Commission Impossible

Would this be Big Bamboo?

Used to bamboozle.

CIC - Looks like sugar CANe

The boundary on this blog doesn't match the boundary found in CANA's website.

Anon,

That's interesting, and correct. I had the plan link incorrect earlier (it went to CANA's board as opposed to the draft neighborhood plan at the city web site). The draft version of the neighborhood plan shows the boundary above as the "Avenues" area. That document is dated 11/07/2007. I'm not sure why there's a difference.

Here's the map that CANA shows...
http://www.chicoavenues.org/resources/CANA_BoundingArea.pdf

The CANA web site shows a larger area. I would think that the area outlined on the CANA web site would make more sense.

Who knows why there is a difference? I'm sure somebody does. Maybe they could tell us?

Lon

Dang, Sean got it. I bamboozled myself. I just typed sugar cane into google images and there it was. First photo.

I live in the Aves. and I think it's great to see this area get some attention. It really needs it. This is Chico's coolest neighborhood.

I don't care for bulbs in the intersections that just make bikes have to swerve out into traffic, but dealing with the giant mud holes and busted up streets would be great. One failed experiment is the goofy island in the middle of Laburnum and First Ave. It's a major hazard.

I'm not part of the group leading the charge but I really like the people who are. I don't think it has anything to do with lefties or righties. It's great to see people with leadership rally together for a common cause and make something good happen.

I can't wait 'til the next phase where we wall ourselves off from the rest of Chico and become a Burning Man / Rainbow Gathering gated community.

Gregg,

I try to give some backstory on group affiliations. Members of CANA's board show up on lists for political contributions for local left politicians in previous elections.

CANA asked for and received a good chunk of RDA dollars for their neighborhood last year. My recollection is that the funding was allocated unanimously (all seven councilors). So even though those connections exist I don't think their success could be described as lefty or righty.

I know that Barbara Reed (also a CANA board member) worked on the now defunct RDA committee. All of that group supported using RDA funds to improve the neighborhood.

Lon

BTW: In the last election I contributed only to right leaning local politicians.

I can't wait.

We'll be a "Free Drug Zone" but of course only the green sustainable organic kind grown in our community gardens. We'll have drumming circles and bonfires in the intersections and people can eat shrooms and wander around naked singing and playing music.

I'll give you the combination to the gate.

I'll need the combo to get into Big Al's.

Lon,

A lot of what I am going to say is my own opinion.
Yes, Mary lives in the CANA area. I don't think it is fair to associate her with the group. I am not a member either, but I have gone to several of the meetings and I don't think I have ever seen her there.

It is a big area, too big. The neighborhood problems on Columbus Av. by the railroad tracks are very different than the neighborhood problems by Rio Lindo. The neighbors in different areas are not that dedicated to attend long meetings for something 15 blocks away. I am guilty of that myself. They have a few issues in common but not enough to form a cohesive group. Early in the process, a couple years ago, I went to a meeting at the city planning dept. to discuss the boundaries and left the meeting thinking that we were going to reduce the area and be more specific. That never happened, I don't know why but I also did not get asked to any more meetings. Probably just fell out of the loop more than got pushed.

The students should be a big part of it and I have never seen them excluded. They are hard to keep in the loop. They move a lot, they are new to the area, they have other things going on and most of all they don't have a financial investment at risk as property ownership. Most landlords don't attend meetings either.

The students and deadbeat landlords are a huge part of the problem, but everyone agrees that this is the best place for students to live. It would be better if the area was more like Berkeley where students live integrated in the same neighborhoods as professionals but Chico is still growing and it is starting to go that way slowly. Freshmen year in dorms, sophmore in apartments, junior and senior in Avenues single family home is a nice progression and part of the learning experience. Learning how to live in a community. By the time they are seniors, you hate to see them move away.

CANA developed because of the Enloe expansion. It was and still is pretty much the same people. They are smart and care about Chico. I disagree with the way they do some things, but they are still the best and only representation that the area has.

