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The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action SEDA-Council of Governments Community Resource Center Lewisburg, Pennsylvania June 2010 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action SEDA-Council of Governments Community Resource Center Lewisburg, Pennsylvania June 2010 Credits and Acknowledgements The Plan for West End Berwick — Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action This plan for the Berwick West End Neighborhood was developed by the staff of the SEDA-COG Community Resource Center with input from neighborhood residents and property owners, business and community leaders, Borough and County officials and staff. Borough of Berwick SEDA-COG Community Resource Center Shane Pepe, Manager Tom Grbenick, Director Gary Pinterich, Council President Brian Auman Jeri Alley Amy Davis Arden Oliver Josh Hoke Jim Meighan Alison Stevenson Tom Metz Benjamin Mike Pete Talanca The planning team also wishes to acknowledge the contributions of the many individuals who participated in the focus groups, key person interviews, the Sponsler Park Design Charrette, and those who served on the Elm Street Project Task Force: Jack Beiter, Nancy Beiter, Wesley Carl, Jean Golomb, Leon Greenwood, Bette Grey, Christine Hock, Jay Jarrett, Rich Kisner, Kay Mentrikoski, Arden Oliver, Arden Oliver Jr., Shane Pepe, Joseph Siecko, Jim Stout, Jim Timbrell, and Joe Vezendy. This report and the strategies outlined within provide a working document to guide future actions taken by the neighborhood and the Borough of Berwick to revitalize the West End Berwick neighborhood. These strategies provide a point of departure for further community involvement and a framework for stimulating needed investment in the community. Funding for this report was provided by the Borough of Berwick and the Pennsylvania Elm Street Program through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. This report was authored by Tom Grbenick, Director of the SEDA-COG Community Resource Center, who was the principal responsible for leading the planning process. Graphic design by Margie Swartzlander, SEDA-COG Printing and Graphic Services. The Plan for West End Berwick — Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action Table of Contents Introduction West End Berwick — Set for Rebirth................................................ 1 Neighborhood Description The Study Area Context........................................... 5 Neighborhood Planning Process A Cornerstone for Success.............................. 27 Defining the Issues Understanding the Community............................................. 39 Vision for the West End The Foundation for Neighborhood Action..................... 43 Strategies for Neighborhood Action Building New Opportunities..................... 49 A Call to Action Organizing for Neighborhood Action.......................................... 69 Appendices Appendix A — Neighborhood Conditions............................................................... A-1 Appendix B — Blueprint Neighborhood Council Bylaws.......................................... B-1 Appendix C — Focus Group Summary..................................................................... C-1 Appendix D — Sponsler Park Design Charrette....................................................... D-1 Appendix E — West End Street Scenes................................................................... E-1 Appendix F — Historic Picture Post Card Views....................................................... F-1 Introduction west end berwick 1 West End Berwick is advantageously situated at a regional crossroads, on the doorstep to downtown Berwick, and is a link between the Susquehanna Greenway riverfront and the Berwick countryside. 2 The Plan for West End Berwick West End Berwick — Set for Rebirth Neighborhoods are the basic building blocks of any Today, West End Berwick remains a neighborhood The SEDA-COG Community Resource Center was community. Neighborhoods are where children proud of its past with high hopes for its future. But engaged by the Borough of Berwick to facilitate are raised and schooled, where family life is chronic disinvestment in housing and displaced neighborhood planning with the aim of laying a nurtured, where business serves, where civic life is businesses have damaged the image of the area foundation for neighborhood revitalization and experienced and community spirit is learned, and and diminished the sense of community that was its even wider community success. As the western where the bonds of successful communities are former appeal. Once rock-solid, the neighborhood gateway to the inner core of Berwick, it is hoped formed and joined. West End Berwick is such a has lost its former stability. It is a place in that a new spirit, look, and feel will someday place. transition, and a place of some irony. Its attraction pervade the scene and that the revitalization is limited by its setting and yet its setting has the of West End Berwick will stand as a beacon for Neighborhoods are also dynamic places—subject potential to be again its chief attraction. It is a drawing new residents and building new economic to change with the passage of time and the place shaped by fearless old world immigrants yet activity and social vitality benefitting all of Berwick. progression of societal values, ways, means, and one that fears the unknown impact of today’s new preferences. As a collection of connected streets, in-migrants. blocks, houses, parks, stores and workplaces, Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action stems from a considered understanding of neighborhoods have always experienced ups and Located on the western edge of downtown Berwick neighborhood conditions. It poses strategies for downs. They grow from hopes and dreams into and near-central to the pulse of Berwick activity, shaping the new West End Berwick and provides lively and vibrant places. They stagnate and decline West End Berwick occupies key ground that is ripe a “game plan” for public-private action. It into tired and lackluster places. West End Berwick, for re-shaping. Its proximity to the Susquehanna addresses the need for grass roots organizing to too, is such a place. River and its countryside, to the Susquehanna create new impetus for neighborhood betterment. Greenway, to the heart of Berwick, and to And it points the way to constructive and realistic Drawn by social and ethnic ties, a connection to faith regional employment opportunities, positions the community-building—not as the perennial and work, and a belief in the promise of American neighborhood for active, affordable, and connected dependent of Borough and County government, life, thousands of immigrant laborers were attracted living—ingredients key to a high quality of life. but as a full-fledged partner in neighborhood to this place in the late nineteenth and early This report, West End Neighborhood Development: problem-solving and future-shaping action. twentieth centuries. They built houses, churches, Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood social clubs, hotels and restaurants, bakeries and Action takes aim at the future—it poses vision and shops. And many worked at the American Car and direction for revitalizing West End Berwick—both Foundry Company—the hub of everyday life and the the place and the people who chose to make it economic lifeblood of the neighborhood. their home. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 3 4 The Plan for West End Berwick Neighborhood Description west end berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 5 6 The Plan for West End Berwick Neighborhood Description The Study Area Context Study Area West End Berwick has no commonly accepted or historically held boundaries—at least none that are uniformly claimed and celebrated. Where to draw the specific neighborhood boundaries remains a matter of debate; but for purposes of this study, West End Berwick is defined as all streets and lots illustrated on Map 1—The West End Berwick Neighborhood. West End Berwick is generally bounded by the Susquehanna River on the south; Mulberry, Bowman, and Market streets on the east; Fifth and Columbia avenues on the north; and Washington and Iron streets on the west. Understanding the Neighborhood Street by Street West End Berwick defies easy description. It shows a mix of uses, including single and multifamily housing, neighborhood and regional businesses, a combination of light and heavy industries, athletic fields, parks and open spaces, churches, social clubs, elementary schools, recreation centers, parks and playgrounds. The neighborhood lacks a uniform character and distinctive identity across its breadth and width. Its chief locational advantages are its proximity to downtown Berwick, the US Route 11-PA Route 93 corridor, and the Susquehanna riverfront. Residents commonly think of the neighborhood in relation to its primary streets as characterized on the next page. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action The West End Berwick Neighborhood 7 LaSalle-Monroe-Washington Streets The neighborhood is anchored on the west by LaSalle, Monroe, and Washington streets. Collectively, these streets comprise the most recognizable core of the West End neighborhood experience. LaSalle-Monroe-Washington Streets 8 The Plan for West End Berwick These mostly flat, long, and straight streets are plotted in a perpendicular direction to W. Front Street (US Route 11), the main traffic artery into and out of Berwick and downtown Berwick. LaSalle Street, extending nearly one-mile in length alongside the BIDA complex between Freas Avenue and W. Front Street, was once an important and bustling corridor for family living and commerce. It attracted patronage from across all of Berwick. Monroe Street, located between and paralleling Washington and LaSalle streets, is a somewhat quieter street. Although it ends just short of a direct connection to W. Front Street, it still functions as an internal spine and center for much neighborhood social activity associated with the parish church, school, social clubs, and Sponsler Park. Washington Street is a through-traffic collector street linked directly to W. Front Street via Orange Street (PA Route 93). Historically, the through LaSalle and Monroe streets accomodate housing, business and social activity which is essential to neighborhood vitality. nature of Washington Street fostered mixed light industry, commercial and residential uses along its length, imparting a different character than streets immediately to the east and west. It forms a commonly accepted, although somewhat arbitrary, boundary separating early and later developed streets west of the historic American Car and Foundry (ACF) Company plant, and it forms the western boundary of the West End Berwick neighborhood as defined in this plan. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 9 BIDA Complex At the heart of the neighborhood lies the sprawling self-contained Berwick Industrial Development Association (BIDA) industrial complex, located on the former ACF plant site. The complex divides West End Berwick down the middle and deprives the neighborhood of its natural, direct, desired, and potentially beneficial connections to Market Street. BIDA Complex 10 The Plan for West End Berwick The complex is a flat and mature industrial site now adapted to modern industrial use. It is served by rail and truck freight which complicates compatibility with adjacent residential areas and dampens interest in private reinvestment in adjoining residential properties. With the exception of the deteriorating ACF forge and fabricating aisles, there is little to distinguish the architecture and site design of the complex. It is first and foremost an industrial zone with minimal care and attention given to its outward appearances or its effect on the value of adjacent homes. Its workforce is drawn from the wider Berwick area and beyond, creating possible market potential for neighborhood commerce. Although the complex presents problems for the surrounding neighborhood, prevailing opinion values the many positive contributions made by BIDA and the industries which now occupy the site. The stage is ready for productive dialog on matters of mutual interest and concern. The BIDA industrial complex, site of the former American Car and Foundry Company plant, is centrally located in the West End Berwick neighborhood. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 11 Oak-Maple-Vine-Mulberry Streets To the east, between the BIDA complex and historic Market Street, lies a somewhat incoherent mix of low and high-ground streets. Oak-Maple-Vine-Mulberry Streets 12 The Plan for West End Berwick On the heights to the south—the area closest to downtown Berwick—lies a collection of distinctive and historically significant late nineteenth century homes. These homes are located mainly in the area between W. Ninth and W. Third streets between Vine and Bowman streets. These streets are a core asset to the neighborhood and worthy of all efforts to preserve and restore their historic architecture and ambiance. The historic Berwick Cemetery, which extends between Cemetery and W. Ninth Street along Market Street, buffers this enclave of desired homes The heights streets of West End Berwick are rich with historic places and spaces. from a rambling accumulation of underused and vacant commercial and former industrial properties and the Berwick High School football stadium and linked athletic fields. The flats area along Vine and Mulberry streets between Columbia Avenue and W. Ninth Street is ripe for greening and redevelopment with opportunities for the adaptive reuse of former industrial properties, enhanced streetscape definition, and the development of a large multi-use central park within Berwick. The flats east of the BIDA complex are ripe for street landscaping and site renewal. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 13 W. Third-W. Second-W. Front Streets and Susquehanna Avenue Each of the above-described neighborhood segments is bounded to the south by the Route 11 (W. Front Street) commercial corridor, an east-westrunning, one-way traffic zone leading into and out of downtown Berwick—and an area sacrificed to fast-paced car and truck use. This area forms a natural gateway into the heart of Berwick. W. Third-W. Second-W. Front Streets and Susquehanna Avenue 14 The Plan for West End Berwick The area between W. Third and W. Front streets comprises something of a no-man’s land buffer between the BIDA complex and what might be called the Susquehanna overlook segment of the neighborhood. As such, its future uses seem predisposed to some combination of automobiledestination uses such as churches, grocery stores, larger-scaled retail, and office space. The area between W. Front Street and the Susquehanna River remains nearly all residential sandwiched between the hustle and bustle of W. The area between W. Third and W. Front streets is well suited to automobile oriented commercial uses. Front Street commerce and the comparative serenity of the bluff overlooking the River. Because this area is somewhat cut-off from the major traffic flow of Berwick, it may have unrealized potential for more quiet living compared to other street zones within the larger neighborhood. Development of the Susquehanna Greenway and recreational enhancements to the Berwick riverfront will generate new potential for living in this southern segment of the neighborhood. Streetscape enhancements to Susquehanna Avenue, including new provisions for pedestrians and bicyclists, could Wide setbacks help to buffer W. Front Street houses from bustling traffic. Susquehanna Avenue houses enjoy pleasant views of the Susquehanna River landscape. stimulate private reinvestment throughout the area. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 15 An Historical Overview The eastern and southern extremities of West End Berwick developed earlier than its western fringe. This growth preceded the establishment of the American Car and Foundry (ACF) Company in Berwick, the remnants of which now constitute the core of the West End Berwick neighborhood. However, the advancement of ACF industries fueled significant development to the west of the plant, initially in the area of LaSalle, Monroe, and Washington streets. West End Berwick can best be described as a neighborhood rooted in the blue-collar work tradition and a place that is seemingly in perpetual transition. The fortune of West End Berwick grew and declined in proportion to the rise and fall of the ACF plant. Employment at the ACF plant helped establish the neighborhood as a viable social and economic center West End Berwick—Site of the American Car and Foundry Company Plant within the larger Berwick community. But the closing of the plant in 1962, coupled with other changes in family demographics, was the beginning of a downward slide for the neighborhood. When ACF acquired the Berwick-based Jackson Woodin Company, it made substantial investments in rail car plant construction. By 1902, the Berwick plant had 2,600 employees. In 1904, ACF Berwick built the first ever all-steel-bodied passenger rail car for New York City’s subway line. By 1907, the Berwick plant employed 5,700 workers, and Berwick remained one of ACF’s largest production facilities until its closing in 1962. 16 The Plan for West End Berwick In the early twentieth century, ACF sent representatives abroad to recruit labor to work the plant. This influx of foreign labor, including a large contingent of Italian immigrants, led to the development of the West End Berwick neighborhood—particularly along and behind LaSalle Street where much new housing was built to accommodate the immigrant influx. Over time, this area of West End Berwick developed a strong identity linked by family, work, and church affiliation. The connection between West End Berwick and the ACF Company is inseparable, and the memory of ACF still lingers nearly 50 years after its closing. Older residents of the neighborhood still speak with pride about the role that ACF and Berwick played in World War II tank manufacturing for the United America’s first all-steel passenger railcars were manufactured at the West End Berwick ACF plant. States government. At the time, it was rumored that Berwick was the largest producer of armor plate in the world. West End Berwick manufactured tanks for the US government during World War II. