ARNC Monthly Status Update: Neighborhood Issues and Current Activities - February 2010

This Monthly Update provides up to date status on activities in and around the community that are addressing issues regarding Alum Rock. It also attempts to identify an overall set if issues of interest to the Alum Rock Community.

 

ARNC, the Alum Rock Neighborhood Coalition (pronounced "are nack"), coordinates and implements activities to address key issues that affect the Alum Rock Community at large. But often times, specific neighborhood issues are being addressed by individuals or neighborhood teams independent of ARNC. Where information on these independent activities is known, contact information and current status will be provided here as well.

 

ARNC 2010 Neighborhood Issues (working list)

 

1.   Graffiti

2.   Litter

3.   Blighted business properties

4.   Gang activity

5.   Blighted residential properties

 

All Known Current Efforts Addressing Neighborhood Issues

Neighborhood Issue: Roads and Traffic                            

Supporting Organization: ARNC

Contact Person: David Sanchez (ncvl3615@yahoo.com )

Mission: ARNC is submitting a list of Alum Rock road & traffic issues to the attention of the County, City and State transportation departments for review and resolution. DOT representatives are then individually invited to attend an ARNC Monthly Meeting to report their findings to the community. The issues list was compiled from requests to the community for traffic issues.

Status:

Issues list submitted to the office of George Shirakawa, September 2009.

Issues submitted to County DOT Supervisor at Dave Cortese Town Hall Meeting, November 2009   

Issues list submitted to City DOT for review, December 2009

City DOT representative met with ARNC, January 2010 Monthly Meeting

Issues list submitted to County DOT for review, January 2010

County DOT representative scheduled to attend ARNC February Monthly Meeting

Needs: none at this time

 

Neighborhood Issue:     Litter

Supporting Organization: ARNC               

Contact Person: Penny Pollock (pennyph@pacbell.net)

Mission: ARNC Beautification Committee will occasionally schedule neighborhood cleanup days.

Status: None

Needs: Identify specific areas in need of improvement

Neighborhood Issue: Neighborhood Blight

Supporting Organization: ARNC

Contact Person: Jay Wheeler (wheelerhj@sbcglobal.net)                                            

Mission: ARNC Blight Patrol works to identify blighted residential properties and reporting them to the proper City and County agencies.

Status:

Staff members from George Shirakawa’s office taken on a tour of neighborhood, May 2009

Numerous letters written to government representatives with little or no support

Needs: Additional community members to assist Blight Patrol

 

Neighborhood Issue: Business Blight

Supporting Organization: Individual

Contact Person: A.J. Sen

Mission: Identify and resolve issues of blighted business properties in the community

Status: Identified process for reporting blight to Code Enforcement.

Needs:

 

Neighborhood Issue: Cell Tower

Supporting Organization: Individual

Contact Person: Joe Wilson (joe@josephwilson.com)

                                                                               

 

Additional neighborhood issues are in order of importance based on January 2010 ARNNE Survey results.

1. Graffiti

2. Litter

Litter on 680 ramps

3. Blighted business properties

The radio station street team blasting music at Story & White

4. Gang activity

5. Blighted residential properties

Abandoned homes

Illegal home conversions, from single to multiple dwellings

Illegal “no parking” signs painted on fences of residents

6. Too few nearby restaurants

7. School board accountability and effectiveness

Money for education

8. Road maintenance and sidewalk issues

Sidewalks on McKee, between White and Staples

Traffic calming on White Rd. (Story Rd to McKee Rd.)

Inadequate street lighting on Alum Rock

Synchronized stop signals on McKee and Alum Rock

Parking & speeding problem on Highland

Parking enforcement/security behind the Alum Rock Village

Weeds on Alum Rock

Plant trees on White Rd.

9. Mail theft

10. Amount, and growth, of high density house (and causing traffic issues)

Extensive high density housing

11. Poor cell phone reception

12. Excessive number of cars parked on residential streets

Excessive parked cars

Neighborhood parking problems (parking permits?)

13. Not enough parks within walking distance

More neighborhood parks

14. Illegal Busineses

Illegal Street Vendors

Weekly “yard sales” on Alum Rock

15. Undergrounding of power lines (PG&E)

16. Job Corps facility on East Hills