[Community_garden] Community Garden: HACC Board Meeting 12/18/07 audio tape and index available

Tue Jan 8 16:20:24 EST 2008

Hi, Folks!

You may remember that the Housing Authority of Chester County (HACC) Board
Meeting on 12/18/07 at King Terrace was videotaped and also audiotaped both
by garden supporters and HACC personnel.  Unfortunately, the videotape has
experienced severe technical difficulties; however, our audio tape, along
with an index of times and persons speaking is available for download here:

Description: HACC Board Meeting 12/18/07 Index to Audio File (3 page pdf)
The direct download link is: http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/pzauov

Description: HACC Board Meeting 12/18/07 audio file (35 mg .wav file - 76
minutes listening time)
The direct download link is: http://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/d2wmhn

This is rented server space at a reputable company - you'll have to download
the files to your computer, then read/listen to them once they are on your
hard drive, but there should not be any concerns about viruses or anything
else that will harm your computer.

You'll probably want to print out the Index and then follow along as you
listen to the audio file.  The baby crying in the background is Katie Jayne
Mannon whose family regularly visits the community garden and labyrinth.
There were about 75 people at the meeting - over 60 of them were community
garden/labyrinth supporters, including two babies and five children under
the age of 10.

We are extremely grateful to everyone who took time out of their day to come
to King Terrace on 12/18/07 and speak on behalf of the community garden and
labyrinth.  While everyone on the tape is worth listening to, I would
suggest that the "highlights" are as follows:

Rev. Linda Gruber, Pastor, St. John's United Church of Christ (Start Time:
13:03)

Presents and explains the Consistory Proposal on why the lease for St John's
United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth should be
extended past September 1, 2009.

(A stellar example of why the art of preaching is so highly esteemed within
the United Church of Christ.)

Bobby Dean, 78, Phoenixville North Side homeowner and eldest community
gardener (Start Time: 33:23)

Dean describes his experiences and observations as a veteran, a gardener and
the primary donor of fresh produce to Phoenixville residents in need.

Board Chair, Phoenixville Area Community Services (PACS) (Start Time: 46:20)

Describes how PACS depends on the community garden's produce as cuts to food
banks continue.

(Although I couldn't catch this gentleman's name, he eloquently expresses
the pain of those who toil in hunger relief.  Unfortunately, feeding the
hungry is not a high priority in this society and there is always someone
taking another whack at what programs are in place and denying the expansion
or creation of new ones, as the recent debates on the Farm Bill poignantly
illustrated.)

If you live in the 157th District for the PA House of Representatives (now
filled by Carole Rubley, who will not be running for re-election), you will
want to listen to the portions of tape featuring John Bravacos, Region 3
Director of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (Start
Time: 57:02 to end - roughly the last 25 minutes of tape). 

According to the 12/22/23/07 Phoenix article "Candidates Queuing up to
Replace Rubley," Bravacos has expressed interest in the seat and "believes
that he could bring a number of good things to the district.  He said he has
a close familiarity with land use issues facing the district and could work
on legislation that will affect the power of municipalities to control
development.  He also says that he knows many players in Harrisburg and
could achieve 'political integration' quickly, which would allow him, for
example, to influence, where PennDOT money goes.  This, he said, is
especially important given the infrastructure issues Paoli faces."

Consider listening to Bravacos on the tape as part of your decision as to
whether or not you would like Bravacos as your State Representative in
Harrisburg.  The Phoenixville Republican Committee meets on January 20, then
the Chester County Republican Committee meets on January 24 to endorse a
candidate for the 157th District - Republican committee members and Council
persons will want to hear from you before those dates - whether or not you
are a Republican, because in the General Election, all that matters is: 

1.	Who can raise $100,000 to finance the campaign?   and

2.	Who can get the most votes in the General Election in November?

To my knowledge, no one else who is considering a run for the 157th District
seat was at the 12/18/07 Board Meeting.  If that information is incorrect,
just let me know.

The last 25 minutes of the tape discuss the HUD timeline and funding steam.

