Spruce Hill holds town meeting

Representatives from two Philadelphia civic groups related their experiences as grass-roots urban planners to residents of the Spruce Hill community at a town meeting last night. The visit -- which was organized by the Spruce Hill Community Association -- is part of SHCA's efforts to finalize a community renewal plan. "Very recently we had to do a neighborhood strategic plan," said Michael Washington, deputy manager of the Advocate Community Development Corporation. "We went out to the community and found out what they needed." Founded in 1969, ACDC represents the Diamond Street area of North Philadelphia, and works to improve housing. One of the primary issues Washington addressed was the proliferation of vacant properties in his area, although he said this is not as much of a problem in West Philadelphia. "Why not give a person a side yard if you're doing development?" he asked, citing the importance of physical attractiveness in urban communities. "You need to take into account the community you're working for," he told the Spruce Hill residents. Kay Smith, of the Manayunk Development Corporation, described her association's efforts to boost commercial activity in their Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood. "Your neighborhood is what you make it," she asserted. "City money in projects didn't have the community support behind it," she said. "If there is going to be change, we had to look at ourselves and decide how we were going to do it." Using slides, she illustrated the progressive changes that have taken place in Manayunk over the last decade. According to SHCA Treasure David Hochman, the community renewal plan currently consists of a survey of local property and "a list of preliminary community objectives." The plan was developed by the SHCA's Redevelopment Task Force, which includes several University staff members and began work in October. They also cite the help of N.R. Popkin, an urban planner at the University's Center for Community Partnerships. "He is a professional who can help make this happen," Hochman said of Popkin. "But it is the neighborhood that is doing the planning." Popkin also said that one of the main goals of the planning was to create an environment in which people will want to stay and raise families. The specifics of the plan include improving the area's schools, lowering crime and addressing other quality of life issues. According to SHCA Vice President Patrick Starr, another important goal is to improve the area's percentage of owner occupancy. In Spruce Hill, the occupancy rate is 11 percent, as opposed to the city average of 55 percent. "We need to lock in our diversity," he stated.

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