Dublin Core
Title
Box 10, Folder 11, Document 22
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Ue
So. 4
ee ge! easel
the church of our saviOuR # 1068 noRth highlano ave., n.¢. # atMnta, Ge 14 30306
the reverend father roy pettway, RECTOR * TELEDNONE,\Q72-4169
10 September 1966
Dear Mayor Allen:
I honor and commend you for restoring law and order after the rioting last
week, One of the needs, which the riot demonstrated, was better communication
from depressed citizens to governmental authorities. What means does an ordinary
slum negro have for expressing his needs? Who is there for him total to, who
has time to talk with him, and who has sufficient influence to do something
about his needs? If he riots, then people become aware of his needs, and -~ at
least -- talk about doing something about it. If he does not riot, his needs
tend to be accepted as just part of the scheme of things.
Perhaps there is need for a grievance officer, or a group of them, who will
be resident in each of the neighborhoods of the city, available to hear the
erievances of people, and able to talk with the alderman representing t hat
neighborhood, or with the mayer, These men, or women, would be available both
during the day and during evening hours, and would be compensated for their
service as contact people between the depressed citizens aiid the government,
I grew up on Central Avenue, near the scene of the riots. It was a goed neigh-
borhood then, one or two families per house. It is unfortunate that the houses
have not been maintained, and that they have become overcrowded, I wish to
suggest the following matters:
(1) Zoning laws should limit the number of families or individuals who can be
resident in any house or building. A house with 12 families in it might serve
quite acceptably for 2 or 3 families.
(2) The city government should have a Department of Housing, which would see
that the above was enforced. When a house becomes unfit for human habitation,
this department should forbid occupation of the house, declare the house to be
junk, and demand that the owner remove the junk from the lot. If he does not,
the Fire Department should move in and under controlled conditions burn the
house down.
(3) Urban renewal should concentrate on housing, rather than on commercial,
industriel, and high-rise apartments. This could be done on a house-by-house
basis. A Six-bo-Awalve unit apartment, two or three storys high, can be bmoickdiixx
built on an ordinary city lot (there are many of these in the Ponce de Leon-
Highland Avenue section). Ome house in a bleck can be demolished (if there is
no vacant lot in the block) and such an apartment erected. People from other
houses in the same bleck can be moved into the new apartment, and another
sub-standard house demolished, and another apartment erected, In this method,
good housing can be provided, and neighborhoods stabilized,
WLU
=
=
=
A Bol ge al ate a Seg =
‘ ef Se ee eet me
aR nto a ee $e Sk ee
the church of our saviour #1068 north highland ave., n.€. # atlanta, GEORGIA 30306
the reverend father roy pettway, REctoR * telephone, 872-4169
(4) It should be made easier for people to buy good houses inside the city.
Many of our members have bought houses outside the city because they can get
financing, and event hough they preferred to remain inside the city, they
had to move out, for they couldn't get financing as easily for an older house
inside the city as they could for a newer house outside the city.
(5) The neighborhoods of the city should be preserved, both by zoning laws,
and by the action of the government. The city did not seem to be influenced
very much by the desire of residents of Morningside to preserve this good
neishborhood. Even one who is not an engineer can plan a better route than
the engineers have planned through Morningside, Ine wonders if more attention
would have been given to Morningside if the people had staged a riot.
Yours truly,
Ree Fetes +
So. 4
ee ge! easel
the church of our saviOuR # 1068 noRth highlano ave., n.¢. # atMnta, Ge 14 30306
the reverend father roy pettway, RECTOR * TELEDNONE,\Q72-4169
10 September 1966
Dear Mayor Allen:
I honor and commend you for restoring law and order after the rioting last
week, One of the needs, which the riot demonstrated, was better communication
from depressed citizens to governmental authorities. What means does an ordinary
slum negro have for expressing his needs? Who is there for him total to, who
has time to talk with him, and who has sufficient influence to do something
about his needs? If he riots, then people become aware of his needs, and -~ at
least -- talk about doing something about it. If he does not riot, his needs
tend to be accepted as just part of the scheme of things.
Perhaps there is need for a grievance officer, or a group of them, who will
be resident in each of the neighborhoods of the city, available to hear the
erievances of people, and able to talk with the alderman representing t hat
neighborhood, or with the mayer, These men, or women, would be available both
during the day and during evening hours, and would be compensated for their
service as contact people between the depressed citizens aiid the government,
I grew up on Central Avenue, near the scene of the riots. It was a goed neigh-
borhood then, one or two families per house. It is unfortunate that the houses
have not been maintained, and that they have become overcrowded, I wish to
suggest the following matters:
(1) Zoning laws should limit the number of families or individuals who can be
resident in any house or building. A house with 12 families in it might serve
quite acceptably for 2 or 3 families.
(2) The city government should have a Department of Housing, which would see
that the above was enforced. When a house becomes unfit for human habitation,
this department should forbid occupation of the house, declare the house to be
junk, and demand that the owner remove the junk from the lot. If he does not,
the Fire Department should move in and under controlled conditions burn the
house down.
(3) Urban renewal should concentrate on housing, rather than on commercial,
industriel, and high-rise apartments. This could be done on a house-by-house
basis. A Six-bo-Awalve unit apartment, two or three storys high, can be bmoickdiixx
built on an ordinary city lot (there are many of these in the Ponce de Leon-
Highland Avenue section). Ome house in a bleck can be demolished (if there is
no vacant lot in the block) and such an apartment erected. People from other
houses in the same bleck can be moved into the new apartment, and another
sub-standard house demolished, and another apartment erected, In this method,
good housing can be provided, and neighborhoods stabilized,
WLU
=
=
=
A Bol ge al ate a Seg =
‘ ef Se ee eet me
aR nto a ee $e Sk ee
the church of our saviour #1068 north highland ave., n.€. # atlanta, GEORGIA 30306
the reverend father roy pettway, REctoR * telephone, 872-4169
(4) It should be made easier for people to buy good houses inside the city.
Many of our members have bought houses outside the city because they can get
financing, and event hough they preferred to remain inside the city, they
had to move out, for they couldn't get financing as easily for an older house
inside the city as they could for a newer house outside the city.
(5) The neighborhoods of the city should be preserved, both by zoning laws,
and by the action of the government. The city did not seem to be influenced
very much by the desire of residents of Morningside to preserve this good
neishborhood. Even one who is not an engineer can plan a better route than
the engineers have planned through Morningside, Ine wonders if more attention
would have been given to Morningside if the people had staged a riot.
Yours truly,
Ree Fetes +
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