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 17 If there is a center to West End Berwick, it was and remains the site of the former ACF Company. The power of this connection across people, time, and place is easily explained. But it is impossible to imagine renewal of the neighborhood without some concurrent adaptation and transformation of what is now the BIDA industrial complex. As Berwick industries adapt to meet the needs of the twentyfirst century, the BIDA complex is one place where this transformation must occur. And just as the early developers of the ACF plant understood the symbiotic relationship between the neighborhood and the plant, so too must future BIDA industry and West End neighborhood developers grow in this understanding. Within the past decade a number of forces have aligned and are giving rise to new thinking and creating new prospects for West End Berwick. An in-migration of low-income residents to the neighborhood is widely seen as the cause for a corresponding upswing in drug-related crime. And West End Berwick’s environmental assets are largely unrecognized and greatly undervalued. this seems to have sparked a long overdue wake-up call within the neighborhood and the Borough. This neighborhood plan is one result. But more tangible actions tied to the 2008 LaSalle Street Neighborhood Blueprint for Revitalization Plan have superseded the release of this plan. 18 The Plan for West End Berwick The “Blueprint Plan,” while directed to a limited area Transportation Gateway within the larger neighborhood, has set the tone for Because Berwick occupies a largely level plain continuing action on a larger neighborhood-wide above the Susquehanna River and along the heavily scale. Under the guidance of the Columbia County traveled Susquehanna River corridor, it was ideally Housing Corporation, a four pronged strategy was situated for early industrial growth and expansion. set out addressing crime prevention, beautification, Early stage coach travel along what is now the US homeowner rehab assistance, and redevelopment on Route 11 corridor brought itinerant travelers to the affected streets. A neighborhood organization Berwick and created demand for a range of typical has been formed and neighborhood manager goods and services that further fueled the area’s has been employed to assist the Borough and growth. The historic Pennsylvania Canal and the the neighborhood with implementation of the later railroad created momentum for industrial “Blueprint” strategies. development throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and it this convergence of The Town-Nature Connection One of the unique advantages of West End Berwick is its topographic elevation above the Susquehanna River and its location between the River and the Berwick countryside, including the forested hillsides that define Berwick’s northern border. While such connections to nature may not seem important in the larger scheme of community and economic development, these assets of place coupled with the neighborhood’s proximity to the heart of Berwick provide additional ingredients for attracting new residents, particularly younger residents looking to put down roots and lead an active life both physically and socially. The neighborhood’s affordable housing transportation infrastructure over time that defines much of West End Berwick today. West End Berwick forms the western gateway into the heart of downtown Berwick. The development of West End Berwick as a walkable and bicyclefriendly neighborhood as well as its connection to downtown Berwick suffers from its proximity to traffic-choked US Route 11 (Front Street) and PA Route 93 (Orange Street). These regional highways deprive the neighborhood of its center core connection while isolating peninsulas of residential streets from other neighborhood destinations and Traffic speed and congestion in the West End gateway area complicates efforts to establish cross-neighborhood connections for pedestrians and bicyclists. attractions. and its close connections to nature make it ideally suited as a place for young families and child rearing. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 19 As important as present-day streets and roadways In recent decades, job losses coupled with general are to the economic viability of the community economic decline have taken a toll on all aspects and the region, they do create impediments to of the neighborhood with a significant impact on desired neighborhood development. The hub the vitality of neighborhood businesses. Corner of confused intersections located between W. stores, once ubiquitous, have all but evaporated Front, Orange, Ida, LaSalle, and W. Second streets from the scene, either vacant or converted to serves neither commerce nor residential living well. rental apartments. But neighborhood residents Present transportation infrastructure in this area is cling tenaciously to their schools, both public and designed to move motor vehicle traffic with scant parochial, and to their churches and social clubs. consideration for safe walking and bicycling, an important consideration and one that is especially pertinent to accommodating the daily needs of children and low-income residents without automobile transport. Businesses, Churches, Schools West End Berwick has experienced significant change in the past half century. In its heyday, the neighborhood sustained a broad mix of uses that generated a beehive of activity essential to the health of any area. Those that lived and worked in the neighborhood supported scattered storefront businesses that catered to local needs for goods and services, including a beneficial mix of eating and drinking establishments. And growing families helped to sustain neighborhood schools, churches, social clubs, and mutual-aid societies. Neighborhood residents cling tenaciously to their stores, schools, churches and social clubs. 20 The Plan for West End Berwick While the decline of neighborhood storefronts via the schools and churches. It needs understanding combined for the neighborhood, the Borough, and has reduced routine opportunities for resident between the old and the new. And it needs the County as a whole to add further perspective to interaction, this function seems to carry on in the bridges to new experiences linked to affordable this information. larger form of the area’s churches and faith-based housing, basic commerce, parks, and recreational organizations. Nowhere is this more apparent opportunities. Catholic Church and its associated residences, offices, school, and gardens which demonstrate the value of neighborhood social organization and the need for related buildings and open spaces to foster human interaction that binds individuals and families one to another. West End Berwick is a largely homogeneous neighborhood. It contains a mix of single- and than in the blocks occupied by St. Joseph’s Roman West End Berwick Today Short of conducting door-to-door surveys, the ability to compile neighborhood statistics is limited to US Census data dating to the year 2000. 2010 Census data will be forthcoming over the next several years. Information such as that summarized in this section should be reviewed and analyzed in the light A Close-Knit Community of new data when it becomes available to better West End Berwick remains an area of mixed housing, assess current trends, to update the neighborhood’s commerce, and industry—an area that evokes statistical profile, and to establish a benchmark a strong sense of place among native Berwick for checking future progress resulting from residents, but ironically enough, a place that presents implementation of the neighborhood revitalization no local identity or otherwise appealing image to strategies outlined within West End Neighborhood Berwick visitors and passers-through. As described Development: Building a Better Berwick Through above, the neighborhood consists of four distinct Neighborhood Action. multi-family homes, both owner-occupied and rental. It includes a small number of businesses which serve neighborhood as well as regional needs. It has a mix of architectural styles with buildings dating from the mid to late nineteenth century to today. The population is racially mixed with a mix of working families, individuals and families on public assistance, and retirees with the majority of residents falling into the over 30 age bracket. street zones—one place—four zones. Each of these functions in a somewhat isolated way from the The US Census Bureau provides population others, perhaps due to the absence of any center and housing data for various geographic levels, commons or meeting place. e.g. states, counties, county-subdivisions, and municipalities. The Bureau also reports data for its Any effort to further unite this area into a larger own geographic constructs defined as census tracts, force for change must address matters beyond block groups, and blocks. The data considered for crime, beautification, and housing rehabilitation. West End Berwick in this plan is the most current The neighborhood needs common experiences and data available from the 2000 Census and includes common gathering places. It needs a collective data for PA Census block groups 506-2, 506-6, social life and experience beyond what is provided 507-1, and 507-4. Individual block group data is Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 21 Population Profile Population Statistics According to the 2000 Census, and as close as can be conformed to the defined neighborhood boundaries, there are 2,388 persons living in West End Berwick, representing approximately 22.1% of the Borough’s total population. Between 1990 and 2000, the neighborhood population decreased West End Berwick Total Population Median Age Average Family Size Berwick Borough Columbia County 2,388 10,774 64,151 40.7 39.5 37.5 2.9 2.9 2.9 US Census, 2000 by 2.4%. This is slightly higher than that for the Borough population which decreased by 1.8%. In comparison, Columbia County’s population increased by 1% from 1990 to 2000. The average family size of 2.9 persons per household is identical to that of the Borough as a whole. The median age of the neighborhood population is 40.7, which is nearly the same as that for the Borough but just slightly older than that for the County. Despite the overall population decline, there were no significant shifts in the age distribution of West End Berwick residents between 1990 and 2000. This points to a relatively stable neighborhood population and suggests a need to retain and attract younger residents and families to the neighborhood in order to maintain a stable population and uphold neighborhood property values. The availability of affordable housing in the neighborhood coupled with new incentive programs for housing rehabilitation will help in this regard. 22 The Plan for West End Berwick West End Berwick’s population is predominantly Racial Distribution white. In 2000 the percentage of white households White in the neighborhood stood at 93.9 percent. The percentage of Hispanic/Latino households was 2.4 percent, higher than the 1.6 percent Hispanic/Latino population for the Borough as a whole. The Black Total Population Total Hispanic % Total Black % Total % West End Berwick 2,388 2,243 93.9 57 2.4 31 1.3 Berwick Borough 10,774 10,462 97.1 175 1.6 95 0.9 US Census, 2000 population of the neighborhood was 1.3 percent, also higher than the 0.9 percent for the Borough as a whole. Educational Attainment for the Population 25 Years and Over West End Berwick Education Profile Educational attainment shifted downward in the neighborhood between 1990 and 2000. The level of educational attainment in 2000 was comparable to that of the Borough, with a slightly lower percentage of high school graduates but with slightly more Total % Berwick Borough Total % Columbia County Total % Total 3,049 100 7,454 100 41,658 100 High School Degree or Higher 2,025 66.42 5,363 71.95 33,583 80.62 276 9.05 633 8.49 6,568 15.7 Bachelor Degree or Higher US Census, 2000 holding advanced college degrees. The percentage of neighborhood residents holding a high school diploma was less in the neighborhood than in either the Borough or the County. A total of 66.42% of neighborhood residents hold a high school degree as compared with 71.95% in the Borough and 80.62% in the County. The neighborhood lags behind the County in the number of residents holding bachelor degrees or higher but ranks slightly higher on this measure than the Borough as a whole. A total of 9.05% of neighborhood residents hold bachelor degrees or higher compared with 8.49% in the Borough. But the County tops both with 15.77% of the County population holding a bachelor degree or higher. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 23 Employment Profile From 1990 to 2000, the percentage of neighborhood From 1990 to 2000, median household income residents counted in the labor force increased. Of increased from $20,293 to $25,018, but this increase those counted as in the labor force, the percentage was roughly equal to inflation. Thus the purchasing of people employed decreased by 3%. From 1990 power of neighborhood residents was stagnant or to 2000 the unemployment rate increased by 2.3%. declining. A total of 20% of neighborhood residents In 2000, nearly 44% of Berwick’s 5,144 person had incomes at or below the federal poverty line. workforce lived in West End Berwick. Approximately This was an increase of 6% from 1990. 31.6% of those neighborhood residents who were Income employed worked in manufacturing. Manufacturing West End Berwick was the leading employer for the neighborhood, followed by other strong employers like retail Median Household Income 25,018 Berwick Borough 27,442 Columbia County 34,094 trade which employed 16.6% of the total number employed; educational, health, and social services which employed 11.7% of the total number employed; and accommodation and food services which employed 7.9% of the total number employed. Income Profile While there are pronounced similarities between the neighborhood and Borough and the neighborhood and County relevant to age and family size, there are significant differences in median household income, particularly in comparison with the County as a whole. The neighborhood median household income is 91% that of the Borough and only about 73% of that for the County as a whole. Retirees on fixed incomes and those employed in low wage jobs or on public assistance undoubtedly contribute to chronic disinvestment in real estate evident throughout much of the neighborhood. 24 The Plan for West End Berwick Housing Profile West End Berwick has traditionally been considered The ratio of owner-occupied to rental units remained a family-oriented neighborhood. In the decade relatively the same between 1990 and 2000. between 1990 and 2000, the number of households consisting of families with children changed very little, despite a substantial 53% decline in the overall Housing Statistics number of households, which includes married West End Berwick adults living without children. A total of 50.5% of all households were considered “family” households in 2000 compared to 49.5% non family households. Total Total Housing Units 1,150 % 100 Berwick Borough Total 4,992 % Columbia County Total 100 27,733 % 100 Owner Occupied Units 463 40.26 2,820 56.49 18,030 65.01 Housing in West End Berwick consists of a mix of Renter Occupied Units 555 48.26 1,775 35.56 6,885 24.83 single- and multi-family units, both owner and renter Vacant Housing Units 131 11.39 397 7.95 2,818 10.16 occupied. Housing conditions are described more US Census, 2000 fully in the appendices to this report. According to the 2000 Census, there are 1,150 housing units in the neighborhood which constitutes just over 23% of all housing units in the Borough; 11.39% of these were vacant at the time the Census was taken, compared to 7.95% in Berwick overall. Some percentage of these vacancies was likely rental units pending occupancy. Between 1990 and 2000 the housing vacancy rate increased from 6.17% in the area. Neighborhood housing stock is generally older, with the majority of housing being older than 50 years. The average residential lot size is about one-fifth acre in size. The median value of owner-occupied dwellings in 2000 was $67,375; 40.26% of existing housing units are owner-occupied compared with 56.49% for the Borough as a whole. A total of 48.26% are renter occupied compared with 35.56% for the Borough. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 25 Neighborhood Conditions A full documentation and comprehensive assessment comprise 1% of the total neighborhood. A complete of building and infrastructure conditions was description and analysis of conditions with summary completed in summer 2009. This work documents conclusions is found in Appendix A — Neighborhood and analyzes neighborhood land use; building Conditions. occupancy; street, curb and sidewalk conditions; streetscapes; street lighting; parking; pedestrian intersection accessibility; traffic circulation; building conditions; graffiti and vandalism; and lot appearance based on a parcel by parcel field survey of conditions. A computerized GIS database was developed as a repository for the data and a tool for querying the data and performing any combination of analyses relevant to evaluating program and project needs. The tabular digital data is hyperlinked to street block maps and a photographic record of existing conditions taken at the time of the survey. The survey team noted pride of ownership dispersed throughout the neighborhood. Civic and recreational land uses such as churches, church grounds, social clubs, parks, and ball fields are plotted as special neighborhood assets. Parcels that display graffiti and evidence vandalism, that exhibit major/ critical building conditions and/or poor lot appearance are plotted as neighborhood challenges. A total of 79% of the neighborhood outside the boundaries of the BIDA complex is residential land use, 13% is commercial, 3% civic uses, vacant lots 4%, and government and recreation land uses 26 The Plan for West End Berwick Neighborhood Planning Process west end berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 27 28 The Plan for West End Berwick Neighborhood Planning Process A Cornerstone for Success West End Neighborhood Development: Building a The LaSalle Street Blueprint for Revitalization Plan—A Companion Plan Better Berwick through Neighborhood Action is a The LaSalle Street Neighborhood Blueprint for defines public-private roles and responsibilities, and plan for neighborhood betterment. It addresses a Revitalization Plan completed in 2008 by the provides performance benchmarks and funding range of issues deemed important to this task. It Columbia County Housing Corporation provides suggestions. In early 2010, a neighborhood is strategic in nature in that it addresses key issues important guidance for neighborhood revitalization organization was formed to assist with facing the neighborhood and establishes a series of programming. While the scope of this study was implementation of the plan and the organization interconnected goals and actions to achieve desired limited to less than 25% of the West End Berwick has secured the services of a part-time manager to ends. It suggests priorities for action and suggests neighborhood as defined in this report, the findings coordinate and facilitate implementation programs roles and responsibilities for public-private sector and recommendations of the plan are widely and projects such as crime watch, park upgrades, pursuit. The plan establishes a 10 year