Notes from the March 11 Planning Meeting

Union Corners Design Principles and Temporary/Transitional Use Group

Meeting Notes

Friday, March 11, 2011

Goodman Community Center

Present: Lou, Mary, Dace, John and Mark

Purpose: Kick start the quick planning activity for Union Corners for Design Principles and Temporary and Transitional Uses

The group introduced themselves and quickly got down to business. The first order of business was to establish a date and time for the initial planning meeting for the small coordinating team working on the project. Mary had set up a Doodle poll to survey dates and people’s availability. A quick look at the poll and assessment of options led to the following decision:

Initial Planning Meeting

Sunday, March 20th, 2011

3pm to 4:30pm

Location: [TBD, See Below]

A discussion about where to have this smaller meeting was held and we eventually decided to try to get access to the former Union Corners Showroom on East Washington Avenue. Lou Host-Jablonsky was tasked to talk to Marsha Rummel to see if the facility was available, and if so how we might gain access for that meeting. Plan B was to use the conference facilities at the Social Justice Center. Plan C is to use the upstairs conference space at the Goodman Community Center.

Next, the discussion turned to the process and how to document the outcomes. The group had a wide-ranging discussion about the process – recognizing that there was not much time to make the process work. Several different models were discussed, but an overarching plan seems to be as follows:

• Between now and March 20th, do as much preparation work as possible so that the initial organizing meeting is both effective and sets the needed ground work for two design principle and visioning meetings.
• On March 20th have an initial organizing meeting with a small group (8-10) of engaged Union Corners activists who would establish the ground rules, process, and outcomes for a pair of highly focused meetings on Union Corners Design Principles and potential approaches for temporary/transitional uses. The output of this meeting would be the guidance needed for a professional facilitator to make the two highly focused meetings a success.
• Between March 20th and March 26th prepare for the first of the larger Design Principle meetings. In this period, the professional facilitator for the meetings would have to be in place.
• On March 26th, at a location to be determined, have the first of two community Design Principle meetings from 10am to 1pm. Snacks would be provided through contributions from individuals and nearby neighborhood associations.
• Between March 26th and April 9th further work would be done by the facilitator and the participating community outside of face-to-face meetings.
• On April 9th, at a location to be determined, have the second of two meetings; again from 10am to 1pm.
• Between April 9th and April 15th draft, revise and publish a document with consensus Design Principles for Union Corners for use by the New Urbanism group. Publish the paper to the New Urbanism group by April 15th.
• Post April 15th, identify a process by which temporary and transitional uses can be identified, planned for and, finally, put into place. Provide a proposal to the city on how temporary and transitional uses can be implemented at Union Corners.

This plan seemed optimistic to the group, but we also felt it could be managed. There was further discussion by the group which led to the following action items.

Action Items

1. Lou to talk to Marsha Rummel about gaining access to the Union Corners showroom for meetings during this project.
2. Lou to talk to Marsha Rummel about the timing and process for bringing a professional facilitator into the process and quickly engaging them cooperatively in our work.
3. Lou to request that Marsha Rummel send a note to the mayor requesting that the new Director of Planning be, not just invited, but actively engaged in this Union Corners activity. The goal is that the Director of Planning be present for at least the two community sessions. It would be helpful to know what other city stakeholders there were (so that they too could be invited).
4. Dace to talk to Joe Mingle to ensure that it is acceptable to use the material collected by Friends of Union Corners for background work on the project.
5. John and Dace to identify a contact/participant in the Eken Park Neighborhood Association.
6. Mark to arrange meeting spaces as a back only at Goodman Community Center.
7. Mark to build a quick web page to act as a portal for links and documents for this project (nothing pretty, just useful).
8. The group agreed to all more forward on some homework:
9. Brainstorm the small invite list for the initial organizational meeting on March 20th.
10. Propose an agenda for the initial organization meeting on March 20th.
11. Produce a crisp description of what it is we are trying to do/accomplish and what the deliverable(s) would look like.
12. Mark agreed to produce a short manifesto.

The group adjourned at 9:15am.