GUIDING GRAHAMTOWN’S FUTURE: CREATING …€¦ · A Community Driven Report for the Future of the Grahamtown Neighborhood TELLING OUR STORY GUIDING OUR FUTURE MEETING DATES May

GUIDING GRAHAMTOWN’S FUTURE: CREATING CHOICES FOR ALL

A Community Driven Report for the Future of the Grahamtown Neighborhood

TELLING OUR STORY GUIDING OUR FUTURE

MEETING DATES

May 11, 2006 - January 25, 2007 -- GTeam Meetings

July 27 - 29, 2006 -- Guiding Grahamtown’s Future Event

February 1, 1007 -- Final Report

SPONSORS

African American CulturalHeritage and Resource Center

Forest City, NC

NC Department of CommerceDivision of Community Assistance

Western Regional OfficeAsheville, NC

Town of Forest CityForest City, NC

Community Empowerment ProjectCommunity Development Corporation

Forest City, NC

This report was written and prepared by:

KRISTY CARTERCommunity Development PlannerNC Department of CommerceDivision of Community AssistanceWestern Regional Office31 College Place, Building BAsheville, NC 28801

Email: [email protected]: 828.251.6914Fax: 828.251.6918www.ncdca.org

February 1, 2007

The NC Division of Community Assistance: Helping toprepare communities for a better future by offering land useplanning, facilitation, and training.

VISION

GRAHAMTOWN:

A PLACE WHERE EVERY RESIDENT HAS A CHOICE

As a quiet little seedlingLay within its darksome bed,

To itself it fell a-talking, And this is what it said:

”I am not so very robust, But I’ll do the best I can;”

And the seedling from that momentIts work of life began.

So it pushed a little leafletUp into the light of day,

To examine the surroundingsAnd show the rest the way.

The leaflet liked the prospect,So it called its brother, Stem;

Then two other leaflets heard it,And quickly followed them.

To be sure, the haste and hurryMade the seedling sweat and pant;

But almost before it knew itIt found itself a plant.

The sunshine poured upon it,And the clouds they gave a shower;And the little plant kept growing

Till it found itself a flower.

Little folks, be like the seedling,Always do the best you can;

Every child must share life’s laborJust as well as every man.

And the sun and showers will help youThrough the lonesome, struggling hours,

Till you raise to light and beautyVirtue’s fair, unfading flowers.

THE SEEDLING

PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR

Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................. 10

Part I: Introduction and Background Information .........................................................................................................................................................................10Parts II, III, and IV: Housing, People, and Place ............................................................................................................................................................................10

PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION ................................................................................ 12

GUIDING GRAHAMTOWN’S FUTURE—HOW IT BEGAN ........................................................................................................................ 12SUMMARY OF THE GTEAM’S WORK ............................................................................................................................................. 12

GTeam Roles and Goals ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................12THE COMMUNITY EVENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 12REVITALIZATION AND DISPLACEMENT CONCERNS ............................................................................................................................ 13GTEAM’S DESIRED OUTCOMES--AS PRESENTED TO COMMUNITY .......................................................................................................... 14

Define and Preserve Neighborhood Identity ................................................................................................................................................................................... 14Improve/Create Parks and Open Space ...........................................................................................................................................................................................14Improve the Community Support Service Network Available to the Community ...................................................................................................................14Housing Outcomes .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14Public Services Goals and Needs .......................................................................................................................................................................................................15Other ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15Policing/Public Safety .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................15

AFTER THE EVENT—MOVING FROM THOUGHT TO ACTION ................................................................................................................. 16Implementation and Leadership ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 16A Note on Action Plans ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 16

OVERALL ACTION PLAN ........................................................................................................................................................... 17Overall Strategies (Part 1) ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................17Overall Strategies (Part 2) ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................18

PART II: HOUSING .................................................................................................................................. 20

HOUSING OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................... 20CURRENT HOUSING CONDITIONS ................................................................................................................................................ 20

Housing Supply .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20Vacancy Rates ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20Age of Housing and Development ....................................................................................................................................................................................................20Housing Tenure (Owner-Occupied or Renter-Occupied) .............................................................................................................................................................21Condition of Housing .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21Zoning ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22

PARCEL USAGE ..................................................................................................................................................................... 22Parcel Occupancy, Tenure, and Ownership .....................................................................................................................................................................................22Property Ownership in Grahamtown ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 23

MISCELLANEOUS HOUSING INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................... 23Grahamtown Land Available for Development .............................................................................................................................................................................. 23Property Tax Rates and Value of Grahamtown Land .................................................................................................................................................................... 23

RENTAL HOUSING .................................................................................................................................................................. 24Explanation of Terms Used ................................................................................................................................................................................................................24Potential for Family Rent Burden ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 24Rental Housing Subsidies ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................26

HOMEOWNERSHIP .................................................................................................................................................................. 26Homeownership Subsidies ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 26Subsidy Case Study ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 26Some Available Housing Subsidies ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 27

GRAHAMTOWN HOUSING STRATEGIES.......................................................................................................................................... 28Housing Preservation Strategies ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 28Asset Building Strategies .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 30Housing Production Strategies ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................30Land Strategies .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................31Local Government Strategies .............................................................................................................................................................................................................31Miscellaneous Housing Strategies ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32Future Housing Strategies .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 32

HOUSING ACTION PLAN ........................................................................................................................................................... 34Rental Housing .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................34Local Government ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 35Transition to Homeownership ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 36Redevelopment and Land Acquisition ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 37Housing Preservation .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38Housing Production (Part 1) .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39Housing Production (Part 2) .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 40Education ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41

PART III: PEOPLE................................................................................................................................... 44

INCREASING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ........................................................................................................................................ 44Asset Building....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44Employment and Business Support .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 44Tax Based Strategies ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................45

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACTION PLAN ...................................................................................................................................... 46Increase Savings (Part 1) ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46Increase Savings (Part 2) ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 47Financial Literacy Classes ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................47Tax Return Assistance .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................48

Banking .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 48Entrepreneur Assistance ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION ....................................................................................................................................................... 50Get Parents Involved in Their Child’s Education ........................................................................................................................................................................... 50Other Education Strategies ................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 50

EDUCATION ACTION PLAN ........................................................................................................................................................ 52Schools and Education (Part 1) ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................52Schools and Educaiton (Part 2) ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................53

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PROJECT AND THE OLD DUNBAR COMMUNITY CENTER ................................................................................ 54Community Empowerment Project ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 54Citizens Respond ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................54Old Dunbar Community Center as a Center for Social Support .................................................................................................................................................. 54Barriers ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 54Recommended Action Steps ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 54

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PROJECT ACTION PLAN ...................................................................................................................... 56

PART IV: PLACE .................................................................................................................................... 58

DEFINE AND PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY........................................................................................................................ 58New Bethel ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 58Forest, Spruce, Collins Street Area ....................................................................................................................................................................................................59

DEFINE AND PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY ACTION PLAN ...................................................................................................... 60INVOLVE NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCHES .......................................................................................................................................... 61INVOLVE NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCHES ACTION PLAN ........................................................................................................................ 62PARKS AND RECREATION .......................................................................................................................................................... 64

Existing Park Conditions .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 64Hardin Road Park Improvements ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 64The Fence and the Water Tower ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 64Hardin Road Park Expansion .............................................................................................................................................................................................................65Brackett Creek Greenway ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................65

PARKS AND RECREATION ACTION PLAN ........................................................................................................................................ 67Parks and Recreation (Part 1) .............................................................................................................................................................................................................67Parks and Recreation (Part 2) .............................................................................................................................................................................................................68

NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION AND GATEWAYS .......................................................................................................................... 69Neighborhood Beautification .............................................................................................................................................................................................................69Neighborhood Gateways .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 69

NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY ........................................................................................................................................................ 69Historical Trail ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 69Historic District/Designation ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 69

NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY ACTION PLAN...................................................................................... 71Neighborhood Beautification .............................................................................................................................................................................................................71Neighborhood History ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 72

PUBLIC SAFETY ..................................................................................................................................................................... 73

Public Safety Strategies ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 73Fire Safety ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................74Public Safety Strategies for the Town of Forest City ......................................................................................................................................................................74Public Safety Action Plan .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 75

SIDEWALKS AND DRAINAGE ...................................................................................................................................................... 76Connection to Town of Forest City Goals ........................................................................................................................................................................................76Potential Barriers ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................76Sidewalk Plan ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 76What the Neighborhood Can Do .......................................................................................................................................................................................................76

STREETS ............................................................................................................................................................................. 76What Residents Want .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 77Connectivity .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 77

STREET LIGHTING .................................................................................................................................................................. 77SIDEWALKS AND DRAINAGE ACTION PLAN ..................................................................................................................................... 80STREET LIGHTS, STREETS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL ACTION PLAN ........................................................................................................ 81

Street Lights .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 81Streets and Traffic Control .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 81

APPENDIX A: PARTICIPANTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 82GTeam Participants .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 82Guiding Grahamtown’s Future Attendees ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 82NC Division of Community Assistance ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 82Design Assistance ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 82Stakeholder Attendance ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................82

APPENDIX B: GRAHAMTOWN GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION AND REFERENCE MAPS ..................................................................................... 83Geographic Description ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................83Reference Maps .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 83

APPENDIX C: FOREST CITY SDAT (SUSTAINABLE DESIGN ASSESSMENT TEAM) REPORT .............................................................................. 85APPENDIX D: TOWN OF FOREST CITY’S MINIMUM HOUSING CODE ....................................................................................................... 86APPENDIX E: TOWN OF FOREST CITY RESIDENTIAL INCENTIVE POLICY ................................................................................................. 87APPENDIX E: BENCHMARK CMR REDEVELOPMENT REPORT—NARRATIVE ONLY........................................................................................ 88

Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 88Data Collection and Methodology ....................................................................................................................................................................................................88Summary of Findings .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 89Assessment of Conditions Contributing to Blight .......................................................................................................................................................................... 90

APPENDIX F: ACTION PLAN ABBREVIATION KEY .............................................................................................................................. 91Type of Strategy ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 91Abbreviations Used in Action Plans .................................................................................................................................................................................................91

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................................................ 93Books, Articles, and Web Sources ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 93Data Sources .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 94

Title PageCharts

Chart 1 Types of Housing in Grahamtown 20Chart 2 Housing Tenure of Occupied Units 21Chart 3 Condition of Housing 22Chart 4 Owner Place of Residence 23Chart 5 Residence and Ownership of Rental Units 23

ImagesImage 1 Member of the GTeam Work on a Mapping Activity 13Image 2 A Grahamtown Resident Responds to Information 15Image 3 The Community Empowerment Resource Center 55Image 4 The Old Dunbar Community Center 55Image 5 Churches of Grahamtown 61Image 6 The Hardin Road Park 64Image 7 Hardin Road Park Expansion Plan 66Image 8 Grahamtown Historical Trail 70Image 9 Hardin Road and Forest Street Intersection 77

MapsMap 1 Historic Grahamtown Neighborhood Boundary 58Map 2 Grahamtown Boundary Including New Bethel Church 58Map 3 Grahamtown with Forest, Spruce, Collins Street Area 59Map 4 Grahamtown Sidewalk, Street, and Greenway Map 78Map 5 Grahamtown Boundary 83Map 6 Census Tract 9608 83Map 7 Referenced Towns in Rutherford County 84

TablesTable 1 Vacancy Rates 20Table 2 Median Year Homes Were Built 21Table 3 Parcel Occupancy, Tenure, and Ownership 22Table 4 Acreage Available for Development 23Table 5 Value of Grahamtown Land 23Table 6 Rental Affordability Based on Area Median Income 24Table 7 Rental Affordability Based on Estimated Renter Median Income 25Table 8 Rental Affordability Based on Area Median Income for Grahamtown 25Table 9 Smith Family Case Study 26Table 10 Green Family Case Study 27Table 11 Forest City Banks and Community Investment Links 29

Charts, Images, Maps, and Tables

Guiding Grahamtown’s Future

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INTRODUCTION

While work resulting in this report, Guiding Grahamtown’s Future, beganalmost a year ago in March 2006, the real work began over 100 years ago whenthe Grahamtown area in Forest City, NC, was a small collection of African-American share-crop farms. It was here that the community’s values of faith,family, and independence first took root.

In 1923, Mr. John Graham, the neighborhood’s namesake, became the firstAfrican-American to purchase land in the area. His historic purchase beganthe neighborhood’s first wave of change—the transition from an agriculturalto residential community. Following Mr. Graham’s purchase came a periodof rapid growth through the early 1940s and late 1950s. Grahamtown becamea small, self-supporting, residential community complete with its own locallyowned store, laundromat, barber shop, and school. The neighborhood evenhad its own midwife, Big Mamma, who birthed many Grahamtown children.In its heyday, the Grahamtown community was the social hub for Forest City’sAfrican-American community.

Following this wave of growth was a new wave of change—one of slow de-cline from the 1960s to today. Young people move away, the history-keepersare dying, newcomers are disconnected from the community, and disrepairhas had a devastating effect on the neighborhood.

Today, the tide has begun to change once again—this time for the better. Newand old residents have joined forces to implement the plans found in this re-port. Together, the neighborhood residents will restore the quality of theirhousing, uplift the people of the neighborhood, and redefine the meaning ofthe place that is Grahamtown. Guiding’s Grahamtown’s Future is the cata-lyst for this tide of change.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The information contained in this report represents the work of the GTeam, agroup of neighborhood residents and supporters who are the leaders of theGrahamtown Neighborhood Revitalization process that began in May 2006.The plan that follows is a result of conversations, research, community meet-ings, and the neighborhood’s hope for the future.

Part I: Introduction and Background Information

Guiding Grahamtown’s Future begins with an overview of the GTeam’s be-ginnings, a summary of their work, and the GTeam’s roles and goals. It also

includes a summary of the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event held in July2006. Over 80 people attended this event to share their opinions and ideas.The input generated at this event was critical to this plan’s development.

The first section of the report also includes the community’s initial list of de-sired outcomes. The outcomes presented in this first section differ from thefinal set of outcomes presented in the action plans. We feel that it is importantto present the outcomes in this format, as they were developed by the commu-nity at the July event. We want community residents to know that we heardwhat they want and need. The outcomes presented in the action plans had tobe refined as we translated the outcome ideas to specific actions.

The final element in the introductory section is a brief outline of how the GTeamwill move from the assessment and planning phase to implementation andevaluation.

Parts II, III, and IV: Housing, People, and Place

Sections two, three, and four are the most important sections of the report.The three sections, Housing, People, and Place, each provide background and/or statistical information, summaries of neighborhood feedback, ideas, and acorresponding action plan.

Housing

This section includes the following information:

• An overview of current housing conditions,• An analysis of parcel use,• Miscellaneous housing information, and• Rental and homeownership information.

The housing section concludes by presenting a wide variety of housing strat-egies that will improve the housing conditions in Grahamtown. These strat-egies include:

• Housing preservation,• Asset building,• Housing production,• Land acquisition,• Strategies for local governments, and• Miscellaneous and future housing strategies.


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People

The second major section—People—primarily focuses on strategies to increaseeconomic opportunity for neighborhood residents. Strategies in this sectioninclude:

• Asset building,• Employment and business support, and• Tax-based strategies.

This section also includes strategies related to:

• Schools and education, and• Plans for the Community Empowerment Project and Old Dunbar Com-

munity Center.

It is important to note what one will not find in the People section. Commu-nity residents developed a long list of supportive services that they would liketo see in the neighborhood (see page 14). Readers of this Plan will not find anaction step addressing each of these social service needs. For example, com-munity residents named mentoring services as something they would like tosee in the neighborhood. Rather than create an action plan just on mentoring,this service was grouped with education. Also, it was determined that manyof the supportive services the neighborhood wanted to create already exist inRutherford County. The problem is often a matter of access-not knowing thatthe service exists or how to access that service. The Plan includes a strategy toincrease awareness of supportive services available to those in the county.

Place

The final major section—Place—is the most diverse. This section addressesthe following topics:

• Definition and preservation of the neighborhood boundary,• A plan to involve neighborhood churches,• Parks and recreation improvements,• Neighborhood beautification, and• Neighborhood history.

This section also addresses other topics which include:

• Public safety strategies,• Sidewalks and drainage, and• Streets and street lighting.

The final section, the appendix, provides reference information that includes:

• Names of those who participated in the Guiding Grahamtown’s Fu-ture process,

• Reference maps,• Previous reports about Grahamtown,• Town policies that impact the action plans in this report, and• Benchmark CMR’s Redevelopment Land Use Survey and Assessment

of Conditions.

This plan is one more wave of change--one that is driven and supported byneighborhood residents. The values that took root in Grahamtown long be-fore we were here are as powerful and as important as they were 100 yearsago. It is from this power that the neighborhood will become what it envi-sions—a place where every resident has a choice.


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PART I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

INFORMATION

GUIDING GRAHAMTOWN’S FUTURE—HOW IT BEGAN

Guiding Grahamtown’s Future began with a small group of individuals witha similar interest—to improve the Grahamtown neighborhood. From that smallgroup came the GTeam, a group of neighborhood residents and supporters,Town of Forest City officials, and other interested parties. The GTeam’s tasksincluded clarifying a vision for the neighborhood, gathering neighborhoodinformation, planning and hosting the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future eventat the end of July 2006, and production of this report.

The GTeam had its first meeting on May 11, 2006 and continues to meet as theplan moves toward implementation. Following is a summary of the GTeam’swork, findings and vision for the neighborhood developed in preparation forthe Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event.

SUMMARY OF THE GTEAM’S WORK

The GTeam’s initial meetings focused on how the team would work togetherand what they would work toward. To determine how the team would worktogether, the GTeam had to agree on its roles and goals. The GTeam agreed towork toward a community-driven planning process for which the GTeamwould generate the base line information.

GTeam Roles and Goals

The roles of the GTeam include:

• Commitment to be involved in the process• Willingness to do something with the results• Get the whole community involved• Bring unique insights to the table• Serve as the heart and soul of the process• Serve as a sounding board/liaison to the community• Help with facilitation and recording• Encourage participation• Gather input from community members• Go with the flow and have fun!

The GTeam’s goals for the planning process included:

• To generate citizen participation for planning andcommunity development projects

• Enhance communication within the community and in-crease awareness of community issues and solutions

• Bring all players together to generate common communitygoals that work to resolve current and anticipated issuesand challenges.

• Develop “do-able” community development projects basedon citizen input.

• Identify potential implementation strategies and fundingsources for community projects.

• Give the community a starting point with specific actionsteps for successful projects and quality of life enhancement.

THE COMMUNITY EVENT

The GTeam’s initial jobs were to gather information and host a communityinput session for the residents of the Grahamtown community. This event,Guiding Grahamtown’s Future (GGF), was held July 27-29, 2006. The GTeam’sgoal for this event was to have a process that allowed for a large amount ofcommunity input from as many people as possible. The planning process wasmodeled after a charrette, a community-planning tool that gathers and out-puts lots of information in a short period of time.

