creston neighborhood association newsletter fall 2009

Creston Neighborhood Association 205 Carrier NE Grand Rapids, MI 49505

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CNA BOARD MEETING Thursday, August 27 ∙ 6:30pm

call for location

CRESTON CAR SHOW Saturday, September 12 ∙ 11am‐3pm

behind Sazerac Lounge (1418 Plainfield)

CNA BOARD MEETING Thursday, September 24 ∙ 6:30pm

CNA Offices (205 Carrier NE)

KABOOM! BUILD DAY Friday, September 25

Sweet St. Playlot (at College) call 454‐7900 to sign‐up to volunteer

HELLO NEIGHBOR MEMBERSHIP WALK Saturday, October 3 ∙ 9am‐12pm

call 454‐7900 to sign‐up to volunteer

CNA ANNUAL MEETING Thursday, October 22 ∙ 7pm

Palmer Elementary (309 Palmer NE)

cna annual meetingcna annual meeting

october 22 october 22 ●● 7pm7pm Palmer ElementaryPalmer Elementary

309 Palmer NE309 Palmer NE

Fall 2009

Now is the perfect time to join or renew as a member of the Creston Neighborhood Association. The Dyer-Ives Foundation is generously matching any memberships this summer and fall meaning your $20 investment to support the neighborhood turns into $40!

Membership dues help to support resident and staff involvement in the improvement of our Creston homes, parks, schools and business districts. As public funding sources continue to be reduced, memberships are the key to our neighborhood association becoming a self-supporting organization. Your partnership is vital to preserving, protecting and rev i ta l i z ing the many things we love about our neighborhood.

Benefits of membership include receiving our quarterly North End Connection newsletter, a welcome packet with a calendar of events, as well as participation in our Hello Neighbor events including pancake breakfasts, spring perennial exchange, Art Battle and Aberdeen Celebration in the Park. In the future, you will also be the

Double your money when you invest in Creston’s neighborhood work

first to receive e-news alerts about issues and happenings in the neighborhood, along with access to a Members-Only section of our new website. Stay tuned!

We welcome resident and business memberships for those who live or own a business in the neighborhood. We also offer associate memberships for those who have a vested interest as friends, employees or parishioners here.

Please join your neighbors in strengthening our community - fill out the form in the back of the newsletter and BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!

by Nicole Notario-Risk

Members vote new board members in at the CNA annual meeting last October

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The North End Connection

James Mikrut grew up in the Creston area. He and his wife Jenny still live in Creston today and when the opportunity presented itself they moved their business here too. James graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Business and Advertising. After graduating he worked for a sign company, but left and began Icon Sign after concluding that he could do the job just as well himself. Jenny joined him in the business in September 2008. Icon Sign, located at the corner of Leonard Street and Taylor Avenue, specializes in all nature of signage, including: banners, vehicle lettering, window signs, and just about anything else you would want to put a logo or slogan on. “We can do just about everything but billboards,” Jenny said. James first opened Icon Sign nearly ten years ago at a location on Scribner Ave, with the business moving to the current, larger facility on New Years Day, 2008. James and Jenny chose the location for its convenience and its central location. The building is extremely visible on the corner and stands less than a mile from the expressway. Its location also makes it easily

Local Business Profile: Icon Sign by Pete Tabberer accessible from

downtown Grand Rapids. W h e n t h e Mikruts aquired the building, formerly Klunder Concrete, it had no interior walls or any windows. They began renovations in the fall of 2007 and the result is an open, inviting facility complete with a roomy workspace, a comfortable office area, windows, and even a tidy kitchenette. “It's perfect. Because it was a blank slate, we got exactly what we wanted, “ James said. The Mikruts live with their two children Skyler and Joey near Riverside Park. Although living close to work has been a convenient arrangement, raising two small children while running a small business also presents some challenges. “It's good and it's bad,” James said. “It's good because we can get away and spend time with them and it's bad because sometimes we can't.” Fortunately their child care provider is nearby and the building is designed to be a place where kids can hang out on the evenings or weekends that James and Jenny have to put in some extra hours. The Mikruts bought a building larger than they thought they needed. Initially, they foresaw

growing into the space in five years, but in reality it only took a year and half. They now employ seven people and completely fill the space that once seemed so large. Despite the growth, they are not considering another move. They love the building and the location too much for that. They have given thought to expanding into the building next door, but do not feel that the time is right. In the meantime, the Mikrut family at Icon Sign continues to do steady, brisk business, which in this economy is “a great problem to have.” James said. “I won't complain.”