timeframe adaptable to the larger West End neighborhood. and housing rehabilitation. Plan Purpose and Mission for action and accomplishment. The Blueprint for Revitalization Plan revealed key A complete copy of The LaSalle Street Neighborhood The mission or purpose of this plan is to: 1) identify neighborhood concerns pertinent to social change in Blueprint for Revitalization Plan is available through the issues, needs, challenges and opportunities the neighborhood, crime, and deteriorated housing the Blueprint Neighborhood Council, the Borough facing the neighborhood in its quest for success; conditions. It established four principal objectives of Berwick, or the Columbia County Housing 2) lay out a comprehensive strategy for for the neighborhood; 1) redevelop blighted areas Corporation. In preparing this plan, the West neighborhood renewal in West End Berwick; of the neighborhood, 2) beautify the neighborhood End Berwick planning team assisted the Columbia 3) involve the broadest range of neighborhood through a combination of streetscape and building County Housing Corporation with the development residents, businesses, property owners, facade improvements and improvements to Sponsler of neighborhood council bylaws which are found organizations, and institutions in the development, Park; 3) establish an effective crime watch program; in Appendix B — Blueprint Neighborhood Council adoption, and execution of the strategies proposed; and 4) provide housing rehabilitation assistance to Bylaws. and 4) provide direction for related organizational low- and moderate-income homeowners. development to administer and facilitate long-term implementation activity. The LaSalle Street plan identifies opportunity areas for commercial redevelopment along Freas Avenue, for housing redevelopment surrounding Sponsler Park, and for other infill housing development. It establishes related strategies that suggest actions, Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 29 The West End Berwick Neighborhood Planning Process Neighborhood Task Force Community involvement is the key to achieving Berwick appointed a task force representing success with neighborhood revitalization. neighborhood interests. In addition, a newspaper Neighborhood residents, businesses, and church display advertisement was used to inform the and civic leaders contributed to the development community about the project and to recruit citizen of this plan through participation in the project volunteers. The SEDA-COG team met regularly with task force, key person and focus group interviews, the task force seeking input and feedback for the and the Sponsler Park design workshop. Also, the plan. Through local news media, neighborhood planning team garnered additional insights through residents and the larger Berwick community were participation in meetings hosted by leaders of kept apprised about ongoing work activities and the existing Blueprint Neighborhood revitalization opportunities for participation. Early in the planning process, the Borough of team under the leadership of the Columbia County Housing Corporation. Task force members helped to identify neighborhood participants for key person and focus group Staff of the SEDA-COG Community Resource interviews and contributed insight and direction Center engaged the West End community in an that were helpful in formulating the focus group open planning process aimed at building consensus questions and plans. They provided suggestions on neighborhood issues, needs, vision, strategies, on best approaches to achieving neighborhood and priorities to shape a desired future. This organization, building citizen participation in the effort identified issues of strategic importance to long term revitalization program, and developing neighborhood improvement and recommended the public-private partnerships needed for plan specific actions to bring about desired change. implementation. With task force assistance, The issues addressed included neighborhood groundwork has been laid for future participation in organization, design, image and identity, social the Pennsylvania Elm Street Program administered by betterment, crime and public safety, housing, and the state Department of Community and Economic neighborhood development. Development. 30 Neighborhood betterment requires informed and involved citizens. The Plan for West End Berwick Key Person and Focus Group Interviews Key person and focus group interviews were the primary approach used to identify neighborhood assets, concerns and opportunities as a comprehensive survey of community opinion was beyond the financial scope of the planning program. A summary of the focus group plans and findings are found in Appendix C — Focus Group Summary. Sponsler Park Design Workshop Sponsler Park is one of West End Berwick’s most underused and undervalued assets. Recognizing this, the Borough allocated funds toward the initial stages of park rehabilitation. To solicit neighborhood input needed to shape future ideas for the park and priorities for reinvestment in the park, SEDA-COG’s Community Resource Center joined forces with faculty and students from Bucknell University to lay the groundwork for conceptual park planning work. A door-to-door neighborhood survey was conducted to gather specific insights about the neighborhood population and to determine their needs and interests relating to the potential future uses of Sponsler Park. The survey provided resident opinions regarding park uses and conditions. A day-long park Sponsler Park is one of West End Berwick’s most underused and undervalued assets. Park master planning, facility enhancements, and regular activity programming will create social, environmental, economic, and health benefits for all. A summary of the Sponsler Park survey findings, points for neighborhood action in West End charrette process, and design concepts is found in Berwick. These are: 1) crime prevention and public Appendix D — Sponsler Park Design Workshop. safety, 2) housing and community development, This pro bono effort on the part of SEDA-COG and 3) neighborhood pride. These are the issues and Bucknell University does not pose a final or most deeply felt and experienced by neighborhood phased solution for improving Sponsler Park. A residents and property owners as determined formal master plan is required to guide long term through the ongoing planning process. reinvestment in the park and that will require organized community involvement. However, the Although the specific wording used to characterize document provides ample food for thought which the issues varies, there is a strong correlation in the proper setting can be used to shape the first between these findings and those of the LaSalle stage of reinvestment in Sponsler Park. Street Neighborhood Blueprint for Revitalization Plan and with the focus areas of the Pennsylvania design charrette was organized to engage as many and analysis of park and related street conditions, Key Issues Affecting Neighborhood Development park uses, and facilities. Four conceptual design Many topics are relevant and important to the alternatives were drafted by the end of the day. process of community-building and neighborhood neighborhood residents as feasible in the exploration revitalization. Three topics were considered starting Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action Elm Street Program, i.e., sustainable organization; image and identity; design; neighbors and economy; and clean; safe; and green activities. There is also a strong cause and effect relationship found between and among the issues deemed most pressing by participants in the planning program. 31 A recurring theme in the public dialog relates to the fact that even the perception of unsafe living housing conditions, crime, and social disintegration. conditions can further erode the well-being of the This has the potential to become a self-fulfilling neighborhood. downward spiral if left unchecked. It begins with the conversion of owner-occupied housing to rental The need to tackle unsafe conditions or perceived housing, followed by disinvestment in houses unsafe conditions head-on is crucial to neighborhood and businesses, creating a perception that the community-building. Improved street lighting, a neighborhood is unsafe, which is further fueled by more regular and visible police presence on patrol, reported police activity, which contributes to social better-maintained properties, and a positive social withdrawal and a decline in neighborhood pride. gathering among neighbors all contribute to feelings of safety. Having vital public places and storefront The antidote to cure these conditions may be businesses also foster a more desired street life and found in the work of grass roots organizational a sense of neighborhood well-being. Enhanced development. The neighborhood needs to become law enforcement, social and recreation programs, a constructive partner with Berwick Borough and and resident engagement are top priorities for Columbia County Housing Corporation. It needs to improving real safety and the sense of safety in the speak with a more diverse and collective voice. The neighborhood. neighborhood needs leaders. But it also needs an administrative structure for processing neighborhood business both internally and externally. And it needs a substructure of committees to perform the work of the organization and to nurture next generation Well maintained properties on landscaped streets enhance public safety and bring added value to the neighborhood. leaders and leadership. Neighborhood Safety Residents cite drug activity, theft, foul language, litter, and the poor conditions of rental housing as factors that contribute to feelings of being unsafe. The degree to which these factors are affecting neighborhood cohesiveness and the potential for neighborhood betterment isn’t well understood or easily measured. But there is no doubt about 32 The Plan for West End Berwick Housing and Development alleys define the neighborhood setting, its functional The amount of rental housing in the neighborhood, and civic potential, and its attraction for use and as a percentage of all housing, borders perilously investment. The proximity of West End Berwick to US close to the edge of unhealthiness. Not only Route 11 and to downtown Berwick positions it well does rental housing tend to show more signs of for new and complementary mixed-use development, deterioration and disinvestment, but the residents particularly between W. Third and W. Front streets— of rental housing tend to be more transient and less development that is sorely needed to bring renewed involved in neighborhood life and organizations, social and economic vitality to the community. something that is fundamentally important to building social connections and cohesiveness within the Social Connection and Vitality neighborhood. The social cohesiveness of West End Berwick has eroded and is eroding. But this need not continue. West End Berwick is not immune from the problems Resident engagement in public affairs can be fostered associated with absentee landlords and undesirable through trust, optimism for the future, and leader role tenants; nor is it overrun by bad property managers models. Learned pessimism and a lack of role models and tenants. Residents wisely view increased do little to build self-confidence and social skills in any homeownership, code enforcement, and landlord age group, but especially among young people who accountability as foundations for combating blight need safe, comfortable, and accessible places to play, and crime. They see new businesses as a stimulant learn, and grow. for neighborhood revitalization. Businesses provide potential employment for residents; but even more While a general breakdown in the family structure is important, they provide places for regular neighbor- often cited as an overarching problem and cause for to-neighbor social contact. They are often the delinquency, the majority of young people can and do cornerstones of a larger common experience—places respond to learning opportunities when sufficiently of meaning and memory from which lasting bonds motivated. Churches, schools, and community are knitted. institutions such as the Berwick YMCA can help children and youth feel safe and connected. They can West End Berwick is comfortable with its past and help instill self-confidence and leadership traits; and comfortable in its own skin. It doesn’t seek to they can give focus and meaning to living through be something it isn’t. Nor does it deny the basic programs that build important life skills to develop importance of functional and beautiful streets. career interests, parenting skills, self-sufficiency, and Beyond marking routine travel paths, streets and tolerance. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 33 The Berwick Area YMCA offers something for everyone. 34 The Plan for West End Berwick Attractive Environment The role of the physical environment—the natural improvement of their properties; and it benefits from and industry. Other ingredients of the environment and the man-made environment—while not top an active and responsible local government and contribute to the West End’s sense of place and on the list of neighborhood discussion topics, is a police force. potential for social bonding among residents. These matter of true importance to both the people living include a grid network of connected streets and in West End Berwick and the place itself. One West End Berwick also benefits from its proximity to alleys, front porches, and a range of public spaces cannot underestimate the importance of clean, safe, and association with varied social and community and places like St Joseph’s “campus,” the Berwick and comfortable surroundings to the development service organizations, churches, and schools. YMCA, the Berwick Cemetery, Crispin Field, and of the individual, the family, and the neighborhood. Organizations such as the Berwick Area United Sponsler Park. The key ingredients in shaping desired places Way and the Central Susquehanna Community are universal—private homes and businesses, Foundation and community institutions such as the institutional buildings and grounds, and the all Berwick YMCA have a presence in the neighborhood encompassing public realm of streets and parks. and foster hope for the future while committing their resources to the betterment of the neighborhood. West End Assets, Challenges and Opportunities The neighborhood has also drawn attention from partners outside the community who share interests in bringing about social, environmental and economic transformation in the community. These Neighborhood Assets include the Columbia County Housing Corporation, Despite outward appearances and uninspiring first SEDA-COG, Bloomsburg and Bucknell universities, impressions, West End Berwick has a combination and the Geisinger Environmental Health Institute. of human, institutional, organizational, and physical assets from which to structure its turnaround. On The West End’s chief physical assets are linked to the human side, the neighborhood has a core its prominent gateway location within the Borough of good citizens who are involved and invested and its proximity to the Susquehanna riverfront in making West End Berwick a better place. As and to downtown Berwick. The neighborhood defined within this plan, it has a critical mass of is served by regional roadways that facilitate easy population across various age groups from which to connections to other communities and employment build its future. It has a strong and visible ethnic destinations. It occupies high ground overlooking and cultural heritage and a sense of place shaped the river. It supports a mix of uses, including varied by countless homeowners and gardeners who invest and affordable housing choices, local businesses, time, energy, and resources in the maintenance and churches, schools, parks and recreational facilities, Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action West End Berwick has a surprising range of community assets from which to build a strong sense of place. 35 Front Porches A well connected grid of streets, alleys, and sidewalks Park-Like Alleys 36 The Plan for West End Berwick Neighborhood Challenges West End Berwick has more than its fair share of The substantial dearth of street trees and green e.g., low educational attainment, unemployment challenges and these will need to be addressed infrastructure in the neighborhood perpetuates an and underemployment, addiction, physical and systematically in a strategic and sustained manner— impoverished identity and the look of decay rather environmental conditions, etc., the decline of social overcoming these challenges will take time and than the upswing of renewal. cohesiveness and fear of the unknown also creates persistence. Generally, these challenges relate to a ripe climate for crime. Outsider perceptions of traffic congestion and speed in the Routes 11-93 The decline in public safety is both perceived the neighborhood as a closed-society and intolerant gateway area and deferred property maintenance and real. The potential for crime, prostitution, attitudes on the part of some established resident and disinvestment in both housing and traditional gangs, violence, theft, graffiti, and foul street groups toward new population groups impede efforts neighborhood businesses. The neighborhood has talk is real and palpable. While there are many to build common connections and understandings concentrated pockets of poverty with attendant factors contributing to crime in the neighborhood, from which a stronger, safer community may be built. problems linked to housing, crime, and social disintegration. Aged housing stock with heavy maintenance requirements is a growing problem for the neighborhood’s low and moderate income residents. This, coupled with an oversupply of absenteeowned rental housing, adds to the growing image of a neighborhood in decline. Deferred property maintenance and chronic disinvestment in housing and businesses has led to a ballooning in substandard and dilapidated structures and vacant housing and lots. The focus, pace, and scale of public assistance for housing rehabilitation and homeownership barely meets the engrained needs of the neighborhood. The abandonment and decline of neighborhood shops, food stores, and restaurants adds to the area’s negative image and perception from outside the neighborhood. Neighborhood industry is an asset to the Berwick area, but it also hinder private investment in adjacent homes. