Box 5, Folder 2, Document 26

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Box 5, Folder 2, Document 26

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January 29, 1969

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

Conducted a meeting January 21, 1969, at 10:00 a.m. requested by
Mr. J. W. Brown of Royai Knights re development of a housing project in

Attended by:

J. ¥. Brown, Royal Knights

John Steinichen, Interfaith

Collier Gladin, Planning Director
Howard Openshaw, Housing Authority
Hugh Peterson, King & Spalding
Reece Cleghom, Atlanta Journal

Paul Muldower, Architect

Jim Robinson, Consultant, Urban East
Carl Ware, Consultant, Urban East

Brown stated that an appraiser, Ronald Curry, had recently provided
him an estimated cost of $367,00 for about a 10-acre tract in the south-
east corner of Vine City, Brown said this is too much money for the
Royal Knights to handle, e@pecially on which to develop a housing project
designed to rent for about $60 per unit per month; that the Urban East
Consultants had advised him that it is possible to obtain Federal
financial assistance on such a project in an Urban Renewal (NDP) project,
for planning and advance land acquisition.

Openshaw explained that th is possible, but the area involved must
conform to overall plans for the larger area, now approved for Planning
during 1969 in the NDP program; that general plans for the area
s be developed by the Housing Authority by July 1, for submission
to the Federal Government by October 1, for inclusion for action during
the 1970 increment of NDP; and that he would develop such plans only
with the participation of representative people in the aren.

Gladin exph@ined the general planning implications of the Vine City
area as relate to the NDP and the larger earea of NASH-BANS; that the
NASH-BANS Committee had opposed the Vine City development being separate
from the larger NDP overall development and that the final agreement with
the City was that the NASH-BANS Committee would be kept informed of
proposed developments in the smaller area of Vine City proper and that
the planning thereof would be coordinated with the NASH-BANS Committee;
but that NASH~BANS dees not necessarily possess a veto power.

Brown responsed by insisting that Royal Knights and the Vine City
Foundation are representative groups of Vine City; that sbout 2 years


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MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD
January 29, 1969
Page 2

have elasped since the original proposal; that during that tine nothing
eoncrete has evolved for Vine City through the NASH-BANS organization.

Brown further stated that the people of Vine City are tired of
waiting for complete agreement of NASH-BANS aad they want to go shead
now and get something accomplished on their own; that these groups were
respousible for getting up the petition which lead to the inclusion of
Vine City in the 1969 NDP and therefore they deserve recognition as
legitimate representatives of people in the area.

Brown also steted thet unless something positive gets started soon
in Vine City that the pressures already there would become terrific and
that very adverse consequences might develop; that he could easily get
100 or more persons daily to protest on the steps of City Hall and at
Aldermanic Committee meetings but they preferred not to do this, but
to sork with the City in a peaceful, domocratic and cooperative manner,

as he is now proposing.

Reece Cleghorn, who was representing his Church in the Vine City
improveuent effort (and not as a Journal reporter), stated he had done
considerable work over a period of time in the Vine City aren and thet
he believes the Royal Knights, which is already incorporated as a
nonprofit group, and the Vine City Foundation are as representative
groups of the area as can be obtained.

Jim Robinson stated that he had advised Brown that it is possible
for ee oa eae aeseae representative groups in a NDP area
for planning by PAC ( Project Activity Committee) and for sdvance land
acquisition during the planning phase of 2 NDP project; that LPA letter
Ne. 458 provides for this, but he adwited to me Inter that this document
is rather vague and subject to various interpretetions.

Peterson explained that the Housing Authority may delegate planning
of a particular area to a neighborhood group but would have to retain
responsibility fer it.

Cleghorn asked who makes the actual decision as to the type of
development to be carried out ~ the Housing Authority or someone dse?
It wea explained that this rests in the finel analysis with the Board
of Aldermen, following a Public Hea and subsequent concurrance of the
Housing authority Board (s#ith the ne group involved, the Housing
—_ che ahah and the Planning Department working cooperatively in developing
p

Steinchen advised that Interfeith is only interested in helping
Vine City in development of a housing and neighborhood improvement program.

eaeee seaeeneee See gece Se oo - $76,900 would be required
to employ competent Planning and Housing Consultants te develop on

ahie euuprohenaive plan for Vine City oné that this should be the first
step in their objective. He emphasized however, that the people in the
area, currently represented by Royal Knights and

SS Se ee a a

Vine City Foundation, whose




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MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD
January 29, 1969
Page 3

activities might combine, want to select the Consultants, hire them and
work directly with them in carly development ofaaplan for the area.

Jones encouraged further exploration by the Planning Department
and Housing Authority of the feasibility of Brown's proposal.

Openshaw agreed to schedule an exploratory meeting in the near future
with appropriate HUD officials to determine whether what Brown is
proposing can be done within the aisting framework of NDP and to endenver
to ferret out the implications and mechanics involved.

The meeting was adjourned in a cordial atmosphere.

Malcolm D. Jones
Housing Coordinator

MDJ/mo

ec: Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr.
Cecil A. Alexander

—— 1


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