Box 5, Folder 16, Document 30

Box 5, Folder 16, Document 30

MEMO

To: Tom Shuttleworth
From: Peter Labrie and Tom Bane
Subject: Rezoning of Northwest Bankhead site for 540

units of public nousing

We have examined various factors and issues concerning the rezoning
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of the Northwest Bankhead site for 540 units of 'turnkey' public housing

and have come up with the following findings and recommendations.

Community Facilities and Services Needed
According to our information on the NW area construction of the 540
units at the Bankhead site would probably generate the following needs in
community facilities and services:
{ (1) One (1) elementary school
(2) One (1) neighborhood park
9 (3) Public transportation improvements providing efficient access

to a library, community park and shopping centers

? (4) Book mobile to provide library service within the area

(5) An increase in urgency to resolve high school problems of the
Ab ay Gommeruction of the public housing project would bring
additional high school students into the area. This would
probably increase the overcrowding at Archer or Fulton High
Schools, but still not justify the construction of a new high

? school, thereby further aggravating a deteriorating high school

situation.






Page 2

Problems in Provision of Needed Facilities and Services

9 one can also expect certain problems to be encountered in meeting

the needs listed above. These problems would probably include:

(1) Competition between the Bankhead and Browntown public housing

sites for elementary school funds. This brings up such guestions

i { as the following: Is it too late to place the schools on the

nS next bond issue? Would there be enough funds for schools for

By: both projects? If not, which project would come first?

X (2) Reinforcement of already prevailing attitude among NW residents
that their area is becoming a ‘dumping ground' for public
housing. More over, rezoning of the Bankhead site would
undoubtedly make residents less prone to accept rezoning of
the Browntown site.

(3) Considerable difficulty in making necessary public transportation
improvements. From the residents’ point of view, efficient

bus service would be a dire need, but from the point of view

of the bus line, which is privately owned, there would not be

~

enough people in the project to make the improvements profitabdie.

Additional Considerations

a50ii"

In addition to the above problems there are some other highly s
icant consideration which must be taken into account.
(1) Construction of the Bankhead project would in fact contribute
to the current trend of an overconcentration of public housing
in the NW area. This in turn would aggravate the developing

social problems in the area, especially the feelings among the

residents of social isolation and hostility toward city hall about






being ‘'dumped' into public housing projects in the outskirts
‘ ! of the city. In fact, it may very well be that the. benefits of
erecting additional public housing projects in the NJ will be
outstripped by the costs of Paarea eed social problems.
(2) There is a lack of information on development plans for the

v4

area surrounding the Bankhead site. Such factors as compata- &
vole a
Oy \bility of nearby industries, potentiality of an employment base,

at oe +
ovr ov oe at possibility of a mixture in types of housing, etc. snould be
WYNN:

Me" yu se carefully examined before a decision is. made on rezoning the

y . .

(Y AY
site.

Recommendation
in light of the above findings it is our recommendation that the

Bankhead site not be considered for rezoning for public housing until the
eer ad 5

following conditions are met:



(1) The study on public housing is released which shows that every

Xx

ioe effort is being made to distribute public housing throughout
1d the city.
(2) Preliminary provisions are made for meeting community facilities
ph
pe and service needs: schools, parks, public transportation service,
etc.
i (3) More information exists on the potential and probable develop-
iy ~ "i
ur 90 ' ment of areas surrounding the site.
oe
ph We will be glad to discuss the matter with you at your earliest

U

convenience. ; |
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ne oye Dyce mens, oF others, Jn ales } Fo pes ohve Zhe gueshens peised. .
: “ve cnidvecotiera of cenncurrente, olject teins ek comm éy
Su Lert ors za We O tern veg Dyed.

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