3 Leonard St. NE 616.726.7200

iconsigncompany.com

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Fall 2009 Page 15

Creston Neighborhood Association

205 Carrier NE Grand Rapids, MI 49505

616.454.7900 Fax 616.454.8190

www.crestongr.com

Office Hours Monday-Friday 10am-2pm

The Creston Neighborhood Association is a nonprofit

organization serving the northeast Grand Rapids community whose boundaries are Leonard Street

to the south, the Grand River to the west, Four Mile Road to the North, then Plainfield Avenue south to I-96 and along the city

corporation line to Knapp Street, east to Fuller Avenue, then south to Leonard Street. Membership

is open to anyone inside or outside of these boundaries.

The Creston Neighborhood Association Board of Directors

meets on the fourth Thursday of most months. Meetings are open to the public—contact our office

for time and location.

Board of Directors Tommy Allen

Glenn Disosway (Treasurer) Candace Gavin (Secretary) Pastor Charles Geschiere

Sara Kasprzak (Vice President) Emily Martin

Nicole Natario-Risk (President) Dorothy Velasco (Associate Member)

Staff

Deborah Eid, Executive Director Mackenzie Brown, Community Safety Organizer

Sue Capps, Executive Assistant Carol Brugger, AARP Receptionist

The North End Connection is the newsletter of the Creston

Neighborhood Association, published 4 times a year.

Circulation: 1000. Advertising space is available. Contact

our office for rate information.

Newsletter contributors: Nancy Allen, Tommy Allen,

Mackenzie Brown, Carol Brugger, Sue Capps, Kobie Davis,

Deborah Eid, Sara Kasprzak, Emily Martin, Nicole Notario-Risk, Linda Ortman, Sandy Stuckhardt, Pete Tabberer, Carol Townsend, Janice Ver Merris, Greg Wemple

A City of Grand Rapids Community

Development Block Grant Funded Program

The views and opinions expressed

are not necessarily those of the staff, Board of Directors or

membership of the organization.

Become a Member!

“Working together, we can maintain a safe, friendly neighborhood, revitalize our commercial district

and maintain the beautiful assets around us.” -Sandy Stuckhardt,

CNA resident and member

○ Check here if you prefer not to be listed in our newsletter.


We’ve put together a list of important city phone numbers for reference. Clip this list and keep it handy.

Odd/Even Parking Enforcmt. 456-3400

Police Non-emergency 456-3403

Property Taxes 456-3020

Senior Neighbors 774-0121

Silent Observer 774-2345

Social Service Referrals 211

Street Snow Removal 456-3232

U.S. Social Security 800-772-1213

Water Service Repair 456-3249

City Recycling Hotline 456-4444

Creston Library 988-5410

GR Customer Service Info 456-3000

Garbage Collection 456-3232

Go Bus 456-6141

GR Public Schools 819-2000

Humane Society 453-8900

Kent County Animal Shelter 336-3210

Landlord/Tenant Disputes 245-2207

Lawyers Referral 459-6019

Fall 2009

CNA board member positions opening up in October: applications requested

by Sara Kasprzak

There will be 8 CNA board seats open for the upcoming year, to be voted on at the October Annual Meeting. We are in serious need of interested and concerned neighbors to oversee the direction and decision-making for the Creston Neighborhood Association.

Board members are asked to attend a monthly board meeting (4th Thursday evening) and to participate on a committee of the board. If you are interested in observing

board meetings, applying for a board seat, or talking to a current board member for more information, please contact Deborah Eid, director of CNA at 454-7900.

