Old West End Neighborhood Association

2005 Community Development Block Grant Application

OWENA Application

APPLICANT: Old West Neighborhood Association (OWENA)

Date January 4, 2005

Agency Old West End Neighborhood Association (OWENA)

Address 410 West Howard Street, Muncie, IN 47305

Employer ID # 01115877350005

Telephone # (765) 748-4185

Contact Person Stephan Howick

Title: President

Amount requested $ 18,570.00 (Eighteen Thousand Five Hundred Seventy Dollars)

Brief description of project need:

The Old West End is one of Muncie’s oldest established neighborhoods, and is characterized by large older homes, mature street trees and a diversity of residents. While the neighborhood has seen spurts of interest and investment, in the past ten years the neighborhood has seen a steady decline in the level of investment in the older homes. There has been a equally declining level of investment in the streets and street trees. There was once or twice a cop shop in the neighborhood, this too has diminished.

The issues that OWENA is seeking to initiate work on are threefold: 1) the hazardous and dying street trees which need to be replaced, 2) the excessive number of the homes in the neighborhood that stand vacant and open in varying stages of decay, and 3) the increasing presence of drugs and the limited opportunities for the children in the neighborhood.

Through this grant, OWENA hopes to solicit funding for the City of Muncie’s departments of Urban Forestry, Code Enforcement and Police to address the above issues as outlined in this application. OWENA believes that providing additional funding to these existing City Departments will allow them to provide an increased presence in the Old West End. The OWENA officers, board and membership are committed to assisting with this overall grant and to help insure its ultimate success.

1. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF AGENCY:

Old West End Neighborhood Association (OWENA) is a non profit neighborhood organization. This fall OWENA reorganized itself, electing new officers and a new board of directors. The new leadership represents the broad range of citizens in the neighborhood. Over 75 residents attended meetings this fall and there is a strong interest in the neighborhood’s improvement. Please visit our website: www.neighborhoodlink.com/muncie/owena.

Over the years the level of activity of the OWENA has fluctuated. The most visible and continuing activity of the group is the semi annual neighborhood clean ups that are well attended and greatly appreciated by the neighborhood as a whole. These have helped to maintain the sense of community in the neighborhood and served as a vital means of introducing new residents and home owner’s to the neighborhood. The issues facing the neighborhood still include trash, and the organization is addressing this. However there are larger issues of neglect and deferred maintenance by both property owners and the city.

2. AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:

The Old West End Neighborhood Association (OWENA) goals are: 1) To conserve the characteristics and qualities of the neighborhood that have made it an attractive place to live. These characteristics and qualities include the large older homes, mature trees, proximity to the downtown, river access, and affordable housing. 2) To make the public landscape an attractive component of the overall neighborhood. The history and beauty of the neighborhood includes the stately homes in the neighborhood, the streets, sidewalks and the alleys. 3) To develop a unified voice for the residents of the neighborhood. This unity translates into constructive communication with the city, a caring respect for the safety of all residents, and a concerted effort to raise the level of pride in claiming the Old West End as our home.

The past opportunities to buy these homes very cheaply, has lead to many of the homes to be purchased by individuals and institutions lacking the commitment and or resources to do the basic renovation these homes require and to bring them up to modern standards. As a result, many of these homes sit vacant with no anticipated investment to stop the decay. As these homes sit vacant they become increasingly attractive as targets for criminal activity and arson. The steady decay of these homes makes them unsafe as refuge for the homeless and dangerous for playing children. While there are nearly 40 of these homes in the neighborhood, the most unsafe and decaying homes pose the greatest threat to public safety. They need to be boarded up to discourage people from entering them and potentially being injured.

The large shade trees that help to define the character of the streets in the neighborhood are aged and in need of increasing levels of care. Beyond the diminishing aesthetic character these trees give to the neighborhood, as they decay they become large hazardous trees threatening personal injury and property damage. Addressing these hazardous trees and planting the next generation of street trees is an important component of simply maintaining the character of the neighborhood. The ice storm has made the need for funding in this area very prominent.

The neighborhood is diverse. As the downtown of Muncie develops and succeeds, the surrounding neighborhoods offer additional growth opportunity for the city. We see our neighborhood as building onto a good thing to continue the progress of the community. Our neighborhood offers housing for renters and home owners of diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. There are numerous businesses and churches in our neighborhood. This diversity gives the neighborhood a unique activity level. What we lack is recreational opportunity and mentoring for the children and young adults in the neighborhood, and there is an impression that the Old West End is a safe place for drugs and prostitution but not for raising kids. We want to see a shift in this balance. In the past their have been neighborhood cop shops in the Old West End. We are interested in working the Muncie Police Department to create an appropriate presence in the neighborhood.

3. IDENTIFY CLIENTELE SERVED OR AREA TARGETED

The funds sought through this grant are to be applied for the benefit of the entire Old West End. The funding amounts sought are modest, but offer an opportunity to demonstrate positive improvements in all three goals of the neighborhood association.

We would like to allow the urban forester to select the hazardous trees for removal or safety pruning based on the greatest treat to public safety. The streets provide benefits to all of the residents of the neighborhood. It is expected that the intersections of Cherry and Adams Streets and Council and Adams Streets will rank highly on the areas of need in the neighborhood as these streets are heavily traveled pedestrian routes. The tree planting shall focus on areas that are missing street trees and where adjacent land owners are willing to participate in the after care of the newly planted trees. The tree planting will provide an outstanding for volunteer activity in the community.

The houses to be boarded up are located throughout the neighborhood. We are focusing on the homes that pose the greatest threat to the accidental injury of young children.

The cop shop is a neighborhood wide effort that will include a neighborhood watch component.