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 37 While the employment opportunities created in close and personally. An enhanced ambiance within connection with the BIDA complex are much needed the neighborhood will create and sustain an optimistic and valued and supported by neighborhood residents, outlook that is essential to neighborhood success. the outward appearance and perimeter conditions of the complex severely limit the potential for The need to address housing and crime also provides neighborhood renewal through private reinvestment real opportunities for resident involvement and in adjoining streets and residences. The walled- and community partnerships. More effective community fenced-off edge that exists between the BIDA complex policing through crime awareness and prevention and the surrounding streets, including the severed programming, e.g., “take a bite out of crime,” can street connection between Freas and Columbia be realized with the involvement of neighborhood avenues, further limits the potential for stimulating residents. Developing alternatives to crime through neighborhood business and recreation reinvestment in neighborhood-based learning and social programming nearby blocks. and through youth engagement and cross-generational activity provides varied opportunities for churches, Neighborhood Opportunities community groups and organizations. On a personal and one-to-one basis, West End The quality of life for neighborhood residents can be Berwick feels like a welcoming neighborhood. But improved through efforts to build and rehabilitate on a larger collective scale there are abundant affordable housing and through the process of rent- opportunities for enhanced community-building. The to-own agreements between property sellers and opportunity for improving the neighborhood’s social potential buyers. There is an opportunity to create an and economic diversity exists once the obstacles to organization of neighborhood landlords and to foster achieving this are understood and addressed. landlord accountability and enhanced performance through information, education, and awareness- Every problem affecting the neighborhood, both building programming. Given the age and income perceived and real, presents an opportunity for positive profile of the neighborhood, there also appears to be step-taking. One of the easiest places to begin is good opportunities for the redeployment of scattered with property upkeep and maintaining neighborhood “mom and pop” stores, coffee shops, restaurants, and appearances. Clean and tidy streets and yards, health and personal services businesses. Building code enforcement is an important step in the larger process of eliminating blight. enhanced street and park lighting, traffic calming on key streets and roadways, and the greening of streets and parks can go a long way toward reimaging, rediscovering, and experiencing West End Berwick up 38 The Plan for West End Berwick Defining the Issues west end berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 39 40 The Plan for West End Berwick Defining the Issues Understanding the Community Public Opinion Research SEDA-COG’s Community Resource Center conducted key person interviews to identify issues affecting West End Berwick and to uncover topics for further exploration in focus groups. Two focus group interviews were organized and conducted to investigate neighborhood issues with residents, businesses, property owners, and institutions and to gage public opinion on long-term approaches to neighborhood organization, strategies, and publicprivate partnerships for neighborhood betterment. A mix of neighborhood residents, property and business owners, Borough, civic, church, recreation, housing and social service leaders, and advocates were engaged in the interview process. Focus group interviews were conducted in spring 2009 and are summarized in Appendix C — Focus Group Summary. One discussion focused largely on the BIDA complex—its importance to the community, its prominence on the neighborhood scene and its effect on the surrounding neighborhood. The second discussion group focused on a wider range of topics From these discussions a mix of interconnected issues and green activities. While the group interviews were emerged as foundation topics for the plan. These not organized specifically around these five topics, included: 1) the erosion of families, neighborhood the discussions did touch upon matters embedded life, and institutions; 2) the decline in owner-occupied in each of these focus areas. In this regard, the homes; 3) the need for new economic opportunity focus group experience shows that residents, while and more jobs; 4) the economic, environmental concerned about all of the named focus areas, are and aesthetic impact of the BIDA complex on the most naturally inclined and motivated to address neighborhood; 5) and the need to attract stable objectives keyed to matters relevant to neighbors and residents to the neighborhood. economy and clean, safe and green activities. This suggests an ongoing need for continued education— There was much discussion about the neighborhood’s residents need to recognize that economic and social past, its declining condition and image, and conflicts revitalization stems from a combination of factors, not between various groups, particularly between older, just a select few. long-time residents of the neighborhood and transient newcomers from outside the Berwick community. Need for a Strategic Plan of Action Interestingly, concern for the loss of social connections The absence of a strategic plan for neighborhood and experiences outweighed concern for other action impedes progress on many fronts and topics such as crime and disinvestment in businesses, minimizes the likelihood for successful neighborhood housing, and infrastructure. This is not to suggest that revitalization and reinvestment. The absence of an disinvestment in the neighborhood was of little or no organized grass roots neighborhood organization concern because it was and is a significant concern. At for West End Berwick minimizes the potential to root, however, these discussions suggest that long-time attract funding needed for programs and projects. residents experience community first and foremost Inadequate communications within and outside in a social context and secondarily in a physical or the neighborhood is an even surer deterrent to environmental context. neighborhood success. In combination, these factors reduce the likelihood of attracting resident volunteers relevant to the broader West End neighborhood. Relationship to the Pennsylvania Elm Street Program to assist in critical tasks. To the degree that West Eighteen persons participated in these group The Pennsylvania Elm Street Program upholds five interviews. Their opinions offered valuable insight Berwick Through Neighborhood Action addresses the focus areas that are fundamental to neighborhood into the history and present day workings of the above conditions, it can and does provide a “game revitalization: 1) organization; 2) image and identity; 3) neighborhood. plan” for bettering the neighborhood in the coming design; 4) neighbors and economy; and 5) clean, safe, decade. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action End Neighborhood Development: Building a Better 41 Neighbors and Economy — Clean, Safe and Green Sustainable Organization Established resident interest in this topic suggests impressions are formed from the street. Upholding As with the matter of neighborhood design, that there is good potential to build public-private basic property maintenance standards goes hand- image and identity, the necessity for neighborhood partnerships involving schools, churches, and City in-hand with streetscape planning and design, organization is also not well understood by Hall (police, zoning and code enforcement, public zoning, and code enforcement. Because the look a significant majority of residents who have works) and that cooperation can be expected and feel of structures and streets is what first attracts traditionally been dependent on the Borough relevant to developing neighborhood businesses or repels visitors and desired future business and government and the County for any number of and jobs, supporting homeownership and housing homeowners, it is important that proactive measures services and programs. The expectation has always rehabilitation programs, removing of blighted be taken to stimulate reinvestment in real estate and been that City Hall would solve all problems. structures and redevelopment, improving streets infrastructure. Complaint and confrontation between individual residents and City Hall have been the norm. and alleys, park restorating, and establishing and operating community-based programming for youth and seniors. The neighborhood may also benefit from In this regard, however, the advent of the LaSalle the development of a wider mix of affordable housing Street “Blueprint” program has made significant products, another need that was cited, including strides by creating a grass roots organizational condominium and professionally managed rental model that could be adapted to the larger West apartments and special needs housing for seniors and End neighborhood. Neighborhood residents are disabled persons. realizing that it simply isn’t possible to address the many issues facing the neighborhood through Design, Image and Identity Borough action alone. Organized neighbors, The need to address neighborhood design, image acting as constructive partners with the Borough, and identity is something that is not adequately have unrealized power to bring rebirth to the recognized among many living in the neighborhood, neighborhood—and to bring about desired change particularly among those that were born and faster and better than any purely governmental raised in West End Berwick. This, too, is an area solution. where ongoing education is needed to build required support for programs and projects that recognize and celebrate what is good about the neighborhood while bringing about desired physical improvements to housing, streets and streetscapes, parks, commercial and industrial operations. First 42 The look and feel of structures and streets attracts and repels visitors, businesses, homeowners and investors. The Plan for West End Berwick Vision for the West End west end berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 43 44 The Plan for West End Berwick Vision for the West End The Foundation for Neighborhood Action Berwick—A Middle Susquehanna River Town Berwick is the easternmost portal to the Susquehanna Greenway in Central Pennsylvania. It is one of 10 Middle Susquehanna River Towns extending to Sunbury, Selinsgrove, and Watsontown. Excerpts from the regional vision statement adopted by these towns speak to a spirit of place important to the region’s vitality: “The River Towns of the Middle Susquehanna are loved as authentic and distinctive communities that embody the charm of small town America…a region of inviting communities… welcoming places to call home where we discover ourselves and each other… where each town celebrates a unique identity…where we gain glimpses into the Middle Susquehanna story and lay down paths to the future.” West End Berwick is more than just a neighborhood. It is a portal to the Susquehanna River and a gateway into the heart of Berwick. As one in a series of authentic riverfront towns, Berwick and the West End neighborhood help to define the Susquehanna Greenway experience and occupy a place that is important to realizing its potential. Viewed thus, we can open our imagination to new promise and possibilities for this place and for its people in the twenty first century. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action Berwick is an authentic River Town with a prominent and safe situation overlooking the Susquehanna River. West End Berwick—A Gateway to the Heart of Berwick The vision statement, not to be confused with an Quoting twentieth century American poet Carl common ground from which the West End Berwick Sandburg—“Nothing happens unless first a dream.” action plan is built. It sets a tone that is woven While dreams may be born of idle, accidental, or throughout the plan’s action strategies. It suggests wishful thinking, the meaning of vision is more direct marketing themes for promoting the neighborhood’s and purposeful. Vision and visioning are sometimes image and identity—themes capable of building overused and overworked words and ideas, but they new interest in the neighborhood, attracting new remain fundamental to understanding the roots residents and businesses, and stimulating needed required for revitalization—they anchor the process reinvestment in its people and its places. organizational mission statement, establishes a for shaping neighborhood change. 45 Any vision for West End Berwick must reflect them. But streets alone do not a neighborhood consideration for the capabilities already vested make. Neighborhoods are defined by a myriad of West Town Berwick—A Vision for the Future in the neighborhood—its residents, businesses, markers—streets, structures, and setting; parks and With insight garnered through the key person and institutions. It must focus on the realm of open spaces; businesses and institutions; and the and focus group interviews and with input and what is desired and what is possible in addition to individual marks left on all of this by generations of comment from the project task force, SEDA-COG and beyond what is customarily available through people over time. developed a formal statement of future vision for the neighborhood—one that exemplifies neighborhood government and corporate generosity. The vision statement must inspire and motivate people to Neighborhoods are a microcosm of the towns they values and promotes connections across cultures engage in work to reshape the community as an form. Their economic and social health may be and generations. Embodied in these values and attractive and desired place for living, playing, keyed to many things. But neighborhoods like this vision is an image capable of powering the working, socializing, and educating. West End Berwick need to project a desire image of rediscovery and rebuilding of West Town Berwick. ‘place’ and a related identity to attract investment West End Berwick is built upon a foundation of and market homes, businesses, and churches. To ethnic diversity and the immigrant search for a this end, one should not ignore the inherent value better life—a belief that rising up by the bootstraps of place names. Every modern-day housing or is entirely possible. From hard work, people of shopping center development comes fully equipped mixed cultures from generations past made Berwick with a name chosen to excite the imagination. industry feasible and through employment in Should struggling older neighborhoods be any industry they built homes, shops, businesses, schools different? and churches to form a neighborhood. This same forward-looking spirit applied in new ways in a With this in mind, the West End Berwick vision new century can once again restore vitality to the statement takes a bold and controversial neighborhood. leap. It offers forth a new moniker for building neighborhood image and identity—it suggests West End Berwick may benefit from the deployment the name West Town Berwick as a moniker for of a new moniker to set the tone for where it must simultaneously promoting West End Berwick as go—not just where it has been. This is a touchy both a place of memory and a place in motion. topic to be sure, particularly with the neighborhood’s Not merely an ‘end’ or a ‘side’—but a miniaturized older and native residents. Admittedly, the names town—a place with defined edges and a center—a of individual streets carry much meaning to those gateway neighborhood to the heart of Berwick. who have lived on and among them—whose lifetime bank of memories is inseparably linked to 46 The Plan for West End Berwick WEST TOWN BERWICK REBUILD! REDISCOVER! West Town Berwick is a neighborhood with a proud past and strong hope for the future. A place born of varied cultures and built upon diverse traditions. A destination for people and families seeking new tomorrows in a new land. A reflection of the best that life once offered. A framework for the life and work of a new generation. Berwick’s industrial heritage was cast, rolled, and forged from the hands and hearts of West Town Berwick. Today, as in the past, we share in the quest for the good life—a quest which is mirrored in the look of our streets and structures and our outdoor spaces. A quest enriched by our connection to the Susquehanna River—“A River of Dreams.” Neighbor to neighbor we share histories, experiences, and aspirations— community, faith, family, business, education, and politics—the ingredients for sensible living and the pursuit of happiness. We celebrate our past as we work to shape our future. West Town Berwick is a busy gateway to the heart of Berwick town. With its back to the countryside and its face safely overlooking the river, good neighbors enjoy life, work, and nature within a close-built setting that reminds us of our everyday need for each other and our connection to a wider world. Forge a new tomorrow for you and your family. Put memories into motion. Make your mark in West Town Berwick. Let’s Rebuild! And Rediscover! Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 47 48 The Plan for West End Berwick Strategies for Neighborhood Action west end berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 49 50 The Plan for West End Berwick Strategies for Neighborhood Action Building New Opportunities Organization Neighborhood organization is critical to the Other potential partners from outside the community realization of revitalization results. While various include SEDA Council of Governments, Bloomsburg organizational approaches are employed across a and Bucknell universities, the Wachovia Foundation, wide range of communities, it is recommended that Luzerne County Community College, Geisinger Health West End Berwick begin with a modest approach System, and a mix of state agencies, most notably consistent with the nature of the community and the Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation, available resources. The recently formed Blueprint Community and Economic Development, and Neighborhood Council provides an excellent Conservation and Natural Resources. structure for addressing needs of the larger West End neighborhood. An expanded service territory could expand the pool of available participants and increase resident participation in revitalization around shared experiences, issues, problems, and solutions. In addition to the Borough of Berwick and Columbia County Housing Corporation, other potential partners capable of assisting with elements of the strategic plan include the Berwick YMCA; the Berwick Area United Way; Berwick Industrial Development Association (BIDA); Berwick Area School District; Berwick Hospital; Holy Family Elementary School; Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church; First United Church of Christ; First Baptist Church and other community churches; the Central Susquehanna Community Foundation; and other businesses, civic, social, and Safety and Appearance Public safety and crime prevention are high on the list of neighborhood concerns. Safe, attractive, walkable and accessible streets and parks go handin-hand with crime prevention. Coupling safety and appearance with other variables such as affordable housing and basic businesses builds the quality of life experience which attracts residents, visitors, and workers to the neighborhood. Creating more economic and social activity in the neighborhood provides more “eyes on the street,” another deterrent to crime and an aid to safety. A clean and tidy appearance go hand-in-hand with ‘eyes on the street’ to enhance the perception and the reality of public safety. faith-based organizations linked to the neighborhood. