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HomeMy WebLinkAboutoppose additional Jamie Schriner Old Town Jamie,LT.,C 1216 Turner Street,Apt.A Lansing,MI 48906 August 15,2017 Lansing Memorial Review Board Members, I'm writing to you today as an Old'Town property owner,resident,volunteer,donor and longtime community stakeholder.I ask you to honor the comn-Atment and agreements that were.made in 2010 for the honorary naming of Grand River Avenue/Cesar Chavez Avenue and Cesar Chavez Plaza and to work with us to build the archway,not to impose the permanent and irrevocable mune change. In 1997,I moved to Lansing;shortly thereafter,I bought my very first house in Old'T'own at 916 North Walnut,which began my love of the community.Along with my sister,I would walk any dog to Tate's Freeze, now the Arctic Corner,to get ice cream and wall.through the neighborhood.At that time,the majority of the buildings were boarded and very little was going on.Old Town had only recently been branded as"Old "Town"and most people still called it North Lansing or the north end,Despite the more than 90%vacancy rate at that point,there was an unbelievable spirit and can-do attitude in the community that resonates today. 'Ibis was when the Main Street program was starting and volunteers were becoming organized with very specific projects. In the last 20 years,I've been blessed in.that I've now come to call nearly everyone in the community a friend or a future friend.I spend nearly every minute of my spare time volunteering to make Old'Town'a better place.bellow volunteers in Old Town have become friends and family.My family has literally set up business in Old.Town as well as.made it their home.I have been lucky enough to at times snake Old Town any career, being the Executive Director of the OTCA from 2005 through 2009,so I know exactly wbat.it takes to brand the community and organize volunteers.It is not easy nor is it cheap.I fear that if you impose this on Old Town,businesses will permanently close their doors and the OTCA s very limited.resources will no longer go toward paying for purchasing and emptying the public trash cans,installing and watering flowers and hanging baskets and holiday decor and the many other things chat everyone assumes the City of Lansing pays for. Limited dollars will be spent trying to keep small businesses in business and paying for advertising that the community simply cannot afford.Basic amenities will not be covered,which will further cause the community to go into disarray. .As someone who spends a significant amount of time volunteering,I was very excited when the plans were created by the entire community—both Old Town stakeholders and the Unsing for Cesar Chavez group—to honor a great man and to make wonderful improvements to the neighborhood.Who wouldn't want these things to happen?We get an honorary name on our streets,a beautifu archway on the entrance to our public gathering place where we hold all of our festival and events and an actual name that isn't just"Lot 56";it's now"Cesar Chavez Plaza."To me,this was going to be wonderful.'I lie best part-was going to be all of the new volunteers in the community celebrating Mr. Chavez and his impact on Old Town. Imagine my disappointment when this did not happen. Sadly,only once did I see any volunteers from the J ansing for Cesar Chavez group helping at a community clean-up after the announcement.There were no more Tejano festivals.Volunteers from the committee were not at other Old Town festivals.When I'm out weeding(as I am on a regular basis) those stopping to offer to lend a hand are not from the Chavez committee,And,the worst was when I learned about the proposed permanent renaming.T asked if we could first work together as a community to finish the arch to do something positive together to build bridges..I:was told by a leader on the Chavez committee;"You can finish the arch.We are renaming the road."Thus is not how we do things in this community.We work together. I have at times sacrificed time with my family,my friends,my job and my sanity to make Old Town a better place for everyone who steps foot in it. At a bare minimum,I ask that the Lansing for Cesar Chavez members make the sacrifice to work with members of the Old Town community to honor their commitments that were made in 2010.I also stand ready to assist with the arch and would love to work with the committee to rename the Rivet Trail or another road in Old Town that has both a start and an end,does not already have a significant history and would not have the impact on so many small businesses. Both tomorrow evening and Friday I'll be weeding in front of Chavez Plaza and invite you and any other members of the community and Datsing for Cesar Chavez committee to join me to make Old Town. Thant.you in advance for your