Carrollton/Riverbend Residents' Association

Quality of Life Committee

Apr 20, 2007

Our Quality of Life Committee met recently and provided the following Minutes:


1) Priestly School: We should focus some of our energy in helping the Priestly School occupy the vacant school on Leonidas. In the short-term, getting a volunteer effort together on the grounds and getting the city to secure the site.

2) Social issues: Many of these are tied into the poor education system (i.e., crime, truancy, etc). Our neighborhood has one of the highest poverty rates in the city. We think by addressing the problems at the local schools, we can start to make some eadway here. The school close to the S&WB plant needs a lot of attention. A Kaboom playgound in the school would be a good starter. Volunteers/afterschool programs needed here.

3) Blighted Properties: Need a database of properties that are
blighted/vacant or absentee landlords. Going after landlords and getting housing rehabbed and back on market. Helping streamline the process for people to purchase houses.

4) Street Trees: Mapping street trees/ planting new ones (could involve other landscaping projects).

5) Sidewalks and drainage

6) Facade improvements: Setting up a facade improvement program for homeowners. Could involve offering a matching grant to those who meet guidelines pertaining to historical preservation/landscaping.

8) Zoning: Reworking the Claiborne/Carrollton intersection to connect the neighborhoods on each side, make it more ped friendly and aesthetic.

7) Finally, hiring a part-time exec. director to oversee the needs of the neighborhood and reporting to the board/raising funds for project implementation, etc. Would follow 501c3 establishment.