Hi, Folks!
You may remember that the Housing Authority of Chester County (HACC) Board Meeting on 12/18/07 at King Terrace was videotaped and also audiotaped both by garden supporters and HACC personnel. Unfortunately, the videotape has experienced severe technical difficulties; however, our audio tape, along with an index of times and persons speaking is available for download here: Description: HACC Board Meeting 12/18/07 Index to Audio File (3 page pdf) The direct download link is: http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/pzauov Description: HACC Board Meeting 12/18/07 audio file (35 mg .wav file - 76 minutes listening time) The direct download link is: http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/d2wmhn This is rented server space at a reputable company - you'll have to download the files to your computer, then read/listen to them once they are on your hard drive, but there should not be any concerns about viruses or anything else that will harm your computer. You'll probably want to print out the Index and then follow along as you listen to the audio file. The baby crying in the background is Katie Jayne Mannon whose family regularly visits the community garden and labyrinth. There were about 75 people at the meeting - over 60 of them were community garden/labyrinth supporters, including two babies and five children under the age of 10. We are extremely grateful to everyone who took time out of their day to come to King Terrace on 12/18/07 and speak on behalf of the community garden and labyrinth. While everyone on the tape is worth listening to, I would suggest that the "highlights" are as follows: Rev. Linda Gruber, Pastor, St. John's United Church of Christ (Start Time: 13:03) Presents and explains the Consistory Proposal on why the lease for St John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth should be extended past September 1, 2009. (A stellar example of why the art of preaching is so highly esteemed within the United Church of Christ.) Bobby Dean, 78, Phoenixville North Side homeowner and eldest community gardener (Start Time: 33:23) Dean describes his experiences and observations as a veteran, a gardener and the primary donor of fresh produce to Phoenixville residents in need. Board Chair, Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS) (Start Time: 46:20) Describes how PACS depends on the community garden's produce as cuts to food banks continue. (Although I couldn't catch this gentleman's name, he eloquently expresses the pain of those who toil in hunger relief. Unfortunately, feeding the hungry is not a high priority in this society and there is always someone taking another whack at what programs are in place and denying the expansion or creation of new ones, as the recent debates on the Farm Bill poignantly illustrated.) If you live in the 157th District for the PA House of Representatives (now filled by Carole Rubley, who will not be running for re-election), you will want to listen to the portions of tape featuring John Bravacos, Region 3 Director of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (Start Time: 57:02 to end - roughly the last 25 minutes of tape). According to the 12/22/23/07 Phoenix article "Candidates Queuing up to Replace Rubley," Bravacos has expressed interest in the seat and "believes that he could bring a number of good things to the district. He said he has a close familiarity with land use issues facing the district and could work on legislation that will affect the power of municipalities to control development. He also says that he knows many players in Harrisburg and could achieve 'political integration' quickly, which would allow him, for example, to influence, where PennDOT money goes. This, he said, is especially important given the infrastructure issues Paoli faces." Consider listening to Bravacos on the tape as part of your decision as to whether or not you would like Bravacos as your State Representative in Harrisburg. The Phoenixville Republican Committee meets on January 20, then the Chester County Republican Committee meets on January 24 to endorse a candidate for the 157th District - Republican committee members and Council persons will want to hear from you before those dates - whether or not you are a Republican, because in the General Election, all that matters is: 1. Who can raise $100,000 to finance the campaign? and 2. Who can get the most votes in the General Election in November? To my knowledge, no one else who is considering a run for the 157th District seat was at the 12/18/07 Board Meeting. If that information is incorrect, just let me know. The last 25 minutes of the tape discuss the HUD timeline and funding steam. Timelines: Bravacos states on the tape that the HUD funds must be obligated by November 2008 or they will no longer be available. The only 2008 dates listed in the HUD documentation I received through FOIA are September, 12, 2008 to spend $391,222 and July 17, 2008 to obligate $365,727. HUD documentation on the repeatedly stated November 2008 date would be helpful for all interested parties. Funding Stream: According to the HUD documentation I received through FOIA, the Fairview Court (Fairview Expansion to 26 units) Proposal is being funded through HUD Replacement Housing Factor (RHF) Program Grants. Several of my colleagues with the American Community Gardening Association (who work in major cities and have regular interaction with their city Housing Authorities) disagree with the implications on tape that this funding stream is solely for new housing. While brand-new housing is an accepted use for this funding stream, their primary purpose is to replace existing public housing units that are poor or severely deteriorated condition. According to the Phoenixville Borough Council and the Phoenixville Fire Companies, the public housing within Phoenixville Borough in the most deteriorated condition is King Terrace. At the December Phoenixville Council Meeting, council members briefly discussed the Fire Chief's concerns about King Terrace, agreed with them, then Tish Jones (D-East Ward) made a motion, unanimously passed, to direct the Borough Manager to request HACC's presence before Council so that the Fire Companies' and the Council's concerns about both Fairview and King Terrace could be addressed in detail. According to HACC and Chester County Department of Community Development (DCD) documentation provided at various State Senator Andrew Dinniman events and on their websites, the need for public housing for the elderly and families is a wash - both are badly needed, but no one in the County appears to have placed one need over the other. At the 5/30/07 meeting with the church, Don Coppedge, HACC Board Chair, spoke at length on his "excellent" relationship with PPG and how easily he could procure land from them for the asking. While the Steel Property is too contaminated for agricultural use, with standard clay soil caps, two successful senior living complexes have already been built there. PPG, which is in the process of divesting, owns the project for a third senior apartment complex - which already has beginning approvals from the Phoenixville Planning Commission. (Being PPG, this project was stalled in the Zoning Board for issues that can easily be resolved with an influx of cash, a few design tweaks and a resolve to see the project to completion.) On the tape, (Start Time: 1:02:04) Tonya Mitchell-Weston, Executive Director, Housing Authority of Chester County states that "There is no development plan" and "We are starting from Day One." Also on the tape, (Start Time: 1:02:41) Bravacos outlines all the activity that must be completed for the Fairview Court project so the funds can be obligated by November 2008 and repeats throughout the tape that he wants Phoenixville to receive this HUD money. Since HUD RHF funds are primarily for replacement housing, why not make the Borough and the Fire Companies happy by replacing King Terrace with new elderly public housing on the Steel Property where elderly housing is already approved and surveyed to go anyway? PPG can't complete the project, but its approval status gives HACC the head start it needs to finish all of its paperwork and obligate its funds by November 2008 - and according to HACC and DCD's own documentation, elderly public housing is needed just as badly as public housing for families. Most importantly, the project could actually be completed by the oft-stated HUD obligation deadline. After the elderly are moved into the new senior apartment complex, HACC is then eligible for another round of RHF funding to demolish King Terrace and build family townhouses (which would fit with the current architecture on High Street) on the property which, with its proximity to downtown Phoenixville and Andre Thornton Park across the street, is a premier location for families. Ultimately, the County gets more public housing for those who need it most and the Borough has its concerns heard and answered. Bravacos is right that this HUD money is an opportunity. However, blindly blundering through 2008 benefits almost no one. With creativity, an eye to what the HUD funding stream actually requires and as George Martynick of the Phoenixville Planning Commission (Start Time: 54:23) pleaded for "a sense of cooperation" . . . "a sense of civility - which sometimes, isn't quite there" and "open and honest dialog," this truly can be a win-win situation for both HACC and everyone who lives in Phoenixville. I'm attending the Farm Show on Wednesday (1/9) - otherwise, I welcome everyone's thoughts, calls and e-mails on this subject. Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth A mission of St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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