The Importance of Our Name

The GTeam’s name came about after the group de-cided that the words “steering committee” and “lead-ership team” didn’t fit. Not everyone viewed himselfor herself as a leader. Everyone did identify them-selves as a member of a team. Therefore, the nameGTeam, for the Grahamtown team was born. The les-son learned through the naming process was impor-tant—the language we use carries a message and ourlanguage should be truthful and reflect the commu-nity.


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The first phase of the community planning process included gathering dataand community information, identifying stakeholders, planning the event, de-termining the design team, and developing the initial community plan topresent to the community. After the initial work was complete, the commu-nity plan was presented to the larger community at the Guiding Grahamtown’sFuture event. At the event, neighborhood residents responded to the ideasgenerated by the GTeam, expressed their likes/dislikes, and shared new ideas.With the help of the design team, these ideas were refined and have resultedin the plan you are now reading. The community will have one more oppor-tunity to respond to these plans at the final plan presentation (to be sched-uled).

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Community Planning Process

GTeam identified the strengths of this process as: direct community input,community input is there from the beginning, there would be room for alter-ations, and the process sets a vision that will lead to resources. Identifiedweaknesses of the process included timing, few people will be able to stickwith the process, and schedules.

REVITALIZATION AND DISPLACEMENT CONCERNS

The idea of neighborhood revitalization is one that brings up a variety of con-cerns and challenges. These include: the loss of neighborhood identity; whatto do about absentee landowners and inherited properties; should any build-ings or homes be demolished and if so how do we decide which ones; what todo with the high number of renters—especially those that cannot afford ho-meownership; concerns over displacement, increased property values, andincreased maintenance costs; and concerns that landowners will hold ontotheir properties until they reach a higher resale value.

The Design Team

The design team was a group of professionals that turnedthe GTeam and community’s ideas and concepts into a draw-ings or visual pictures for community response. Our designteam consisted of Jeff Scott, NC Division of Community As-sistance Design Intern; Roger Briggs, Landscape Architect;Jessica Sick, Benchmark CMR; and other members of theGTeam .

The writer of this report researched factors that lessen the impact of revitaliza-tion and displacement risk in communities similar to Grahamtown. Success-ful communities are those that have a commitment to minimize displacementfrom the beginning of a revitalization process and factor that commitmentinto the neighborhood plan. Successful communities also have a variety ofhousing strategies aimed at housing preservation and new production for rent-ers and owners in addition to opportunities that increase individual assets forthose in the community.

One question that arose in the Grahamtown planning process dealt with thelimits a housing program can place on outside community members takingadvantage of the community’s new opportunities. While a housing providercannot say, “You must be a resident of the Grahamtown to move into this newhouse,” a housing provider can say, “If you are a resident of Grahamtown,you get priority status for our housing programs. However, that priority sta-tus is one factor among many that will be evaluated.”

Successful revitalization projects are also those in which the residents of thecommunity take ownership and command of the revitalization process. Themost famous example of this is the Dudley Street community in Boston whereresidents took charge of their neighborhood and saw dramatic changes as aresult. For more information, visit the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiativeat www.dsni.org.

Image 1: Members of the GTeamwork on a mapping activity.


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GTEAM’S DESIRED OUTCOMES--AS PRESENTED TO

COMMUNITY

Between May 11, 2006 and July 20, 2006, the GTeam met 14 times. At eachmeeting the GTeam participated in activities to generate baseline informationto present a set of ideas to the whole community at the GGF event. For ex-ample, GTeam members discussed neighborhood strengths and weaknessesat one meeting and housing at another. These activities led to the GTeam’s listof desired outcomes listed below. These outcomes were presented to the com-munity at the GGF event. These outcomes were refined after the communityinput sessions and continued to be refined as plans moved forward. Somebecame more specific, some were expanded, and some were deleted. TheAction Plans throughout this report detail the most current neighborhood de-sired outcomes.

Define and Preserve Neighborhood Identity

• Define neighborhood boundary• Mark entry-ways into neighborhood with signage and landscaping• Explore National Register of Historic Places designation• Create a historical trail or markers to identify current and former

historical places and events

Improve/Create Parks and Open Space

• Remove fence around park or replace with a decorative fence• Create greenway along creek on NE to SE border of the neighbor-

hood• Preserve and improve open/recreation space around Old Dunbar

Community Center• Add a pocket park in the neighborhood• Make available recreation opportunities for youth, families and

others

Improve the Community Support Service Network Availableto the Community

Youth Support Services

• After school program• Mentoring program• Job Corps (can use to help with neighborhood struggles: landscap-

ing, home repair, etc.)

• Explore the YouthBuild program and other national models ofyouth job training programs

• Look for other activities to keep youth out of trouble• Teen pregnancy prevention• Recreation activities

Adult Support Services

• Develop a one-stop resource center that offers counseling, mentalhealth/substance abuse care, income assistance, education opportu-nities, etc.

• Neighborhood AA/NA meetings and other recovery supports• Increase awareness of and access to job training and employment

assistance for adults• Increase access to and awareness of community supports available

to the community, including domestic violence and rape crisis care• Expand economic opportunities: micro-lending/small business

assistance, tax preparation, financial/credit counseling, individualdevelopment account (IDA) program (for small businesses orhousing)

Senior Citizen Support Services

• Support group for grandparents raising grandchildren• Make available recreation and transportation

Other Support Services

• Generate support for the nonprofits in the neighborhood (Commu-nity Empowerment Project and African American Cultural HeritageResource Center)

Housing Outcomes

Stabilize Renters

• Increase education and awareness about housing opportunities(rental education, homeownership, maintenance/repair)

• Hold property owners/landlords accountable to minimum housingstandards

• Establish a “Progressive Housing” program (a program that pro-vides assistance to those who want to transition from renting tohomeownership)

• Support construction of small multifamily rental projects (duplex/


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triplex, cottage developments, and small-scale mixed incomedevelopments) and projects that are constructed and managed by askilled nonprofit entity

• Increase awareness of existing resources to renters and expandservices to support renters (Ex: Housing Initiative, Pisgah LegalServices)

Increase Homeownership Opportunity

• Increase education and awareness about housing opportunities(available financing, post-purchase counseling, maintenance/repair)

• Increase homeownership opportunity through new constructionand rehabilitation (focus on single family, owner occupied homes)

• Preserve existing housing through rehab and aggressive mainte-nance programs

• Use existing resources to support homeowners (Ex: HousingInitiative, Pisgah Legal)

• Develop relationships with nonprofit builders• Create a program to address negligent properties--those that are

abandoned or severely dilapidated--trough rehabilitation or demoli-tion

• Construct small cluster/cottage developments (mix of homeownersand renters)

Community Preservation

• Acquire land (land banking)• Create a community land trust• Continue to encourage neighborhood decision-making power

Public Services Goals and Needs

• Lighting/Secluded areas• Add street lights to selected areas• Clean out thick wooded areas• Respond to neighborhood concerns regarding poor drainage when

it rains (Hardin Road west to First Street)• Improve crosswalk signage/traffic light and crosswalk controls

across Oak Street• Improve existing and add new sidewalks; ensure sidewalk access to

shopping center• Improve wheelchair accessibility throughout neighborhood

• Install traffic calming (speed bumps, etc.)

Other• Implement landscaping/beautification plan, specifically at neigh-

borhood entry-ways• Remove or improve visual impact of Hardin Road water tower

Policing/Public Safety• Increase police patrol• Help neighborhood respond to drug and alcohol issues• Patrol path from ABC store to drinking area• Establish a community watch program• Recruit minority police officers• Establish a police resource station• Use community policing techniques to build relationships with the

community (a community resource officer)

Image 2: A Grahamtown resident responds to information atthe Guiding Grahamtown’s Future community event.


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AFTER THE EVENT—MOVING FROM THOUGHT TO ACTION

The GTeam continued to meet after the GGF event to analyze informationgenerated and to determine an implementation plan for each of the outcomeareas. The remainder of this report is divided into three sections: housing,people, and place. In each section, the reader will find one or more actionplans addressing a specific outcome area. The GTeam will use the informa-tion contained here to guide future neighborhood projects.

Implementation and Leadership

After the information was gathered and goals were identified, the GTeam’snext task was to create a project implementation structure. Action Teams werecreated for each of the three areas—housing, place, and people. The HousingAction Team, led by Wilfred McDowell, is responsible for all housing out-comes. The Place Action Team, led by Darryll Hargrove, will address all thingshaving to do with neighborhood identity, history, culture, recreation, and publicservices. The People Action Team, led by Earl Thompson, will work on thegoal areas of increasing economic opportunity, education and schools, andsupportive services. Action Team leaders are responsible for assembling anaction team that will help move the outcomes from a written idea to real project.The leader and their team will identify project resources, implement projects,and communicate project progress to the full GTeam and community. Actionteam leaders are also asked to identify areas of needed training and educationfor their teams.

Action Teams will be supported on an ongoing basis by the Center for Partici-patory Change. Town of Forest City officials will also remain involved in theimplementation process by attending meetings and offering Town supportwhere appropriate. The North Carolina Division of Community Assistance(DCA), which has been involved in the project from the beginning, completedits regular involvement in February 2007. However, staff members from DCAare willing to research and answer questions and provide other types of tech-nical assistance as needed.

A Note on Action Plans

After each major section is a corresponding action plan. The action plans listthe projected outcome in the first column and the initial actions needed toachieve the outcome in the second column. The remaining columns containsupporting information. A key for the “Type Strategy” column is found onpage 90 in the Appendix. All columns for each item in an action plan are notcomplete. Many items will be filled in and changed as projects evolve.

The Overall Recommendations Action Plan is a set of actions that are not asso-ciated with a specific Action area. These recommendations have more to dowith the overall revitalization process. The GTeam as a whole has the respon-sibility of carrying out these recommendations. The other actions plans in-cluded in this report are Housing, Increasing Economic Opportunity, Schoolsand Education, Community Empowerment Project, Place, Public Safety, andPublic Services (lighting, sidewalks, etc.).


17

Strategy Actions to Achieve Type

Strategy Target Dates

Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Develop a communication plan to communicate with GTown Community members.

Establish points of contact (people who can spread the word) • throughout the

neighborhood • in churches • newspaper/radio,

northland cable, WLOS, Rutherford info, Rutherford Weekly, WAGY

Identify other sources to spread the word (signs, emails, website, etc.)

SA RB

Immediate

Action Teams Pam Bunch Bo Whiteside Church Leaders

Materials and Supplies Printing Costs Cost of Ads

In-Kind Donations

Gather information needed to support projects.

Identify and recruit people skilled in internet research to assist with projects. Use these people to research funding sources, program examples, and supporting information.

SA RS

Immediate

College Students Foothills Connect CEP Other Non-Profits Community Foundation of WNC

Materials Internet Connection Computer

OVERALL ACTION PLAN

Overall Strategies (Part 1)


18



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Identify training needs to carry out projects

Identified Needs: • Grant writing • Strategic communication

skills (Asking for what you need)

• Problem solving skills • Meeting facilitation • How to hold people

accountable • 501-(c)(3) Incorporation Identify people/groups who can provide needed training • Center for Participatory

Change, DCA, ICC, CEP. Create a training calendar/schedule.

ED SA

Immediate Action Teams

Registration Fees Speaker Fees

Educate the community

Use communication strategy to spread the word. Establish monthly community information and/or assistance sessions. Know what is available in the community (ex: who can help start a small business). Locate funds for food (to help encourage people to attend the meetings).

ED SA NI

Immediate Action Teams

Refreshments Materials Space

Overall Strategies (Part 2)


20

fied as non-residential. There are limited commercial uses in the neighbor-hood with the primary non-residential uses being churches, nonprofit organi-zations, and nursing and funeral homes.

Vacancy Rates

Utility records from the Town of Forest City indicated that 38 of 141 housingunits in the Grahamtown neighborhood were vacant as of March 8, 2006, for a27% vacancy rate (vacant units as a percentage of total housing units).

The generally accepted healthy vacancy rate for a community is 5-7%. A healthyvacancy rate indicates that a person can find a place to live in a communitywhile other units are being repaired or are off-line for some other reason. Theunusually high 27% vacancy rate in the Grahamtown area may provide in-sight into the condition of housing stock, the general demand for living in theGrahamtown area as it exists today, and the prevalence of a high turnover ratein renter households. The 2000 Census reports the following vacancy rates:

Age of Housing and Development

The age of a housing structure is a strong determinant of housing quality.Older housing units tend to “filter down” to lower rent or price markets, andare occupied by lower-income households. Communities with a large shareof older housing units are more likely to have housing problems than are com-munities with a newer housing stock. An older housing stock also indicatesthat new construction has not been active in the community.

The median (the middle number in a set of numbers) age of housing in Graha-mtown is 48 years old. The median year residential structures were built is1958. Investment in residential property development has been stagnant.According to property records, 11 residential units have been added to the

PART II: HOUSING

HOUSING OVERVIEW

The Housing portion of this report is in two sections. The first provides anoverview of Grahamtown’s current housing conditions. The second sectionincludes a wide variety of strategies to better the condition of housing through-out the neighborhood, town, and county.

CURRENT HOUSING CONDITIONS

Housing Supply

Grahamtown’s housing supply is weighted toward smaller houses. Other thanrentals, the neighborhood has a very limited stock of housing for sale. Theneighborhood has had little to no development of new housing since the 1970s.

There are 152 buildings within the study area presented in this report.Grahamtown’s housing stock consists of 141 housing units, 123 of which aresingle family detached units, 8 are single family manufactured homes and 10units are in multi-family structures (two duplexes, two triplexes). Of the 152buildings in the Grahamtown area, only 11 of these buildings (8%) are classi-

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ytnuoCdrofrehtuR %51

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Chart 1: Types of Housing in Grahamtown

Table 1: Vacancy Rates


21

neighborhood since 1980. Of the 11 units, 5 (45%) were manufactured homes.The last new residential unit, a manufactured home, was added to the neigh-borhood in 1995.

The Town of Forest City’s Fire and Building, Planning, Zoning and Code En-forcement departments report that many houses and manufactured homeswere razed (demolished) or burned during the 1980s and 1990s. Although theactual number of units raised is not available, it is very likely that the neigh-borhood has had a significant net loss of residential units over the last 10-20years.

Housing Tenure (Owner-Occupied or Renter-Occupied)

Of the occupied housing units in Grahamtown, 52% are renter-occupied and48% are owner-occupied. Research regarding the healthy balance betweenrenters and owners is inconclusive. What is known is that the condition ofhousing is what determines neighborhood decline rather than who lives in thehousing. In Grahamtown, many of the rental properties are dilapidated as aremany owner-occupied housing units. Strategies adopted by the neighbor-hood need to address the condition of the housing rather than the occupantsof the units.

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aniloraChtroN 8791

Condition of Housing

The planning firm, Benchmark CMR, conducted a drive-by survey of Graha-mtown properties on April 28, 2006. Findings indicate that of the 141 housingunits, 25% are in good condition, 45% of housing units are deteriorated, and30% are dilapidated.

To determine the housing stock condition within the boundaries of Graham-town, an experienced code enforcement officer conducted a site visit, notingvisible housing conditions. The determination between dilapidated and dete-riorated housing uses the “50% rule.” If a structure (and only the structure,not the land) appears to require repairs of less than 50% of the building value,then it is considered deteriorated. If the property owner would have to paymore than 50% of the building value to repair the structure, then it is consid-ered to be dilapidated. The code enforcement officer from Benchmark evalu-ated the condition of items that would require a large amount of money torepair such as roofing, siding, structural damage, and windows, to make thedecision.

Table 2: Median Year Homes Were Built

Chart 2: Housing Tenure of Occupied Units


22

PARCEL USAGE

The following charts detail ownership, occupancy, and tenure or parcels inthe Grahamtown neighborhood.

Parcel Occupancy, Tenure, and Ownership

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Zoning

The historic boundary of Grahamtown consists of 315 parcels of land occu-pied by residential structures, commercial businesses, nonprofits, and churches.Grahamtown has a significant amount of vacant land--53%--throughout theneighborhood. The Grahamtown area has approximately 103 acres of land,including roads and rights-of-way and 89.2 acres of land, excluding roads andrights-of-way. The neighborhood is zoned R-6 with the following exceptions:the north side of Jackson Street is zoned C-3; the Old Dunbar CommunityCenter is zoned R-8, and Thompson Brothers Mortuary is zoned C-3. TheTown of Forest City’s Zoning Ordinance is available on-line atwww.townofforestcity.com/zoning.html.

Chart 3: Condition of Housing


23

Property Ownership in Grahamtown MISCELLANEOUS HOUSING INFORMATION

The following charts provide miscellaneous Grahamtown housing informa-tion.

Grahamtown Land Available for Development

Approximately 53% of the land in Grahamtown is vacant--providing ampleland for future development. However, not all lots can be developed. Thefollowing chart lists how much land is available.

Property Tax Rates and Value of Grahamtown Land

The following chart lists the tax revenue generated for the Town of Forest Cityand Rutherford County. This information is provided as a benchmark to gaugethe value of future investment in the Grahamtown community.

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eulaVlatoT 005,636,4$ 019,31$ 947,82$

Chart 4: Owner Place of Residence

Chart 5: Residence and Ownership of Rental Units

Table 4: Acreage Available for Development

Table 5: Value of Grahamtown Land


24

RENTAL HOUSING

Anecdotically, average rents in Grahamtown are believed to range anywherefrom $200 to $500 a month, excluding utility costs. Initial results from a sur-vey of Grahamtown residents support this anecdotal evidence.

Using available data, it is safe to say that the potential for households in Gra-hamtown to be rent burdened is high. A rent burdened household is one thatpays more than 30% of their gross income on housing related expenses. Datain the following charts illustrate the potential for residents living in Graham-town and Rutherford County to be rent burdened. However, before lookingat the rental data, it is important review the following terms used to discussrents in a community.

Explanation of Terms Used

Area Median Income (AMI): The AMI looks at all household incomes in ageographic area (in this case, counties). The median is the middle value sohalf are above and half are below when all are arranged from highest to low-est. (Example: There are 5 households in a community. The annual incomesin the household, in order, are $50,000, $30,000, $20,000, $ 10,000, and $5,000.$20,000 is the median, or middle, income for that community).

Percent of AMI: AMI is often broken down by percent (%) of AMI. The stan-dards are 80% below (low income), 50% below (very low income), and 30%below (extremely low income). For example, if the AMI for an area is $10,000,a household income that is below $8,000 but more than $5,000 is low income.A household that makes less than $5,000 but more than $3,000 is very lowincome. A household that makes less than $3,000 is extremely low income.AMI and the income breakdowns are used to determine the value of Section 8Housing Choice Vouchers and are used in federally funded programs such asthe CDBG program.

