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 ……...

Interpretive Signs

How do we get today’s neighborhood youth to respect important assets in this community and to this nation? I believe it starts with appropriate community stewardship that is led by our adult population. It is how the adults behave in treating, protecting, and honoring what are considered our most important assets. It’s how our generation of citizens chooses to honor the previous generations. It’s the respect we bestow on the materials, craftsmanship, and valuable resources that went into building this community. It’s the way we honor the ideals, values, and Christian principles of our forefathers. It’s in opening the doors of our homes to neighbors to celebrate milestones. It’s in opening our eyes to see how we can make a difference as opposed to waiting for someone else to clean up the mess. It’s in giving the next generation an inheritance of something more than debt and decay. It’s in projecting a sense of pride to our youth, to visitors who come to our community, and to the citizens of the United States who trusted us with these assets. There are interpretive signs out there that are telling us how well we are doing. We just need to open our eyes.

Neighborhood Open House

The house pictured above is vacant. The front door is actually wide open with just an unlatched storm door (with broken windows). Many of the other windows are also shattered with broken glass all over the place. Even the mail slot has been removed leaving yet another hole in the house. Inside there are signs of vagrant occupation. I’ve learned from a local gentleman that drug paraphernalia and used needles were found inside this house and that it has been vacant for about a year or more. There are no “Dangerous Building” tags on the property, but the building across the street (which appears to be in much better condition) has a pink tag in the window indicating city action for code violations. Yes, it is known fact that blight is contagious. No, this isn’t the intercity KCMO or KCK. It’s my neighborhood and it’s only a few blocks from a Presidential Neighborhood. The last time I drove down this block I saw lots of children playing. The address of the above property is 1306 West Maple. Welcome to the neighborhood “Open House.” And yes, it needs to be mentioned again, this block is in the heart of the award-winning Midtown / Truman Road Corridor Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. Whether this particular home is judged historic or not (you be the judge), this is no way to manage property and this is not what I would call being a good neighbor. If readers of this blog are also concerned, I would invite you to make an online Property Maintenance Code Complaint on the City’s website:

https://www.ci.independence.mo.us/Complaints/

and enter the street number “1306” and the street name “Maple” and proceed. You can register your name and contact info or remain anonymous. Please help us with this property. And if you know who owns the property, I believe a lecture and schooling on community stewardship is in order.

The Exodus

We’ve already brought up the departure of the School District’s administrative office from the Palmer Building. The biggest loss is the Independence Regional Health Center at Truman Road and Forrest Avenue. The hospital supported adjacent medical offices & clinics, restaurants, flower shops, housing, and good-paying jobs for this neighborhood for almost 100 years. And more recently it complimented the adjacent Nursing School at Graceland University’s Independence campus. Taxes generated by the hospital directly supported the Midtown / Truman Road Corridor (M/TRC) Neighborhood Revitalization Program. M/TRC is now essentially out-of-business (during a time when it is needed the most). Unfortunately, M/TRC has left 3 major projects unfinished, all of them at the corner of River Boulevard and Truman Road, which happens to be at the entrance into the Truman Neighborhood. The Sunshine Center, a care center for children with special needs, also departed the neighborhood while consolidating its services to another part of town leaving an empty building on Lexington Street. The Mid-Continent Public Library’s Genealogy & Local History Center also left the area choosing to invest $8 million in a beautiful new facility in a suburban location. The Library’s move was intended to make their facility more accessible to the public; however, they selected one of the most isolated areas in town with respect to public transportation. All of these losses have occurred just within the last few years and together represent a significant deficit to the historic community. What’s next?

There is some consolation for the loss of the hospital. There are exciting plans for an entrepreneurship center and business incubator at the old site. The project promises to be supported by the School District, Independence Council for Economic Development (ICED), a private developer, and TIF funding from the initial hospital relocation. This is likely a best-case-scenario for this site considering all the obstacles. I applaud the Independence School District in taking a leadership role in this project. Success will depend on public and private institutions working together, doing what they say they are going to do, guiding the project through completion, and sticking around, even when situations become difficult. Yes, that’s right; it sounds like a different approach than what we are used to.

Working on the Sabbath

Doing the Lord’s work on the Lord’s Day! The above photo was actually taken during the Sunday morning worship services showing the demolition contractor getting started on this project for Messiah Lutheran Church. PrudentPreservaion, thought you would want to see the lastest. In this community, doing God’s work is never complete. Please try to Keep the Faith!!!