and, yes of course, churches. When neighborhood children witness first-hand poor community stewardship by adults, then they will assume that no one will care when it comes to graffiti, vandalism, or worst. The cycle continues. Stay tuned to see what happens to 1306 W. Maple. It may give us a preview of how “12 Blocks West” will be managed. The home actually appears to need only minor repairs to keep it on the tax rolls. It’s too bad they didn’t take advantage of the tax incentives when they were available through our award-winning M/TRC program (when the adjacent hospital was in business). Does anyone see a pattern here?

Make a Wish and Blow out the Flames

On President’s Day Weekend, let us rededicate ourselves to our own presidential history. Let us strive to preserve neighborhoods in our community that promote human interaction and helping one another as opposed to new developments founded on barriers & isolation. It’s about maintaining neighborhoods with safe pedestrian-friendly paths as opposed to those dependent on gasoline-powered engines. It’s in having neighborhood churches and institutions that view adjacent homes as shelters for souls and spiritual revival as opposed to obstructions to convenient parking. Where homes are not just considered investments in one’s portfolio but also investments in the heritage of one’s community and beyond. It’s in fostering a sense of place and community where young families choose to invest instead of the location of last resort for those with very few choices. It’s being blessed with institutions of compassion & wisdom addressing needs in their own back yards as they prepare to march off to save the world. Where revitalization plans are judged based on their impact on families as opposed to dollars & duration. And where government entities put more emphasis on community preservation as opposed to program preservation. Where our property taxes are considered a responsibility to our community as opposed to being used as leverage to induce responsible behavior. And where diversity is considered an asset rather than a deed restriction. Where judgments of crime & punishment are based more on what is best for the safety of families and neighborhoods versus the availability of jail space. And yes (in reference to the photo above at 822 N. Liberty), a community where arson is considered a punishable crime and not a revitalization tool. Here in Independence, we have tremendous opportunities to lead the nation in preservation & revitalization instead of being just another case study of lessons learned.

Crimes against Humanity

Independence is blessed to have the Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity, an active organization diligently working in the community providing affordable housing with home ownership to young families. Their location, the old Ray Wills Filling Station at corner of Maple and Union, is a wonderful building with a lot of character. The building has a connection to the story of Truman and it was used in a scene in the movie, “Kansas City” by Robert Altman. The Community of Christ Church put the finishing touches on the restoration of the building (after the film crew was done with the exterior restoration) in preparation for its use as the headquarters of the M/TRC Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation. Now the Church has graciously allowed Habitat for Humanity (HfH) to occupy the space. Unfortunately, at this location, they’ve been the victim of criminal thefts at least three times in the last few years. One of their volunteers was actually interested in investing in a home in our neighbor just a few months ago but has since changed his mind due to the high concentration of crime. This is actually the story nobody wants to hear. How the presence of vacant buildings/property affects crime and the vitality of a neighborhood. This is same block where Jim Harpool promised to fill the empty spaces with new housing almost 7 years ago (subject of blog post 08/21/09) under the leadership of M/TRC. One of those abandon lots happens to be next door to HfH on the west side. The rental home north of HfH on Union Street has been vacant for almost a year now. The property to the south was clear-cut of homes in order to have park space. And across the street to the east is our Harry S Truman National Historic Landmark District. Please send a donation to HfH to help them recover from these losses. Also, let them know we appreciate what they do and that it is truly an honor to have them in our neighborhood, Truman’s neighborhood. But to further assist HfH, push officials with M/TRC to finish projects started on this block. Call city code enforcement officials to clean up and secure adjacent vacant properties. And ask the City officials to put more police officers on the streets. Neighborhood Watch only works when there is “Humanity” occupying adjacent “Habitats.”

Ground Hogs Day, Again?

As we plan to make improvements in what is called the “12 Blocks West” of the Truman Home, it would be good idea to look at lessons learned in previous attempts to revitalize Old Town. About 20 years ago we had “Fast Forward Independence” which didn’t really do anything but possibly assisted in getting some new faces at City Hall. Then in the mid 90’s, the “Midtown / Truman Road Corridor Neighborhood Revitalization Plan” (M/TRC) was initiated. This plan actually had promise because it included millions in tax dollars and full-time staff while incorporating a historic preservation component. Unfortunately, the plan looked better on paper than performance. We shot our wad, did some good, but apparently didn’t fulfill promises. Then comes “The Great Northwest Independence Neighborhood Strategic Plan.” Again, it made people feel good to talk about some of these issues but I can’t image citizens believe conditions in their neighborhood are better because of it. And now, community leaders led by Dr. Hinson with the Independence Public Schools wants to start “12 Blocks West.” While we are using arithmetic to add up the blocks, it should be noted that 8 of those 12 blocks have already been a part of the award-winning, multi-million-dollar, comprehensive M/TRC Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. With M/TRC (combined with other programs), there were more financial incentives to restore neighborhoods here than practically any area in the country and we still came up short. Consider all these attempts from the last 25 years as group therapy sessions for a somewhat dysfunctional family. Every now and then the family gets another therapist to help them with the same issues of self-esteem, getting along with others, and giving the family a sense of purpose, potential, and direction. “It’s déjà vu all over again” (and again and again and again). It’s important to continue to make attempts for improvement. Looking to success stories in other communities, such as Atlanta, is a good investment. But is everybody really at the table? And are we going to be open and honest about real issues? Someone said, “If you keep doing what you have always been doing, why are you surprised that you keep getting the same results?” Today on “Ground Hogs Day”, let us pledge to not make the same mistakes over and over and over ……...