2 The opportunity to affect change in your neighborhood

4 Be part of the CNA legacy

5 Have a voice in major

decisions that affect the neighborhood

6 Be part of creating the big picture for our

neighborhood

7 Develop new skills and talents

1 The satisfaction of working

together towards a common cause

9 Accomplish more than you could on your own

10 Eat pies at the board meetings

8 Rub elbows with the

movers and shakers of the neighborhood 3

Enjoy a sense of community with your fellow board members

Top 10 reasons to be a CNA board member:


J im and J i l l Marcusse, former Creston residents who remember when the Red Jet Cafe was a library and a bank, came to try out the menu. “The food is good and the music is good,” said Jill with a smile. “It [the Jazz Series] fits well with the sidewalk cafe format,” said Jim. “I'm glad they're doing it.”

The Summer Jazz Series comes to the Red Jet every Monday night throughout the summer. Next time you visit the Red Jet for a coffee or a sandwich be sure to visit the patio and enjoy the music while you enjoy your meal.

by Pete Tabberer Summer Jazz Series at Red Jet Cafe It is a warm Monday night in July and people walking down Plainfield or eating at Red Jet Cafe are treated to sounds they may not often hear in their neighborhood. In addition to the familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee and delicious food, patrons and passersby will also notice the sound of live outdoor music coming from Red Jet's new patio.

Red Jet Cafe, a member of the Gilmore Collection, is one of several venues participating in the Gilmore Club's Summer Jazz Series, which showcases some of the areas finest restaurants and some of the best jazz musicians that the local scene has to offer.

The night I attended the audience was treated to the music of saxophonist Hugh Dewitt who played a variety of original and well-known jazz tunes. He was playing the Red Jet for the second time and seemed comfortable in front of the small audience with whom he often engaged in light-hearted banter between songs.

This low-key feel is exactly what the Gilmore Club intended for the series. They, according to promotional material sent to the venues, intend it to have an almost “open mic night” feel, in which members of the audience can feel welcome to join the musicians on stage.

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Local musician Hugh Dewitt plays at Red Jet Cafe's outdoor patio on Monday, July 21, 2009.

He performed as part of the Gilmore Collection's Summer Jazz Series.

Fall 2009 Page 13

Kobie began his internship with the Creston Neighborhood Association on July 29, 2009. He was given the job of mapping out the properties in the community and recording as much data as possible on each, picking up where a previous volunteer had left off.

He caught on to the system in place almost immediately, and started working fast towards completing the job at hand.

On just his third day, he took part in a community meeting for the construction of a new playground, where he did everything from inflate balloons for children to prepare and serve food.

Kobie is a Detroit native and Grand Rapids resident of three years. He is a fluent Spanish speaker, and also has a history in the field of culinary arts, but is currently attending GRCC where he majors in Radiological Technology. His biggest interests are music, technology, and fashion.

His interest in the Neighbor-hood Association stems from the alarming amount of vacant and dilapidated homes he was used to seeing in Detroit, and the negative aspects such as crime that came along with them. Kobie will be with us through-out August and September to serve the Creston community.

CNA welcomes new intern


Did you know that your window air conditioner can be a fire hazard? AC units require a lot of electricity. If your house does not have appropriate wiring, or you are using an inappropriate extension cord, keeping cool can actually be putting you at risk.

Older homes have older wiring. If the wiring in your home hasn’t been updated, you may be dealing with 60 to 80 year old wires with crumbling insulation that isn’t designed for the amount of electricity being conducted. Also, check to see if the electrical box in your building has the appropriate fuses or circuit breakers for the amount of electricity you are using.

Running your air conditioner through an extension cord can add risk. Extension cords are intended to be a temporary solution, which is defined as less than 30 days. Cords are also rated for the amount of electricity they are supposed to conduct. If you are running an AC unit

though a cord that is too small it is like trying to run a bowling ball though a garden hose. It can lead to heat build up or a short. Running a cord under a carpet or having kinks in it can also lead to problems.

Finally, running it through an adapter or through a surge protector strip can also lead to electrical shorts or heat build up in your outlet. When using an AC window unit, make sure that: ●the home’s wiring can handle it ●if you are using an extension

cord, that it can handle the amount of electricity being conducted and that you unplug it when not in use

●the cord is in good condition and not running under carpets ●you are not using an adapter or surge protector.

Honestly, any of you may do one or more of the above and it may not start a fire. But you are increasing risk. So please be careful. Take care and have a good summer. by Mac Brown, Community Safety Organizer

Do you know the answers to these

questions?