I don't think there is as much "opportunism" as people think. Go drive around the new parking garage and notice that there are no sidewalks, no curbs or gutters, no direction, poor visibility, etc. That area needs more attention to infrastructure planning but the city is too busy in other areas (like Merriam Park) to address the hospital neighborhood problems effectively. And when the area under consideration is so big, then outside firms get hired who also have a hard time addressing the issues within their small budget.

The bulbing does several things depending on where they are. In the avenues they will make the street appear to be more narrow and a need to be slower around corners and at intersections. It also allows cross-traffic to be seen easier when trying to make a turn from an intersection, by allowing you to stop further out into the road. It will allow little kids walking home from Citrus Grade School to be seen better and adds to the feeling of safety and walkability.

One of the problems is that most of the drivers in the area are under 25 and that age drives fast and reckless no matter what you put in front of them. That is just the way it is, part of being young and wild. The only thing that will slow them down is more police patrol by city or university police but that is another problem entirely. Even Doe Mill with their traffic calming solutions are not observed by young drivers. This is a special town with special problems; a regional hospital requiring slow speeds and good access and a regional university with a wild and crazy reputation attracting those kinds of students.

The bulbing is good but expensive and a long way off. Good thing to include with proposed sidewalks, curbs and gutter improvements though. The trouble is having a few isolated ones is not going to work very well, so they all get done or not at all.

I think the alley improvements is the best idea in the document but it is not practical everywhere. I am a proponent of increasing density in the area and the alleys can make for some really unique opportunities for student cottages and safe, walkable, hidden gems. It is done in a lot of places; Portland, Eureka, Santa Monica, San Diego Denmark, etc. It could be the start of a whole new character to Chico.

There is a pretty cool alley developing on the west side of Warner St. between 1st and 4th. The alley concept seems to be having a tough time with some locals though, but I think that is because of the history of property abuse by opportunistic landlords and degenerate renters. Unfortunately that is still part of the current character of the area.

I wonder if the avenues could be locally, statewide or nationally recognized for its unique conditions that fostered creative and unique solutions, if that wouldn't make it easier for residents outside the avenues to accept their tax dollars being spent. Could it be justified if it was a tourist attraction and communicated something about the city to outsiders?

Or maybe we could just send some of the degenerate renters over to move in next door and the idea of containing them in one area would be more appreciated.

TJ,

Wowzer...

But all good information, thanks. I wasn't necessarily pegging Flynn as a CANAnite. Just pointing out that a recently elected councilor comes from that neck of the woods.

Lon

"A city-wide park district fee is something I would get behind. Because everyone can use a park and in theory there would be a reason for me to travel across town to hang out in one. "

Sure, parks are great, but I don't agree with that. If the city would spend money more prudently, and stop doing pet projects, we'd have more funds to apply to city parks.

Adding another fee is double taxation. I don't feel it is reasonable to pay additional money for park fees because the city staff and councilors have not demonstrated that they can effectively manage what is given to them by the people now.

So far I'm not at all impressed with the reckless spending going on.

Hey Anthony,

You've got a valid point. There are pretty clear examples of public spending being excessive or at least inefficient.

But I would say that many of us already pay park fees, and inside/outside the city residents pay for the assessment district setup by CARD. Some developers set up districts that people join when new homes are built. I think that's the case with Meriam Park.

New home buyers also pay development impact fees specifically for parks. I suppose those parks might end up being built in an annexed area where impact fees were never levied.

I believe I pay a fee for Oak Way Park as well as the CARD district costs. A city-wide district might be a more efficient funding mechanism for neighborhood parks, as opposed to the patchwork of districts we currently have. It would probably reduce taxes for some and create taxes for others.

But I tend to fall off the fiscal conservative wagon when it comes to parks and even public art. I think they both add greatly to our community. I'm willing to amend my support with the statement "assuming a district can be managed responsibly, a city-wide park district fee is something I would get behind."

Lon

Sorry Gregg. The easy ones are mine. Lon has to mix in an easy CIC that I can guess with my 3 brain cells so I'll keep coming back.

