A lengthy but detailed public opinion survey that will be used in creating a plan for the revitalization of the West 30s neighborhood in Covington was the main focus of two public meetings held this week.

Covington Councilwoman Frances Dunn set the stage at the meeting Tuesday night by saying, “Who dat goin to change this town? WE DAT!” She continued her spirited address to the crowd, “It revives my spirit to see y’all here. We need all y’all to help. Please sign one of the four sign up sheets to participate as a surveyor, or work in the newly set up office at the old Habitat ReStore.”

Dunn said that March Madness will include an adopt a block project to help clean the neighborhood.

Shown is a community that will be affected by the West 30s revitalization plan. (Staff Photo by Debbie Glover)

“It will be easy to keep a block clean once it’s been cleared,” she said. “We will need help to keep a block clean on a regular basis. In the next year, you will not recognize this area.”

The Walker Collaborative of Nashville is the consulting agency hired to construct the plan to revitalize the area. Susan Bonnett, head of the Northshore Community Foundation who supplied the $150,000 grant to fund the study formulating the plan, said at Tuesday night’s meeting, “We want to make sure the plan is the neighborhood’s plan.

To facilitate the plan’s development, a separate survey will be conducted throughout the area door-to-door. In addition, this week small specialized focus groups were conducted for various aspects of the neighborhood including real estate professionals, businesses, city officials, residents, landlords and others impacted by the neighborhood.

Phil Walker and Ralph Moore of the Walker Collaborative presented the seven step overview of constructing a plan for the revitalization. This week concentrated on step three. Step four, a charrette, will be conducted March 18-22.

The first step is community organizing and leadership development. The second step is research and develop that will include information about the area. Housing, income, socio-economic data, demographics of residents, types of businesses and other technical data will be collected and analyzed. The third step will include a vision and public relation campaign. Focus groups, interviews with residents and business owners, landlords and others impacted by the neighborhood will be conducted. A charette, or preliminary plan created by small groups of stakeholders will comprise the fourth step.

A draft plan will then be created using all the information compiled thus far. Strategies for problems including economic development, public safety and social programs for the area will be developed. The sixth step is presentation and revision of the draft proposal.

The seventh step will be presentation and a “quick victory” project to raise awareness and momentum for the plan’s implementation.

On Tuesday and Wednesday night, a survey was distributed to those in attendance. According to the survey, the purpose was to “gain another layer of public input regarding the study area; and solicit input from West 30s residents and property/business owners as well as the broader community.”

Although the survey will add a great deal to the process, it is not intended to be classified as a “scientific study” because the participants are self-selected, not randomly selected and the statistics collected would not be scientifically valid, although they will be priceless in developing the revitalization plan.

Walker directed the participants in answering the questions to limit the answers to their own opinions and that there are no right or wrong answers.

The beginning of the survey was establishing the demographics of the respondent including age, gender, residency and work locations.

This was following by questions dealing with dining and shopping habits- with the primary or secondary study areas; Highway 190/Collins Blvd. area; elsewhere in the city limits; or outside of city of Covington.

General information about opinions of the neighborhood were next. Respondents were asked what they liked about the West 30s: I grew up here; Strong sense of place; Overall quality of life; People; Downtown; Businesses; Architecture; History; Churches. More than one answer was acceptable.

Dislike of the area was next, including housing condition, safety concerns, business choices, day care options, recreation options, lack of transit, overall appearance, pedestrin access, health service options and image of the area.

How do you view the neighborhood with respect to the following issues: education, punblic safety, youth programs, housing and quality of life—ahead, even or behind the rest of the city?

The survey went on to ask what the main concerns of residents are regarding crime and solutions for the problem, including better lighting, more police patrols, neighborhood watch groups, bicycle patrol by police and more vigorous prosecution of crimes.

Then respondents were asked to rank what was important to the neighborhood- transportation to jobs, child care, adult education, job training or other.

In addressing natural and historic resources, a series of questions were asked about how important they were to the west 30s; historic building restoration or demolition; improvements of streetscapes including sidewalks, trees, lights; measures that should be adopted in neighborhoods such as lawn maintenance, vehicle parking, abandoned vehicles, chain link fencing.

Also asked were the interest in renovation of home and challenges to renovation; is there a lack of affordable housing; is more variety of housing needed like apartments, senior housing; is more for-purchase housing needed as opposed to rentals; and what types of housing in price ranges are needed.

A series of architectural styles were shown and participants were asked to select those they found appealing. More than one of the 14 styles shown could be selected.

Specific questions were included about downtown shopping and business types and those needed in both downtown and in the west 30s.

Transportation and the lack of public transit were also addressed in the survey as well as the need for sidewalks and crosswalks.

The end of the survey was concentrated on what people would like to see more of in the area-recreation facilities, playgrounds, gym, community center, arts center and library.

There was also a space for general comments by participants.

The surveys will be tallied by the Northshore Community Foundation with the results expected before the next series of meeting in mid-March.