Affordable Housing: Affordable housing, as defined by the United States De-partment of Housing and Urban Development, is any housing accommoda-tion for which a tenant household pays 30% or less of its income for housing-related expenses (rent/mortgage, utilities, etc.).

Estimated Renter Median Household Income: Represents renter median in-come from U.S. Census 2000 multiplied by HUD’s adjustment factor that esti-mates income growth in an area between the census and 2005.

Fair Market Rent (FMR): Fair Market Rent is an amount determined by theUS Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to be the cost of modest,non-luxury rental units in a specific market area (in our case, counties). Gen-erally, an “affordable” rent is considered to be below the Fair Market Rent.

Housing Problems: Housing problems are typically defined as cost burdened,physically inadequate housing, and crowded housing. For homeowners, hous-ing problems can also be maintenance, remodeling and repair costs. Elderlyhomeowners face housing problems when they need modifications to theirhomes (ex: ramps).

Potential for Family Rent Burden

Rental Affordability Based on Area Median Income

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emocnIylimaFlaunnA

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IMA%05 818,62$ 008,32$ 005,12$ 006,52$ 004,12$

IMA%03 190,61$ 082,41$ 009,21$ 063,51$ 048,21$

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IMA%05 076$ 595$ 835$ 046$ 535$

IMA%03 204$ 753$ 323$ 483$ 123$

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IMA%03 )922$( )832$( )532$( )981$( )932$(

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25

This first chart compares Area Median Income (median income of all in a com-munity) with the cost of a two bedroom, fair market rental unit. The shadednumbers in the last two rows represent families who cannot afford a two-bedroom FMR unit. For example, only those renters in Rutherford Countywho are above 50% of the AMI (making more that $21,400/year) can afford atwo-bedroom FMR unit.

Rental Affordability Based on Estimated Renter Median Household

Income

This second chart compares Estimated Renter Median Household Income(ERM) (median income of renters, only, in a community) with the cost of a twobedroom, fair market rental unit. Households with an income above or at 53%of AMI can afford a 2BR FMR unit. Households with an income 53% belowAMI cannot afford the unit without risking housing problems. It is importantto note that the AMI is the median income of all residents in the County anddoes not differentiate between renters and homeowners.

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emocnIylimaFlaunnA

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IMA%05 558,41$ 488,21$ 490,31$ 455,51$ 956,11$

IMA%03 319,8$ 037,7$ 658,7$ 233,9$ 599,6$

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IMA%05 173$ 223$ 723$ 983$ 192$

IMA%03 322$ 391$ 691$ 332$ 571$

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IMA%03 )804$( )204$( )163$( )043$( )583$(

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The second chart looks specifically at the median income of renters in thecounty. The median income of renters in Rutherford County is half of theAMI for the County. Only those renters that are at 96% or above the EstimatedRenter Median Household Income can afford a 2BR FMR unit. This is a strongindicator a large portion of renters in Rutherford County are likely to havehousing problems.

Rental Affordability Based on Area Median Income for Census

Tract 9608 (Grahamtown)

The third chart looks specifically at Census Tract 9608, in which Grahamtownis included. Census Tract 9608 has the lowest median household income ofthe 12 tracts in Rutherford County. The median income includes all people inthe Tract, not just renters. It is reasonable to assume that the median incomeof renters, like those in the County, is lower than the median income for theentire community. Households in this Census Tract have a greater risk forhousing problems than those in other areas in the county.

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emocnIylimaFlaunnA

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IMA%05 785,21$

IMA%03 255,7$

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IMA%05 513$

IMA%03 981$

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IMA%08 )821$(

IMA%05 )613$(

IMA%03 )244$(

8elbaT nwotmaharGrofemocnInaideMaerAnodesaBytilibadroffAlaneR:


26

HOMEOWNERSHIP

Homeownership Subsidies

Increasing homeownership is a goal for residents of Rutherford County, For-est City, and Grahamtown. To obtain this goal, deep subsidies are needed tofill the gap between what the typical new house in Rutherford County costsand the incomes of Grahamtown residents.

According to The State of Housing in Rutherford County 2006, the typicalnew house in Rutherford County costs $120,000 to $150,000. Homes that costbetween $120-150,000 will cost the owner between $890-$1,090/month. Costsare based on a 30-year, fixed-rate loan at 7%. Costs include taxes and insur-ance but do not include other household expenses such as utilities and main-tenance. A household must earn between $35,600 and $43,200 to afford thesehomes. Households in Census Tract 9608, which includes Grahamtown, hada median household income of $25,174 (adjusted for inflation) in the 2000 Cen-sus. At this income level, a household in Census Tract 9608 can afford $629per month on housing costs (assuming the family is at median income). Thefollowing case study illustrates the deep subsidies needed if Grahamtown andother low income families in Rutherford County are to become homeowners.

Subsidy Case Study

Two houses are on the market for $120,000 each. Two families are interestedin the houses. The first family, the Smiths, have a family income of $35,600.The second family, the Greens, have a family income of $25,147 (the area me-dian income for Grahamtown residents). The Smiths plan to go to the bankfor conventional financing. The Greens have been working with a housingcounselor for more than a year and will need several subsidies to afford ahome. Following are the family’s financing packages.

The Smith FamilyRental Housing Subsidies

Housing subsidies are not widely used in the neighborhood. As of July 2006,eight Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers were in use in the neighborhood.HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS) housing vouchersare not in use in the neighborhood. Some households may have access toother types of housing assistance that are not known to the planning group.Because income levels in the neighborhood qualify many residents for assis-tance, it is likely that the condition of the housing units make them unsuitablefor Housing Vouchers because they do not meet the minimum life-safety stan-dards.

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27

The Green Family

The Green family works with a knowledgeable housing counselor who knew that the builder (theseller) was eligible for the Town of Forest City’s Residential Construction incentive. The buildergot a $7,500 rebate from the Town and in turn, discounted the cost of the house by the sameamount.

These scenarios are simple examples. Much more goes into an affordable hous-ing package for a homeownership household. The example does emphasizethat, despite deep subsidies, buyer’s margins are very tight. The communityneeds people well-versed in the housing field to direct buyers to appropriatefinancing and education. It is important to reiterate that this is not only aGrahamtown problem. Many people in Rutherford County need deep subsi-dies in order to achieve homeownership.

Some Available Housing Subsidies

Tax Incentives

• Mortgage interest deduction• Earned Income Tax Credit• Low Income Tax Credits (rental and mixed income developments)• Historic Tax Credits (for historic properties)• Tax Credits for energy efficiency or green building

NC Housing Finance Agency Products

• First Time Homebuyers Program (accessible through banks)• New Homes Loan Pool (for nonprofit and governmental develop-

ers)• Rural Opportunity Mortgage (in conjunction with USDA)• Mortgage Credit Certificates (for those who do not qualify for First

Time Homebuyers program)• Downpayment assistance• Job Loss Protection• Self-help Loan Pool (nonprofit developers)

Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta

• First Time Homebuyers Program (through banks, for first timehomebuyers)

• Banks that serve the area: HomeTrust Bank, Self-Help CreditUnion, BB & T

USDA

• Direct and Indirect Loans• Self-Help Housing (nonprofit developers)

Other

• Soft second mortgages (ex: 0% interest, 30 year deferred loan)• Community Land Trusts (ensure future affordability)• IDA (Individual Development Accounts)• Housing Trust Funds

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28

GRAHAMTOWN HOUSING STRATEGIES

A successful housing program for Grahamtown is one that incorporates a va-riety of housing strategies to meet the needs of renters, current homeowners,and potential homeowners as well as ensures the long-term affordability ofthe neighborhood.

Financing the actions outlined in this housing strategy will require major pub-lic investment. While a few federal and state grant programs exist that canhelp to offset a small portion of those costs the majority of investment willneed to be direct or leveraged local dollars.

Housing Preservation Strategies

Maintain and Upgrade Existing Housing

Grahamtown is an older neighborhood with a high percentage units in needof upkeep. With 52% of its housing occupied by renters, the neighborhood isincreasingly affected by the behavior and actions of renters and absentee land-lords who have less motivation to repair and upgrade housing. Forest Cityhas several investors who actively seek out and purchase houses as they be-come available and then convert them to rentals. Some owners take the ap-proach of minimal maintenance and improvements as a way to maximize short-term revenue.

Grahamtown also has homeowners who, for a variety of reasons, do not keeptheir home maintained to meet the standards of the minimum housing code orto a level that is perceived as acceptable to neighborhood residents. Whetherrenter or owner occupied, a large number of Grahamtown homes are not be-ing maintained properly and, consequently, detract from the overall qualityof the neighborhood.

Focus on Pro-active Code Enforcement

Code enforcement is the Town’s most effective tool for encouraging reinvest-ment and upkeep of existing housing. The Town’s code enforcement programhas been constrained by limited staffing and there are legal and procedurallimits on their ability to enforce the town’s codes. Enforcing the Town’s codemaintains or improves the quality of the rental stock and improves conditionsfor the town’s renter population. It also reduces the blighting effects of dete-riorated housing. Requiring absentee landlords to better maintain their in-vestment housing may encourage some to sell their units to homebuyers or bemore responsible landlords.

In some cases, homeowners with limited means cannot afford to maintain theirhomes. Resources should be coordinated to assist needy homeowners makethe repairs required for compliance with the Town’s minimum housing code.The limited incomes of households cannot be allowed to justify low propertymaintenance standards in the neighborhoods.

While the Town of Forest City’s Minimum Housing Code has some realstrengths, there is room from improvements.

Options to improve the Minimum Housing Code• Identify which landlords keep rental units in their name, amend

ordinance to enable inspection of these units or use pressure toencourage landlord compliance.

• Consider a fine for those landlords who rent to tenants withoutaddressing identified code violations.

• Educate tenants (using housing brochure and other methods) ontenant rights and housing code rights.

• Use Pisgah Legal Services when landlords take money from tenantswhen units are not ready to rent or when landlords retaliate againstthose who make minimum housing code complaints.

• Continue aggressive housing code enforcement that allows rentalunits to be inspected prior to each new rental.

• Educate tenants on code requirements, how to make housing codecomplaints, and legal protection available if they do make a housingcode complaint.

• Work with local resources, community groups and churches to helpneedy homeowners make home repairs.

• Establish a single Town contact for residents calling to report codeviolations. One contact person should be authorized to acceptreports on all types of property violations.

• Hire an additional staff person to assist with code enforcement.

Increase Pressure on In-town and Out-of-town Landlords to

Maintain Safe Rental Units

Landlord School: The Town of Forest City has offered to conduct a “landlordschool” to help property owners in the city learn how to be responsible land-lords. Town staff are willing to put this program together, however, they areconcerned about landlord responsiveness because there is no carrot enticingthe landlord to attend.

Landlord/Tenant Leases: Landlords need to learn how to write effective leasesthat give them grounds to control their tenants’ behavior and how to screen


29

their tenants. For example, landlords who add “house rules” to their standardlease have better tools for addressing and evicting problem tenants. Rulesconcerning noise, trash and domestic disturbances can be grounds for warn-ings and eventual eviction if properly enforced. The key is that they learnhow to properly draft and enforce the lease according to North Carolina law.

Fines for Landlords: Legal advise should be sought prior to developing anyplan that would hold landlords accountable for illegal activity that occurs intheir units.

Background Checks: The Town of Forest City Police Department has the abil-ity and is willing to help landlords with background checks. While backgroundchecks allow landlords to screen out tenants who may cause problems theneighborhood, the practice is not without consequence. Many studies docu-ment that African-Americans are more likely to be arrested and convicted thanCaucasians. This is truer in low-wealth communities such as Grahamtown.Required background checks will limit housing choice for many communitymembers—something that is contrary to the vision of our plan.

Landlords using criminal history as a screening tool should be prepared toanswer questions such as: What type of conviction prevents a person fromrenting a unit? How recent is the conviction? Was it one conviction or many?Property owners must take care to avoid discriminatory practices. Using back-ground checks is a gray area and should only be implemented by landlordswith the knowledge and training to implement the practice with fairness andconsistency. A better alternative for landlords are good leases that allow land-lords to respond to nuisance behaviors.

Encourage Housing Acquisition and Rehabilitation for

Homebuyers

Investors have targeted Forest City and Grahamtown for rental housing. Theyspecialize in acquiring properties subject to foreclosure or being sold for backtaxes or in settlement of an estate. Once the house is bought for rental, anotheropportunity to attract a homeowner is lost.

Intervention by a nonprofit corporation could increase competition for suchhouses and make it more difficult for potential landlords to buy them. Thenonprofit could then rehabilitate the houses and resell them to qualified ho-meowners. Their investments help to stabilize the neighborhoods in whichthey work. Prospective homebuyers are trained as to the responsibilities ofhomeownership and are screened for their ability to pay their mortgage andmaintain a home.

Work With Area Banks to Leverage Funding Programs for Home-

owners and Prospective Homebuyers

Most banks in Forest City have programs that make available mortgage andhome improvement loans in low-income neighborhoods. Others have moreprograms that provide a wide variety of assistance to low-income neighbor-hoods. The leadership team should reach out to local branch banks to encour-age extensions of these programs to the Grahamtown neighborhood and resi-dents.

Banks in Forest City

Self-Help Credit Union

Self-Help is a community development lender that provides services to homebuyers, small businesses, and nonprofits. Self-Help’s mission is to create own-ership and economic opportunities for minorities, women, rural residents andlow-wealth families. Self-Help lends to small businesses, supports commu-nity facilities, invests in real estate development, and lends to support sustain-able development initiatives.

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30

Self-Help’s office in Asheville provides services to Rutherford County resi-dents. Self-Help has the potential to be a valuable partner in Grahamtown’srevitalization efforts. More information can be found at their website at: http://www.self-help.org.

The Community Reinvestment Act

According to PolicyLink, a national nonprofit that works on issues of eco-nomic justice defines the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) as federal leg-islation that, requires banks to “offer equal access to lending, investment, andservices to all those in an institution’s geographic assessment area-at least threeto five miles from each branch. In the case of large banks with many branches,the geographic area may encompass an entire county or even a state.”

The CRA ensures access to credit, allows the community to hold banks ac-countable, and delivers significant capital to projects. To effectively use theCRA, PolicyLink encourages communities to first identify their lending andinvestment needs. Once the needs are identified, communities should con-duct a campaign where residents present their needs to local bank branchmanagers to generate specific agreements between the bank . CRA funds andprojects are frequently used to leverage other funds (PolicyLink: http://www.policylink.org/EDTK/CRA/). Each bank in Forest City has a differentCRA strategy, however, most banks have something to offer in support oflocal projects.

Asset Building Strategies

Support Homeownership and Financial Education

Rutherford County is currently without an agency or individual who regu-larly provides homebuyer education. This is a critical component to increas-ing homeownership in the county. The Rutherford Housing Initiative pro-vides financial education at various locations in the County and ConsumerCredit Counseling Services of the Foothills provides debt consolidation ser-vices. The services these agencies provide do not currently meet the needs ofCounty residents.

Group classes and/or one-on-one counseling can help low-income householdslearn how to repair their credit, save for a down payment, obtain mortgagefinancing, buy a house and then maintain it. That knowledge base coupledwith access to low-cost mortgages and/or down payment assistance can beeffective in helping renters become homeowners.

More on asset building can be found in the increasing economic opportunitysection of this report.

Housing Production Strategies

Encourage New Housing Development from the Private and

Nonprofit Sectors

New housing development needs to come from the private sector and the non-profit sector. There are a variety of strategies that can be implemented to en-tice both types of developers to work in the community (see Strategies forLocal Government).

Actively recruit a nonprofit developer to work in Grahamtown

and Forest City

A nonprofit with building experience is needed to help the neighborhoodachieve its goals. To begin, the nonprofit developer should be one with expe-rience and an established track record. This will help quickly bring funds intothe neighborhood. The incoming nonprofit developer could help build capac-ity of a local nonprofit who wants to become a builder. A nonprofit developerneeds help forming relationships with the local building community and needsaccess to subsidies in order to work in the community. Nonprofit developersshould focus on development for potential homebuyers whose incomes arebetween 40-70% of area median income.

Encourage Developers to Access the Town of Forest City’s Resi-

dential Incentive Policy

The Town of Forest City has an incentive program to encourage residentialdevelopment inside the Town boundary. A copy of this policy can be found inthe appendix. The Housing Action Team may want to encourage the Town toup the rebate amounts for affordable housing development.

Encourage Private Development of Housing for Middle- and Up-

per-income Homebuyers

Private developers in Rutherford County have little incentive to build smallhouses on a small scale. In order to entice private developers to build, theyneed the following: subsidies, land to build more than one house at a time andsomeone to help qualify buyers (could partner with a nonprofit).


31

Land Strategies

Meet With the Owners of Vacant Properties/Land

The Housing Action Team should meet with the owners of the major vacantproperties to encourage development of new housing. Property owners shouldbe presented with options as to how their land or property can help with neigh-borhood development. Before talking to property owners, members of theHousing Action Team should have an idea of how the property could be usedand how it could be obtained.

Support Rezoning When and Where Appropriate

Rezoning should not be affect neighborhood development. However, if theproperty’s zoning were to pose a roadblock to development, the Town shouldevaluate and support rezoning to meet affordable housing goals.

Establish a System Where the Town or a Designated Nonprofit Can

Receive Gifts of Land

Become versed in the tax language to accept these gifts.: Local governments inNorth Carolina can accept gifts of land from private land owners. If this landis donated to the Town, it may lease or sell it below cost to benefit affordablehousing projects. Nonprofits may also accept gifts of land under parametersset by the agency’s board of directors. In both cases there are tax advantagesfor the donor which should be discussed with legal counsel for the entity ac-cepting the land.

Local Government Strategies

Evaluate Which Local Government Options are Best for Forest

City

According to Affordable Housing and North Carolina Local Governments,“North Carolina’s local governments are authorized under the Housing Au-thorities Law, G.S. 157-1 through -70, to engage in housing projects.” Housingprojects are broad in definition and may include planning for buildings andimprovements, demolition of existing structures, construction, reconstruction,alteration, and repair of the improvements and all other work connected toaffordable housing. Local governments are also authorized to provide relatedassistance “which often includes improvements that must be made to the neigh-borhoods where the housing will be located, such as water and sewer service,open spaces, and parks.”

Selected Tools Available to Local Governments:

• Tax Revenues: Local governments may use tax revenues for afford-able housing purposes.

• Borrowing/Bonds: Local governments may borrow money and issuegeneral obligation bonds for providing housing projects.

• Urban Homesteading: Properties of little or no value that the localityacquires through abandonment, tax delinquency foreclosures, dedi-cation, gift, or purchase may be conveyed to eligible families at nomi-nal cost. Families must then commit themselves to making the majorrepairs and to living in the dwelling for a specified number of years.They must rehabilitate the property so that it meets or exceeds mini-mum code standards and maintain property insurance on the prop-erty.