The answers to these questions and more can be answered at your next neighborhood block meeting. This is a great opportunity to meet new neighbors on your block and reacquaint yourself with old neighbors too.

Establishing a good network of communication between neighbors is the best way to ensure that problems that arise on your block are dealt with in a timely manner. Good communication between neighbors can help to reduce crime, battle the blight that arises from a high amount of home vacancies, and other issues that may come up.

Creston is here to assist those neighbors interested in taking a proactive stance against crime, foreclosure, blight, etc. We are here to share our experiences and knowledge as well as connect our neighbors with those city actors that can assist in proactive problem solving.

So get in contact with Creston and together we can organize your block so that everyone can partake in insuring that their block is a great block to live on for years to come.

*What is the difference between a non-emergency and a true emergency, and

which number to call for each?

*How do you properly identify a suspect or suspicious person?

*What does “neighborhood networking” mean, and how do you use it?

*What can you do to make our neighborhood a safer place

for children?

*What do you do if you suspect a drug house is operating near your home?

*How do you use documentation effectively?

*How many ways can the Creston Neighborhood Association be of service to you and your family?

Fire safety notes from your local fire department by Greg Wemple

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Fall 2009

Dr. Robert O’Brien opened his office on the corner of Coit and Quimby in June of 1950. The building had previously been a dry goods store, a library, an insurance agency and a doctor’s office. The rent was $45.00 per month. His very first phone call asked, “When can I get an appointment?” His reply was, “How about now?” He was just sitting there. One guy came in and checked out his diploma and exclaimed, “This dentist just graduated!”, and promptly left. The North End News ran a story about Dr. Robert O’Brien, a new dentist on the north end, which helped him get patients. An older dentist also gave him some of his overflow. One dentist called to tell him that they didn’t need another dentist on the north end, but he stayed anyway and gradually became busy. His love for his profession and his ability to connect with patients really helped him. He also never thought of success with a dollar sign in each “S”. His patients became his friends. Dr. Jon and Dr. Pat, two of Dr. Robert’s eleven children, graduated

f ro m Univers i ty o f Michigan Dental School in 1977 and joined the practice. They were busy from the start. The three of them would lunch together and discuss their work. Most of the patients had three dentists discussing their case. Dr. Robert says, “Nothing beats a family practice. There is trust, caring, and each of us wants the other ones to succeed. I watched them develop into fine ethical dentists and relate to patients as I did. Now Dr. Pat‘s son, Dan, is going to enter Michigan’s Dental School this fall. My dad Leo was also a dentist. Quite a chain! Since 1917, there’s been an O’Brien Dentist sign hanging.” Dr. Robert retired many years ago, but at 87 years of age, he still stops in for visits and enjoys chatting with patients. The O’Brien’s have just expanded their business. They put a lot of thought into the decision of moving out of the area for more room, expanding upward into the

apartments above, or expanding north, which is what they did. Dr. Jon and Dr. Pat remain committed to the Creston Area. Their building renovation in 2007 was named the Best Renovation by the Neighborhood Business Alliance. “Today we have a dedicated staff of about 25 who help vitalize this area. We have 8,000 to 10,000 patients and are constantly getting continuing education courses to stay on the cutting edge of dentistry. Our only advertising comes from our satisfied patients and we feel blessed and grateful for all the wonderful patients we are serving”, says Dr. Pat. Three generations and counting!!

O’Brien Dentistry: 3 generations and counting by Nancy J. Allen 1503 Coit NE ● 616.361.2617

Before and after pictures from the 2007 renovation to O’Brien Dentistry, which was named the Best Renovation by the Neighborhood Business Alliance


creston car show

september 12 ● 11-3pm behind Sazerac Lounge (1418 Plainfield)

