Albany NY Historic Preservation Plan Section 6
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SECTION 6 : THE COMMUNITY SPEAKSThe Lakota Group 135 Community Engagement Summary Continuous community feedback is vital to the creation of the City of Online Survey (Round 1) Albany’s first citywide Historic Preservation Plan. The plan will acknowledge On July 16, 2019, The Lakota Group launched the first online survey on the the role historic preservation plays in shaping the city’s character, while Albany NY Historic Preservation Plan website. The online survey remained recognizing the additional efforts necessary to identify high priority areas for open for the community to take until Friday, August 16th, 2019. The online preservation, reinvestment, and economic development. To do so, community survey had 246 respondents, totaling 354 participants during the first round feedback regarding future districts, landmarks, and historic resources is of community outreach. Of the 246 participants of the online survey, 87 pivotal to the plan’s success in identifying critical preservation issues and percent were residents of the City of Albany; and many of the respondents shaping the future of Albany. Two rounds of community open houses, ranged between 51 and 65 years old (35 percent), followed by those each followed by interactive surveys, were completed to gather important residents in the 36 to 50 years old age bracket (26 percent). A majority of community feedback. the respondents were Caucasian (79 percent) and work within the City of Community Open Houses (Round 1) Albany (75 percent). The majority of respondents had a graduate degree (53 percent) or a four-year college/bachelor’s degree (36 percent) and had an During the week of July 9, 2019, the first round of community open houses annual income over $100,000 (43 percent). When asked if the respondent were held. In total, five (5) community open houses were held in different currently or previously lived in an existing historic district, the majority of locations throughout the City of Albany. Two open houses were held on participants live or lived in Center Square-Hudson Park (36 percent), none of Tuesday, July 9, 2019 at The Point Restaurant from 12 PM to 2:30 PM and the districts (26 percent) or in Washington Park (16 percent). Ten Broeck Mansion from 6 PM to 9 PM. The following day, two more were Big Map Sticker Exercise scheduled at the Arcade Building from 12 PM to 2:30 PM and at Lark Hall from 6 PM to 9 PM. On Thursday, July 11, 2019, the final session of the first round was held at the African American Cultural Center from 10 AM to 12:30 PM. Over 100 participants attended the community open houses. An online survey was available for residents unable to attend the community open houses. Also, all exhibits and materials displayed at the community open houses were posted online for residents to view. The community was encouraged to post any comments or concerns to the project’s website at albanyhistoricpreservationplan.com. An outline of the Community Open Houses format is provided below: • Albany NY Historic Preservation Plan Introduction (Station 1) • Albany NY Fast Facts (Station 2) • Albany NY Historic Resources (Station 3) • People and Places That Matter (Station 4) • Community Engaging Exercises (Station 5) Community Open House at the African American Cultural Center 136 Albany, New York Historic Preservation Plan HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSES Online Survey Social Media Post #1 (07.18.2019) Community Open House Post #2 (07.09.2019) e y of Albany rean a Tuesday, July 9, 2019 ywe or reeraon lan n orer o renen e y or reeraon e on earant Ten roek anon rora e lan wll Maon Avene Ten roek lae aknowlee e role or reeraon lay n an e y araer, wle reonn a aonal Wednesday, July 10, 2019 eor are neee o eny rory area for reeraon, renveen, an Arcae ln Lark all eono eveloent. roaway on Avene* Coe o one or ore of ee oen oe o nfor yorel on en or reorce, Thursday, July 11, 2019 roe eebak on re or reorce an o el A eny ral reeraon Aran Aeran lral ener e o earl ree *Faly no AA aceble albanyhistoricpreservationplan.com WE NEED YOUR INPUT! Community Open House Flyer Handout (06.26.2019) Community Open House at Lark Hall The Lakota Group 137 Online Survey Demographics (Round 1) Age Ethnicity Gender Residence Ownership Occupation Education Income Here is the demographic summary of the first online survey available to the community from Tuesday, July 16 to Friday, August 16, 2019. 