The boundaries of the Old West End are: the railroad to the south, Main Street to the north, the alley located between Franklin and Liberty Streets to the east, and the White River to the west.
Population of the Neighborhood is approximately 1,500.00
Low Income % is not known for certain, but is believed to be high.
Moderate income % is not known for certain.
Distribution of income levels is fairly consistent across the neighborhood.

4. IDENTIFY NEED OF BUILDING:

Abandoned Homes:

Of the 500 homes in the neighborhood over 40 are vacant or abandoned.
We want to address the following properties:

Address:
521 S Gharkey St., 522 S Gharkey St., 522 S Mound St., 521 S Council St. and, 515 W. Main St.

A cost estimate is attached to provide detail on the costs to secure each of these homes.


Street Trees:

The large Silver Maples in the neighborhood are acknowledged to be on the decline and present a significant hazard. We can identify over fifty trees requiring immediate attention, but will focus on 10 of the most hazardous trees based on their size and location to be selected by the City Urban Forester.

The neighborhood can absorb the planting of well over one hundred new street trees. We are interested in planting 10 high quality healthy street trees this year.

Tree Plantings will be coordinated with adjacent landowners who will provide after planting care.

Cop Shop:

A neighborhood watch and Cop Shop are proven catalysts in increasing the safety of neighborhoods. What the actual cop shop will include, where it will be located and how it will be staffed are issues to be determined. The funding sought is intended to provide a mechanism for securing growing support for this concept.

5. ATTACH ARCHITECT OR CONTRACTOR COST ESTIMATE ON PROJECT:

6. TOTAL PROJECT COST BUDGET: (include list of other sources of confirmed funding)

Street Trees:
Tree Removal:
10 trees at $700 per tree equals $ 7,000.00

Tree Planting
10 trees at $300 per tree equals $ 3,000.00

Total for street trees is $10,000.00

Abandoned Houses:

521 S Gharkey St.

2 Doors in front
10 Windows
1 Door in rear
Basement Access
Garage Door
Garage Window
1 Garage Entry Door

Materials: (Material Cost are FOB)
(12) sheets of ½” CDX plywood at $32.50 per sheet = $ 390.00
Labor: (Labor Rates include tools, fasteners transportation and supervision)
1.5 labor hours per sheet at $35.00 per hour = $ 630.00
Total $1,020.00
522 S Gharkey St.

3 Doors
8 Windows
5 smaller Windows

Materials: (Material Cost are FOB)
(9) sheets of ½” CDX plywood at $32.50 per sheet = $ 292.50
Labor: (Labor Rates include tools, fasteners transportation and supervision)
1.5 labor hours per sheet at $35.00 per hour = $ 472.50
Total $ 765.00


522 S Mound St.

1 Door in rear that is open with broken glass
Rest of house is boarded up
Back porch is falling through
Hole in roof

Materials: (Material Cost are FOB)
(1) sheets of ½” CDX plywood at $32.50 per sheet = $ 32.50
Labor: (Labor Rates include tools, fasteners transportation and supervision)
1.5 labor hours per sheet at $35.00 per hour = $ 52.50
Total $ 85.00

521 S Council St.

1 Front door
1 Rear door
9 Windows
Several holes in siding
Inside completely gutted
Very bad shape and wide open

Materials: (Material Cost are FOB)
(8) sheets of ½” CDX plywood at $32.50 per sheet = $ 260.00
Labor: (Labor Rates include tools, fasteners transportation and supervision)
1.5 labor hours per sheet at $35.00 per hour = $ 420.00
Total $ 680.00

515 W Main St.

2 Front doors
8 Windows
Blood on second story front door
Large hole in roof
Second story floor rotten and very dangerous
Easily accessed and children seen playing in area
Materials: (Material Cost are FOB)
(12) sheets of ½” CDX plywood at $32.50 per sheet = $ 390.00
Labor: (Labor Rates include tools, fasteners transportation and supervision)
1.5 labor hours per sheet at $35.00 per hour = $ 630.00
Total $1,020.00


Total for Securing Abandoned Houses $3,570.00


Cop Shop
We do not know what it will take to set up a cop shop. We would like for the city to set aside funding dedicated to providing additional public safety services to the Old West End.
For the Police Department we are requesting $5,000.00


7. AUTHORIZATION FOR GRANT SUBMISSION:

You may submit either this statement signed by the Board of Directors or copies of Board meeting minutes indicating this authorization.

The Board of Directors hereby authorizes the submission of a grant to request Community Development funds for capital improvements.

See Attached Board Meeting Minutes authorizing this grant proposal.


8. DESCRIPTION OF FUND-RAISERS FOR 2004

Describe any fund-raising efforts your agency has sponsored in the past year. Please indicate the measure of success and dollars raised.

Fund raising for distribution by the Old West End Neighborhood Association is not a goal of the organization. As such, the organization is a non-profit social organization that is not able to provide tax deductions for donors.

The charitable work and efforts of the association are membership activities including: organized events to improve the neighborhood and the self motivated efforts of individual members. The current organized efforts include:
the semi annual trash pick up. This year over twenty residents volunteered 6 hours to pick up trash with assistance from the Muncie Sanitary District.

The proposed tree planting effort will provide an additional opportunity for an organized charitable activity in the form of volunteer tree planting labor. And the after care of the individual trees will require commitment form individual land owners with the support of the association to insure that the trees are cared for.


9. OTHER AGENCIES TO WHOM YOU HAVE APPLIED FOR FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT AND STATUS OF REQUEST. IF YOU HAVE NOT APPLIED TO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY NOT.

We have recently reorganized.

10. Attach 501 © 3 tax status determination from IRS

See attached