consideration, I ]'Arlie khtin.er MICHIGAN HISTORIC PRESERVATION NETWORK r August 15,2017 ��vgT'ION Dear Lansing Memorial Review Board: We are writing as a building owner and longtime tenant in Lansing's Old Town Main Street community. Michigan Historic Preservation Network is the statewide nonprofit that educates and advocates for historic preservation. We moved to Old Town 14 years ago,where we rented an office for 10 years. Four years ago, we mad an investment in Old Town,when we purchased and rehabilitated the Thelma Louise Osteen Comfort Station at 31.3 East Grand River Avenue.We love being in Old Town,because of its rich and diverse heritage,its historic buildings and the people who work live and play here. We welcome and honor everyone here, The effort to change the name of Grand River Avenue to Cesar Chavez Avenue would demand significant expenditures on behalf of our organization,as well as all of the property owners,tenants and residents in Old Town.As a nonprofit with limited resources,it would have a major impact on our budget to change all of our literature,flyers,stationary and our website. Street names--while a quick way to honor someone — are more powerful than most people realize. "They're not just ways of getting your mail delivered. People invest a great deal in their street identity. Change a street name, and you change the way people think about their city," Says Derek Alderman, an Last Carolina.University geographer who has studied the trend. "It's where ideology meets asphalt." We welcome efforts to honor the legacy of Cesar Chavez and educate those who visit our community,and would be happy to explore renaming a street in our neighborhood that is not one of our two main streets. An honorary street naming designation would also be quite appropriate(in Chicago,this is often a technique used to honor individuals).The Main Street community would also be willing to raise and invest resources into the Cesar E.Chavez Plaza,where we hold the majority of our community events, so that it is more explicitly dedicated to education of the community about the legacy of Chavez and the value we place in our community's diversity and heritage. The Michigan Historic Preservation Network is opposed to changing the name of Grand River Avenue in Old Town Lansing.Please feel free to contact me,should you have questions. Sincerely yours, Nancy M.Finegood Executive Director Michigan Historic Preservation Network 313.East Grand River Ave.,Lansing MI 48906 Old Town Marquee 319 East Grand River Avenue- Lansing, MI 48906 8-15-17 City of Lansing Memorial Review Board Re, Renaming of Grand River Avenue To whom it may concern; I am writing to express my opposition to the renaming of Grand River Avenue in Old Town Lansing permanently to Cesar Chavez Avenue. There are many reasons I object,and these have been eloquently described in a letter from the Old Town Commercial Association(OTCA), and which I wholeheartedly agree with. As a business owner, and property owner on East Grand River Avenue I believe the change will have a negative impact on my business. There will be costs involved in changing all of our marketing materials, logos, business cards, websites to reflect the change. I am not aware of any funds being offered by the Lansing for Chavez organization to cover these costs for my business or any other. I think it presumptious to assume that small business owners are willing and able to make these changes at the whim of a special interest group. I am confused as to how the changing of a street name will have a significant positive impact on the local community. Old Town is a very diverse neighborhood in it's current population, and throughout history as Lansing's original permanent settlement. The identity of Old Town has been built through a grassroots campaign that has been very successful! I remember Old Town back in the 1990's, and wow! What a change there has been. The change has been made with the help of people from all walks of life and ethnicitles, and the current name of"Old Town", the heart of which is Grand River Avenue and Turner St. does not in anyway discriminate against any group. If there are other ideas to honor Cesar Chavez that would educate the community on his work and impact on the lives of Latinos without burdening local business owners or changing the neutral and welcoming spirit Old Town is currently known for, I would love to hear them! Kindly, K43W,,z " LW-oi, Bethany Morton,Owner Old Town Marquee August 15, 2017 Subject: Renaming F. Grand River Ave. To: The City of Lansing, the Mayor and Council: Over 20+year ago myself, and a small group of friends, took the biggest financial risk of our lives.........We bought and renovated the entire 100 block of F. Grand River Ave. This was all done with personal savings, lots of hard