• Redevelopment: Through the state’s Urban Redevelopment Law, lo-cal governments can redevelop an entire neighborhood or area.

• Rental Subsidies: Local governments can use local funds to providerental supplements similar to the Section 8 Housing Choice voucher.

• Sale of Property: Local governments may dispose of property at lessthan fair market value if the property is to be used for affordable hous-ing.

• Lease of Land: Local governments may lease land to any person, firm,or corporation that will use the land to construct housing for the ben-efit of low- or moderate-income persons.

• Eminent Domain: Under some circumstances, local governments maytake land for a public purpose.

Is Redevelopment an Option for Grahamtown?

Benchmark CMR was hired by the Town of Forest City to evalu-ate the blighted conditions of the Grahamtown Neighborhoodto determine if the Urban Redevelopment Law is applicable tothe neighborhood. Of the 152 structures surveyed in Graham-town, 11 were non-residential and 141 were residential. Of the141 residential structures, 106 (75.1%) are blighted; meeting the2/3 rule for Urban Redevelopment--therefore, Redevelopmentunder North Carolina’s Urban Redevelopment Law is an op-tion.


32

• Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity: Builds new homes usingsweat equity and volunteers.

• The Hands of Christ (referrals through Rutherford Housing Partner-ship): Does urgent repair, painting, and yard work using youth groupsin the summer months.

• WNC Housing Partnership: Develops tax credit properties through-out WNC.

• Isothermal Planning and Development Commission:� Weatherization: Makes home more energy efficient for owner-

occupied homes.� Section 8: Federal vouchers to make rental housing more afford-

able.� Home Ownership Program: Section 8 vouchers convert to mort-

gage vouchers.� Family Self Sufficiency Program: A savings program with match

money to help current Section 8 renters save for a down payment.� Scattered Site Housing Rehabilitation: Major rehabilitation or

replacement of homes for homeowners.

Future Housing Strategies

Establish a Community Land Trust

A Community Land Trust (CLT) is typically established by an affordable hous-ing nonprofit. In North Carolina, the nonprofit acquires and maintains own-ership of the land and the house to benefit the community it serves by ensur-ing long-term housing affordability. CLTs work because they keep homesthat were developed to today’s affordable standards affordable for tomorrow.According to the Orange County (North Carolina) Land Trust, “homes thatwere originally developed as affordable homeownership opportunities andsubsidized with public funds have appreciated beyond the reach of currentlow-income buyers. Replacing this lost affordable stock with new homes typi-cally requires a good deal more public subsidy than in the past, and manycommunities are further challenged with a dwindling supply of land on whichto build.”

A Forest City/Rutherford County CLT, like any other housing strategy, hasadvantages and disadvantages. At this time, a primary CLT disadvantage is aquestion of timing. With population declining in the Town of Forest City,competition for land and houses in Forest City not at a critical point. Land inForest City and Grahamtown is available even though it may not be on theactive market. However, Forest City is getting ready to enter a time of change

Miscellaneous Housing Strategies

Establish a Progressive Housing Program (Transitional Housing for

Renters)

The Community Empowerment Project (CEP) has interest in creating a pro-gram that supports renters interested in becoming homeowners. In the idealmodel, CEP would maintain ownership of low-cost housing units where tar-get renters live. While there, program participants receive intensive case man-agement and support while taking advantage of an Individual DevelopmentAccount savings program (see “Increasing Economic Opportunity for moreinformation on this topic.). At the end of the program, the renters are ready tobecome homeowners.

CEP currently does not own housing units and it may take some time before itdevelops the capacity to do so. A middle ground program could be one whererenters remain in the house they currently rent, receive the case management,and participate in an IDA savings program.

An alternate model is known as the Troy Model. This rent-to-own programenables participants to rent their new homes for two years. During these twoyears, a home counselor provides families with educational training and coun-seling on owning a home. These sessions are mandatory for participants andcontinue throughout the life of the participant’s mortgage. This developmentproject was funded through a combination of funders including a CommunityDevelopment Block Grant, HUD, USDA-Rural Development, and the Z. SmithReynolds Foundation. The neighborhood, Smitherman Village, in Troy, NorthCarolina in Montgomery County, is owned by the Troy Neighborhood Rede-velopment Corporation (TNRC). TNRC administers the rent-to-own programon behalf of the town.

Maximize the use of Current Housing Resources Available to

Rutherford County Residents

Rutherford County has a variety of housing resources available to county resi-dents. Each program has its own rules for service eligibility. Below is a listingof services available:

• Rutherford Housing Initiative: Coalition of housing service provid-ers. Offers financial literacy education. Working to develop an IDAprogram.

• Rutherford Housing Partnership: Does urgent repairs on owner-occupied homes.


33

and growth. As the town grows, a CLT may need to be evaluated. CLT ex-perts are available to work with communities interested in starting land trusts.

Establish a Housing Trust Fund

Housing trust funds (HTF) are a public-sector tool used to funnel financialresources to private housing developers or nonprofit organizations to developor rehabilitate affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals.A public agency is normally responsible for the collection and distribution ofthe fund’s resources. Typical funding sources are real estate transfer taxes,accumulated interest from real estate transactions and budget appropriationsamong others. Housing trust fund dollars also leverage monies from othersources.

Housing trust funds are flexible--the town can decide whether to use the moneyfor grants or low-interest loans for for-profit or nonprofit organizations to con-struct or rehabilitate housing, to assist individual households with home pur-chases (such as closing costs), or to provide other housing services.

The benefits of housing trust funds include having a dedicated source of fund-ing; that is, funding does not rely on budgetary appropriations (although somereceive annual appropriations). In addition, trust funds are protected--rev-enue can be used only for the stated housing purpose unless legislation isaltered.

The intricacies of establishing a trust fund is beyond the scope of this report.There are resources available to local communities—one of which is the NorthCarolina Housing Coalition. This agency will come to the community to helpa locality establish a HTF.


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Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Prevent Evictions

Host a workshop to educate community members -- illegal evictions, what to do if you are being evicted. Have printed materials available to distribute neighborhood residents. Become aware of financial eviction prevention resources. Utilize Pisgah Legal Services housing services.

CE RS LS

Mid-Term

Action Teams Pisgah Legal Services RCHI

Cost of printing materials (minimal) Cost of hosting workshop (minimal)

Increase Pressure on Landlords

Conduct a landlord school. Identify an incentive that

will encourage a landlord to attend

Include “appropriate lease writing” in the course

Use Pisgah Legal Services to assist with this activity

Issue fines for those landlords who do not comply with minimum housing code complaints and issues. Educate landlords on how to effectively use background checks.

CE RS EV CE

Mid-Term

TFC Action Team PLS TFC Legal advice Police Dept.

Cost of hosting a workshop Legal advice

HOUSING ACTION PLAN

Rental Housing


35



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Educate the Forest City town council and other local governments in Rutherford County about housing tools available to NC local governments.

Present “local government tool box” at council meeting. Ask council to adopt one or more option. Encourage local governments in Rutherford County to pool resources (Ex: Housing Trust Fund).

CE SA RB ED

Immediate

DCA Action Team RCHI TFC NC Housing Coalition

None

Accept gifts of property and/or land for the purposes of redevelopment

Research the legal/tax language that permits gifts of land. Talk to other non-profits or

local governments who have taken this step.

Solicit pro-bono assistance from an attorney and an accountant to provide advice for a gift policy. Explore the town’s willingness to accept gifts of land from citizens. Write a policy that outlines a process to accept gifts of property.

SA RS

Immediate

TFC CEP and/orAACHRC Local Attorney Local Accountant

Legal/ Tax Assistance

Solicit pro-bono help

Local Government


36



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Offer homeownership education to community members

Identify an agency in the community that is willing to provide this service. Work with this agency to create a service plan for the neighborhood. Identify training resources Identify funding resources

Request that Town Council and other local governments in Rutherford County put funding toward the training and salary to the person or entity providing homebuyer education.

RB SA

Immediate Mid-Term Ongoing after an agency/plan is identified

Housing providers in Rutherford County TFC and other local governments in Rutherford County

Salary & training

Establish a Progressive Housing Program for those transitioning from renting to homeownership

CEP needs to complete this section

Transition to Homeownership


37



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Use NCs Urban Redevelopment Law (§160A-500) to complete redevelopment projects.

Appoint members of the Grahamtown neighborhood to the redevelopment commission. Ask Benchmark CMR (with whom the town contracts for planning services) to provide an Urban Redevelopment training session.

SA SA

Immediate Immediate

TFC Benchmark

Benchmark’s time (Town has to approve)

Acquire “unused resources” (land and vacant homes).

Identify properties throughout the neighborhood that are best suited for acquisition. Out of town owners Long term vacancy

Meet with property owners of vacant homes and vacant property Research and compile resources to purchase land (ex: Community Development Block Grants). Establish a process to gift land for the purposes of redevelopment (see earlier strategy under Local Government strategies) Identify a non-profit developer that can develop or rehab the acquired resources.

RB SA RS

Immediate/ Long term Immediate Immediate

TFC, Action teams, CEP/AACRC Action Teams, DCA TFC

Legal assistance

Redevelopment and Land Acquisition


38



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Maintain and upgrade existing housing.

Conduct a “needs assessment” for houses that were identified as deteriorated or dilapidated in the Benchmark CMR survey of properties. Establish cost estimates for

repairs. Determine which

structures should be demolished.

Assess existing housing rehabilitation resources in the county and learn how to access. Meet with the leaders of

the organization that provide rehab services in the county.

Continually ask for their services.

Build capacity of residents to respond to repairs. Home repair and

maintenance class. Identify a class teacher. Identify and use talented

neighborhood residents. Establish a “repair need hotline” for those who have a problem that they cannot fix.

SA ED RS RB CB

Ongoing

Action Team Building Safety Department CEP or AACHRC Existing housing agencies Buncombe County Extension Service (talk to them about their Home Repair Class)

Cost of needs assessment (need professional help) Funding for repairs Cost of a home maintenance class

Housing Preservation


39



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Recruit for-profit and non-profit developers.

Encourage for-profit developers to create housing production for those who are above 70-80% above area median income. Identify builders who are in the area who are willing to build modest houses in the GTown area. Encourage nonprofit developers to build housing for those who are below 70% of area median income. Identify a non-profit builder who is willing to build modest houses in the GTown area.

RB RS EV

Immediate

Action team DCA Cleveland [County] CDC Self-Help Credit Union The Affordable Housing Group [Charlotte] NC Housing Finance Agecny

Identify incentives and subsidies to bring the cost of housing down.

Encourage Town Council to increase rebate rates for the development of affordable housing. Work with area banks, non-profits, and state agencies to maximize subsidy packages.

SA RB

Immediate

Action team TFC Local banks NC Housing Coalition

Housing Production (Part 1)


40



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Solicit assistance from area banks.

Get familiar with Community Reinvestment Act language and ask banks what they do to meet the requirements. Review what community reinvestment activities each bank supports (see listing in main report) Schedule individual conversations with appropriate bank representatives once plans are solidified. Make very specific requests

for funding. (Ex: We would like you to provide a 50% match to all people who open an IDA account in your bank)

RS RB SA

Immediate Action team Local banks

Encourage and support new housing development.

Rental: Small duplex and triplex

developments by non-profit developers

Demand good management of units

Single Family: Use successful models

from across the country Build homes that are

energy efficient Build homes that are

modest in size

SA After builders are recruited

Housing Production (Part 2)


41

Education



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Provide education opportunities for community members to learn about housing options.

Host monthly or quarterly housing classes (homebuyer education, rental education, home repair, etc.) to keep housing on resident’s radar screen. Host an “Affordable Housing Fair” at least once a year. Create printed and on-line materials as a resource for information seekers.

ED SA

Mid-Term

CEP AACHRC Housing organizations in Rutherford County

Affordable Housing Fair Costs Materials Printing

Corporate sponsorship for events

Provide services to current homeowners and those who are new homeowners.

Offer post-purchase counseling. Encourage participation in financial education classes.

ED Mid-Term RCHI CEP or AACHRC

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.


44

PART III: PEOPLE

INCREASING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Increasing economic opportunity in minority communities is a big challenge.According to the national nonprofit Demos.org’s report, “African American,Latinos and Economic Opportunity in the 21st Century,” there are,

“social and political dynamics that prevent minorities frommoving up to the middle class. These include ongoing suspi-cion of government institutions and the impact of this distruston civic engagement, tensions between members of the com-munity who have moved up economically and those who havenot, and the pressures middle class African Americans feel tostraddle African American and white culture.”

While strategies for increasing economic opportunity are presented in this re-port, it is important to understand that there are external barriers that canblock their success. Leaders must be mindful of these dynamic during pro-gram development and implementation.

Asset Building

Increase Access to Financial Literacy

Low-wealth communities are often financially under-served and often lackthe financial skills needed to get ahead in today’s world. Financial literacy,programs that teach financial and money management skills, is a key to eco-nomic independence. Financial literacy classes should teach skills that helpcommunity members manage their limited incomes, avoid high-cost preda-tory lenders, improve their credit records and set goals for savings. It is im-portant to teach these skills to adults as well as children and seniors.

Aggressively Link People to Entitlement Benefits

Based on area incomes, many Grahamtown residents are eligible for entitle-ment benefits such as Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security Disability Insur-ance, food stamps, unemployment insurance, crisis intervention services, andWork First family assistance. While these services are not meant to be a family’ssustaining income source, they can provide a boost to their economic situa-tion.

Promote the Use of the County’s Individual Development Account

Program

Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are matched savings accounts thatenable low-income families to save, build assets, and enter the financial main-stream. IDAs reward the monthly savings of families who are working to-ward an asset purchase - most commonly buying their first home, paying forpost-secondary education, or starting a small business. The match incentive -similar to an employer match for 401(k) contributions - is provided through avariety of government and private sector sources. Organizations that operateIDA programs often couple the match incentive with financial literacy educa-tion, training to purchase an asset, and case management. More informationabout IDAs can be found at http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?parentid=31&siteid=374&id=374.

In 2006, the Rutherford Housing Initiative was awarded a grant from the NCDivision of Community Assistance to start an IDA program for RutherfordCounty residents. GTeam members should stay in touch with the Initiative asthey develop their program (Phone: 828.287.2281 x 1233).

Employment and Business Support

Increase Access to and Use of Job Training and Employment Ser-

vices in the County

Rutherford County has a handful of services available to residents who arelooking to increase their job skills or find employment. Grahamtown leadersshould familiarize themselves with available resources to better educate resi-dents. Available services are listed below. The Rutherford County UntiedWay’s First Call for Help line has referral information for these services(828.286.3916).

• Isothermal Community College• Career Center• Human Resource Development Program• Job Corp (Through Department of Social Services)• Employment Security Commission of NC• Rutherford County JobLink Career Service Center• Isothermal Planning and Development Commission• Job Training Partnership• NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation


45

Reach-out and Support Current and Future Entrepreneurs (Micro-

Enterprise/Small Business Development)

Many Grahamtown residents have unique talents and abilities that could pro-duce income if they were presented with the opportunity. There are resourcesavailable within and outside Rutherford County to assist aspiring entrepre-neurs. Many people are not aware of these opportunities. These resourcesinclude:

• Foothills Connect• Isothermal Community College’s Small Business Center• Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce• Rutherford County Economic Development Center• Local Banks

Tax Based Strategies

Educate Community Members about the Earned Income Tax Credit

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a special federal tax benefit for work-ing people who earn low or moderate incomes. It has several important pur-poses: to reduce the tax burden on these workers, to supplement wages, andto provide a work incentive. Workers who qualify for the EITC and file afederal tax return can get back some or all of the federal income tax that wastaken out of their pay during the year. They may also get extra cash back fromthe Internal Revenue Service. Even workers whose earnings are too small toowe income tax can get the EITC. What’s more, the EITC offsets any addi-tional taxes workers may owe, such as payroll taxes.

People can learn if the qualify at the Internal Revenue Service’s EITC websiteat http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96406,00.html or they canlearn more about the EITC at the Center on Budget Policy Priorities at http://www.cbpp.org/eic2006/EIC_Facts_Text.pdf.

Educate Community Members about the Child Tax Credit

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) is a federal tax credit worth up to $1,000 in 2006for each qualifying child under age 17 claimed on the worker’s tax return.While the CTC has been in effect since 1998, Congress changed the credit in2001 to make it available to millions more low- and moderate-income work-ing families and provided many families a larger CTC than they could havereceived in the past. This “Additional CTC” is refundable, meaning some

families can get the credit even if they owe no income tax. Eligible families canreceive the CTC refund in a check from the IRS. More information about theCTC can be found at http://www.cbpp.org/eic2006/EIC_Facts_Text.pdf

Explore Creative Opportunities for Job Training and Employment

Many communities across the state are have accepted that the big manufac-turing company is not coming back to provide high paying jobs for a greatnumber of community members. As good jobs become scarce, communitiesare being forced to be creative to meet the employment needs of its citizens.Many examples of these creative communities can be found through internetresearch and networking with people who are involved in entrepreneurialventures. At this point in time, it is difficult to determine what strategy is bestfor Grahamtown, however, it is beneficial to begin looking at what could work.Examples can be found at the following websites:

Creative Job Training and Employment Opportunities

• NC Rural Economic Development Centerhttp://www.ncruralcenter.org/http://www.ncruralcenter.org/pubs/back_on_track_09_06.pdf

• Energizing Entrepreneurshttp://www.energizingentrepreneurs.org/

• Center for Rural Entrepreneurshiphttp://www.ruraleship.org/


46



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Establish an IDA program and/or access Rutherford County Housing Initiative’s IDA program* place once it is up and running. *RCHI will have a functioning IDA in early 2007. This fund will be for housing projects only. Funds cannot be used for education or small-business development.

Get educated on the details of IDAs Identify banking partners Combine IDAs with other training programs: financial literacy, entrepreneurship, homeownership education, furthering your education. Identify peers to help promote the program (once it is established). Engage the Rutherford Housing Initiative in discussion about their IDA plans.

RB LS ED

Immediate RHI Banks

Matching Funds

Access the Family Self-Sufficiency program for those families on Section 8.

Work with the Section 8 Program at Isothermal Planning to identify families using Section 8 vouchers in the neighborhood. Ask Section 8 staff to get

information releases from those families.

Talk to families about homeownership and offer services to get them ready for homeownership.

Get educated on the Family Self-Sufficiency program.

RB LS ED

Immediate

Section 8 Program, Isothermal Planning and Development Commission, Lanell Ramsey Families on Section 8 Housing Education Providers

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACTION PLAN

Increase Savings (Part 1)


47



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Encourage children to open savings accounts

Identify banking partners or other who will provide matching funds. Research the SEED program as a model to replicate. www.seed.cfed.org

ED LS

Immediate Banks Matching Funds



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Partner with the Rutherford Housing Initiative (and Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Carolina Foothills) to provide Financial Literacy Classes at the Dunbar Center and/or neighborhood churches.