"A portion of the plan that I would have a problem with is a suggested city-wide alley assessment district. If this were enacted everyone in the city would pay taxes to improve old alleys." I would have a problem with that too. When I purchased my home, I intentionally bought a place on a nice wide street with sidewalks so my kids could walk to school. Those assets are priced into the value of my home. If I were to buy a home in a formerly unincorporated part of Chico that had a septic tank, on a crappy road with no sidewalks I wouldn't expect someone else to pay for my improvements. I probably already got discount on the house because of those conditions. I know, crazy talk.

Hi Lon,

"My neighborhood, built in the 80's by Drake doesn't have alleys."

Just curious, do you have these features in your Drake home?

1 -Incoming main water line/combo standoff outside faucet requiring a winter insulation jacket to be added by owner. It also comes up in the middle of the sidewalk around the garage, requiring the owner to step around it.

2- Master breaker panel for all interior circuits outside, rather the usual main master panel outside/secondary interior electrical panel inside.

Or am I just lucky?

Lon,

Like TJ, I'm speaking solely for myself.

The boundary of the area CANA represents was chosen by CANA. The boundary for the City of Chico's Avenues Neighborhood Plan was chosen by the City, after significant discussion. For example, there was debate about whether or not to include the Vanella Orchard straddling W 8th Avenue in the plan, or whether Mansion Park should be included due to its separation from the rest of the Avenues, or whether areas which don't have alleys should be included. The neighborhood issues and potential solutions are significantly different depending on location; E. Sacramento is different from Rancheria, which is different from Capshaw Court, which is different from W. Frances Willard. In the end, the City plan acknowledges this, and breaks the neighborhood down into various sub-areas, located on page 12 of the plan (page 16 of the online PDF).

An additional factor in the City's boundary selection is that the General Plan talks about each neighborhood having a central focus, with a maximum 3/4 mile service radius around that focus. Because the center of the Avenues area is roughly at 5th and Esplanade, it doesn't make a lot of sense from a City perspective to extend the neighborhood boundary all the way to the intersection of W. Lindo and the railroad tracks, over 1 1/2 miles away. Including Rancheria was even a bit of a stretch, in my opinion, due to the presence of the Nord Avenue Safeway on the other side of the tracks which serves as a focus for that area.

Anyway, if you have additional questions about the Avenues plan, the best person to answer them is Shawn Tillman up in Housing and Neighborhood Services.

Greg

1 -Incoming main water line/combo standoff outside faucet requiring a winter insulation jacket to be added by owner. It also comes up in the middle of the sidewalk around the garage, requiring the owner to step around it.

I have an incoming water line requiring jacket behind large bush in front yard, but with extra option of main water line cutoff in next door neighbor's front yard.

2- Master breaker panel for all interior circuits outside, rather the usual main master panel outside/secondary interior electrical panel inside.

Absolutely.

Or am I just lucky?

Only if you're still on septic like me. I think keeping my poop in a large undergound vat close at hand is the most sustainable thing I can do.

Lon

Greg,

Thanks, that clears up the boundary question from earlier. And I guess to summarize the city boundary selection it is based on smaller sub-neighborhood identification and a radius of interest, whereas the CANA map is based more on geographical boundaries. The city recognizes the boundary shown above as the Avenues Neighborhood.

Lon

Lon,

You wrote: "I find the various plans the city creates interesting to read. I usually learn more about how the city does its job and get a better understanding of our community by reading them. But I often wonder if they ever get implemented, and whether they are more than a committee exercise. Sometimes I feel like we should call ourselves Chico, City of Plans."

Speaking again just for myself, your observation brings to mind one of my favorite quotes from Peter Drucker:

"Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work."

Greg

reminds me of a Thomas Edison quote:

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work."

.... Alas, it is faster, less controversial, a lot easier and far less work to just put the plan on the shelf with all the others.

Then there's this...

“He who fails to plan, plans to fail”

I think Master Po from Kung Fu said that, but I could be wrong.

Lon

Master Po? Maybe Carl Douglas.

Who said...

"He who plans to plan, fails to fail."

Pee-wee Herman, before his unfortunate arrest.