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 51 Safety and beautification are important to formation of public-private partnerships which share maintaining the attraction and livability of West End interrelated goals and objectives and which aim for Berwick and projecting a favorable image within and results planned around strategically timed public- beyond the neighborhood. Because perceptions private investments. of safety are influenced by physical characteristics such as street lighting, property maintenance, Public approaches to improved housing and landscaping, and conditions of public spaces and business opportunity involve using both incentives rights-of-way, the broader importance of park and and regulation to bring about desired change. streetscape design to improved public safety and Increasing homeownership and improving the reduced crime should not be underestimated. quality of rental housing is a desired aim. Increasing housing choices for a mix of ages, incomes, and Potential partners in the quest for improved public physical conditions will expand the target market safety include Berwick Borough, the Berwick for local businesses that serve the everyday needs Borough Police, neighborhood landlords, Berwick of neighborhood residents and others in the Area School District, neighborhood crime watch community. Neighborhoods like West End Berwick organizations, individual residents and businesses, derive their social vitality and economic strength neighborhood churches, and the Central from the mix of housing and commercial uses they Susquehanna Community Foundation. Partner build and sustain. prospects from outside the community include SEDA-Council of Governments, the Columbia County Housing Corporation, Wachovia Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation and Community and Economic Development. Housing and Business Opportunity While private investment in housing and Working together, Berwick Borough, the Columbia County Housing Corporation, and concerned citizens are cleaning-up streets and building new affordable housing to harmonize with the community. neighborhood businesses frequently follows public investment in public spaces, facilities, and infrastructure, there is no direct or guaranteed correlation between public works improvements and private investment. A far better approach to stimulating private investment involves the 52 The Plan for West End Berwick Key partners in the creation of new opportunities Fostering neighborhood pride and encouraging good Community-Building for housing and business investment include the property stewardship among West End residents Beyond the physical elements of West End Berwick, Borough of Berwick, Columbia County Housing and business and property owners will pay future there is a deeper need for community-building in the Corporation, Habitat for Humanity, area realtors dividends as newcomers are attracted, connected, or broader social context of neighborhood residents— and lending institutions. Manufactured housing reconnected to the neighborhood by its enhanced individuals, families, schools, churches, business and companies such as Deluxe Homes in Berwick look and feel. Equally as important, new design civic organizations. Strong neighborhoods develop, and others may be able to advance the pace of and construction that celebrates and builds upon grow, and sustain themselves from the social bonds neighborhood renewal through the creation of new the neighborhood’s traditional street patterns and formed through the activities of daily life. When housing products suitable to the neighborhood’s residential character should be part of a balanced these bonds break-down due to age, infirmity, established character and in partnership with area overall neighborhood development program. abandonment, disinterest, etc., the neighborhood also property developers, both public sector and private. suffers. Outside sources of assistance might also include Preserving and reinforcing aspects of the SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG), the neighborhood’s historic street and structure Neighborhood pride begins with an understanding SEDA-COG Housing Development Corporation, the character warrants further study and consideration. of neighborhood heritage, connections, and needs. Wachovia Foundation, and the Federal Home Loan What role do gateway entrances, street lighting, Residents are engaged in community-building trough Bank. street trees, signage, landscaping, and parks participation in common-experience programs, play in defining the neighborhood’s traditional projects, and most readily through neighborhood architecture? What design features are most events and social activities. Networking, information- common to the neighborhood’s houses, and how sharing, and relationship-building create new might these provide guidance for new infill housing opportunities for improved learning, living, working, development? How can the neighborhood’s stock and recreating. Activities to strengthen community of existing structures be adapted to new uses service groups, benefit neighborhood businesses, and while still respecting the character of the street and give local purpose to faith-based organizations are neighborhood? fundamental to the process of community-building Neighborhood Character Neighborhood character has the potential for multiple meanings. In the context of this plan, however, neighborhood character relates to matters of physical design—the function and appearance of neighborhood structures, streets, open spaces, and connecting pathways. The goal of improving neighborhood character is closely tied to community appearance and to the resultant impressions and perceptions formed through daily experience of the physical environment—both day and night and through all seasons. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action needed to implement this plan. Design professionals such as architects, landscape architects, and engineers can contribute to this Potential partners in community building include the dialog and understanding. The SEDA-COG Berwick Area School District, Orange Street and Holy Community Resource Center can assist with analyses Family schools, neighborhood businesses and churches, of the neighborhood’s physical environment and can the Berwick YMCA, the Borough of Berwick, and any facilitate the involvement of university faculty and number of organizations serving the needs of various students as may be appropriate. age groups and populations within the neighborhood. 53 Neighborhood Redevelopment Concepts Words have specific meaning; and in the context of environment. A variety of ideas were discussed in physical development planning, it is important to connection with public participation in the planning understand and differentiate the meaning of words process, many of which do speak to the need for such as renewal and redevelopment, rehabilitation, a more detailed and comprehensive approach to and preservation, adaptive reuse, and restoration. planning for the physical redevelopment of West End These words reflect a gradation of activity and Berwick. intervention in the urban environment from the preservation of desired places and spaces to the complete removal and reconstruction of blighted structures, blocks, and infrastructure. This plan, West End Berwick — Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action — uses the concept of renewal and redevelopment broadly. A neighborhood redevelopment strategy can pursue different approaches from the preservation and restoration of significant historic structures, to the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of otherwise sound buildings, to the wholesale demolition of blighted structures and blocks to make way for new infill development. While wholesale redevelopment may be the strategy of choice in select areas, it is also the Improvements to housing, commercial, and industrial properties, and street infrastructure are overarching concerns across all of West End Berwick. most expensive and daunting of all approaches and can lead to even poorer results if not well-conceived, funded, and financed. West End Berwick — Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action is not a formal redevelopment plan in that it does not focus solely on restructuring the neighborhood physical 54 The Plan for West End Berwick Improvements to housing, commercial and industrial Oak-Maple-Vine-Mulberry Streets (Heights) organization; 2) clean, safe and green; 3) neighbors properties, and street infrastructure are overarching 1.Historic Preservation (Vine / Mulberry / Bowman) and economy; 4) design; and 5) image and identity. Primary funding for West End Neighborhood concerns across all of West End Berwick. Specific ideas have also emerged for each segment of the neighborhood. These are outlined below as concepts for future evaluation. Inherent in each are the seeds of future redevelopment policies, plans, programs, and projects to address the neighborhood physical environment. By pursuing actions outlined in the strategic plan charts, these and other potential Oak-Maple-Vine-Mulberry Streets (Flats) 1.Streetscape Definition (Vine) 2.Infill Development (Vine / Mulberry) 3.Adaptive Reuse (Vine / Mulberry) 4.Central Park Development (Vine / Mulberry) LaSalle-Monroe-Washington Streets 1.Sponsler Park Restoration 2.Streetscape Enhancements (Freas / LaSalle) 3.Storefront and Façade Improvements (Freas / Scattered) W. Third-W. Second-W. Front Streets and Susquehanna Avenue 1.Gateway Traffic Calming (Front / Second / Orange) 2.Mixed Use Redevelopment (Third / Second / Front) 3.River Overlook Enhancements (Susquehanna) Understanding the Strategic Plan The neighborhood strategies outlined in the BIDA Complex 1.Perimeter Design and Streetscape Enhancements (Vine / W. Ninth / Oak) 2.Entrance Gateway Enhancements (W. Third / Vine) 3.Internal Street Definition and Enhancements (Industrial / Powerhouse) 4.Cross-Complex Street Connection (Freas / Columbia) Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action improve neighborhoods connected to downtown “Main Streets.” These topical areas address key issues identified by and actions tied to the neighborhood’s future vision are set for each area charted. Each recommended action constitutes a step toward fulfillment of the listed objective. The charts establish timeframes and responsibilities for implementing the actions. They provide an organizing framework for committee structuring under a neighborhood development organization. These are the components of the neighborhood’s strategic plan—an organizational 4.Blight Removal (Scattered) 5.Housing Rehab and Infill Development (Scattered) Neighborhood Action was provided through the Pennsylvania Elm Street Program, a program to the West End Berwick task force. Goals, objectives, redevelopment concepts may rise to a higher level of consideration, acceptance, and prioritization. Development: Building a Better Berwick Through guidebook for structuring future programs, projects, and services to stimulate revitalization of the West End Berwick neighborhood. following charts constitute a multi-year plan of action to reimage, rediscover, and renew West End The principal responsibility for programming West Berwick. These strategies are grouped by key issues End Berwick revitalization falls to the Borough of into five focus areas: 1) organization, 2) safety and Berwick, to the private sector, and to a lesser extent appearance, 3) housing and business opportunity, 4) to the Columbia County Housing Corporation, neighborhood character, and 5) community building. which currently maintains an active presence in the neighborhood. While existing community The chart headings use local terminology organizations have potential roles in neighborhood corresponding with the following terminology of revitalization, the success of revitalization requires the Pennsylvania Elm Street Program: 1) sustainable sustained focus, advocacy and leadership. As no 55 single existing organization has the sole purpose or It is recommended that the following committees and refinement. Neighborhood success should not capacity required to manage implementation of the be established under the overall umbrella of be measured solely by the systematic fulfillment strategic plan, a new organization dedicated to the a purpose driven neighborhood organization: of every identified task, but rather by the results task is most likely required. 1) Public Safety, 2) Pride and Heritage, and achieved through combined tasks implemented 3) Housing and Development. Working under the by multiple parties working for neighborhood lead of a single neighborhood organization—ideally betterment. Action priorities listed in the charts are linked to a three-phased, ten-year timeframe for accomplishment. Short-range priorities are those that offer immediate prospects for success with available resources over a one-two year period. Realization of these high priority tasks will set the tone for the neighborhood revitalization effort—the success of these actions will attract wider interest, which is necessary to sustain efforts during the startup years. an organization with professional administration and basic technical capabilities—these committees provide a starting point for implementing the fivepoint strategies charted in this plan. Suggested committee assignments are blocked-out on the strategy charts for all recommended actions. Committee participation provides a proving ground for future neighborhood leaders. As Medium range priorities also have good prospects such, committee membership should be open to a for success but require more involved organization, wide spectrum of community representation. As planning, design, or funding to realize. These envisioned, committees are the lifeblood of any actions are held out as actions for realization within neighborhood revitalization organization—the basic a three-five year period. Long range priorities are building blocks for plan fulfillment. Committees grouped in the five-ten year timeframe for action. are charged with tasks appropriate to their titles. These are ideas that meet important needs but They are responsible for maintaining focus on an require significant groundwork and funding linked to annual work program and for suggesting occasional the fulfillment of the one-five year work program. modifications to the neighborhood work program. Ongoing actions are marked as priorities in all phases of the strategic plan. The success of these actions will rise or fall in proportion to the efforts of neighborhood participants. It is important that a lasting organizational framework be established to muster and direct the human resources required. This suggests a need for standing committees to help orchestrate implementation action. 56 They develop and evaluate concepts, ideas, and proposals pertinent to the neighborhood vision and the strategic plan. They assist the principal neighborhood leaders with important operations relevant to implementing programs and projects. The strategies that follow are intended to be used as a working document that is subject to annual review The Plan for West End Berwick STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: ORGANIZATION (SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION) GOAL: To create an overarching and sustainable neighborhood organization to lead, advocate, and inform, and to administer neighborhood improvement efforts and develop strategic partnerships for neighborhood betterment. OBJECTIVES ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1 ACTIONS PRIORITIES YR 1-2 YR 3-5 RESPONCIBILITIES YR 5-10 PUBLIC PRIVATE PS PH HD XXX XXX XXX 1. Assess organizational options for neighborhood Improvement. XXX XXX 2. Develop consensus on organizational mission and structure. XXX XXX 3. Establish understandings with Borough and County governments and other business and community organizations regarding the organization’s mission. XXX 4. Prepare organizational bylaws to define organizational operations. XXX XXX 5. Solicit a mix of appropriate persons to serve as organization directors. XXX XXX 6. Determine legal requirements related to the establishment of a permanent organization. XXX XXX 7. Convene an organizational meeting and appoint officers, directors, and committee chairpersons. XXX XXX 8. Establish and maintain a network of government and organizational contacts to assist with program development and operations. XXX XXX XXX 9. Develop ways and means to support the organizational mission and inform the community on revitalization programming and projects. XXX XXX XXX XXX 10.Develop committee job descriptions and annual work programs. XXX XXX XXX XXX 11.Establish and maintain record-keeping systems for financial accounting, program and project monitoring. XXX XXX XXX XXX 12.Assess the need for professional administration of organizational operations. XXX XXX XXX COMMITTEES1 XXX XXX XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 57 STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: ORGANIZATION (SUSTAINABLE ORGANIZATION) GOAL: To create an overarching and sustainable neighborhood organization to lead, advocate, and inform and to administer neighborhood improvement efforts and develop strategic partnerships for neighborhood betterment. OBJECTIVES ACTIONS PRIORITIES YR 1-2 YR 3-5 RESPONCIBILITIES YR 5-10 PROGRAMS, 1. Determine the organization’s public service capabilities. XXX PROJECTS AND 2. Define the organization’s annual objectives for implementing programs and projects, events and activities. XXX XXX XXX 3. Execute programs, projects, events, and activities to implement the neighborhood vision and strategic plan. XXX XXX XXX 4. Monitor work progress and evaluate organizational performance and results. XXX XXX XXX EVENTS 5. Explore potential partnerships with Berwick Borough; NEIGHBORHOOD 1. PARTNERSHIPS COMMUNITY RELATIONS 1 58 Columbia County Housing Corporation; and allied civic, community service, and faith-based organizations. PUBLIC XXX XXX COMMITTEES1 PRIVATE PS PH HD XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 2. 6. Develop partnership agreements relevant to specific programs, projects, events, and activities. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 3. 7. Evaluate partnership arrangements for continual improvement. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 8. Maintain monthly communications with Berwick Borough 1. and Columbia County Housing Corporation. XXX XXX XXX XXX 9. Create an informed public through periodic news media 2. reporting on organization programs, projects, events, and activities. XXX XXX XXX XXX 3. 