Topic Covered: How to manage limited

incomes Predatory lending/payday

lending Credit scores and reports Savings goals How to manage

debt/bankruptcy

ED LS

Immediate RHI CCCS of CF Banks

Class materials

Connect financial literacy to education opportunities.

Encourage Rutherford County Schools to provide Financial Literacy Education in the schools Connect Financial Literacy to participation in other social support programs (TANF, GED Classes, English Classes, after-school programs)

ED LS CB

Immediate School System ICC

Minimal

Increase Savings (Part 2)

Financial Literacy Classes


48



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Offer free income tax return services to low-income residents at the Dunbar Center or the CEP Building.

Identify who can provide this free service. Encourage the use of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) Encourage savings of tax return refunds Offer enrollment into the IDA program at the time of tax preparation.

ED LS

Ongoing



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Help those without a banking relationship establish one.

Identify banks with programs designed to help low-income people. Educate the community on appropriate banking services: no credit checks to open accounts, flexible identification requirements, $10 or less opening deposit account, no minimum balance, etc. Encourage direct deposit of paychecks and government benefits.

ED LS CB

Immediate Banks

Tax Return Assistance

Banking


49

Entrepreneur Assistance



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Provide support to community members who own their own businesses. Provide opportunities for those who want to own a small business.

Identify local business owners: Establish a networking

group (monthly breakfast or coffee at the Dunbar Center)

Ask this group to mentor future business owners

Get educated about available resources (Foothills Connect, Isothermal Comm. College Small Business Center, etc.) Host education sessions for current and future business owners Promote the use of IDAs as a tool to start a small business Research banking services available to help small businesses

ED

Mid-Term

Foothills Connect ICC Other Business Owners

Instill an entrepreneurial spirit in the youth of Grahamtown.

Provide opportunities for youth to shadow business owners Promote entrepreneurial activities in the school system

ED Mid-Term

Foothills Connect ICC Other Businesses Rutherford County School System


50

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Children in Grahamtown are entitled to a good education. Getting a goodeducation is more important today than in the past as more opportunities re-quire strong reading and math skills. According to national nonprofit, TheEducation Trust, “Schools serving African-American children often lack money,qualified teachers, textbooks, and other instructional materials needed to servetheir students. Even when African-American students attend ‘better’ schools,they are not often given the best teachers, not assigned to the most challengingcourses and not educated to their full potential.” This report does not set outto provide strategies that will fix the education system in Rutherford County.It does provide some strategies that encourage parental involvement,mentoring, and continuing education for adults.

Get Parents Involved in Their Child’s Education

The following strategies are taken from a report titled, “Improving Your Child’sEducation: A Guide for African American Parents.” It provides a comprehen-sive overview on how parents can get involved in their child’s education.http://www2.edtrust.org/NR/rdonlyres/CC939171-B668-4FEC-819E-94E58757CC2D/0/AfricanAmericanParentGuide.pdf

Help Your Child

• Talk to your child. Communication is important to understand whatyour child has to say about his or her education, teacher, homework,and school and to show that his or her education is important.

• Monitor your child’s homework. As a parent you do not necessarilyhave to understand or be able to explain all the assignments that yourchildren receive, but you can monitor your child to make sure theyare really working and understanding the homework.

• Look for the following warning signs in homework assignments thatmight indicate that your child is not being challenged in school: Yourchild has read few books in his or her English class. Your child is in8th grade and the major project is to do a collage for class. Your childfinishes his or her homework very quickly.

• Read to your child or have your child read to you.• Know your child’s teachers and find out their qualifications and ex-

perience.• Know what is expected of your child in each class and whether your

child is meeting these expectations. Become familiar with your child’sschedule, know and understand the course requirements necessary to

advance to the next grade level and to graduation, if applicable.• Make sure your children are in the most challenging classes that will

prepare them to succeed in college and work.• Ask for or acquire on your own a copy of the state academic stan-

dards for each subject, use them to make sure you know what yourchild is expected to learn in school.

• Ask for a syllabus or outline of the work your child will receive dur-ing the year.

Work With Other Parents to Help Your Child’s School

• There is power in numbers. Talk to other parents about the educationyour children are receiving. Exchange ideas, information, and con-cerns about your schools.

• Find out how students are placed in certain classes and work towardgetting all African-American students placed in high-level classes.

• Find out how the district assigns teachers and work toward makingsure all teachers are highly qualified. Ask the school superintendentand school board members what’s being done to get your school morequalified and experienced teachers.

• Use data, such as test score results, to understand how well yourschools are performing with African-American students.

• Ask to see school improvement plans. Is the school district doingenough to help your schools improve achievement? You have the rightto sit at the decision-making table; ask to be one of the parent repre-sentatives on the school-improvement team.

Other Education Strategies

Utilize the Mentoring Resources in the County

Mentoring is a great way to ensure academic success for kids who are strug-gling. Rutherford County schools operates the Rutherford County SchoolsMentoring Partnership. This program links adults to kids in the school sys-tem and can be reached at 828.245.0252 x 145.

Encourage Adults in the Neighborhood to Become Mentors

Offer mentoring training in the neighborhood, generate support and volun-teers from the churches.


51

Get Kids of All Ages Involved in After-school Activities

Keeping kids engaged is a key to keeping them out of trouble. RutherfordCounty has a variety of after-school activities available through the schoolsystem, the parks and recreation department, and other nonprofits.. Leadersshould make parents aware of available resources and seek out financial re-sources for those parents that lack the financial resources to enroll their kids inafter-school programs.

Get Kids Involved in the Projects Included in This Report

Getting kids involved in neighborhood activities will help the community ac-complish its goals while instilling a sense of pride in neighborhood kids. Kidscan easily participate in activities such as neighborhood cleanup days, yardwork, and social activities. The African American Cultural and Heritage Re-source Center and Community Empowerment Project can help coordinate theseactivities.

Increase Access to Continuing Education Opportunities for Adults

Adults who further their education have a greater chance of obtaining eco-nomic prosperity. GED, computer literacy, continuing education classesthrough Isothermal Community College, and English as a second languageare all good opportunities for educational advancement. The Old Dunbar Cen-ter is a great location for these types of classes to be held. Location and specif-ics of classes in the community can be found by contacting Isothermal’s Con-tinuing Education Department at 828.286.3636.


52



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Get parents involved in their child’s education and work with other parents to help your child’s school.

See list on page 50-51.

CB ED NI RB

Immediate People Team Education Liaison

Minimal

Identify an education point person to who can connect parents to schools and can help parents get involved in their child’s education.

Identify the person Link the person to Rutherford County Schools (use Wilfred McDowell as a resource) Get training for this person (use the school system to help identify)

SA RB ED

Immediate

People Team School Point Person Rutherford County Schools

Minimal

Meet with the members of school improvement teams at schools serving the GTown area.

Use Wilfred McDowell as a resource. Find out who is on the improvement teams—encourage involvement from a GTown resident.

RB RS

Immediate

Rutherford County Schools School Point Person

Minimal

Get kids linked with mentors

Use existing county resources Encouraged adults in GTown mentor youth Use churches as an avenue to generate mentor volunteers

NI RB ED OR

Immediate

People Team Churches Rutherford County Mentoring Resources

Minimal

EDUCATION ACTION PLAN

Schools and Education (Part 1)


53



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Get kids involved with after-school activities through the school system and the Parks and Recreation department.

Lean what after-school resources are available in the county (including costs). Educate parents about available resources. Seek out funding opportunities for parents who cannot afford after-school programs for their children

RS ED LS

Immediate

Rutherford County after-school resources People team

Minimal

Get kids involved in neighborhood projects

Identify households with children. Make families aware of activities going on in the neighborhood. Invite kids to help with neighborhood projects.

SA RB

Immediate All teams

Minimal

Increase access to continuing education opportunities for adults.

Work with CEP to open the Dunbar Center to groups who can provide education opportunities. Engage in one-on-one conversations with education provider in the county – learn what they have to offer and if they can offer it at the Dunbar Center

RB SA LS

Immediate

ICC JobLink Other Education Providers

Minimal

Schools and Educaiton (Part 2)


54

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PROJECT AND THE OLD DUNBAR

COMMUNITY CENTER

Community Empowerment Project

The Community Empowerment Project (CEP) is a Community DevelopmentCorporation (CDC) founded to provide the tools of empowerment for the social andeconomic development of the low-wealth and minority citizens of Rutherford Countyand the surrounding areas. CEP has been a volunteer led organization. CEPrecently received a Melvin R. Lane grant from the Community Foundation ofWestern North Carolina to hire its first paid executive director. CEP owns theEmpowerment Resource Center on First Street and the Old Dunbar Commu-nity Center, the former location of Dunbar Elementary School, on Hardin Road.Over the years, CEP has received funding for a wide variety of projects, in-cluding: organizational development, programming, community develop-ment, economic development, and affordable housing. CEP’s ability to pro-vide programs has been limited due the lack of full-time staff members andlimited financial resources.

Citizens Respond

At the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event, CEP was named as a communityasset. However, the community stated that it wants CEP to do more for theneighborhood. The community recognized that CEP’s ability to do more waslimited for the reasons mentioned above. The community would like to seethe Old Dunbar Community Center (ODCC) used for recreation, as a place toget supportive services, and for a variety of other needs named at the event.Community members also stated that they wanted to know more about whatCEP is doing and what it plans to do in the future.

Old Dunbar Community Center as a Center for Social Support

The GTeam named easy access to services in a central location as a key needfor the community. ODCC is a great space to serve this need—the center haslots of space to house community support providers who need an office or asatellite office. ODCC can also help the community meet some of the eco-nomic and other goals mentioned in this report. For example, it can house anoffice for a neighborhood association, a police resource station, and can alsoserve as a business incubator for Grahamtown residents.

According to CEP board member Stanley McEntire, CEP has not finished theterms and conditions of outside agencies leasing space in the Dunbar Center.

However, he feels sure that tenants would be required to have full insurancecoverage. CEP is happy to discuss space and program needs with any for-profit or nonprofit organizations or businesses interested in renting space atthe ODCC. CEP encourages interested parties to contact a member of the boardto discuss time and space needs. The easiest way to get in contact with CEP isto call the Empowerment Resource Center at 828.247.4142.

Barriers

The Old Dunbar Community Center has the potential to be the focal point forthe neighborhood; however, the ODCC is an old building and needs extensiverepairs. Significant investment from grants, the private sector, and possiblythe Town of Forest City will be needed. While money is a significant barrier,the bigger barrier is the lack of trust between CEP and potential funding part-ners and some neighborhood residents. Until the issue of trust is addressedhead on, the goal of creating a community center at the ODCC will be delayed.

Recommended Action Steps

• CEP and others with whom relationships are strained should engagein structured conversation, using a facilitator if needed, to begin build-ing trust.

• CEP should develop a written “Renting Space at the Old Dunbar Com-munity Center” brochure to advertise rental opportunities.

• ODCC is in an area zoned R-8—Medium Density Residential. Zoningin this district allows for some limited non-residential uses. A for-profit or nonprofit organization wanting to locate in the ODCC maynot be permitted to do so if the use is not allowed in the Town’s zon-ing ordinance. CEP can take advantage of the Town’s Special UseDistrict zoning process that would provide some flexibility as to whatbusinesses would be allowed in the building.


55

Image 3: The Community Empowerment Resource Center

Image 4: The Old Dunbar Community Center


56



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Develop a communication strategy to share information with the community.

Newsletters Online Billboards

CE Immediate CEP Cost of materials, postage

Increase trust between CEP and different stakeholders in the community

Engage in structured conversation with whom relationships are strained Use a mediator or facilitator where needed

RB SA

CEP Mediator or facilitator

Develop policies that make it easy for other agencies to use the Dunbar Center to provide social service while still meeting the financial needs of CEP.

Develop a “Renting space at the Dunbar Center” brochure to advertise rental opportunities

SA CEP Materials to print

Seek rezoning of the Dunbar Center in anticipation of a variety of uses in the center.

Take advantage of the Town’s Special Use Zoning District.

SA CEP Rezoning fees

COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT PROJECT ACTION PLAN


58

PART IV: PLACE

DEFINE AND PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY

The definition of “place” is important to many who live or have lived in theGrahamtown neighborhood. Residents of Grahamtown have strong opinionsabout what geographic features define the neighborhood boundary. For some,it the neighborhood’s boundary is defined by history. For others, the neigh-borhood boundary is defined by the need for supportive services. The follow-ing section is solution that meets the of both groups of people—those whorespond from a place of history and those who want to meet the needs of theirneighbors.

New Bethel

Historically, the Grahamtown neighborhood has been defined by the bound-ary on Map #1. New Bethel Church was in the neighborhood, at the corner ofHardin Road and Forest Street, for many years before it moved across thecreek on Forest Street in 2001. Some neighborhood residents think that NewBethel is no longer in the Grahamtown neighborhood and there are otherswho believe New Bethel is still a member of the Grahamtown neighborhood.

New Bethel Proposed Solution

During Guiding Grahamtown’s Future, participants were asked to identifythe Grahamtown boundary and were asked to share their thoughts on whetherNew Bethel is/is not in Grahamtown. People at the event were on both sidesof the issue and there was no clear leaning in one direction—except for the factthat people felt strongly one way or another.

Whether the New Bethel property is or is not part of Grahamtown is a matterof perception. If a person wants to say that Grahamtown includes or does notinclude New Bethel, one should be allowed to do so. In determining the neigh-borhood boundary for funding and project purposes, it may be important tokeep the all churches connected to the neighborhood boundary becausechurches can access funds only available to them. (See the next section, In-volving Neighborhood Churches)

Therefore, when one is describing the boundary of Grahamtown, he or she isfree to describe the neighborhood boundary as he or she sees fit. Also, forproject and funding purposes, the New Bethel property should be included inthe Grahamtown boundary because it will benefit more than it will hurt thecommunity.

Map 1: Historic Grahamtown Neighborhood Boundary

Map 2: Grahamtown Boundary Including New Bethel Church


59

Forest, Spruce, Collins Street Area

Many residents in the Forest, Spruce, Collins Streets neighborhood came tothe Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event. Residents of this area, as well assome in the historic Grahamtown area, strongly feel that this neighborhoodshould be included in Grahamtown projects. It is clear that current and formerresidents of Grahamtown as well as general community members do not iden-tify this area as Grahamtown.

This area faces the same social problems as the Grahamtown neighborhood.Additionally, this area is much smaller and does not have the capacity to takeon a community planning process such as the one in Grahamtown.

Forest, Spruce, Collins Street Area Proposed Solution

This area is not in the Grahamtown neighborhood and should not be identi-fied as such. However, this area should not be denied services if they areavailable because the residents live on the other side of the creek. For ex-ample, CEP serves low-income residents in Rutherford County, not just theGrahamtown neighborhood. Therefore, if CEP is hosting a homebuyer edu-cation class, those living across the creek should be encouraged to participate.

Funding opportunities for this area should be evaluated by the lead entity (thegroup who writes/administers the grant) on a case by case basis. The neigh-borhood should be included if there is some advantage or natural fit to thegrant/funding proposal. However, the neighborhood does not have to beincluded if it is not appropriate. The Grahamtown neighborhood should bethe priority because it has a higher concentration of needs and will requiremore resources over time.

Map 3: Grahamtown (Blue Boundary) With the Forest, Spruce,Collins Area (Red Boundary)


60



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Connect the Forest/Spruce/Collins Street areas to program if appropriate.

Increase outreach to this area when supportive services are offered. For the purposes of funding proposals, evaluate: How does the funding

opportunity benefit Grahamtown?

Can the funding opportunity also benefit with Forest / Spruce / Collins area without minimizing the impact on the GTown area?

CE EV

Ongoing Ongoing

Any group seeking funding or project support for a GTown project

None N/A

DEFINE AND PRESERVE NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARY ACTION PLAN


61

INVOLVE NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCHES

Participants at the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event named neighborhoodchurches as a strength, if not the foundation, of the community. The churchesare a source of support and connection for Grahamtown residents. However,event attendees pointed out that the churches do not work together to tackleneighborhood problems.

In recent years, funding opportunities for churches that supportive services tocommunities has increased. Churches across the country provide after schoolprograms, day care, and other services. Many of these efforts are making areal difference in low-wealth communities. Successful faith based initiativesare those in which neighboring churches partner with each other to tacklecommunity problems.

The five churches in the Grahamtown community have a unique opportunityto make a positive impact on the neighborhood. They are the one source thathas frequent contact with the neighborhood, they know the neighborhood betterthan any outside agency, and they have relationships with those living in thecommunity. Therefore, it is recommended that churches come together as acoalition to maximize funding opportunities, people power, and resources topositively affect the community. This initiative will take strong leadershipand a willingness to forgive past conflicts.

Image 5: Churches of Grahamtown


62



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Grahamtown Churches will act as a coalition to address social issues in the neighborhood.

Hold a meeting with leaders from each church to discuss overall recommendations and ask how the churches are willing to help. Identify and make churches aware of grant/funding opportunities they can take advantage. Encourage church leaders to meet quarterly to discuss neighborhood issues and what they are doing to make things better.

RB RS, O/E RB, SA

1st ½ of 2007 Ongoing Begin 2nd ½ of 2007

Leadership from all neighborhood churches (not necessarily the pastor); Action team

Minimal N/A

INVOLVE NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCHES ACTION PLAN

THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.


64

PARKS AND RECREATION

Existing Park Conditions

The only public recreation space in Grahamtown is the Hardin Road Parkowned by the Town of Forest City. The park is surrounded by an eight footchain link fence that is unattractive and blocks vehicle access into the park. Alarge water tower borders Hardin Road at the front of the park. Amenities inthe park include a basketball court, play structures, a pavilion, and bathrooms,all of which are in moderately good condition.

Residents of the neighborhood want additional recreation services and wantto see the current park improved. To emphasize the need, one GuidingGrahamtown’s Future event attendee stated, “Better play areas and parks areneeded very badly. On Sunday, the park is filled with children and youngparents taking turns with one swing. There is a line waiting for the bath-room.”

Hardin Road Park Improvements

Guiding Grahamtown’s Future attendees created the following list of parkimprovements:

• Add more landscaping• Build shelters at the park• Increase the size of park• Tear down park fence and add parking• Leave the park unlocked and lights on longer• Add tennis counts• Provide programs for children, such as summer camps• Add a walking track with lights• Add ball fields or soccer fields• Bring back the swimming pool• Remove or repaint the water tower

The Fence and the Water Tower

Residents feel strongly about the fence around Hardin Road Park and the un-attractive water tower at the front of the park.