Recently, the Executive Director, Deborah, and I attended a 2-day training course on Crime Free Multi-Housing. The training was sponsored by the West Michigan Crime Prevention Association, and Brian Kanicki from the Saginaw Township Police Department was our instructor. Officer Kanicki is a certified neighborhood watch trainer, threat assessor, and Crime Free Multi-Housing trainer. The rationale for the course was that establishing a partnership between housing communities and local law enforcement is the best way to prevent crime and improve on the overall quality of

life. All the residential safety programs that were taught focused around Crime Preven-tion Through Environmental Design (C.P.T.E.D.). This concept takes the focus of crime prevention to the surrounding landscape and planning it or enhancing it in a way that will make it less likely to foster or encourage crime. This is done, for instance, by making a certain overgrown bush less easy to conceal a person by keeping it trimmed or moving it all together. Also, having certain lighting can maximize safety by eliminating

dark areas for people to hide. These are but a few techniques for crime prevention that were discussed. Also, for landlords we discussed the importance of a Crime Free Lease Addendum for new members, giving landlords the power to evict tenants due to criminal activity on the premises. So if you are a landlord in the Creston Neighborhood that would like to take advantage of this knowledge that we have accrued, please call or stop by the Creston Neighborhood Association and I would be glad to help you get started.

Crime Free Multi-Housing: let’s make it a goal by Mac Brown

Fall 2009 Page 11

Need foreclosure

help?

Call Home Repair Services

at 241-2601

They have certified financial counselors available to help you.

Remember: the sooner you call, the better.

Welcome New & Renewing Members! William & Martha Aldrich Veronica Aungst Dan & Diane Babcock Sally Barnes Jerry & Mary Barnum Mary Bierlein Kenneth & Jeanne Bishop Jerry Bohr Charles & Laura Botwinski Andrew Bowman & Rose DeBie-Bowman Susan Bryant Kathleen Burns Mary Carter Jim & Betts Casey Ann Cowden Robert & Linda Creaser Duane & Marie-Clare Culver Jeanine Devlin Russell & Brenda DeVreugd Glenn & Sue Disosway Robert Divita Mary Jane Dockeray John & Marilyn Dooge Roy & Eleanor DuPraw John & Gwen Dykhouse David & Mary Ann Gaylord Robin Geahan

Fred & Sue Harvey Sr. Roberta Hefferan & Sr. Jean Milhaupt Fred Hesse Bill & Elva Hirsch Jan Hitchcock Herman E. Hofmeyer Thomas & Dianne Hula Jim & Tiffany Idziak Stan & Jean Jarosz John Jett Todd Jones Tom & Sara Kasprzak Christine Keller & Nate Beversluis Doug & Kirsten Kelly Eunice Kimm Clyde & Anna LaBrenz Billy & Anya Lanford Kim Lang Mandy Lozon Danny Lynn Don & Mary Lou McDonald Sean & Lily McGavin Cora McQueen Marilyn Mejsak Glen & Maxine Moerdyk Bud & Marian Morrow Tom Mort & Sherri Wilson

D. Catherine Mueller Mary Jo Owczarzak Lea Palmer Glenn & Fran Preston John & Florence Regenmorter James & Debra Rinck Patricia Rodgers Stanley & Phyllis Saganski Margaret & Seena Schoenwandt Roxann S. Shier Gladys Spangler Sandy & Kim Stuckhardt Rick Szczepanski Diane & Mike Teeter Kelli Thompson Tom & Sonia VanBragt Dan VanderWerf & Candace Gavin Douglas VanMeurs John & Brenda VanTholen Calvin Vruggink & Laura DeGraaf-Vruggink Danny & Pat Wheeler Delbert Wiersma

Business Members Lorraine Schultz, CRS, ABR Realtor My Personal Credit Union Star Collision CarStar


Have you noticed how nice the corner of Ann and Monroe looks lately? Take a closer look and you’ll see Wing Heaven right there in the middle of the mini-mall.

That new eat-in or take-out restaurant has been open for about 5 months and specializes in chicken wings, fish and Kool-aid (Yes Kool-aid with a secret ingredient) The owners started out with their first Wing Heaven on Wealthy and Diamond and plan to open one soon in Allendale.

Mike got into the restaurant business by a little serendipity and a little pragmatic planning. He ran into an old friend who happens to own the Wing Heaven franchise and with the emptiness left by his parents deaths, the instability of employment in the auto industry, and a little nerve, Mike jumped in and bought his first franchise.

Wing Heaven is a locally started franchise that is now going national. They have their own secret recipes and sauces and an extensive menu.

We planned a little tasting party with friends so we could write an

educated column. What a great way to learn!!