Timelines:  Bravacos states on the tape that the HUD funds must be obligated
by November 2008 or they will no longer be available.  The only 2008 dates
listed in the HUD documentation I received through FOIA are September, 12,
2008 to spend $391,222 and July 17, 2008 to obligate $365,727.  HUD
documentation on the repeatedly stated November 2008 date would be helpful
for all interested parties.

Funding Stream:   According to the HUD documentation I received through
FOIA, the Fairview Court (Fairview Expansion to 26 units) Proposal is being
funded through HUD Replacement Housing Factor (RHF) Program Grants.  

Several of my colleagues with the American Community Gardening Association
(who work in major cities and have regular interaction with their city
Housing Authorities) disagree with the implications on tape that this
funding stream is solely for new housing.  While brand-new housing is an
accepted use for this funding stream, their primary purpose is to replace
existing public housing units that are poor or severely deteriorated
condition.

According to the Phoenixville Borough Council and the Phoenixville Fire
Companies, the public housing within Phoenixville Borough in the most
deteriorated condition is King Terrace.  At the December Phoenixville
Council Meeting, council members briefly discussed the Fire Chief's concerns
about King Terrace, agreed with them, then Tish Jones (D-East Ward) made a
motion, unanimously passed, to direct the Borough Manager to request HACC's
presence before Council so that the Fire Companies' and the Council's
concerns about both Fairview and King Terrace could be addressed in detail.

According to HACC and Chester County Department of Community Development
(DCD) documentation provided at various State Senator Andrew Dinniman events
and on their websites, the need for public housing for the elderly and
families is a wash - both are badly needed, but no one in the County appears
to have placed one need over the other.  

At the 5/30/07 meeting with the church, Don Coppedge, HACC Board Chair,
spoke at length on his "excellent" relationship with PPG and how easily he
could procure land from them for the asking.  While the Steel Property is
too contaminated for agricultural use, with standard clay soil caps, two
successful senior living complexes have already been built there.  PPG,
which is in the process of divesting, owns the project for a third senior
apartment complex - which already has beginning approvals from the
Phoenixville Planning Commission.   (Being PPG, this project was stalled in
the Zoning Board for issues that can easily be resolved with an influx of
cash, a few design tweaks and a resolve to see the project to completion.)

On the tape, (Start Time: 1:02:04) Tonya Mitchell-Weston, Executive
Director, Housing Authority of Chester County states that "There is no
development plan" and "We are starting from Day One."  Also on the tape,
(Start Time: 1:02:41)  Bravacos outlines all the activity that must be
completed for the Fairview Court project so the funds can be obligated by
November 2008 and repeats throughout the tape that he wants Phoenixville to
receive this HUD money.

Since HUD RHF funds are primarily for replacement housing, why not make the
Borough and the Fire Companies happy by replacing King Terrace with new
elderly public housing on the Steel Property where elderly housing is
already approved and surveyed to go anyway?  PPG can't complete the project,
but its approval status gives HACC the head start it needs to finish all of
its paperwork and obligate its funds by November 2008 - and according to
HACC and DCD's own documentation, elderly public housing is needed just as
badly as public housing for families.  Most importantly, the project could
actually be completed by the oft-stated HUD obligation deadline.

After the elderly are moved into the new senior apartment complex, HACC is
then eligible for another round of RHF funding to demolish King Terrace and
build family townhouses (which would fit with the current architecture on
High Street) on the property which, with its proximity to downtown
Phoenixville and Andre Thornton Park across the street, is a premier
location for families.  Ultimately, the County gets more public housing for
those who need it most and the Borough has its concerns heard and answered. 

Bravacos is right that this HUD money is an opportunity.  However, blindly
blundering through 2008 benefits almost no one.  With creativity, an eye to
what the HUD funding stream actually requires and as George Martynick of the
Phoenixville Planning Commission (Start Time: 54:23) pleaded for "a sense of
cooperation" . . . "a sense of civility - which sometimes, isn't quite
there" and "open and honest dialog," this truly can be a win-win situation
for both HACC and everyone who lives in Phoenixville.

I'm attending the Farm Show on Wednesday (1/9) - otherwise, I welcome
everyone's thoughts, calls and e-mails on this subject. 

Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator

St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden and Labyrinth

A mission of 

St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA  19460

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