Fence

Neighborhood residents want the fence removed or replaced with a fence thatmore inviting. Residents are aware that the fence was constructed as a resultof crime and other problems. Neighbors are willing to work with Town ofForest City officials and the police department to develop strategies whereneighborhood residents play a role in keeping the park safe. Therefore, it isrecommended that neighborhood representatives, Town officials, and the po-lice department negotiate a compromise that will meet neighborhood safetyand appearance goals.

Water Tower

Residents do not like the water tower, however, the tower is not somethingthat can easily be removed. According to the Mayor of Forest City, JimmyGibson, the water tower is scheduled to come down in the next 5-7 years. Liv-ing with the water tower may be the best strategy for the time being. Remov-ing or painting it will take funds that would be better used on a neighborhoodproject that directly impacts the people of Grahamtown.

Image 6: The Hardin Road Park


65

Hardin Road Park Expansion

A plan to expand the Hardin Road Park was presented at the GuidingGrahamtown’s Future event. The existing Hardin Road park would extendonto the Old Dunbar Community Center’s property, making way for soccer ormulit-purpose fields, a walking track, increased parking, and an expandedplay area. Grahamtown neighbors were very supportive of the park designpresented at the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event. That design, alongwith other recommendations from the landscape architect on the event designteam are presented at the end of this section.

Expansion benefits residents of Grahamtown as well as residents of ForestCity. All residents would have expanded recreation space and access to awider variety of activities. The Town’s need for soccer and multi-purposefields would also be met through this expansion.

There is an additional benefit to expanding the existing park. Many residentsin Forest City avoid Grahamtown because they believe it is unsafe. Increasedrecreation facilities, especially soccer fields and a baseball field, will bring newpeople to the neighborhood, increase visibility, and show the broader com-munity that the people in Grahamtown are good neighbors.

Extending the park depends on an agreement between the board of the Com-munity Empowerment Project and the Town of Forest City. The Town of For-est City is willing to sign a long-term lease on the property. In exchange forthe use of land, the Town of Forest City’s Parks and Recreation Departmentwill provide landscaping and lawn maintenance for the park and the propertysurrounding the Old Dunbar Community Center. This project also dependson the Town of Forest City’s ability to obtain a Parks and Recreation TrustFund Grant. The next funding cycle for this grant will being in September2007.

Brackett Creek Greenway

Neighbors expressed support for a greenway along Brackett Creek, althoughsupport was not as strong as it was for Hardin Road Park improvements. Thecreek makes up the northeast to southeast border of the neighborhood, run-ning from the southeast end at Forest Street to the sidewalk on the northeastend at Oak Street. To enhance the entry-way to the greenway on the southeastend, a small park could be placed on the vacant land near on the corner ofThird Street and Forest Street. The greenway would be a natural link to theproposed history trail and it connects the Spruce, Collins, Forest Street com-munity to the Grahamtown neighborhood.

Connection to Town of Forest City Goals

The Town of Forest City’s 2005 Land Use Plan and Zoning Update calls for thedevelopment of a pedestrian/bicycle/greenway plan to designate areas wherea trail network could be developed; provide better pedestrian connection toTown parks; and create a linkage between parks and neighborhoods. Plans inthis report support these efforts. The proposed greenway is also in line withthe greenway/bicycle plan presented to the Town of Forest City in the 2005American Institute of Architects Sustainable Design Assessment Team report.

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT’SOBSERVATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Dunbar Community Center/City Park/Water Tank Complex:Expand facilities, add parking, reconfigure Hardin Road fencing

Walk of Remembrance: Add enhancements along the way

Street Tree Planting: Along major streets

Sidewalk Construction: Along all streets

Vehicular Circulation Improvements: Connect some dead-endstreets, build turnarounds at others, add signals

Greenway Development: Along Brackett Creek

Public Open Space: Create “pocket parks”--small parks through-out the neighborhood

Vegetation Management: Tree preservation, nuisance vegetation,kudzu, brush removal

Historic District Type of Enhancements

Consider Mixed Use Development Along Certain Haridn Road--Neighborhood commercial & residential


66

Ha

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Roa

d P

ark

Exp

ansi

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Dra

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Bri

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Landsc

ap

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July

27,

2006

Image 7: Hardin Road Park Expansion Plan


67



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Remove/replace fence around the Hardin Road park.

CDBG funds were used to pay for the original fence. Ask the town to research the requirements of removing the fence. Replace the existing fence with a more inviting fence.

RS SA NI

1st ½ 2007 After large fence is removed

TFC TFC PR Dept. Neighborhood Team

Potential repayment of CDBG funds Cost of new fencing

PRTF Grant

Expand the Hardin Road Park

CEP Board and Town need to meet to discuss options for using the Dunbar land for park expansion. Apply for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant in 2007

RB SA

Mid-2007 or sooner Sept. 2007

TFC (Manager, Parks and Rec), CEP Board TFC, McGill Associates

Cost of Expansion

PRTF Grant, Other recreation funding sources

Create a greenway along Brackett Creek.

Discuss TFC’s willingness to take on this project Acquire land through purchase, donation or a conservation easement. Talk to individual property owners Develop system to receive donations of land (see Housing Section) or use conservations easements Generate volunteer labor to help with the project.

EV RB NI SA

Immediate to long-term.

TFC PR Dept. Neighbors

http://www.pps.org/topics/funding/greenway_sources CDBG

PARKS AND RECREATION ACTION PLAN

Parks and Recreation (Part 1)


68



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Get Grahamtown residents involved in recreation planning

Appoint a Grahamtown resident to the Parks and Recreation board and/or beautification committee. Create a GTown Recreation Team (2-3 members from the community to address recreation issues)

RB, SA SA

At next board opening Immediate

TFC PR Dept None

Parks and Recreation (Part 2)


69

NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION AND GATEWAYS

Neighborhood Beautification

While neighborhood residents want their neighborhood to look better, theyare most interested in overall neighborhood cleanup. Neighborhood residentsview beautification as an “extra” whereas cleanup is a necessity.

Throughout the neighborhood, there are areas that could be visually improved.These areas include neighborhood entry-ways, along Hardin Road, the landsurrounding the Old Dunbar Community Center, and the area around theHardin Road Park.

Neighborhood Gateways

Many people in Forest City get their first and lasting impressions of Graham-town when they drive on Grahamtown’s most heavily used streets—HardinRoad and Forest Street. At present, these features do not serve as attractive“public relations” tools for the community or the Town of Forest City. Gate-ways are, for the most part, undesignated, cluttered and indistinguishable.Roads are narrow, poorly landscaped and unattractively lit. The Place ActionTeam has plans to work with Town of Forest City officials and neighborhoodresidents to make these gateways more attractive.

NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY

Grahamtown is a neighborhood that is rich with history. Some of this historyhas been lost as the neighborhood has changed. The story of Grahamtown’sbeginnings, it trials and celebrations, and its people are mostly rememberedby a handful of people and are not recorded in one central location. It is im-portant to current and former residents to develop a way to preserve and com-municate Grahamtown’s history. At the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event,neighbors identified the sites they felt were historically significant.

Historical buildings and structures in the neighborhood include the Old DunbarCommunity Center (the former Dunbar Elementary School), neighborhoodchurches and businesses, remnants of the Grahamtown School, and the collec-tion of historical items in the MamieEtta Black Fine Arts Museum and in theAfrican American Cultural Resources and Heritage Center’s Room of Remem-brance.

Historical Trail

Grahamtown residents want a way to keep the history of Grahamtown alive.The proposed idea of a neighborhood history trail that tells the Grahamtownstory as it winds through the neighborhood got residents excited. This trailwould highlight the historic sights in the neighborhood and would use storyboards to highlight significant Grahamtown events or people. Map # illus-trates a potential historical trail that covers the sites named by residents.

Historic District/Designation

There is some interest from the community to designate the Grahamtown neigh-borhood as a Historic District. The neighborhood and some of its buildingsmay not qualify for the National Register of Historic Places and exploringhistoric designation is timely and costly. It is recommended that the neigh-borhood act “as-if”, which means that even though the official designation isnot present, act as if it is. It is important to note that historic designation canlimit neighborhood choice, such as what can or cannot be done to a house.Therefore, if the neighborhood and Town of Forest City officials decide tocreate a historic district, it is important to weigh the benefits and the draw-backs of the decision.

Jackson Street Drinking Area

A vacant lot at the end of Jackson Street was a safe haven forpeople who gather to drink alcohol and participate in illegalactivities. Although the problem had been reported to policemany times, there was little action taken. At GuidingGrahamtown’s Future, residents strongly stated that some-thing needed to change. Their words were heard by Townleaders and the police department. Since the event, usage ofthe property has decreased and the area has been cleanedand cleared. The property owner, neighbors, and others aremaking the neighborhood safe for all!


70Image 8: Grahamtown Historical Trail


71



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Create elements that will enhance neighborhood appearance.

Install attractive landscaping around the Dunbar center to create a focal point for the neighborhood. Conduct quarterly neighborhood clean up days. Identify resources/work teams who can clean under story from heavily wooded areas that are gathering spots. Implement the landscape architect’s recommendations as resources allow. (See page 65) Identify resources/work teams that can help neighbors improve the appearance of their yards.

SA, RB NI, SA NI, SA SA NI, SA

In conjunction with Dunbar renovations Immediate Fall 2007 As able Ongoing

CEP Board Action Team Reps Neighbors

Cost of landscaping materials, use of tools, paid professionals for large jobs (i.e. tree removal)

NC Division of Forest Resources Urban Forestry Grant Program (http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/urban/urban_ideas.htm)

Establish neighborhood gateways

Develop and install neighborhood entryway signs.

SA, NI

DOT (For Hardin Rd.), TFC, Sign Designer

Cost of signs and placement

NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION AND NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY ACTION PLAN

Neighborhood Beautification


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Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Create a historical trail with historical markers

Gather historic information Talk with property owners to seek permission to place markers on their property Develop the markers and storyboards for placement (with community input)

RS RB NI, SA

Immediate

Action Team, Neighborhood Historians, Creative Writers, Property Owners

Cost of research (if any), Cost of plaques and boards

Rutherford Historical Society Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Use Danielle Withrow as a resource.

Neighborhood History


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PUBLIC SAFETY

Grahamtown residents have a variety of public safety concerns. Drug andalcohol activity, nuisance and quality of life crimes, vandalism, domestic vio-lence, larceny, and loitering top the list of concerns. Police regularly patrolthe area and respond to calls when received, however, residents report thatthey are hesitant to report crimes for fear of retaliation from offenders. Inrecent months, this has become less of a concern now that the police depart-ment permits anonymous call-ins for complaints or to report a problem.

The relationship between the neighborhood and the police department couldbe improved. The distrust between residents and the police department pre-vent residents from making reports when it would be helpful. The police de-partment has limited resources and is unable to implement a full-blown com-munity policing program. It does have the capacity to help neighborhoodsimplement a neighborhood watch program. The police department also lacksminority officers--something the neighborhood named as a concern.

Overall, residents want a safe neighborhood. Increasing the real and perceivedsafety in Grahamtown will take grassroots efforts on the part of the neighbor-hood and support from the police department. The efforts need to be-wellcoordinated and address specific areas of concern in the neighborhood. Resi-dents feel that an Increasing the real and perceived safety in Grahamtown willtake grassroots efforts on the part of the neighborhood and support from thepolice department. The efforts need to be-well coordinated and address spe-cific areas of concern in the neighborhood. Residents believe that a primarycontact at the police department will help improve relationships, particularlywhen residents have concerns that do not directly relate to a specific crimerelated incident.

Public Safety Strategies

Officer Liaison

Appoint an officer to serve as the Grahamtown liaison. This person shouldget to know neighborhood residents and would be the “go-to” person in thepolice department when a Grahamtown resident has a concern. The officershould also take part in community education, neighborhood watch and otherefforts the neighbors undertake. This strategy implements some componentsof community policing without requiring a costly community policing pro-gram. An alternative to establishing an officer liaison is to create a policeresource station in the Grahamtown area. If this is done, the intentional build-ing of relationships should not be overlooked.

Weed and Seed

The neighborhood should explore the United States Department of Justice’sWeed and Seed program. Shelby and Asheville have recently implementedWeed and Seed programs. Because of population requirements, the program’scoverage area would need to be all of Forest City. Grahamtown would be theprimary area of focus. According to the Weed and Seed website,

“The strategy involves a two-pronged approach: law enforcementagencies and prosecutors cooperate in “weeding out” violent crimi-nals and drug abusers and public agencies and community-basedprivate organizations collaborate to “seed” much-needed humanservices, including prevention, intervention, treatment, and neigh-borhood restoration programs. A community-oriented policingcomponent bridges the weeding and seeding elements.”http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ccdo/ws/welcome.html

Grassroots Organizing

Some communities successfully use a grassroots approach to combating crime.With this model, neighbors address crime-related issues head-on. For example,in the Burton Street neighborhood in Asheville, a known drug dealer livednext to the neighborhood’s community center. With support from the policedepartment, neighbors began a letter writing campaign to the landlord. Let-ters documented drug activity and asked the landlord to take action. Whenthe landlord did not respond, a group of community residents went to theproperty owner’s house to report on the activities. A week later, the landlordmoved the tenant out of the house. This strategy is highly effective if there isstrong neighborhood leadership and police support.

Neighborhood Watch

The neighborhood expressed interest in starting a community watch programand the police department has offered resources to help establish such a pro-gram. This strategy will take a large amount of neighborhood resident in-volvement. Following is a brief overview of a community watch program:


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Fire Safety

The Town of Forest City Fire Department has a good relationship with thepeople of Grahamtown. The Department reduces fires in the neighborhoodthrough prevention efforts. For example, when a building is blighted and is afire hazard, the fire department takes the necessary steps to remove the struc-ture. According to the Chief of the Town of Forest City Fire Department, thishas greatly decreased the number of accidental fires in the neighborhood. Thefire department also prevents fire through its smoke detector program. If amember of the department enters a house for any reason, the fire departmentemployees look for and replace missing or broken smoke alarms. This pro-gram has worked well for Grahamtown residents and should be continued.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH INFORMATION

Community Watch Is A Program That:1. Teaches citizens techniques to reduce the risk of being vic-

timized at home and in public.2. Trains citizens on the importance of recognizing suspicious

activities and how to report them.3. Teaches participants how to make their homes more secure

and properly identify their property.4. Allows neighbors to get to know each other and their rou-

tines so that any out-of-place activity can be reported andinvestigated.

5. Increases awareness of possible threats to the community.6. Builds a cohesive body of concerned citizens addressing is-

sues that concern the entire community.

Register Your Watch Group in 5 Easy Steps1. Recruit and organize as many neighbors as possible.2. Contact your local law enforcement agency and schedule a

meeting.3. Discuss community concerns and develop an action plan.4. Hold regular meetings and training.5. Implement a phone tree and take action steps.

Neighborhood Watch Program, National Sheriff’s Association:www.usaonwatch.org

Upon request, fire department employees are willing to speak to church andcivic groups about fire safety.

Public Safety Strategies for the Town of Forest City

Fines for Quality of Life Issues

Some communities have implemented or increased fines for quality of life vio-lations (noise, nuisances, trash). This has been an effective tool because neigh-borhood troublemakers are often involved in a variety of infractions, includ-ing noise and domestic disturbances. This strategy is a Town of Forest Citystrategy and should not be adopted until the Town of Forest City residents,Town Council, and the Town’s attorney have thoroughly evaluated the prosand cons of this type of program.

Hold Landlords Responsible for Their Tenants Who Break the Law

Some communities have begun to hold property owners responsible for activ-ity on their property through the use of local ordinances. Some communitieshave laws that fine landlords and some use community pressure. For ex-ample, in Richmond, VA, when a tenant is arrested for drug related activity,the City Attorney sends a letter to the property owner informing them of thearrest and cites that if the activity continues, the property owner will be liablefor prosecution. The Town of Forest City should not be adopt this strategyuntil the Town of Forest City residents, Town Council and the Town’s attor-ney have thoroughly evaluated the pros and cons of this type of program.


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Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Ask the Police Department for a neighborhood liaison.

Police department appoints a “go-to” person in the department Introduce this person to neighbors Encourage this person to attend community events.

SA ED

Immediate Action Team Police Department

None to neighborhood, Unknown cost to police department

Community policing and other grants available to the police department.

Evaluate a Weed & Seed Grant application.

Take a field trip to Shelby to meet with their planning team. Ask Robin Merrell from Pisgah Legal Services for help with Dept. of Justice contacts.

SA RB NI EV

Mid-Term

Action Team Police Department TFC Staff Liaison (To be determined)

Minimal to explore the possibility.

United States Department of Justice

Grassroots Organizing Around Crime Issues (Take charge of problems with the power the neighborhood has)

Ask CPC for a “Grassroots Organizing Basics” workshop for all in the neighborhood. Implement grassroots techniques.

SA NI CB

Immediate CPC Neighbors

Cost of workshop, if any

Neighborhood Watch

Ask police department to give neighborhood the tools to implement. Teach NW basics to the neighborhood

SA NI CB

Immediate Action team TFC Police department

Minimal

Public Safety Action Plan


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SIDEWALKS AND DRAINAGE

Neighborhood sidewalks run along the west side of Hardin Road from OakStreet to Forest Street. Sidewalks also run along the north and south sides ofOak Street. The neighborhood’s interior roads, all maintained by the Town ofForest City, are without sidewalks. The lack of sidewalks was a top neighbor-hood concern at the Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event.

Residents emphasized that many in Grahamtown are without a vehicle andmust walk to work. Drainage problems along the road make it difficult towalk along the roads during heavy rains. Residents also expressed concernfor those with physical disabilities. The lack of sidewalks severely limits theability of these folks to get from place to place.

Ideally, neighbors would like to have sidewalks on at least one side of all streets.Connectivity or some type of neighborhood walking loop is also desired. Resi-dents with drainage and flooding from road run-off that results from heavyrains would like to see their problems corrected with the addition of side-walks.

Connection to Town of Forest City Goals

The Town of Forest City’s 2005 Land Use Plan and Zoning Update report en-courages the Town to plan for the development and extension of sidewalks inthe Town to create linkages between parks, incorporating sidewalks, trails,greenways, rail-trails, etc.; to develop a residential network of sidewalks byrequiring them in new subdivisions that are adjacent to other areas with side-walk facilities already in place; and to utilize sidewalks as a tool to help revi-talize declining neighborhoods and to designate corridors to target for StateEnhancement Projects. The sidewalk plan in this report supports the LandUse Plan recommendations.

Potential Barriers

The geography of Grahamtown creates a barrier to sidewalk placement. Dur-ing heavy rains, water runs from Hardin Road, the high point of the neighbor-hood, down the roads that are perpendicular to the east side of Hardin. Theseperpendicular roads (Jackson, Thompson, Weathers, Forest, and Gypsy) rundownhill toward the creek that is the eastern border of the neighborhood.Drainage ditches along these roads help direct the runoff to the creek. Al-though the drainage conditions need improvement (some areas are prone toflood), removing the ditches could increase the potential for flooding. Thedifficulty of obtaining rights-of-way is the greatest barrier faced by the Townof Forest City when it comes to sidewalk installation.