10.Solicit community involvement in organization programs, projects, events, and activities through community outreach meetings, media outlets, and the Berwick Borough and Berwick Area Schools websites. XXX XXX XXX 4. 11.Develop and maintain working relationships with neighborhood residents, businesses, property owners, churches, schools, and community organizations. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 12.Conduct periodic events and activities to stimulate 5. neighborhood pride and generate awareness about the organization and its programs and projects. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) The Plan for West End Berwick STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: SAFETY AND APPEARANCE (CLEAN, SAFE, AND GREEN) GOAL: To ensure that the West End Berwick neighborhood has safe and attractive places to live, work, and play. OBJECTIVES ACTIONS PRIORITIES RESPONCIBILITIES YR 1-2 YR 3-5 YR 5-10 XXX XXX XXX 2. Distribute public information regarding the Borough’s property maintenance codes and recycling program. XXX XXX XXX 3. Facilitate communications with and among neighborhood landlords to gain cooperation on documented property maintenance concerns. XXX XXX XXX 4. Mobilize neighborhood schools and volunteers to execute clean-up and beautification projects. XXX XXX XXX 5. Execute seasonal clean-up—green-up projects and events in Sponsler Park and along the riverfront. XXX XXX XXX 1. 6. Maintain an inventory of street tree conditions and develop a street green-up landscaping program with annual planting PARKS GREEN-UP objectives and priorities. XXX XXX 2. 7. Identify abandoned buildings and open lots compatible with neighborhood improvement objectives and evaluate their potential for conversion to park use. XXX XXX NEIGHBORHOOD 1. Conduct periodic surveys to document the location of CLEAN-UP neighborhood litter, graffiti, and eyesores. STREETS AND PRIVATE PS PH XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 4. 9. Develop a network of new small parks and green spaces strategically located within the neighborhood. XXX XXX 5. 10.Inform neighborhood property owners annually about the organization’s street green-up program objectives and priorities and provide interested property owners with related tree facts and information. XXX XXX XXX XXX 6. 11.Solicit annual Borough government participation in the neighborhood green-up program, including the use of Borough work forces and equipment for planting. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX HD XXX 3. 8. Work with Berwick Borough and private donors to acquire properties appropriate for future park use. 7. 12.Establish a West End Friends group to assist the Borough with ongoing maintenance and improvements to Sponsler Park and the riverfront. 1 PUBLIC COMMITTEES1 XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 59 STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: SAFETY AND APPEARANCE (CLEAN, SAFE, AND GREEN) GOAL: To ensure that the West End Berwick neighborhood has safe and attractive places to live, work, and play. OBJECTIVES ACTIONS PRIORITIES YR 1-2 YR 3-5 NEIGHBORHOOD 1. Develop a gateway beautification concept for West End GATEWAYS Berwick in the vicinity of W. Front, LaSalle, and Orange streets. 2. Develop an incentive program in collaboration with Berwick Borough to foster private property beautification in the gateway area. 3. Initiate and maintain communications with PennDOT regarding traffic calming measures for application in the gateway area. AND CRIME PREVENTION BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY 1 60 1. 5. Work with Berwick Police to conduct a safety assessment of streets, alleys, parks, and public spaces. PUBLIC PRIVATE PS PH XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 2. 6. Establish public safety improvements priorities for streets, blocks, alleys, and parks. XXX XXX XXX 3. 7. Establish a West End Safety Watch plan and program to enhance the perception and reality of safe streets and homes. XXX 4. 8. Inform and engage neighborhood residents and businesses about public safety concerns and solicit block area captains to support community policing. XXX COMMITTEES1 YR 5-10 XXX 4. Solicit property owner, Borough, and PennDOT participation in a gateway green-up project. PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONCIBILITIES XXX XXX 1. 9. Work with the Borough to implement the Berwick Town Trails plan within the neighborhood. XXX XXX 2. 10.Use the SEDA-COG neighborhood conditions assessment to establish infrastructure improvement priorities and to address critical needs for bicyclist and pedestrian safety. XXX 3. 11.Promote purpose-driven and recreational walking and bicycling for neighborhood health and social activity. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 4. 12.Initiate safe walking and bicycling programs through related public safety programs targeted to children and youth and seniors. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX HD XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) The Plan for West End Berwick STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: SAFETY AND APPEARANCE (CLEAN, SAFE, AND GREEN) GOAL: To ensure that the West End Berwick neighborhood has safe and attractive places to live, work, and play. OBJECTIVES BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CON’T. TRAFFIC CALMING ACTIONS RESPONCIBILITIES COMMITTEES1 YR 3-5 YR 5-10 PUBLIC PRIVATE PS XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 6. 2. Cosponsor bicycle safety programs with schools and Borough Police. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 7. 3. Work with Borough Police to enhance enforcement of motor vehicle traffic laws in congested traffic zones. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX PH HD XXX XXX XXX XXX 1. 4. Engage with PennDOT to determine specific needs and locations for traffic calming street improvements. XXX XXX XXX XXX 2. 5. Establish a traffic calming plan for the West Front Street Gateway zone in partnership with PennDOT, SEDA-COG, and the Borough of Berwick. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 1. 7. Engage BIDA complex property owners in the development of new design concepts for entrance gateways, internal streetscaping, and perimeter landscaping to enhance the neighborhood image. XXX 8. Work with industrial property owners, BIDA, and the Borough 2. to secure funds for planning, design, and construction of perimeter streetscape improvements. XXX XXX XXX XXX 3. 9. Maintain effective communications with BIDA staff and industry owners and managers to minimize negative interactions between neighbors and employees. 4. 10.Work with the Borough and BIDA and with industrial property owners to evaluate the feasibility of reconnecting Freas and Columbia avenues via the BIDA crossing. 1 YR 1-2 5. 1. Engage school administrators, students, and parents in Safe Routes to School programs and projects. 3. 6. Promote traffic safety in peak use times through information and education targeted to industry and school employees, bus drivers, students, and parents. BIDA GROUNDS PRIORITIES XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 61 STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: HOUSING AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY (NEIGHBORS AND ECONOMY) GOAL: To create a neighborhood that provides affordable housing choices and opportunities for small business development and employment. OBJECTIVES INCREASE HOMEOWNERSHIP ACTIONS PRIORITIES YR 1-2 1. Establish a neighborhood homeowners association to coordinate housing improvement efforts with Berwick Borough and Columbia County Housing Corporation. 1 62 PRIVATE XXX PS PH HD XXX XXX 3. Support educational and lending efforts to guide and assist first-time homebuyers. XXX XXX XXX XXX 4. Assist homeowners with information and resources needed to comply with Borough building and property maintenance codes. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 7. Promote homeowner education and assistance programs within the neighborhood, e.g., tax incentives and mortgage and refinancing assistance to stimulate home improvements. CONDITIONS PUBLIC COMMITTEES1 2. Identify needs and opportunities for homeownership, including the potential for neighborhood homesteading initiatives in partnership with Columbia County Housing Corporation and mortgage lenders. 6. Conduct periodic homeowner support programs to facilitate communications between homeowners and housing experts, lenders, and realtors to guide reinvestment in owner-occupied housing. HOUSING YR 5-10 XXX 5. Identify target areas for zoning amendments to support single-family homeownership and discourage rental conversions. IMPROVE YR 3-5 RESPONCIBILITIES XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 8. Use state and federal housing improvement programs, 1. e.g., CDBG, HOME, Federal Home Loan Bank, Act 137, etc. to provide incentives for affordable housing and housing rehabilitation applicable to West End Berwick. XXX XXX XXX XXX 2. 9. Prepare a neighborhood housing plan and establish income-level targets for block-based housing improvement programs, including desired percentages for assisted and market-rate housing development. XXX XXX XXX XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) The Plan for West End Berwick STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: HOUSING AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY (NEIGHBORS AND ECONOMY) GOAL: To create a neighborhood that provides affordable housing choices and opportunities for small business development and employment. OBJECTIVES IMPROVE HOUSING CONDITIONS CON’T. ATTRACT AND RETAIN BUSINESSES ACTIONS YR 1-2 YR 3-5 1. 3. Establish and prioritize target areas for housing demolition, rehabilitation, and redevelopment. XXX XXX 4. Acquire substandard properties for new infill housing 2. development. XXX XXX 5. Develop a neighborhood housing prospectus and 3. collaborate with realtors and lenders to promote residential investment within West End Berwick. XXX 6. Identify strategic targets for blight removal and 4. redevelopment and work with Berwick Borough, Columbia County Housing Corporation, and Redevelopment Authority to devise and implement a strategic long-term redevelopment program. XXX RESPONCIBILITIES YR 5-10 PUBLIC PRIVATE XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX COMMITTEES1 PS PH HD XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 1. 5. Survey neighborhood residents to determine close-tohome needs for retail goods and personal services. XXX XXX XXX 2. 6. Identify impediments and opportunities for neighborhood business development, including zoning, parking, safety, and environment. XXX XXX XXX 3. 7. Pursue neighborhood reinvestment partnerships with BIDA and Berwick Borough to address business development impediments and opportunities. XXX XXX XXX XXX 4. 8. Establish block-based target areas for strategic business development keyed to implementation of overall revitalization objectives for the neighborhood. XXX XXX XXX XXX 5. 9. Identify individuals and prospective businesses and initiate outreach to bring new businesses to the neighborhood. XXX XXX XXX XXX 6. 10.Work with Berwick Borough, SEDA-COG, BIDA, and lenders to develop incentive programs to attract and retain neighborhood businesses. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 7. 11.Maintain a mix of concentrated (e.g. Freas Avenue) and dispersed businesses (e.g. corner stores) within the neighborhood 1 PRIORITIES XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 63 STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER (DESIGN) GOAL: To ensure that new residential, commercial, and industrial development conforms to the traditional urban form of the neighborhood and creates an attractive and livable environment. OBJECTIVES NEIGHBORHOOD APPEARANCE ACTIONS PRIORITIES AND PUBLIC SPACES YR 3-5 YR 5-10 PUBLIC PRIVATE 1. Distribute public information on property maintenance suggestions and requirements. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 2. Enforce Borough property maintenance codes consistently and fairly. XXX XXX XXX XXX 3. Conduct annual neighborhood programs with building and landscape design professionals to stimulate resident interest in home and yard beautification. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 4. Implement seasonal clean-up—green-up activities with neighborhood residents, businesses, and volunteers. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 1. 6. Prioritize streets and blocks for streetscape improvements, including curbs and sidewalks, trees, lighting, and other amenities. 2. 7. Work with electricity, phone, cable and satellite TV providers to minimize aesthetic impacts to streets. XXX XXX 4. 9. Develop a comprehensive master plan for preserving, enhancing, and increasing public use of Sponsler Park. 64 XXX XXX XXX 3. 8. Develop a gateway street design and landscape plan for West End Berwick. 1 COMMITTEES1 YR 1-2 5. Implement an annual awards program and award prizes for model business and home beautification projects. STREETSCAPES RESPONCIBILITIES XXX 5. 10.Establish a Friends group to engage neighborhood residents and volunteers in park planning, design and development and to assist Berwick Borough with ongoing maintenance. XXX 6. 11.Assist Berwick Borough with the development and continued maintenance of neighborhood trails and pathways connecting to the Susquehanna riverfront. XXX XXX XXX XXX PS PH XXX XXX XXX XXX HD XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) The Plan for West End Berwick STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER (DESIGN) GOAL: To ensure that new residential, commercial, and industrial development conforms to the traditional urban form of the neighborhood and creates an attractive and livable environment. OBJECTIVES PRESERVE AND ENHANCE URBAN FORM ACTIONS 1. Work with Berwick Borough, SEDA-COG, and Columbia County Housing Corporation to foster appropriate urban design within the neighborhood. RESPONCIBILITIES YR 1-2 YR 3-5 YR 5-10 PUBLIC PRIVATE XXX XXX XXX XXX 2. Document unique and defining components of the neighborhood’s traditional architectural styles and streetscapes. XXX 3. Establish architectural and street design standards and guidelines for new development and rehabilitation. XXX 4. Identify opportunities for new infill, open space, park, and trail development to enhance the neighborhood’s traditional urban form. 1 PRIORITIES XXX XXX XXX COMMITTEES1 PS PH HD XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 65 STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: COMMUNITY-BUILDING (IMAGE AND IDENTITY) GOAL: To celebrate and promote West End Berwick as a welcoming neighborhood for residents and visitors alike. OBJECTIVES FOSTER NEIGHBORHOOD PRIDE ACTIONS PRIORITIES YR 3-5 YR 5-10 1. Conduct neighborhood block parties to create new social bonds among residents from across West End Berwick. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 2. Partner with schools, churches, and organizations to engage children and youth in neighborhood pride events and activities, e.g. posters, flags, window murals, clean-up, West End History Days, holiday decorating, etc. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 4. Install thematic neighborhood information and wayfinding signs. 5. Develop a logo, theme, and slogan, e.g. West End Berwick— NEIGHBORHOOD 1. 1 66 Rebuild—Rediscover, for use in neighborhood events, activities, and promotions. PUBLIC XXX XXX XXX PRIVATE COMMITTEES1 YR 1-2 3. Institute an “across the ages” community service program to provide youth mentoring by adults and home-care and personal services to needy shut-ins by youth. PROMOTION RESPONCIBILITIES XXX PS XXX PH HD XXX XXX XXX 2. 6. Regularly disseminate public information on community programs, events, and activities through newsletter, website, and community bulletin boards. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 3. 7. Publish, distribute, and promote a seasonal calendar of neighborhood pride events and social activities. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 4. 8. Work with local media contacts to provide regular and positive coverage of neighborhood programs, projects, events, and activities. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) The Plan for West End Berwick STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE WEST END BERWICK NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUE: COMMUNITY-BUILDING (IMAGE AND IDENTITY) GOAL: To celebrate and promote West End Berwick as a welcoming neighborhood for residents and visitors alike. OBJECTIVES CELEBRATE NEIGHBORHOOD HERITAGE ACTIONS PRIORITIES YR 1-2 1. Work with neighborhood historians, e.g. individuals, churches, organizations, BIDA-ACF, and the Berwick Historical Society to establish an accessible archive of neighborhood history and historic artifacts. 2. Partner with church and community organizations to record oral histories of lifetime West End residents. PRESERVATION PUBLIC XXX PRIVATE COMMITTEES1 PS PH XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 4. Organize an annual West End Heritage Day celebration with activities for all ages, e.g. questions and answers, treasured family photo displays, speakers, ethnic games, clothing, and foods. XXX XXX XXX 5. Develop annual West End history photo posters to illustrate now and then themes for Sponsler Park, churches, ACF, etc. XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 1. 6. In partnership with SEDA-COG and the Berwick Historical Society, identify historically significant streets, structures, and outdoor spaces, e.g. Berwick Cemetery, Bulldog Stadium, Mulberry and LaSalle streets. XXX 2. 7. In partnership with the Berwick Historical Society and Columbia Montour Visitors Bureau, prepare a pamphlet to convey information about West End Berwick’s historically significant places. XXX XXX XXX 3. 8. In partnership with the Berwick Historical Society, conduct seasonal tours of the neighborhood’s significant historic places XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX 4. 9. Work with the Borough of Berwick and Columbia County Housing Corporation to improve the retention, preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and adaptive reuse of historically significant buildings. 