97-38 AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 95-63

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EXCERPTS FROM TRAFFIC AND PARHING COMMISSION MINUTES Wednesday, April 9, 1997 Macon Place Neighborhood request to make the temporary barriers, installed in February 1996, permanent. Newell reminded Commission members that the issue of the a11ey closure in this neighborhood came up about six months ago in a meeting. This was part of the temporary closure of various streets in the neighborhood approved by the City Council in February of 1996. This was again discussed at a neighborhood meeting last week. The Police Department reported that the crime statistics have not changed. Traffic volume has decreased significantly. Traffic northbound on Edward Street has seen a significant increase, but no other streets have changed. Edward Street has been changed to two-way traffic north of Wood Street, which may have added to the increase in traffic. Chervinko added that the Crime Analysis Unit tracks five different crimes, and those numbers are stated in the agenda packet. The numbers are from one year prior to the closures and one year after. The crime rates are almost the same in both cases. The barriers have not had an effect on the crime statistics. However, from a Police Department point of view, if the residents feel more secure with the barriers, the Police feel it is a successful program. The Police Department is in favor of making the barriers permanent. Bruce Moore echoed the feeling of the Police Department that if the neighborhood feels safer, it is worth it. Bruce Paulson, one of the Macon Place Neighborhood Group members and President of the NWRAPS Neighborhood appeared on behalf of the residents. He stated that this plan was developed two years ago in an effort to make some of the inner-city neighborhoods less crime active. They came up with this plan that was put into place last February. They have noticed a change in the neighborhood, not only the crime statistics, but also a huge decrease in the drive-through traffic. That has almost been halted. The volume of traffic with other types of activities has decreased. Before there were very few children playing in the neighborhood, but now there are many children who feel safe enough to walk through the neighborhood. They look forward to having additional children in the area. Some apartment buildings are being changed back into single family residences. They do not have as much transient traffic through the area. At a recent neighborhood meeting, the consensus was that they want the barriers in the neighborhood, but the locations were not entirely agreed upon. The rest of the neighbors would echo his concern with the moving of the fence at the alley between Macon and Decatur Streets off of Monroe. The residents like the barriers where they are. They want the criminal elements out of the neighborhood.