RM 05-04-79 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

South Bend edevelopment Commission Regular Mee ing - May 4, 1979 The Chair recognized Mr. T. Brooks Brademas: Mr. T. Brooks Brademas: President, Members of the Commission, I appear before you today as an interested and concerned citizen of my community. I suppose you could say this is my swan song as it relates to the Monroe-Sample Area. An important issue here is to maintain and utilize the structures that we already have in our community. It is really important that we try to achieve the highest and best use of the land in our central area. In terms of the report that has been done on the subject under Mr. Ellison's direction (Southeast Neighborhood Planning Profile), I feel that the report was well done. It suggests that there are in this neighborhood 81 sub - standard structures, of which only two are delapidated Therefore, 79 would be feasible for rehabilitation. I suggest to you, however, that if the program proceeds as planned with the Tire Service Company and other types of heavy commercial uses of that particular type in the area right off Monroe, the potential for rehabilitating this area and developing new housing will be lost forever. The fact of the matter is that no foundation has been poured over there and there really has been no excavation of any consequence. So, I am here today as one who has training and experience in planning, housing, and development, and one who is concerned about his community, to say that I thirAc we are making a very major and irrevokable mistake. There e very fine old houses on St. Joseph and Carroll Street and the potential for their rehabilitation is going to be lost. I offer to the owners of those homes and to the Commission to get a group together to work with the owners to rehabilitate the houses, or get them to sell their houses at a reasonable price, so that the Commission may acquire them and rehabilitate the houses. Now is the time to start bringing moderate income families back into the central area by having medium density housing for families. If we are to do that, the houses need to be in close proximity to the downtown to put in industrial and heavily cormaercial uses in that area. I have prepared a little sketch plan (passes out to Commission and media) so that you may see what I am trying to e lain to you. Essent ally, what I am talking about doing is to take advantage of the underpa ses which are located on Bronson and Fellows. I would like to see Fell ws Street come through and intersect with Bronson, and then terminate t ugh traffic at that point so that you have commercial and industrial areas to the South. The mixing of commercial and industrial area uses n rth of Bronson will preclude any potential for economical rehabilitation of those 79 structures in that area which could be re- habilitated At today's costs of housing, if you multiply 79 or 80 structures by $30,000.00 or $35,000.00, you are talking about destroying a substanti value in terms of residential use. I do think that the Community should be apprised of the fact that the action now being taken to al ow industrial and heavy commercial uses in this potentially very fine r sidential area is going to preclude the feasibility of rehabilitation of those fine old homes. With that, I will quit and thank you v ry much for listening to me. -3- FLOOR DISCUSSION