1 YR 5-10 XXX 3. Organize activities and events to share and celebrate the racial and ethnic cultures of neighborhood residents. HISTORIC YR 3-5 RESPONCIBILITIES XXX XXX XXX XXX HD PS (Public Safety Committee), PH (Pride and Heritage Committee), HD (Housing and Development Committee) Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 67 68 The Plan for West End Berwick A Call to Action west end berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 69 70 The Plan for West End Berwick A Call to Action Organizing for Neighborhood Action Neighborhood Partnership Building — Getting Organized Neighborhood partnerships are essential for pride and to sow seeds for bettering the putting forth additional complementary strategies. carrying out revitalization plans and neighborhood neighborhood’s image and identity through programs, The needs and solutions relevant to each area are also organizations are crucial for success. Without projects, and social activities. mirrored one to the other. Perhaps most compelling is the fact that neighborhood organizations derive organization, individuals and loosely connected groups cannot bring about desired improvements. With the completion of this plan—West End their success from neighborhood participation and West End Berwick lacks an organization that is wholly Neighborhood Development: Building a Better volunteers. The larger the neighborhood area, the dedicated to advocating for and strengthening its Berwick Through Neighborhood Action—the time for more human resources can be brought to bear in sense of community and economic success. Church decision regarding neighborhood organization is at the form of program leaders, committee and board organizations, social clubs, and other entities are all hand. The most logical and promising place to start members, and volunteers. potential contributors to neighborhood betterment; is to begin dialog with the recently formed Blueprint but the absence of a lead organization will continue Neighborhood Council on expanding its service area Finally, neighborhood organizations of any size to hinder the realization of aims embodied in this to include the broader West End neighborhood as benefit from having active committees with work plan. defined within this plan. While some might view activities keyed to the action strategies contained such a merger as diluting to the Council’s program, in the neighborhood plan. The success of such That a neighborhood organization is needed is not the truth may be just the opposite. The potential for programs requires some level of professional support. in doubt. But what do such organizations do that success could be enhanced by enlarging the definition The ability to sustain administrative support and other organizations cannot do? First, they can of the neighborhood to include an even wider mix technical help keyed to the organization’s mission maintain an overarching administrative framework of uses and activities and by opening the door to is enhanced when professional services are shared for implementing the neighborhood plan and participation by an even wider number of area across a larger grouping of streets and blocks and for promoting the neighborhood to business and residents and businesses. homes and businesses. This is the concept behind the vision for “West Town Berwick.” Whatever homeowner prospects. Second, the neighborhood organization can work as a community service There are compelling reasons for considering such arrangement is ultimately determined best for West agent, providing liaison and assistance linked to an arrangement. First, the issues affecting both the End Berwick, the need for grass roots action will the neighborhood vision and strategies and the “Blueprint” and “West End” territories are essentially be the key to its longevity and to the success of organization’s mission. Lastly, such organizations are the same. The “West End” plan freely incorporates any partnerships that may be formed with Berwick best equipped to develop and sustain neighborhood existing strategies of the “Blueprint” plan while Borough, Columbia County, or others. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 71 Closing Thoughts As a place, the West End Berwick neighborhood The future of West End Berwick needs active presents opportunities for human connections, social participation on the part of everyone—all ages, vitality, and economic activity. To capitalize on these lifelong and newcomer residents alike. There are special assets of place requires the integration of active roles waiting to be played through partnerships Borough, County, and private action—actions such with the neighborhood’s schools, churches, and as those addressed in the preceding neighborhood organizations. No longer is it realistic to expect that development strategies—actions that continually foster the Borough, the County, or some mythical “they” a sense of human attachment and belonging that is will do what needs to be done in the absence of a fundamental to safe and comfortable town living. working partnership with the neighborhood. West End Berwick is poised for betterment, but its Neighborhood transformation takes time to progress will depend on the continued involvement of achieve. During this time it is important to celebrate diverse individuals, businesses, existing organizations accomplishments no matter how small or seemingly and institutions, and the Borough and County unimportant, they may be. These are the milestones governments. These collaborative efforts will benefit that mark the path of progress. As conceived in this from continuing professional support also backed plan, that path will lead to even bigger dividends in by neighborhood volunteers. Much has been the years ahead. Through it all, it is important to accomplished but much remains to be done. To the remember that neighborhood transformation creates uninitiated this can seem a daunting undertaking, and opportunities for leadership—new leadership that is it is; but West End Berwick can do it together—one capable of serving the broadest range of community step at a time. needs. Above all else, neighborhood organizations have the power to grow community leaders capable This plan outlines the steps needed. The time to work of inspiring others and motivating them to action— the plan has arrived. Circumstances and conditions action that will make a lasting difference in the won’t change overnight, but they can change over neighborhood and throughout the larger Berwick time if everyone commits to bringing about desired community. change using the fullest array of tools and resources available. Neighborhood participation holds the key to success; without it, there is little that can be done. There is nothing to do—nothing to show—and nowhere to go. 72 The Plan for West End Berwick Appendices west end berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action 73 74 The Plan for West End Berwick Appendix A — Neighborhood Conditions West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-1 A-4 A-10 A-12 A-13 A-15 A-17 A-19 A-21 A-22 A-24 A-25 A-26 A-27 A-28 A-30 A-2 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-3 A-4 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-5 A-6 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-7 A-8 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-9 A-10 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-11 A-12 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-13 A-14 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-15 A-16 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-17 A-18 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-19 A-20 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-21 A-22 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-23 A-24 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-25 A-26 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-27 A-28 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-29 A-30 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-31 A-32 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-33 A-34 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action A-35 A-36 The Plan for West End Berwick Appendix B — Blueprint Neighborhood Council Bylaws BYLAWS OF THE BLUEPRINT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ARTICLE I ARTICLE II ORGANIZATION PURPOSES OF THE ORGANIZATION 1.Name of Organization: The name of this 1.Purposes: The Blueprint Neighborhood Council d) To organize, sponsor, and coordinate activities organization shall be the Blueprint Neighborhood is organized and shall be operated exclusively for and events which promote the Blueprint Council the revitalization of the Blueprint Communities Community neighborhood, enhance its image, neighborhood. The Council shall work with and encourage neighborhood residents to and through the Neighborhood Manager to participate. 2.Definition of Bylaws: These bylaws constitute the code of rules adopted by the Blueprint Neighborhood Council for the regulation and management of its affairs. accomplish its goals. The Council shall offer guidance and advice on how best to develop and e) To educate and inform citizens on topics implement revitalization plans and initiatives. The of interest and concern to the Blueprint Council members shall share ideas and concerns Community neighborhood, and to facilitate freely and treat all members with courtesy and citizen involvement in community improvement respect. The specific purposes of the Organization plans, programs, and projects. are: a) To stimulate community pride and facilitate civic action and municipal improvements in the Blueprint Community neighborhood. b) To provide a non-partisan framework for coordinating community planning, development, and management of the Blueprint Community neighborhood. f) To initiate and participate in the planning and implementation of community development strategies. g) To develop programs, projects, and services to revitalize a declining neighborhood and to preserve the community’s character, vitality, and cultural heritage. c) To encourage and facilitate public-private cooperation and coordination of activities to combat community deterioration and improve the physical environment and social welfare of the Blueprint Community neighborhood. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action B-1 ARTICLE III ARTICLE IV COUNCIL MEMBERS OFFICERS 1.Definition of Council Members: The Council is 1.Roster of Officers: The officers of the Blueprint be appointed for a period of one (1) year and Neighborhood Council shall be chosen from the management of the business and affairs of the re-appointed at their request by a majority vote of Council Members and shall be President, Vice organization. the Blueprint Neighborhood Council. President, and Secretary. 2.Appointment and Election of Members: The 6.Vacancies on the Council: After the original 2.Selection of Officers: Each of the Officers shall initial Council shall be appointed by the Columbia twenty five (25) members are seated, any vacancy be elected and appointed annually by the Council County Housing Corporation. Thereafter, the occurring shall be filled by a majority vote of Members. Each Officer will remain in office until a full board shall have the power to elect Council the Blueprint Neighborhood Council. Any successor has been selected. Members by majority vote. Council Member may nominate a candidate for 3.Qualification of Council Members: The membership. 3.President: The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Council and will supervise qualifications for becoming and remaining a and control the affairs of the Council, preside Council Member are as follows: at all meetings, and appoint all committees. a)Members must be residents of the Blueprint Community neighborhood, or b)Members must be the owners of businesses, real estate, or have some other vested interest in the Blueprint Community neighborhood, or c)Members must be a current or former official of Berwick Borough government or its entities. 4.Composition of the Council: The Council shall be representative of varied constituencies and consist of no more than twenty five (25) members. At least one more than half of the members shall be residents of the Blueprint Community neighborhood. The balance of the membership shall include at least one representative of Berwick Borough Council and any other interested persons who meet the qualifications outlined above. B-2 5.Terms of Council Members: All members shall the group of persons vested with control and The President will work with the Neighborhood Manager to ensure that the priorities and initiatives of the Blueprint for Revitalization are addressed by the Council in a timely and efficient manner. 4.Vice President: The Vice president shall in the event of the absence or inability of the President to exercise his/her office, become acting president of the Council. 5.Secretary: The secretary shall keep the minutes of meetings and records of the Council. 6.Neighborhood Manager: The Neighborhood Manager shall act as the Chief Operating Officer for the Blueprint Neighborhood Council. The Neighborhood Manager shall have general supervision over the administration of the business The Plan for West End Berwick and affairs of the Council and shall be responsible ARTICLE V ARTICLE VI REMOVAL OF MEMBERS AND OFFICERS MEETINGS 1.Termination of Council Members: Council 1.Regular Council Meetings: Regular meetings of for implementing plans and initiatives proposed members shall be terminated upon receipt of the Blueprint Neighborhood Council will be held and voted on by the Blueprint Neighborhood written resignation or for cause detrimental to the monthly on a day and time to be determined by Council. The Neighborhood Manager shall Council as may be determined by the Council. the Council. All regular meetings will be open to prepare the agenda of regular and special meetings, distribute the minutes, and provide notice of meetings to all Council Members. The Neighborhood Manager shall serve as a nonvoting member of the Blueprint Neighborhood Council. 2.Removal Procedures: Any member may initiate removal proceedings against another member. Reasons for removal shall be presented in writing the public and include an allotted time for public input. 2.Neighborhood Meetings: At least twice per year to the Council at a regularly scheduled meeting. the Blueprint Neighborhood Council will publicize The vote to remove the member will take place at and conduct a neighborhood wide meeting. The the next regularly scheduled meeting. A two thirds purpose of this meeting is to keep all residents vote of Council with a quorum voting shall be and stakeholders informed as to the progress of sufficient to remove a member. the Blueprint for Revitalization. This meeting may 3.Removal of Officers: Any officer may be removed by two thirds vote of the Council whenever in their judgment the best interests of the Council will be served. take the place of the regular Council meeting in the month that it occurs. 3.Special Meetings: A special meeting of the Council may be called by the President, Neighborhood Manager, or a number constituting a quorum of council members. Notice of the meeting shall be delivered to each member not less than forty eight (48) hours before the time of the meeting. 4.Quorum of Members: The presence, in person of ten (10) members will constitute a quorum. The act of a majority of the members present at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be the act of the Blueprint Neighborhood Council. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action B-3 ARTICLE VII ARTICLE VIII ORDER OF BUSINESS COMMITTEES 1.Order of Business: At all meetings of the Blueprint 1.Definition of Committees: The Council may have Neighborhood Council the order of business shall certain committees each of which will consist responsible to and advise the Council on subject be as follows: of one (1) or more members of the Blueprint areas assigned. Meetings shall be determined by Neighborhood Council. All committees may members. Formal minutes shall be kept of all include persons who are not members of the meetings and provided to Council members upon Blueprint Neighborhood Council. request. Each Special and Standing Committee a)Establishment of a Quorum b)Approval of Minutes c)Public Comments d)Report of Neighborhood Manager e)Report of President f) Reports of Standing Committees g)Reports of Special Committees h)Old Business 2.Appointment of Committees: The President and/ or Neighborhood Manager, with the approval of 5.Committee Procedures: All committees shall be shall report to Council at all regularly scheduled meetings. the Council designate and appoint Standing and Special Committees. 3.Special Committees: The President and/or Neighborhood Manager may, with the approval of the Council designate and appoint Special Committees designed to transact certain business i) New Business and further the goals of the Blueprint for j) Adjournment Revitalization. Special Committees may become Standing Committees with the consent of a simple majority of Council Members. 4.Standing Committees: The President and/or Neighborhood Manager may, with the approval of the Council designate and appoint Standing Committees designed to transact certain business and further the goals of the Blueprint for Revitalization. The following shall be Standing Committees of the Council: a) Crime Prevention/Safety Committee b) Beautification Committee c) Community Development Committee B-4 The Plan for West End Berwick ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS 1.Modification of Bylaws: These bylaws may be altered, amended, repealed, or added to by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Blueprint Neighborhood Council, provided there has been a reading of the proposed amendments at the prior Council meeting. Written notification of the proposed amendment(s) shall be sent to all Council Members at that time. ADOPTION OF BYLAWS Adopted by the Blueprint Neighborhood Council at Berwick Pennsylvania on: ________________________________________ BLUEPRINT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL ________________________________________ President ________________________________________ Secretary Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action B-5 B-6 The Plan for West End Berwick Appendix C — West End Berwick Focus Group Summary Focus group interviews were conducted on May 11 1. The Complex holds a strong grip on the 2. Enforce Borough property maintenance codes in and May 18, 2009. One discussion focused largely neighborhood and the town. American Car and the areas most visible to the general public and to on the BIDA Complex—its prominence on the Foundry (ACF) Company—the original reason passersby. neighborhood scene and its effect on the surrounding for the site—touched the lives of generations of neighborhood. The second discussion group focused Berwick and Berwick area residents. Words like on a larger range of topics relevant to the entire industrial archaeology and heritage occasionally Elm Street neighborhood. 18 persons participated surfaced in the discussion, but there were no in these interviews conducted by the SEDA-COG practical thoughts on the how the presence Community Resource Center. of active industrial and manufacturing uses needs to approved and screened on-site storage or “industrial ruins” could be turned into a areas. There was in-depth discussion about the BIDA Complex—it’s place in history as well as its current state and future direction. Attendance by industrial property owners within the Complex was less than expected, perhaps an indication of the disconnection they feel with the surrounding neighborhood. As a result, the discussion focused largely on the experiences and needs of residential property owners and residents living on the immediately surrounding streets and how the physical and visual conditions of the Complex affect public perceptions of the neighborhood. neighborhood asset. 