After studying the menu, which had so many choices, six of us ordered a 25 piece dinner and an additional six pieces of boneless wings. We got free fries with the instore coupon, chose four dipping sauces from a list of 17 and brought our meal home for our backyard picnic.

What a fun and tasty meal! The delicious white meat chicken and variety of sauces pleased everyone. Our favorite dipping sauce was

New local Northend restaurant: Wing Heaven by Linda Ortman and Janice Ver Merris

1808 Monroe 616.361.922

Owned and Operated by Mike and Catherine

Our Children, Our Responsibility There are many children that live in the Creston Neighborhood and concern for their safety and welfare doesn’t just stop at the parents. Our whole neighborhood is responsible for the safety of Creston’s children. So this summer when you see a child out past curfew hours please call non-

emergency and report it. The police consider this to be of the highest priority, and nobody wants to learn about an abduction and know that a simple phone call on their behalf could have prevented it.

11 years and under must be in by 10pm

12,13, & 14 years must be in by 11pm

15 and 16 years must be in by midnight

Non-emergency: 616-456-3400 Even if you are unsure about the age, call anyway.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Employee Dannall Dannah (left) and owner Mike Abdoo (right) in front of the restaurant, newly opened on the corner of Ann and Monroe.

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Mango Habanero with the Honey Heaven a close second. We’ll definitely go back and maybe try the wing dings and some different seasonings and sauces, but we could happily order the same things we had tonight.

We highly recommend you make a visit to Wing Heaven and it is best to call in your order.

Don’t forget to check out the desserts…..they look yummy. And if you just need a late night ice cream cone, stop by for your favorite Hudsonville flavor.

Fall 2009

“Volunteers are unpaid, not because they are worthless,

but because they are priceless.” Anonymous

Nancy Allen, our CNA volunteer coordinator, wants to remind neighbors that the rewards of being a member and volunteering are many – a voice for your community, a feeling of belonging, self-gratification for h e l p i n g , k n o w i n g y o u r neighbors, working on a project you really believe in, improving your neighborhood, and building

new friendships. And, most importantly, without members and volunteers, we don’t have a neighborhood association.

CNA invites you to get out and meet and greet your neighbors, and talk with them about membership in the Creston Neighborhood Association. Our first date for this 3-hour commitment is Saturday, October 3rd from 9am-12pm. Call our office at 454-7900 or Nancy at 363-9672. Training and treats provided.

Hello Neighbor Membership Walk October 3rd! by Deborah Eid

Two new murals will be going up along Plainfield Avenue late this summer as part of continued efforts to revitalize the Creston Corridor.

The picture to the left shows what the proposed mural by a r t i s t M i c h a e l Pfleghaar will look like once in place. The work is called “Into the Garden” and Pfleghaar writes about it:

“The bricked up door-way calls to be depicted as a window or entry into another

Two new murals planned for Plainfield Avenue

space. My mural concept illustrates a hidden tree lined garden and fountain which the viewer enters through an open gate. The ornate brick frame of the doorway is echoed in the style of the Venetian fountain and gate. A colorful pallet of greens and blues will bring the viewer reminders of summer all year around.”

Plans for the second mural which will be on the side of Jimmy’s BBQ are still being finalized.

Rendering of what mural by Michael Pfleghaar will look like once in place at Plainfield

United Methodist Church.


volunteers to receive national press has been our First Lady, M i c h e l l e Obama. (see Kaboom.org for more info.) We are grateful to the City of Grand Rapids Parks and Rec. Dept, the Grand Rapids Public Schools and to all the people who signed the petition CNA circulated in March to object to the proposed removal of outdated equipment at this site without a plan for a new playground. And thanks also to our new partner organization, the Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, led by Steve Faber.

Now the real work begins.

Weekly conference calls will lead our volunteer chair people through our lists of tasks to be completed by September . Vo lunteer committees handle all the logistics for build day including people to help build the playground.