Sidewalk Plan

The below map illustrates the sidewalk plan presented to the neighborhood atthe Guiding Grahamtown’s Future event. This plan has the least amount ofimpact on drainage ditches in the neighborhood and provides a connectivityloop through the heart of the neighborhood. Additionally, the plan calls for asidewalk to extend northeastward on Forest Street, beyond the historic heartof Grahamtown. The extension creates a walkable entrance into the neighbor-hood from the end of Oak Street that is closer to downtown. The sidewalkplan also directs foot traffic to the proposed Brackett Creek Greenway andprovides a sidewalk path to the Hardin Road Park (see Recreation Section). Inaddition to sidewalks, crosswalks in front of the Park and the Old DunbarCommunity Center are needed. Sidewalks added to the neighborhood shouldcorrect drainage problems and address wheelchair accessibility. Drainageproblems should be noted and a plan to correct these issues should be factoredinto the overall sidewalk plan.

What the Neighborhood Can Do

It is the Town of Forest City’s policy to require neighborhoods to pay a por-tion of the cost of sidewalks if a neighborhood makes the request. The Graha-mtown neighborhood should approach Town leadership to work out a solu-tion for the neighborhood because the project would be cost prohibitive ifmembers of the community are required to match the Town’s investment.Neighborhood residents can also help the Town secure rights-of-way agree-ments by talking to owners of property along the proposed sidewalk path.Town of Forest City staff can educate those who are willing to talk with theirneighbors about rights-of-way.

STREETS

The primary concerns related to streets (other than sidewalks) are traffic con-trol at the intersections of Oak Street and Hardin Road and Hardin Road andForest Street. Connectivity of streets was also discussed, however, neighbor-hood residents and stakeholders do not agree if or where connectivity shouldoccur.

Oak/Hardin Intersection: It is difficult to turn left in a vehicle and cross thestreet in the time allotted by traffic and crosswalk signals.

Hardin/Forest: A blind spot is present at the intersection of Hardin and For-est, at the Thompson Brothers Mortuary. On the east side of Hardin, a blindspot makes it dangerous for those turning left out of the neighborhood. On


77

the west side of Hardin, it is difficult to turn left or right onto Hardin. Traffictraveling from Oak Street on Hardin is not visible to those exiting Forest Street.

Speed on Hardin: Hardin Road is a cut through from Oak to Church Street.Although the speed limit is 45 miles per hour, traffic moves at high speeds.The Town of Forest City Police Department and the NC Highway Patrol haveresponsibility for policing traffic on this road.

What Residents Want

At Hardin/Oak, neighborhood residents want to extend the time allowed toturn left in a vehicle onto Oak. They also want to extend the time the crossinglight is active so that pedestrians can safely cross Oak Street.

At Forest/Hardin, neighbors want appropriate traffic control measures (stop-light or caution light) to increase the safety of those exiting the neighborhood.

Along Hardin Road, residents want methods that will control speed alongHardin Road. This is important to residents because they must cross Hardinto access the neighborhood’s only sidewalk, the Hardin Road Park and theOld Dunbar Community Center. It is anticipated that foot traffic will increaseand it is therefore very important that traffic calming measures are placedalong Hardin Road once recreation improvements are made.

Connectivity

Grahamtown has narrow roads and roads that end without connecting to otherstreets (one way in, one way out). Dead end roads in the east side of theneighborhood include Jackson Street, Washington Heights, and Third Street.In the west side of the neighborhood, dead end roads include Hamilton, Sherrill,and High Chaparral. The west side only has one entrance/exit. Town of For-est City Fire/EMS officials stated that emergency vehicles have problems turn-ing around or backing up. Emergency officials expressed concern about thewest side of the neighborhood because it has only one exit/entrance. Resi-dents could be prevented from leaving if emergency vehicles (or somethingelse) blocks Forest Street. Some residents would like to see increased connec-tivity and others think Grahamtown’s street pattern is part of the community’scharacter and want things to remain as is.

Of the areas that need connectivity, the west side of the neighborhood is mostcritical. The one way in/one way out design is a life safety issue for residents.A solution is the addition of a small road from Hardin Road to the north endof Hamilton Street. The Town of Forest City has a right of way between par-cels 04-22811-Tax PIN/1548091723680000-GPIN (Metzinger) and 04-32132-TaxPIN/1548091733330000–GPIN (Hines) that can be used for this purpose. Con-struction of this roadway also enhances access to the proposed design for theHardin Road Park.

Connectivity is important for emergency purposes in the east side of the neigh-borhood although it is not as critical as it is for the west. Possible connectionsinclude: the end of Jackson Street to the end of Third Street, extend LewisStreet to connect with Washington Heights, and extend Second Street to con-nect to Weathers Street. A solution that meets the needs of emergency offi-cials, supporters of connectivity and those who do not want connectivity isneeded. A potential compromise is to have a discussion with Fire and Emer-gency personnel to determine the critical life safety areas. Alternatives couldinclude widening a road to allow for vehicle turn-around, construction of aturn-around at the end of a street, or picking one area to connect—possibly thearea with the highest concentration of houses/residents.

STREET LIGHTING

Throughout the neighborhood, there are 58 street lights, most of which are atintersections. Initially, it was thought that more lights were needed in theneighborhood. The problem is not too few lights but too few light that actu-ally work. Streetlights are a target for vandals who knock the lights out withrocks.

Image 9: Hardin Road and Forest Street Intersection


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Grahamtown Sidewalk, Street, and Greenway Map

Map 4: Grahamtown Sidewalk, Street and Greenway Map


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The broken light problem can be addressed through a neighborhood watchand reporting system. When a light is out, neighbors should report this to theTown of Forest City’s Public Works Department. Neighbors should also bewilling to report who, if known, damaged the light. The Town should re-spond quickly to the broken lights for the safety of the neighborhood, eventhough it is a nuisance and is costly to constantly replace the lights.


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Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Add sidewalks in places according to the plan on page 78.

Use CDBG funding for sidewalk construction Ask town to waive or lessen fees associated with sidewalk construction if CDBG funds are not available.

SA

Immediate

TFC Neighbors on whose property sidewalks would be placed.

Projects may have to span over several budget years.

CDBG

Address neighborhood drainage issues.

Help residents take pictures to document problems. Report the problems to the town after documentation is obtained. Use CDBG and other funds to correct drainage problems.

NI RB SA

Immediate

Neighbors with drainage problems TFC PW Dept

Costly. CDBG

Identify those whose property will be affected by sidewalk placement. Talk to them about rights-of-way releases.

Get education on rights-of-way releases from the Town of Forest City Public Works Department Have individual conversations with property owners—ask them to work with the Town so sidewalks can be placed.

NI RB ED

Mid-Term Neighbors Legal Assistance TFC PW Dept.

Look for ways to make the neighborhood more walkable.

Add landscaping to sidewalks along Hardin Road and along new sidewalks. Create a walking loop through the neighborhood with new sidewalks. Create crosswalks near the Hardin Road Park and ODCC.

SA Immediate to Long-Term

TFC NC DOT Neighbors

NC DOT Pedestrian Grant NC DOT Enhancement Grant

SIDEWALKS AND DRAINAGE ACTION PLAN


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Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Repair broken street lights

Encourage neighbors to report problems to the town. Encourage neighbors to take a neighborhood watch approach to respond to those who vandalize street lights.

NI SA

Immediate Action Team Neighbors

Cost to TFC to replace lights.

STREET LIGHTS, STREETS AND TRAFFIC CONTROL ACTION PLAN

Street Lights

Streets and Traffic Control



Potential Partners

Cost Considerations

Funding Sources

Reduce speed limit on Hardin Road by installing traffic calming devices.

Meet with Kelly Brunette, Regional Traffic Engineer to discuss concerns. Meet with Scott Hoyle, Town of Forest City Public Works director to discuss concerns.

SA RB

Mid-Term NC DOT Action Teams TFC PW Dept.

Difficulty of getting projects into NC DOT budget.

Ask DOT to retime the traffic lights at Hardin and Oak

Meet with Kelly Brunette, Regional Traffic Engineer to discuss concerns.

SA RB

Mid-Term NC DOT Action Team TFC PW Dept.

Minimal

Install some type of traffic control at the Forest/Hardin exit (traffic or caution light)

Meet with Scott Hoyle, Town of Forest City Public Works director to discuss concerns.

SA RB

Mid-Term NC DOT Action Team TFC PW Dept.

Difficulty of getting the project into the budget.

Evaluate if the benefits of the connectivity plan on page 77 outweigh the costs.

Meet with emergency personnel to gain understanding of the need for connectivity. Meet with Scott Hoyle, Town of Forest City Public Works director to discuss concerns.

SA RB EV

Long-Term Action Team TFC PW Dept. TFC Fire Dept.

Could be very expensive.


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APPENDIX A: PARTICIPANTS

GTeam Participants

Threatha BenningsTonya BoykinsPeggy BrownJimmy ClayJames DawkinsTina DawkinsMike ElliottMayor Jimmy GibsonMamie GumbsLaVella HardinDarryl HargroveSabrina HargroveSteve HollandDerek LakeWillie LassiterMatthew LevinsLee LynchCharles McDowellStanley McEntireEnda MichaelLenethia MillerRoy PalmerMalalnie PriceJessica SickAnthony ThompsonEarl ThompsonJessie WashburnMelvin WatkinsJames WhitesidesLynn WillisDanielle Withrow

Guiding Grahamtown’s Future Attendees

(Only those names recorded on sign in sheets are included on this list. We hope all namesare spelled correctly!)

Elaine AllenWherleen BoyceTonya BoykinsRobert BoykinsPeggy M. BrownNancy ByrdGertrude CaldwellDoris CountessAlexis DavisJames DawkinsTina DawkinsAnthony EdgertonZannetta EdgertonBill GardnerJimmy GibsonMamie GumbsDonnie HamptonDarryll HargroveSabrina HargroveCynthia HarrisDonald HarrisJames HarrisTkeyah HayesSteve HollandRosie HorneAnnette JenningsChris JessAlfred JohnsonJasmyne JoinerSandra Keitt-SmithTheodore Kelly JrJames LindsayMary James LindsayJames LittlejohnBonnie Logan

Maxwell LoganWillie LassiterDonna M. LattimoreVelma LoganHerman MayseCharles McDowellDonnie McDowellSarah McDowellWilfred McDowellRosanna McEntireDangie McKinneyKathleen McKinneyLynetha MillerTaft Miller JrGale MooreChuck MosleyChelsea OmisoreGeorge PriceGeorgia PriceRedEdward SimmonsGirdie SimmonsRoxie SimmonsTammy SimmonsTeresa SpiresLiffer StaleyA.C. SurrattEarl ThompsonHannah ThompsonLisa ThompsonMary ThompsonMildred R. ThompsonShirley ThompsonStinson Thompson JrStinson Thompson Sr

Stakeholder Attendance

Mickey Bland Western NC Housing PartnershipNell Bovender, Rutherford Housing PartnershipTonya Boykins IPDC and JobLinkChief Randy Chapman Forest City Police DepartmentMayor Jimmy Gibson Town of Forest CityFerrell Hamrick Forest City Fire DepartmentBilly V. Hardin Board of Planning and AdjustmentChris Hipp Rutherford Housing InitiativeJack Holland USDA Rural DevelopmentSteve Holland Town of Forest City, CouncilTom McBrayer Town of Forest City, CouncilMark McCurry Forest City Fire DepartmentShawn Moore Town of Forest City, CouncilBill Robertson Isothermal Planning CommissionChris Slusher Neighborhood Housing ServicesTeresa Spires Isothermal Planning CommissionChuck Summey Town of Forest City, ManagerHarold Stallcup Town of Forest City, CouncilEarl Thompson Board of Planning and AdjustmentGary Verni-Lau Neighborhood Housing ServicesThomas Witherspoon Self-Help Credit Union

Netma TogunEula TwittyShirley TwittyJessie WashburnGregory WatkinsMelvin WatkinsJames WhitesidesJames Whitesides, Jr.LaJessica Wingo

Design Assistance

Roger Briggs, Landscape ArchitectJeff Scott, NC DCAJessica Sick, Benchmark CMR

NC Division of CommunityAssistance

Kristy CarterVirginia FaustKaren SmithJeff Scott, Intern


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APPENDIX B: GRAHAMTOWN GEOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION AND

REFERENCE MAPS

Geographic DescriptionGrahamtown is Southwest of Downtown Forest City. Oak Street from the NEto the NW, Hardin Road from NW to SE portion of the neighborhood, andGypsy and Forest Streets, which make up the SE to NE border, edge the bulkof the neighborhood. Streets within these borders include: Jackson Street,Grove Street, Lewis Street, Thompson Street, Weathers Street, Forest Street,First Street, Second Street, and Third Street. A section of the neighborhood islocated across Hardin Road, accessed at the intersection of Hardin Road andForest Street. This section, historically known as “Dodge City”, is now identi-fied as part of Grahamtown. Roads in this area include the southwestern por-tion of Forest Street, Hamilton Street, C Street, Dunbar Street, High ChaparralStreet, Sherrill Street, and Bittle Street. Grahamtown also includes the OldDunbar School Community Center property as well as the Hardin Road Park.Primary entry-ways into the neighborhood are at the intersections of Oak Streetand Hardin Road and Hardin Road and South Church Street. Alternate en-trances include South Church Street to Spruce Street to Forest Street or SouthChurch Street to Caldwell Street to Hardin Road.

Reference MapsSeveral geographic areas are described in this report. Unless otherwise noted,the following areas are to be viewed as:

Map 5: Grahamtown Boundary

Map 6: Census Tract 9608 (Includes Grahamtown)


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Map 7: Referenced Towns in Rutherford County


85

APPENDIX C: FOREST CITY SDAT (SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

ASSESSMENT TEAM) REPORT

In July 2005, the Town of Forest City in partnership with the American Asso-ciation of Architects conducted a community charrette to evaluate the Town’sstrengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth. Below is the portion ofthe report that addresses the Grahamtown neighborhood. A complete copy ofthe report can be obtained from Danielle Withrow, Town Planner for the Townof Forest City at 828.247.3500.

July 20-23, 2005—Grahamtown is the historic hear of Forest City’s AfricanAmerican community. Today, however, it contains at most one-half the homesit once contained, the have having been demolished or lost through fire orneglect, and one quarter or fewer of the town’s African American residents. Itrepresents the town’s largest concentration of substandard housing, with alarge amount of vacant and under-used land. Although located directly be-tween downtown and the Highway 74A commercial hub, its irregular streetpattern and lack of infrastructure make it seem remote from both.

A comprehensive revitalization strategy is needed for Grahamtown. Scatteredfix-up programs or home improvement loans and grants, however valuablefor individual families, will have little impact on the neighborhood as a whole.An educated guess would suggest that of the 150 homes in Grahamtown to-day, roughly one-third should be demolished, one-third will need grants orlow interest loans to be brought up to good standard, and anther one-third areeither in good condition or in need of only cosmetic improvements. It is likelythe great majority of the residents have very low income and will need someform of help either to improve their homes or be provided with sound re-placement housing.

The strategy must focus on three elements simultaneously:• Improving living conditions for the people who live in Grahamtown

today• Building a market to attract families, particularly homeowners, back

to Grahamtown• Addressing other needs of the community, particularly training and

job opportunities

The town should retain a qualified individual or organization to work closelywith the residents of the community, as well as other stakeholders, to developa comprehensive revitalization strategy for the area. Some of the elementsshould be included are:

• Deferred loans and grants for low-income homeowners to improvetheir properties, using state Single Family Rehabilitation Programsand Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

• Acquisition and demolition of substandard housing unsuitable for re-habilitation.

• Where tenants occupy housing suitable for rehabilitation, a combina-tion of rehabilitation and a program to assist them to purchase theirhome from the landlords.

• Construction of new affordable or mixed-income housing (Housingshould be single family homes and at least 60% of all new units shouldbe for owner-occupancy, using the state New Homes Loan Pool andSelf-Help Loan Pool programs. Rental housing should be developedonly in conjunction with an experienced, highly qualified non-profitdeveloper or manager of affordable housing.)

• Installation of continuous sidewalks and improved street lighting alongForest Street and Hardin Road

• Enhanced job training and employment opportunities for neighbor-hood adults and youth

• Increased connectivity of the street pattern, both within Grahamtownand linking Grahamtown to other parts of the community (a moreregular street pattern can be created as parcels are assembled for newconstruction).

The Old Dunbar School, a valuable community resource, is severely under-used. The town should work with the community to make this facility a cen-ter for education, training, and other community support activities.


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APPENDIX D: TOWN OF FOREST CITY’S MINIMUM HOUSING CODE

The Town of Forest City administers a Minimum Housing Code (MHC) de-signed to make sure that homes in Forest City are safe living environments.The standards in the Minimum Housing Code ensure that dwelling units arestructurally sound, that they have a safe path to take if one needs to leave thebuilding, known as egress and have adequate plumbing, heating, electricaland ventilation systems. The Code also sets standards for space, use, andlocation; safe and sanitary maintenance; insect, rodent and infestation control;and standards for rooming houses. The code is primarily used for rental hous-ing.

How It Works: A tenant goes to Town Hall for utility service (power) connec-tion. The Housing Code Inspector is alerted and inspects the unit. If the unitpasses inspection, power is turned on and no further action is taken. If a codeviolation is discovered, the property owner is alerted and typically respondswithin 24 hours if it is something small. If a significant repair is needed, prop-erty owners are given 30 days to respond. If the property owner corrects theviolation, power is turned on and the tenant can move in. If the violationremains uncorrected, the tenant cannot move in nor can the power be con-nected. In theory, the motivation for the property owner to take quick actionis the loss of rent while the unit is under repair. However, this is not alwaysthe case. Landlords take the deposit/rent money from the tenant before in-spection and some tenants are willing to move into their unit without power.

What works well:

• Units are inspected prior to each new tenant moving in.• Landlords are held accountable for keeping their properties safe.

What does not work well:• Landlords take money from tenants prior to power connection, leav-

ing the tenant in limbo until problems are fixed.• Landlords leave utilities in their name, so no inspections occur.• Tenants do not know their rights and do not know code requirements• Town staff time and resources are very limited.• Residents are distrustful when Town officials show up at their door.• Owner-occupied properties are not getting inspected, unless there are

five neighboring residents who make a complaint.

Complaints: The Town’s MHC allows for complaints to be made to the Build-ing Inspection Department for rental properties as well as owner-occupied

housing. For rental housing, an inspection is completed if there is a complaintfrom a tenant. An inspection is conducted on owner-occupied housing whena petition is filed with the Housing Inspector by a public authority or at leastfive residents of the town charging that the house in unfit for human habita-tion.