2. The relationship between adjacent residential property owners and the industries located within the Complex are mildly stressed. Because the 3. Upgrade the appearance of perimeter building walls as may be needed to create a more appealing image. 4. Work to confine miscellaneous industrial storage 5. Establish and enhance designated buffer zones around the perimeter of the Complex site through landscape screening and enhanced fencing. 6. Establish and landscape a more “readable” Complex has always been a part of life for the interior street system within the Complex for the neighborhood’s residents, they appear to be circulation of industry-related employees, visitors, more accepting relevant to negative conditions shipping and receiving vehicles. than might otherwise be reasonably expected. The most commonly expressed issues related to aesthetics, dirt and dust, temporary storage trailers, and occasional harassment by workers employed in the Complex. The discussion failed to uncover new problems, What can be done to enhance the presence of the opportunities or ideas relevant to conditions at the Complex in the neighborhood and to make it an even Complex and how best to address them. But the more attractive location for industry? The following discussion verified what is already understood: ideas were discussed in broad brush terms: 7. Provide improved definition of ingress-egress areas to the Complex through “gateway” plantings and signage. 8. Involve industrial property owners in adjacent streetscape improvements, e.g., curbs, sidewalks, landscaping, lighting, consistent with a Boroughdeveloped and approved streetscape image plan. 9. Reopen the abandoned Borough Street located on line with Freas and Columbia avenues to 1. Demolish obsolete and dysfunctional industrial reestablish connectivity across the neighborhood. structures with no potential for adaptive reuse. Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action C-1 Reflecting on the mood of the discussion at the end, it would appear that the door to improved relationships between industry owners and adjacent 3. Family feeling. 4. Street trees. When asked “what is your single most important wish for the future of your neighborhood” the discussion remained equally vague. General residential property owners is at least partially open. 5. Extended family. thoughts were the rule not specific actions. Here are There seemed to be a genuine openness to working 6. Safe streets. some of the thoughts expressed: together over time to resolve problems and create better conditions for all involved. The formation of a neighborhood organization could facilitate such dialog in the future. 7. Friendly atmosphere. 8. The River. 1. Anything that moves families back into the neighborhood. 9. Peace of mind. 2. Stop neighborhood erosion. 10. Churches, parks, and schools. 3. Increase homeownership. 11. Corner stores. 4. More people involved in churches. neighborhood, discussion in the second interview 12. Diverse activities and connections. 5. Community pride restored. was more reflective about personal attitudes and 13. Stable families. 6. Jobs. 14. Things to do. 7. Direction for youth. 15. Restaurants. 8. More camaraderie. Because many of the issues identified in the LaSalle Street Neighborhood Blueprint for Revitalization Plan are transferrable to the larger West End larger desires for neighborhood betterment. Issues identified in the “Blueprint Plan”—redevelopment, beautification, crime prevention, and housing rehabilitation assistance for homeowners were deemed equally relevant to the remainder of the 16. Clean and tidy houses and yards. neighborhood. This intimates that at least some Reflecting back to earlier times, it is fair to say that in the neighborhood see benefit in expanding the those who experienced Berwick in the mid 20th limited boundaries of the LaSalle Street neighborhood century feel a definite sense of loss—erosion of as defined in the “Blueprint Plan”. families, institutions, commerce, housing, and parks. No one is sure how to address this, and it is not easily Various words and phrases were used in answer addressed in that individuals have limited capacity to the question “what makes one neighborhood a to deal with the larger issues shaping American better place than another?” Here is a sampling: society and community life. Participants appeared to be open to new ways to meet human needs—but 1. Walkable streets—the ability to walk to destinations. 2. Neighborhood gathering places. C-2 no new models emerged as guideposts for future neighborhood action. Support was expressed for neighborhood schools, neighborhood block parties, Neighborhood residents fear crime more than any other single aspect of neighborhood life. Home invasions, preying on the elderly, youth gangs, and active drug dealing are real within the neighborhood. Until these factors are tamed and eliminated, it will be difficult to attract desired new residents, particularly family-oriented homeowners, to the neighborhood. There appeared to be sincere interest in establishing a crime watch program. It was said that Berwick has “big city” crime, but a small town police force. This was a comment descriptive of existing conditions and not meant to disparage the efforts of the Borough police department. and concerts in the park. The Plan for West End Berwick Top on the list of neighborhood problems was the neighborhood won’t be easy. Resistance can be issue of poverty and boredom and the breakdown expected particularly from those lifelong residents of the family unit. But participants hung steadfast living in the area of LaSalle, Monroe, and Washington to the observation that Berwick offers good schools streets. But it could help spark new attitudes 4.Goals, Vision, Action Strategies and parks. It has proximity to necessary infrastructure from which to shape the future—as such any new 5.Neighborhood Organization for desired economic development. And generally neighborhood organization that may evolve out of one may experience a high quality of life in Berwick current planning could be the vehicle for promoting irrespective of economic strata. Berwick has not only a new image but also a new name for an traditions—strong community traditions. In that area much in need of unification. 2.Neighborhood Assets and Challenges 3.Community Involvement Why the BIDA Complex? ffACF Heritage sense it already has the necessary foundation from which to build new direction for the future. In closing, two additional observations can be made relevant to structuring a betterment program and related projects, events, and activities for the West End Berwick neighborhood. First, personal stories are most revealing. Despite its outward appearances and location in relation to more major metropolitan areas, Berwick appears able to attract and retain desirable newcomers—citizens whose families contribute meaningfully to the life of the community and to its continued improvement. Knowing these personal BIDA FOCUS GROUP PLAN Focus Group Interview Plan BIDA Stakeholder Group Deluxe Homes Conference Room May 11, 2009 Elm Street Project Overview ffThe Neighborhood Defined—4 Sub Areas ffThe PA Elm Street Program Strategies: attracting like-kinds of people to the community in 2.Design neighborhood would benefit from a more defining name—a new name befitting new outlooks, hopes and aspirations. “LaSalle Street”, “West End”, “Freas Avenue” “Front Street”, etc. speaks to streets and general geography within the town. Naming the Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action ffSite Access ffSite Appearance ffSite Edges 1.Clean, Safe and Green Finally, it would seem that the West End Berwick ffSite Size 2:00 PM stories is one way to determine best approaches for the future. ffNeighborhood Connections ffCommon Roads and Areas ffLong Term Trends and Uses Introductions ffWelcome and Thanks 3.Neighbors and Economy 1.Facilitator—Tom Grbenick (SEDA-COG) 4.Image and Identity 2.Recorder—Arty Oliver Jr. (Task Force) 5.Sustainable Organization ffThe Neighborhood Planning Program 1.Neighborhood Conditions ffIntroductions 1.Name, Residence, Business Affiliation, Co. Position C-3 Focus Group Purpose Focus Group Questions the look and feel of the surrounding streets and Learn about some things from your perspective—the 1. To get things started, we’d like to know a little people who own and operate businesses in the “BIDA something about your business, why you are houses impact your business? To those of you Complex”—and the people who own homes and live located at the BIDA Complex and how you feel that own homes and apartments, how does the adjacent to the “BIDA Complex”. about this site as a business location. For those look and feel of the BIDA Complex limit the uses of you who live adjacent to the Complex I’d like and value of your adjoining property? What effect Help the project planners gain insights needed to to know a little something about why you live does the appearance of the Complex have on you develop future vision for the “Complex” and the area where you do and what it’s like living next to an personally? How might image enhancements to around the “Complex”. industrial site. the Complex help to attract more homeowners Learn about your needs and concerns. Learn about your attitudes toward neighborhood conditions. Get your thoughts about the future betterment of the Complex and the neighborhood. Ground Rules ff A conversation focused around questions. ff Stay focused on topics relevant to the neighborhood project ff One person speaks at a time ff Everyone gets an equal chance to participate ff No such thing as a wrong answer—all viewpoints are welcome and respected ff Confidentiality—honest feedback. 2. What works best about the BIDA Complex location and site layout from the perspective of running your business? With respect to the efficient operation of your business what might you do to improve access to the BIDA Complex area? What public amenities might you suggest as a means to improving the image of the BIDA site and its surroundings? 5. What are the chief concerns you have relating to site and to the site layout? You might want the neighborhood surrounding your home or your to consider a mix of factors. Office Facilities? business at the BIDA site? Would you be willing Deliveries? Storage? Customer/ Employee to work together—BIDA and the Borough with Parking? Site Ingress and Egress? Support business and homeowners—on enhancements to Business Services? neighborhood character in the blocks immediately 3. This next question is not limited to those of you with business interests. How has the use of the BIDA Complex changed over the past ten years? What business, community, economic, or environmental trends do you foresee for the future and how will these affect your business surrounding the BIDA Complex? What ideas might you have regarding the scope of such an undertaking? For example how could the BIDA site and neighborhood image be enhanced to the betterment of all? 6. We all fear what we don’t know or understand. operations at the BIDA site or the value of your But on balance do you think it is possible to adjoining home or property? address the kinds of issues that we have been 4. We’d like to hear from you how your “neighbors” affect your life and the investment you have in your home, your rental property, or your business. To those of you that own businesses, how does C-4 and families to your street and the surrounding discussing in such a way that everyone comes out a winner? What is your bottom line? What would your win-win site and street design look like and how would it function? The Plan for West End Berwick NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS FOCUS GROUP PLAN Focus Group Interview Plan Residents Stakeholder Group CSCF Conference Room May 18, 2009 7:00 PM Introductions ffWelcome and Thanks 1.Facilitator—Tom Grbenick (SEDA-COG) Elm Street Project Overview ffThe Neighborhood Defined—4 Sub Areas 1.Neighborhood Boundaries 2.Relation to Blueprint Communities Program ffThe PA Elm Street Program Strategies: 1.Clean, Safe and Green 2.Design 3.Neighbors and Economy 4.Image and Identity 5.Sustainable Organization Neighborhood History, Needs and Conditions ffDevelopment History of the neighborhood, including the BIDA Complex. Ground Rules ffLand Use and Population Trends ff A conversation focused around questions. ffStreet and Sidewalk Conditions ff Stay focused on topics relevant to the ffHousing Types and Conditions neighborhood project. ffBusiness Needs and Potential ff One person speaks at a time. ffBIDA Complex ff Everyone gets an equal chance to participate. ffTraffic and Public Safety ff No such thing as a wrong answer—all ffSocial and Recreation Facilities ffNeighborhood Parks and Open Spaces ffFocus Group Purpose ffLearn about some things from your perspective— the people who live in the neighborhood, the people who own property and businesses in the neighborhood, the people who work in the neighborhood, and the people who play a role in the neighborhood through churches, schools, organizations or other forms of public service. viewpoints are welcome and respected. ff Confidentiality—honest feedback. Focus Group Questions 1.To get started let’s go around the table and introduce ourselves to each other. Please tell us who you are and how you are connected to the neighborhood. 2.In your opinion, what makes one neighborhood a better place than another? The LaSalle Street Blueprint for Revitalization Program ffHelp the project planners gain insights needed to develop future direction for the neighborhood— the place you call home—the place where you are invested. has given us a good feel for 4 issues affecting the 3.Goals, Vision, Action Strategies ffLearn about your attitudes, needs and concerns. I’d like to learn a little more about you and what 4.Neighborhood Organization ffGet your thoughts about the future betterment ffThe Neighborhood Planning Program 1.Community Involvement 2.Neighborhood Assets and Challenges Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action neighborhood—1) redevelopment opportunities, 2) beautification, 3) crime prevention, and 4) housing rehabilitation assistance for homeowners. Tonight, motivates you to stay connected to this neighborhood. C-5 3.Think back to some of your best times in the neighborhood or your first experiences with the neighborhood. What are some of your favorite memories of the neighborhood? Or your first impression of the neighborhood? 4.What do you fear most about the neighborhood? 5.What is your single most important wish for the future of the neighborhood—your neighborhood? 6.Of everything you’ve heard in tonight’s discussion, where would you begin? What problem would be top on your list for action? What is the greatest opportunity for making the neighborhood better? C-6 The Plan for West End Berwick Appendix D — Sponsler Park Design Charrette Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-1 D-3 D-5 D-13 D-16 D-17 D-18 D-21 D-22 D-23 D-24 D-25 D-2 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-3 D-4 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-5 D-6 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-7 D-8 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-9 D-10 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-11 D-12 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-13 D-14 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-15 D-16 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-17 D-18 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-19 D-20 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-21 D-22 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-23 D-24 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action D-25 D-26 The Plan for West End Berwick Appendix E — West End Street Scenes Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-1 E-2 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-3 E-4 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-5 E-6 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-7 E-8 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-9 E-10 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-11 E-12 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-13 E-14 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-15 E-16 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-17 E-18 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-19 E-20 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-21 E-22 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-23 E-24 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-25 E-26 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-27 E-28 The Plan for West End Berwick Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action E-29 E-30 The Plan for West End Berwick Appendix F — Historic Picture Post Card Views The image and identity of West End Berwick are It isn’t possible to recreate the past, nor is it necessarily interwoven through time. While it isn’t possible to desirable. But the study of past town imagery can turn back the clock on time we can imagine Berwick help today’s West End Berwick residents envision a in another time. Picture post card views of early new scene for the residents of tomorrow’s West Town Berwick show what a wonderfully livable community Berwick. These precious few picture post card scenes Berwick was and can again become. They illustrate made available through the Berwick Historical Society the forward-looking spirit of Berwick’s formative period illustrate many ingredients of successful urban design while providing a glimpse into everyday life. and livable communities. The ingredients are as relevant today as ever they were. Picture post cards also depict a view of life. They speak to what people value in a place. They portray the finer points of a town. They help us see how people lived and interacted with their environment. And they can’t but help convey some feeling of loss for the past. By studying the content and uses depicted in post card scenes it is possible to reimagine Berwick, the place, and imagine a new view and image for West Town Berwick, the neighborhood. We don’t communicate in short cross-town post card notes anymore. Today we travel at speed across streets, along wires and over the air. Our ability to communicate and connect surpasses anything previously known to man. But many people have become even more isolated within the streets and structures of our present-day towns and neighborhoods. If we were to make a series of picture post cards today for West End Berwick what might they convey to future generations? Building a Better Berwick Through Neighborhood Action F-1 F-2 The Plan for West End Berwick