If you are interested in volunteering for Build Day, making a financial contribution to the project, or donating food for Build Day, please call CNA at 454-7900. CNA wishes to honor the generosity of the following donors toward this project (list current as of July 31, 2009): Anne Mary Heerspink-Lamsma Bequest, Beckett Family Rentals, Dyer-Ives Foundation, Kiwanis North of Grand Rapids, Dan and Brenda Dunn, Paul Haan and Julie Nietling, and Mike and Donna Kemper.

by Deborah Eid

CNA receives grant to renovate Sweet Street Playlot September 25, 2009 is Build Day! The current playground at Sweet and College has the same equipment that it had when it was created in the early 1970’s. But not for long!

On Friday, July 31st a group of 25 kids and their parents, CNA neighbors, and representatives from Kaboom! and Amway corporation got together in Creston at Plainfield United Methodist to draw and plan for their dream playground.

This meeting represented a real victory for Creston’s neighbors, and the culmination of a three year organizing effort begun in the fall of 2006, when CNA submitted it’s first grant proposal to Kaboom. This national non-profit partners w i t h d i f f e r e n t c o r p o r a t e sponsors around the country and community partners and has built 170 playgrounds built in one day through entirely volunteer labor. The most famous of the Kaboom

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With the help of Kaboom! CNA will be replacing this playground equipment from the 1970’s with a brand new playground designed by neighborhood children.

Neighborhood children draw their ideas for a new playground at Design Day held on July 31.

Fall 2009 Page 9

and provide tips on how best to present your case. Testimony must focus on specific criteria regarding the zoning issue and not just emotional reactions.

Report Violations Good enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance is dependent upon citizen vigilance in reporting possible violations. This is done by calling Housing Inspection at 456-3053. You do not have to leave your name when filing a complaint if you do not want that as part of the public record. However, you should call back in a couple of weeks and ask for the inspector handling the complaint. Many times you can provide crucial information regarding the situation that will help the inspector. The inspector does not have to include your name in the file at this point.

Access Information/Review File As a citizen, you can obtain all k i n d s o f i n f o r m a t i o n regarding zoning cases. First, you can receive every Planning Commission agenda and every Board of Zoning Appeal agenda via e-mail by contacting the Planning Department at 456-3159 or e-mailing them at [email protected]. Second, all o f t h e i n f o r m a t i o n a developer has presented to the City on a project as well as all of the materials submitted by an owner seeking a zoning vari-ance can be inspected at the Planning Department at 1120 Monroe N.W., second floor. The h i s t o r y o f a specific house can be viewed at Housing Inspection, also at 1120 Monroe N.W. Minutes from the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeal meetings can be accessed at the Planning Department’s web

site: www.grcity.us/planning.

In summary, there are several kinds of meetings where citizens can impact zoning decisions affecting their neighborhoods, but YOU must attend. There are many ways to obtain lots of information about zoning issues, but YOU must access them. The important point to remember is that YOU must take the initiative if the Zoning Ordinance is to be utilized to protect and preserve the quality and character of YOUR neighborhood.

Written by Carol Townsend, Kent/MSU Extension, as part of the Zoning Education Project – a partnership with the Grand Rapids Planning Department and United Growth for Kent County with funding provided by the Dyer-Ives Foundation.

by Carol Townsend Citizen advocacy around zoning issues

Have you wanted to express your opinion on something happening in your neighborhood but didn’t really know how to go about it? Grand Rapids’ new Zoning Ordinance provides opportunities for you to impact development projects and zoning changes proposed for your neighborhood. Here are some examples:

Neighborhood Meeting Developers of significant projects are encouraged to organize a meeting with residents and other affected parties to inform them about the project, answer concerns, and discuss any potential problems. The intent of the neighborhood meeting is to provide a forum so that the developer and affected parties can understand each others' perspective and try to resolve any possible conflict. Neighbors should always attend these meetings. Usually the neighborhood and/or business association will assist the developer in organizing the meeting. Neighbors should use this meeting to make sure the development will be an asset to the area and to negotiate with the developer for improvements.

Public Hearing A public hearing may be held by the Planning Commission, the City Commission, or the Board of Zoning Appeals when a project will have a significant impact on an area, require a special land use, or deviate from the Zoning Ordinance requirements. Affected citizens should make their voices heard at the hearing through written or oral testimony. Neighbors who have organized to present a unified position are much more effective in affecting desired changes to a project than a few individual voices. Your neighborhood association should help in organizing this effort

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creston neighborhood association newsletter fall 2009

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