57% 41% 79% 87% Do you currently live, or have you previously lived in are residents of 89% identify as Bachelors degree the Albany any of the Historic Districts? Caucasian 56% or higher 44% owned or have over $100,000 2% 46% annually 47% Female owned a historic 51+ Male property 75% Center Square-Hudson Park 36% : 91 people 26 - 50 work locally in Under 25 Under 6% Albany 1% No response None of the Above 27% : 67 people Washington Park 16% : 40 people Lark Street South-End Groesbeckville Mansion Upper Madison Avenue Ten Broeck Triangle Downtown Albany Broadway-Livingston Avenue Clinton Avenue/North Pearl Street/Clinton Square Pastures South Lake Avenue Elberon Triangle Knox Street South Pearl Street Commercial Row Washington Avenue Lafayette Park Lexington Avenue Lustron Homes of Jermain Street Rapp Road Community 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% Community Open House at the Point Restaurant 138 Albany, New York Historic Preservation Plan Online Survey Feedback (Round 1) Are there any additional areas in the City of Albany which should be classified as Historic Districts? Below are some of the community feedback of the first online survey available to the community from Tuesday, July 16 to Friday, August 16, 2019. Please share people and places of Albany which contribute to the city’s character! North Albany-Warehouse Corridor Arbor Hill Early Dutch Settlement Kate Stoneman Pine Hills SUNY Albany Campus Source: Albany Institute of History Source: Albany Law School and Art Manning Boulevard Toni Morrison Quackenbush Distillery New Scotland Avenue Source: Albany Times Union Distillery Site, Source: Discover Albany Alphonso Marinello Prof. James Hall Helderberg South-End Groesbeckville Whitehall Delaware Avenue Source: Delaware Avenue Neighborhood Source: Albany Times Union Survey (2013) The Lakota Group 139 Which Albany landmark is endangered or warrants Are there any additional sites in the City of Albany ion Un es im some form of preservation action? which should be classified as landmarks? T ny a lb : A m e .co rc ny u lba o A S Church of the Holy Van Ostrande-Radliff e: , rc s u e o 1 Innocents & Chapel 2 House S m , o g H o D r o A d C u R T e d h n t a r l l e o p H p i N 275 North Pearl Street 48 Hudson Street All Ov urce: er Alb So an Cherry Hill Lincoln Park er, y 3 4 at he T n o is d a M ver treet, Source: Th e: All O Alban rio S e C urc y ta ity , So On o e d f A rv n lb se a a re e n P u y li n o e v v ri A T n o t n Source: Albany Times Union Source: Albany.org li C t a 7 e n i g Fort Orange Albany Felt n E 5 Archaeological Site 6 Company Complex Source: New York State Museum Source: All Over Albany 140 Albany, New York Historic Preservation Plan Are there any additional areas in the City of Albany which should be surveyed? North Albany-Warehouse Corridor Tivoli Preserve Pine Hills Community Open House at the Point Restaurant Melrose Neighborhood Manning Boulevard Big Idea Exercise at the Lark Hall Community Open House New Scotland Avenue Helderberg South-End Groesbeckville Delaware Avenue Second Avenue Community Open House at the Point Restaurant The Lakota Group 141 Community Priorities Can you think of any other initiatives you would want the City of Albany to support? Choose your top priorities! Participants received seven ($7) planning dollars to • Ensuring proper permitting and expectations for historic resources for all. • Work with City organizations to update all information outlets to better spend on different preservation actions. The actions were priced at different • Prioritize home ownership and infill development. inform the public of historic resources. amounts resulting in participants having to spend their money wisely. • Promote sense of place with transforming vacant lot into park or open • Provide historic preservation training for City staff spaces in order to strengthen neighborhood pride and aesthetics. • Hire additional staff for the Historic Preservation Department $720 $702 $277 $263 $122 NEIGHBORHOOD ECONOMIC EDUCATIONAL ADDITIONAL OTHER 1 REVITALIZATION 2 DEVELOPMENT 3 INITIATIVES 4 LANDMARKS-DISTRICTS 2 INITIATIVES Choose Your Top Priorities Exercise at the African American Cultural Center Community Open House 142 Albany, New York Historic Preservation Plan What issues/concerns do you have related to Historic Preservation in the City of Albany? While wealthier (and typically white) historic neighborhoods I am concerned that some historic districts with low property values, such as South End- are protected and prosper, the lower income (typically black) City Building Department must Groesbeckville, are being hurt by the historic designation. The historic designation adds historic neighborhoods tend to fall into disrepair and are become more aggressive in significant cost to rehabilitation and we are in a crisis situation with hundreds of vacant eventually torn down by the city. dealing with derelict buildings. buildings. I’d rather have the buildings be rehabilitated without meeting all historic requirements than continue to sit vacant. I feel a lot of the energy is spent on less significant Seeming lack of care for Albany’s historic properties, and it dilutes the impact of the fabric.