Abandoned Structures: The Town of Forest City can require property ownersto board up abandoned structures if and when they are a nuisance to the neigh-borhood. Property owners may keep their property boarded as long as theymaintain the property or until the property becomes dilapidated, at whichpoint the Town may take steps to demolish the property. Town officials usethis step only as a last resort.


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APPENDIX E: TOWN OF FOREST CITY RESIDENTIAL INCENTIVE

POLICY

To qualify for this Incentive Policy:

A. The property must be in the town limits.B. The property must be single-family dwellings on individual lots or

equivalent townhouses, patio homes, etc. on individual lots. The homesmust be built to comply with the North Carolina Residential BuildingCode

C. Where rules permit customer’s choice for electric service, the buildermust choose the town’s service.

When the above conditions are met the town will offer the following incentivepolicy to builders of multiple homes and to individual home builders. ‘

A. The Town will run water/sewer/electric services to the boundary orproperty line of a new subdivision, but not onto or inside the propertyline, at no cost to the builder, provided the development uses townservices. Exception: If one or multiple pump stations are required thetown may not provide sewer at no cost to the builder.

B. The Town will run underground electric service to all new homes builtin Forest City that connect to Forest City Power Services. This includesa builder of multiple homes in new subdivision areas provided thiscan be done before the subdivision is developed.

C. The Town will pave streets that are prepared for paving and that meetall Town requirements. This requires the street to become a town-owned street.

D. As an incentive to builders, developers, or individuals who build newhomes inside the town’s limits, the town will reimburse expenses ac-cording to the following calculations:

The town will reimburse 100% of the cost of installing water, and or sewerand electric in the house and installing curb/gutter and sidewalks to the build-ing lot. This reimbursement will be made at the time the home is built and thecertificate of occupancy is issued. The maximum to be reimbursed for any onehouse will be $5,000 if water and or sewer are installed. This maximum willincrease to $7,500 if water/sewer, curb/gutter and sidewalks are installed.

Example:

Individual install water/sewer/electric-limited to $5,000Builder or Developer spends $175,000 to run water and sewer and to installcurb/gutter and sidewalks to 25 building lots.

Calculations:

$175,000 divided by 25 lots = $7,000. The $7,000 will be paid when the house isbuilt. The builder’s cost and number of lots will be determined when the utili-ties and curb/gutter and sidewalks are installed. Therefore the value to beused for each new home will be determined and set. In addition, the town willfurnish a water tap, a sewer connection and a one-time utility turn on fee at nocost for each new house built in Forest City. The current value of these tapsand fees is $1,292.00.In this example if more than $5,000 per lot is spent on water/sewer, the $5,000limit would apply for reimbursement. Also, if more than $7,500 per lot is spenton water/sewer and curb/gutter and sidewalks, the $7,500 limit would applyfor reimbursement.

The payment can be made to the developer, builder or individual who in-curred the expenses for the installations. In the alternative, the developer,builder, or individual who incurred the expenses may designate the homebuyer as the recipient. At the time building permit is issued the town willrequire a Request for Residential Incentive Policy application, which mustdesignate who will receive this incentive payment.

This policy applies to all areas that are within the town limits as of the adopteddate of this Incentive Policy. This policy applied to building permits issuedafter the adopted date of this Incentive Policy. This policy adopted on Septem-ber 15, 2003.


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APPENDIX E: BENCHMARK CMR REDEVELOPMENT REPORT—

NARRATIVE ONLY

Town of Forest CityGrahamtown

Redevelopment Area

Land Use Survey and Assessment of Conditions[Narrative Only]

October 2, 2006

Prepared byBenchmark CMR, Inc.

PO Box 430Kannapolis, NC 28082

(704) 933-5990(800) 650-3925

Fax (704) 933-6160

Introduction

Beginning in January 2003, the North Carolina Division of Community Assis-tance (DCA) began holding meetings statewide to receive input about creat-ing a new CDBG grant category to address slum and blight conditions in down-town areas. Out of those meetings, DCA created a category for 2003 calledUrban Redevelopment grants wherein local governments may apply for up to$1 million in CDBG funds to assist local governments that are implementing a“redevelopment area” as defined by the North Carolina General Statutes §160A-22. This grant is designed to assist the community and a private entityto develop in a designated redevelopment area.

To qualify for this grant, a local government must first designate a redevelop-ment area, as is outlined in detail in this report. Secondly, the local govern-ment must have an adopted redevelopment area plan. Finally, the applicantmust have an eligible project within the redevelopment area and in accor-dance with the local plan. The DCA has subsequently announced that appli-cations will be accepted beginning July 1, 2003.

The Town of Forest City has aggressively moved forward to comply with the

requirements set by DCA in order to qualify and apply for these funds. TheTown contracted Benchmark CMR, Inc. in March 2006 to conduct a land useinventory of the Grahamtown Redevelopment Area, provide an assessmentof building conditions within the area, and provide a map of the area.

This report will provide the Forest City Board of Commissioners and the Plan-ning Board with the following:

• A complete and accurate inventory of all buildings and tax parcelswithin the proposed redevelopment area;

• An assessment of the condition of each building and related property;• A determination of whether or not each building and related property

contributes to the blighting conditions of the area; and• A factual conclusion of whether or not the area can be declared to be a

redevelopment area as defined in NCGS § 160A-503(16).

As outlined in this report, it is the professional opinion of Benchmark CMR,Inc. that the proposed Grahamtown Redevelopment Area does qualify as a“blighted residential area” and would be eligible for all redevelopment activi-ties in the area as describe in NCGS § 160A-500, et seq.

Data Collection and Methodology

The purpose of this report is to provide the Town of Forest City with an accu-rate count of the buildings in the proposed redevelopment area and to classifythe buildings related to use and assess the buildings and related property todetermine their contribution to the overall blight of the area. This data willserve as a determination of whether or not the proposed area qualifies to beclassified as a redevelopment area under the authority of the North CarolinaGeneral Statutes. Therefore, the method of data collection is very important inmaking these determinations.

Prior to conducting the inventory, it was determined that establishing several“rules” was critical to reaching a fair and factual conclusion:

1. All buildings were to be counted (excepting only incidental accessorybuildings).

2. Property lines were generally to be ignored (except as a method ofrecord keeping and in determining poor lot layout, overcrowdednessin relation to the buildings, and obsolescence due to size or street ac-cess).


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3. Each building was to be classified as either residential or non-residen-tial. Vacant land is important but only for reference purposes and indetermining that the proposed redevelopment area does not consistof predominantly vacant land. Generally, single and multi-familydwellings were to constitute residential use and all other buildings wereto be classified as non-residential use. Mixed-use buildings were listedaccording to their primary use, whether residential or non-residen-tial.

4. An assessment of whether each residential building contributes (ordoes not contribute) to the overall blighted conditions was to be madefor each building in accordance with NCGS § 160A-503(2).

5. An assessment of whether each nonresidential building contributes(or does not contribute) to the overall blighted conditions was to bemade for each building in accordance with NCGS § 160A-503(10).

Furthermore, several professional judgments were made concerning the ap-proach to counting buildings and interpreting the parameters outlines in NCGS§ 160A-503. These judgments are summarized as follows:

1. A deteriorated building is characterized by holes, breaks, rot, crum-bling, rusting, substantially peeling paint, significant damage to roof-ing or siding materials or other physical evidence of physical decay orloss of structural integrity. These conditions exclude minor cosmeticdeficiencies.

2. A dilapidated building is one required major structural repairs and isunfit for human habitation or use.

3. An obsolete building is one that is clearly outdated and appearing tohave a significantly reduced usefulness in its current arrangement orsituation.

4. Overcrowdedness means that a particular building or building group iscontributing to one of the following situations: (a) an inadequate spac-ing between involved buildings, (b) an inadequate amount of landper building, (c) a significant lack of parking or (d) a significant lackof open spaces.

5. Faulty lot layout (in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility or usefulness)includes such issues as lack of parking, limited vehicular access tobuildings, landlocked property and issues related to overcrowdedness

such as small lot size, inadequate street frontage and disproportion-ate lot coverage.

6. Unsafe and unsanitary conditions may include an uncontrolled accu-mulation of debris, hazardous underground petroleum storage tanks,discarded furniture or appliances, parts of automobiles, indoor oroutdoor storage of any materials that may harbor pests, mosquitoes,vermin, and/or attract illegal activity. For the purpose of this project,the findings of these conditions were generally limited to substantialproblems and certain conditions that were tied directly to a particularbuilding or current use. Conversely, temporary, easily remedied, in-cidental nuisances such as overgrown weeds or overflowing trashcontainers do not constitute unsanitary or unsafe conditions.

7. It is assumed that there are no tax delinquencies totaling more thanthe fair value of any particular piece of property. There were deter-mined to be no special assessments or other tax burdens more thanthe fair value on any property involved in the study area.

Summary of Findings

On April 28, 2006 staff of Benchmark CMR, Inc. and the Town of Forest Cityconducted a building and use inventory (including an assessment of condi-tions) for the proposed redevelopment area. The following is a summary ofthe findings. A map and a parcel inventory are included in this report asExhibits A and B, respectively.

Parcel Counts

A. Three hundred and fifteen (315) lots of record were counted, makingup approximately 103 acres, including property that is made up ofNCDOT and Town road rights of way.

B. Of the three hundred and fifteen (315) lots, one hundred and fifty-nine (159) were determined to be vacant (containing no buildings).This constitutes 50.5 percent of the total lots.

C. Of the three hundred and fifteen (315) lots, one hundred and fifty-six(156) were determined to contain as least one structure. This consti-tutes 49.5 percent of the total lots.


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Building Counts

A. Overall, one hundred and fifty-two (152) buildings were counted.

B. Of the total buildings, eleven (11) were classified as non-residential.

C. Of the total buildings, one hundred and forty-one (141) were classi-fied as residential.

Assessment of Conditions Contributing to Blight

The North Carolina General Statutes provide significant room for interpreta-tion concerning the qualifications for establishing a “redevelopment area.”Because of these different interpretations it is important to understand thegeneral differences. NCGS § 160A-503(16) permits the local planning com-mission to designate an area to be a redevelopment area by one of four meth-ods. Each of these methods and their applications to the Grahamtown Rede-velopment Area are described below.

In all cases, a determination must be made that there is simply a preponder-ance of buildings or improvements in the area. In no case would an area con-sisting of predominantly vacant land qualify under the North Carolina Gen-eral Statutes. For the Grahamtown Redevelopment Area project, this determi-nation has not been made (see section I (B) and (C) above).

A Blighted Residential Area

This is described as an area in which there is a predominance of buildings orimprovements which are predominantly residential in character. NCGS § 160A-503(16) permits the qualifying requirements for a “blighted area” for the en-tire study area without making a separate determination of blight for residen-tial and nonresidential uses. Using this designation, NCGS § 160A-503(2) re-quires that 2/3 (66.6%) of the counted buildings in the proposed redevelopment areabe determined to contribute to the blighted conditions.

• Of the one hundred and forty-one (141) total buildings counted, onehundred and six (106) were determined to be blighted or contributingto the overall blight of the proposed redevelopment area.

106/141 = 75.1% (8.5% above the required 66.6%)

Using this method, the area does qualify under G.S. 160A-503(2).

A Nonresidential Redevelopment Area

This is described as an area in which there is a predominance of buildings orimprovements whose use is predominantly nonresidential. NCGS § 160A-503(16)permits using the qualifying requirements for a “nonresidential area” for theentire study area without making a separate determination of blight for resi-dential and nonresidential uses. Using this designation, NCGS § 160A-503(10)requires that 1/2 (50.0%) of the counted buildings in the proposed redevelopment areabe determined to contribute to the blighted conditions.

• First, a determination must be made that there is a predominance ofnonresidential buildings and improvements. Of the one hundred andforty-one (141) total buildings counted, eleven (11) were determinedto be nonresidential buildings.

11/141 = 7.8% (clearly not a predominance).

Using this method the area does not qualify.

A Rehabilitation, Conservation, and Reconditioning Area

This is described as an area that is subject to a clear and present danger that, inthe absence of municipal action to rehabilitate, the area will become a blightedarea or a nonresidential development area. The proposed redevelopment areamust meet either (but not both) of the definitions of a Blighted Area or a Non-residential Redevelopment Area as determined above. NCGS § 160A-503(21)permits using the power of eminent domain to rehabilitate only those proper-ties found to substantially contribute to the conditions endangering the area.Using this determination, only those counted buildings in the proposed redevelop-ment area that are determined to contribute to the blighted conditions could be con-demned for the purposes of redevelopment.

• Of the one hundred and forty-one (141) total buildings counted, onehundred and six (106) were determined to be blighted or contributingto the overall blight of the proposed redevelopment area.

Using this method, the area qualifies under NCGS § 160A- 503(10), butonly as a Rehabilitation, Conservation, and Reconditioning Area.


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APPENDIX F: ACTION PLAN ABBREVIATION KEY

Type of Strategy

• CB (Capacity Building): Completing this action allows more thingsto happen in the future.

• ED/CE (Education or Community Education): Brining new skillsto the community

• EV (Evaluation): Look at all the options, some evaluation actionsare items you would look at each time you begin a new project

• LS (Link to Services): Make better use of the resources that are inRutherford County.

• NI (Neighborhood Involvement): An opportunity to get groups ofneighbors involved in a project.

• RB (Relationship Building): Actions that require an action teammember to meet with a group or person to discuss an issue togenerate buy-in in order to achieve a specific outcome.

• RS (Research): Action requires some investigation in order to havegood information to move forward.

• SA (Specific Action): A “Do This” statement.

Abbreviations Used in Action Plans

• AACHRC: African American Cultural Heritage Resource Center• CCCS of CF: Consumer Credit Counseling Services of the Carolina

Foothills• CDBG: Community Development Block Grant• CEP: Community Empowerment Project• CPC: Center for Participatory Change• IPDC: Isothermal Planning and Development Commission• NC DOT: North Carolina Department of Transportation• ODCC: Old Dunbar Community Center• PLS: Pisgah Legal Services• PRTF: Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant• RHI: Rutherford Housing Initiative• TFC BPZCE: Town of Forest City Building, Planning/Zoning and

Code Enforcement Office• TFC PW Dept.: Town of Forest City Public Works Department

(Electric, Pump, Street, Sewer, and Water Maintenance)• TFC PR Dept.: Town of Forest City Parks and Recreation Depart-

ment• TFC: Town of Forest City


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REFERENCES

Books, Articles, and Web Sources

The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Strengthening Rural Families: The High Costof Being Poor—What it Takes for Low-Income Families to Get By and Get Ahead inRural America. 2004.www.aecf.org/publications/data/high_cost_being_poor.pdf

Belsky, Eric. “Rental Vacancy Rates: A Policy Primer” Housing PolicyDebate. 3 (1992): 793-813.www.knowledgeplex.org/kp/text_document_summary/scholarly_article/relfiles/hpd_0303_belsky.pdf>

Brown-Graham, Antia R. Affordable Housing and North Carolina Local Govern-ments. Chapel Hill: School of Government, UNC Chapel Hill, 2006.

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. Earned Income Credit Tax Facts.2006.http://www.cbpp.org/eic2006/EIC_Facts_Text.pdf

CFED. Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). 2006.http://www.cfed.org/focus.m?parentid=31&siteid=374&id=374

Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative. 2007.http://www.dsni.org

Internal Revenue Service. It’s Easier Than Ever to Find Out If You Qualify forEITC. 2007.http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96406,00.html>

Kutty, Nandineek K. “Determinants of Structural Adequacy of Dwellings.”Journal of Housing Research. 10 (1999): 27-43.http://www.knowledgeplex.org/kp/text_document_summary/scholarly_article/relfiles/jhr_1001_kutty.pdf

Levy, Diane K., Jennifer Comey, and Sandra Padilla. In the Face ofGentrification: Case Studies of Local Efforts to Mitigate Displacement. TheUrban Institute. 17 March 2006.http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411294_gentrification.pdf

Lind, Christianne, and Pamela Friedman. Strategies to Build Assets AmongLow-Income Families: Mapping the Field. The Finance Project. December 2006.http://www.financeproject.org/publications/StrategiestoBuildAssets.pdf

McNeely, Joseph, Sentwali Aiyetoro, and Prentice Bowsher. The Paths toLeadership in Community Change. The Annie E. Casey Foundation. March1999.http://www.aecf.org/publications/data/leadership_paper.pdf

National Sheriff’s Association. Neighborhood Watch Program. 2006.http://www.usaonwatch.org/

North Carolina Housing Coalition. Housing Communication Manual. 2005.http://www.nchousing.org/messaging-strategy/nchc-housing-comm-manual/nchc-housing-resource-manual

Orange Community Housing and Land Trust. What is a Community LandTrust? 2006.http://www.ochlt.org/clt.shtml

PolicyLink. Community Reinvestment Act—What Is It?http://www.policylink.org/EDTK/CRA/

Rhoe, William M., and Leslie S. Stewart. “Homeownership and Neighbor-hood Stability.” Housing Policy Debate. 10 (1996): 37-74.http://www.fanniemaefoundation.org/programs/hpd/pdf/hpd_0701_rohe.pdf

Rutherford County Housing Initiative. The State of Housing in RutherfordCounty. 2006. (A copy of this report can be obtained by contacting theRutherford County Housing Initiative by calling them at 828287.2281)

Sanchez, Hector. Improving Your Child’s Education: A Guide for AfricanAmerican Parents. The Education Trust. 2005.http://education.ti.com/sites/US/downloads/pdf/imprvgeduAfrAm_FINAL_web.pdf

United States Department of Justice. Weed & Seed. 2007.http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ccdo/ws/welcome.html

Wheary, Jennifer. Measuring the Middle: Polices to Grow the Middle Class.Demos: A Network for Ideas and Action. 2005.http://www.demos.org/pubs/Measuring_the_middle91305.pdf


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Data Sources

Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator:http://www.bls.gov/

Census Data:http://www.census.gov

Department of Housing and Urban Development Area Median IncomeData:http://www.huduser.org/DATASETS/il.html

Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rent Data:http://www.huduser.org/datasets/fmr.html

Department of Housing and Urban Development Area Median IncomeData:http://www.huduser.org/DATASETS/il.html

Rutherford County Interactive Geographic Information System.http://arcims.webgis.net/nc/rutherford/

Rutherford County Tax Department:http://www.rutherfordcountync.gov/dept/tax/Main.php

Town of Forest City Utility Records. Printed for the purpose of this reportin March 2006.

Town of Forest City Zoning Ordinance:http://www.townofforestcity.com/zoning.html


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Documents

GUIDING GRAHAMTOWN’S FUTURE: CREATING …€¦ · A Community Driven Report for the Future of the Grahamtown Neighborhood TELLING OUR STORY GUIDING OUR FUTURE MEETING DATES May