work, sweat and perseverance. I still live in Old Town to this day and it is my neighborhood. Please consider: Is the City willing to allow residents and stake-holder of Old Town the same opportunity to choose the name of our existing public streets? If yes:...then make no decision until you have an opportunity to compare all name suggestions, and the City clearly communicates its petition requirements, and provides transparency in decision making criteria. If no:.......The City is denying the Old Town stake-holders an equal opportunity. is the City's intent to force demands of a special interest group on other invested citizens? Caser Chavez deserves special recognition, but changing street names is not the way. Please find another method to commemorate Mr. Chavez, and please leave our street name as is. Respectfully, FRFD HAMMOND 111 I:. Grand River Ave. Resident Property Owner Business Owner Taxpayer Dear Memorial Review Board, I am writing on behalf of myself and Tom Arnold in response to the proposed Grand River Avenue name change. We are vehemently opposed to a name change of any sort. Tom purchased his first building, in which we reside, in 1978. I have lived in Old Town officially since 1994, f made my first visit to the neighborhood In 1983, well before it was known as Old Town. We have seen the changes over the years. Changes made by the hard work and sacrifice of building and business owners, The proposed name change will cost us, our commercial tenants, The Nature Conservancy, Ciesa Design, Spin Cycle and residential tenants a great deal of time, money and business if the name of our street is changed. Grand River is an historic name. Please do not jeopardize the success of our neighborhood by changing the name. Sincerely, Mary Farr Tom Arnold 202 Fast Grand River Avenue #2 Lansing MI 48906 Buildings Owned in Old Town: 200 East Grand River 202 East Grand River 204 East Grand River 206 East Grand River 101 East Grand River 1 SWANSON DESIGN STUDIOS ARCHITECTURE DESIGN INTERIOR ARCH IT 18:15 City of Lansing Memorial Review Board I would like to introduce myself, I am Mary Swanson of Swanson Design Studios, Swanson Design Studios is a professional corporation that started In Lansing, Michigan in 1996. We bought 329 E. Grand River Ave. in 2005 and moved our company into the building. Our building was built in 1929 as the Bank of Lansing. Upon moving into the heart of Old Town, I began to see what Old Town is all about. It is a very diverse group of people and buildings. It does not matter what the color of your skin is, where you are born, when you were born, who you love, what your religion is, or even who you voted for. We support one another in adversity, illness and celebrate the joyous times of marriage, children and graduation. We are a community. Hundreds of hours are donated by hundreds of people each year. I was the Chairman of the OTCA Design Committee, and a Member of the Old Town Commercial Association Board of Directors. I also volunteer for MICA festivals. Old Town does not just happen, many people work to make it happen. I have watched many of my friends work hard at their business and do all the right marketing and advertising, one woman even worked another job to support her passion and it stilled failed. Working hard is the essence of Old Town. It does not mean we are necessarily serious, it is the wacky collection of people I've ever known. It has a richness that cannot be replicated. Old Town seriously looked at the issues of honoring Caesar Chavez and I feel came up with a fair working solution to honor him. Since that time I have not seen a great increase in activity in Old Town from this group. I feel like we are being shamed into this. They so to speak have no stake in this race. They have had ample opportunity to become involved and have chosen not to. I signed a petition and said I do not want the name changed, do not wish to change my address. Thank you for your careful consideration. Sincerely, Phi.(517)482-9039 • 329 EAST GRAND RIVER AVE, • LANSING,MICHIGAN 48906 • FAX(517k 482.9290 WWW.SWANSONDESIGN.COM Mary Swanson Swanson Design Studios �1 r .-s5„2,�...•'� :.,, k,�•�k S,�A�`Y>`e fif;a-- �`4 `lit 1*.s -`^•�., 24<r` � x.zee +�,�.:.��ta�4 1 a� t ' ztaz3� . e �a a k�,oui � �A�1�1�R�.�:>� Yc'1 a` »a1 '' t{s gl 1° e.v h 2.;9�r � $• �;��>.,�5� C c1 � �- u caxt�tp't � 4'4�iak"F vlTa�&!� ¢ a�_ ''y3 +e�7a�1y�,,',la��, i �t x{a��"�.4�`.0���a ,� �'��� �^�� t=^Ya�ASa!•�5.�}�'�,� y>; {�v 2�i .- � 13Z`eV,s�f j�1�'��SF�-Y; �,� � ��s��et'ESS�jui3}:�}� •r 2,,Msm 1 5.,,�f x<,� �Y ""'G za, �i.�k t {F� ��R \},t���t�«� s 4� R Ell va � a' 1vtcc� 2�F�a� v t � ° fart 3 Y2 L �fv`l, n 4 s F.� Ze4 q a a S �.•�`� y"a ��� a - S Zh'ya� � i `i ��v � x gp'�a .a x e i' a s lei e t,.��l���j��'i-. 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