Neighborhood Action Phase II Begins Thursday In The 3rd Ward

Residents of Flint's 3rd Ward will kick off the next phase of Neighborhood Action Sessions. The meeting will be held Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 5:30 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church on East Stewart Avenue.

In this next phase, the city will hold a session in each of the three areas of every ward plus one for downtown. That's correct, 28 meetings across the city between now and the end of March. The purpose is to generate ideas to help build on the assets and identify specific action items that will provide solutions to address the ward by ward challenges. These assets and challenges were identified by third ward residents during Phase I of Neighborhood Action.

The following is data collected from the Phase I Ward 3 session.

Ward 3
The 3rd ward neighborhood action session was held on December 7, 2009 at Berston Field House. More than 40 residents, city staff and facilitators came together to engage in discussion about the direction of the 3rd ward and the City of Flint as a whole.

During the brief introductions everyone was ask to name 1 thing that made them proud in the City of Flint. Many residents in the 3rd ward were proud to be lifelong Flint residents. They were proud of their community’s willingness to stick together during good and bad times. They also echoed the sentiments of residents in wards 1 and 2 by expressing their hopefulness of new opportunities for the city under the leadership of Mayor Walling.

Assets and Opportunities
• Max Brandon Park and Berston Field house emerged as the main assets cited by the 3rd ward residents. They are both viewed as places that provide recreational opportunities, sports and picnic area. Residents also saw an opportunity in Berston Field House to add more outside lighting, senior programs and recreation;
• The one thing 3rd ward residents say their community is missing and so desperately needs is a full service grocery store;
• Residents also want to see Leith Street opened as a way to drive more business development in the area;
• These residents also expressed an interest in the redevelopment of the empty lots for possible community gardens, new housing, or housing for the homeless.
• The churches and the police mini-station were also viewed as assets in the 3rd ward.

Strategic Priorities
The following listed in the order of importance from greatest to least is what 3rd ward residents would like to see city government concentrate its efforts on.
1. Public Safety
2. Economic Development
3. Infrastructure
4. New/Improved Housing Options
5. Human Services (specifically related to senior citizens)
6. Parks, Trails, and Recreation
7. Building and Property Code Enforcement