Esther I. Brown
dynamic, detail-oriented creativeC-VILLE Issue #18.10
Issue #18.10 :: 03/07/2006 – 03/13/2006
Neighborhood update
THERE’S ALWAYS A PARTY IN VENABLE
City neighborhood is where town meets gown
As the City reviews its Comprehensive Plan, planners invited residents to discuss their concerns. There’s no shortage of conflict in the Venable neighborhood, where Animal House college crash pads sit next to fraternities, sororities, businesses, churches, Venable Elementary as well as owner-occupied homes for both affluent and low-income residents.
While Venable runs the gamut in terms of property types and values, many of its residents share similar concerns. According to the 2006 Draft Venable Neighborhood Plan, residents cited the need for a Rugby Road bike lane, connecting sidewalks, a crackdown on illegal parking, new water lines and more affordable housing.
Residents question whether the City can pony up the dough. Speaking on the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP), Venable Neighborhood Association President Bobbie Bruner says, “Most of us feel like it’s full of red tape and that the dollar amount is trivial.” For example, she says that each neighborhood gets up to $30,000 a year, whereas sidewalks cost $100 per foot, meaning a year’s allotment would cover a sidewalk spanning just two houses.
When asked about the newly established historic district and the continuing tug-of-war between preservationists and developers in Venable, Bruner says residents feel it is a mixed bag. “When a developer builds a multimillion dollar property, he does take care of it and he can provide a parking place for every bedroom,” she says. “I think all of us mourn the loss of Arts & Crafts properties, but so many of them have become run down.”
—Esther Brown
