Note: See posts for 7/10 and 7/11.
We held our first of three Public Meetings yesterday evening, at the Christian Science Church, situated on the south edge of the Green Acres neighborhood. The church members very much appreciate our effort to have GA certified as a “Conservation District.” About 22 people were present, as was the press.
I gave my talk on history, tradition and the little three-home permaculture template I have created here as a template for what GA could transform into. I had wrestled with what I was to say. Should I really include the permacultural vision of the whole neighborhood as, ultimately partnering with IU as a living laboratory through which all sorts of programs — in sociology, city planning, psychology, art and design, etc. — could be run? This vision that infected me over a dozen years ago and has driven me ever since? I decided yes. Here are my notes for the occasion. I was surprised how well it was received; lots of clapping afterwards.
Here’s our 2007 GA Neighborhood Plan. See pp 10-15 for the Foreward, which I wrote and from which I took much of last night’s public talk. I call the Plan our Constitution, and myself a “Constitutionalist.” There are an amazing array of projects in the Plan well worth pursuing.
Green Acres Neighborhood Plan (2007)
Next, neighbor Marines, who had done a huge amount of research , talked about GA as a “time capsule,” including her discovery that ours was the very first suburb in the country that arose in response to the GI Bill, post-World War II. WOW! Did not know that.
A former City Council member, Chris Sturbaum, whose own mother grew up in Green Acres, spoke about his vision for GA, why it’s historically and culturally important, deserving of certification as a Conservation District. He warned that our main obstacle to certification is the City Council, the application for which the Historical Commission must send for final approval. He warns that the council will likely deny our request, unless we meet with individual members on the City Council, and speak with them personally about why we feel this neighborhood is historically so important, and needs to remain as is.
Elisha (who’s purchasing the third house here, and very community oriented) and I are going to get right on that, starting with the two city council people she knows personally.
