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MINUTES OF THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
FOR URBAN RENEWAL
Directors Room
Trust Company of Georgia Building
Friday, November 21, 1969
The regular Executive Committee meeting was called to order promptly at
2:15 P. M. by Chairman Noah Langdale.
Those in attendance for the Executive Committee were: Messrs, A. B.
Padgett; Jack Carrollton (representing Mr. Bob Bivens); Henri Jova; Arth r Burks,
Jr. (representing Mr. William VanLandingham); William L. Calloway; Edgar
Schukraft; Joe C. Whitley and Miss Jean Cornn (representing Mr. Carlton Rochell);
for the Housing Authority: Mr. Howard Openshaw; and for the Atlanta Planning
Department: Mr. John Matthews. Three students from Georgia State University,
Carolyn B. Clemons, Nannette Evans and Don Akin also attended the meeting.
Agenda and copies of pertinent material used at the meeting are attached to
the file copy of these minutes.
Dr. Langdale opened the meeting by stating that Mayor-Elect Sam Massell
and Vice-Mayor Elect Maynard Jackson had been invited to the meeting, but due
to previous engagements could not attend. Dr. Langdale stated that he was asked
by Mr. Masseli and Mr, Jackson to express their appreciation for being invited to
the meeting and asked that they be invited to another meeting in the near future,
Dr. Langdale also thanked Mr. A. B. Padgett, Vice-Chairman of CACUR,
for his assistance in conducting the September and October meetings during his
illness, and commended Mr, Padgett for a job well done.
Dr. Langdale then turned the meeting over to Malcolm Jones, Executive
Director, CACUR.
Mr. Jones stated that the Neighborhood Development Program (NDP) is a
new terminology for Urban Renewal and that NDP is in smaller increments than
Urban Renewal. He also stated that NDP applications are filed and funded annually,
on the basis of what can be accomplished each year,
Mr. Jones stated that if a City is to have a NDP program that it must have
an approved Workable Program; that the City's past, present and future activities
are taken into consideration before HUD will accept the application.
Mr. Jones then called on Mr. John Matthews of the Atlanta Planning Department
to comment on the new HUD policy on New NDP Projects.
Mr. Matthews stated substantially that about a month ago HUD announced
a nation-wide cutback of funds for the Neighborhocd Development Program. This
cutback in funds left Region III (includes Atlanta) with only $24, 000, 000 for 1970;
and that Miami-Dade is scheduled to receive about half of all funds for Region III,
thus leaving only $12,000,000 for the remaining five cities, including Atlanta; that
because of this cutback, HUD officials have only recently informed Atlanta it will
not permit any new NDP areas in the 1970 program, which means that Plunkettown
and Lightning cannot be included in the 1970 NDP, becuase HUD will not accept
them. Mr. Matthews then stated that the Planning Department was not aware of
this 'no new areas'' policy until late last week. Copies of letter from Assistant
Regional Administrator for Renewal “Assistance, Region III, stating the new policy,
was distributed and copy is attached to the file copy of these minutes.
Mr. Matthews also stated that the Planning Department had anticipated
improved public services and a planning assistance program in Plunkettown; and
that the initial effort was an Attitude Survey that was conducted in the area in early
August; that the main point of the operations planned for Plunkettown now is to
develop a NDP plan which will most effectively meet the needs of the residents.
However, the major constraint of the program is that the site on which Plunkettown
is located is considered (by the Planning Department) as unfit for residential
redevelopment. This unfitness is due to the surrounding land use (industry and
the noise because of the airport); that for these reasons the area could not be
economically developed for low-income housing. Because of the noise generated
from the Airport, housing would have to be sound proofed, but this would raise
construction cost considerably, thus pricing out the present residents; that FHA
has stated that it could not insure houses in Plunkettown.
Because of the cutback in funds and the ''no new areas" policy, only private
enterprise can develop housing on another site which can meet the needs of the
residents and give them an opportunity of moving together and preserving their
community.
He explained that HUD has developed a new program called the Interm
Assistance Program, which permits Federal assistance in several broad types of
activities designed as a "holding action'' until an area can be reached by NDP.
The Planning Department was encouraged by Region III officials to develop such
a program in Plunkettown and, working closely with the residents' Planning
Committee, has developed such a program for the next year. Copies of the Interim
Assistance Program Synopsis were distributed to each member in attendance and
copy is attached to the file copy of these minutes.
Mr. Matthews concluded by saying that Lightning has not been overlooked,
but because of manpower restrictions, efforts in Lightning have been phased about
four months behind Plunkettown.
5%
Mr. Jones then called on Mr. Howard Openshaw, Director of Redevelopment
for the Atlanta Housing Authority to present Atlanta's revised overall NDP Program
for 1970.
Mr. Openshaw preceded his scheduled presentation of the revised NDP
program by commenting that some members of the Vine City Project Area
Committee (PAC) had insisted he inform the Citizens Advisory Committee that
Vine City PAC wants to designate its own representative on the CACUR; that the
Vine City representative currently serving on CACUR is not a member of the Vine
City Project Area Committee and therefore is not familiar with the program and
cannot adequately represent PAC. :
(Editorial Note: The current Vine City representative is listed as a member
of PAC on brochure recently prepared and distribute by Vine City PAC, but is not
the Chairman of the Vine City PAC, who has previously been specifically requested
by name for appointment to CACUR. All current members of CACUR were nominated
by a Membership Committee, appointed by the Chairman, and have been individually
appointed by the Mayor. No group in the past has arbitraily selected its own
representative on CACUR. )
Mr. Openshaw then stated that only $24, 000, 000 have been allocated by HUD
for Region III, which includes Atlanta. Atlanta is scheduled to receive only about
$7,500,000. Mr. Openshaw stated that Atlanta had asked for 20.7 million dollars,
Mr. Openshaw stated that there are 26 scattered sites in Bedford-Pine which
the City is to acquire in 1970 and 50 properties to rehabilitate in 1970. He also stated
that Georgia Tech II area has to be cleared for extension of Georgia Tech during 1970.
There are 15 vacant parcels to be bought in the Model Cities area, but that in only 4
out of the 6 areas could the City currently buy the vacant land. (This is because of
protest by the Model Cities Housing Committee) The completion of Ralph McGill
Elementary School and the Martin Luther King Middle School are included in the
Model Cities program for 1970. He continued that acquisition in the Georgia State
area has to be cut back to only three properties of the eight originally requested and
that one of these is in connection with construction of a viaduct by the City; that
Vine City cannot acquire nearly all the properties desired by its PAC Committee;
very little activity in Edgewood; and that only an Interim Assistance Program would
be undertaken in Plunkettown and Lightning.
. Mr. Jones then called on Mr. A. B. Padgett to present a proposed Resolution
by the CACUR.
Mr. Padgett read the proposed Resolution informing the United State Department
of Housing and Urban Development of the extreme disappointment of this Committee
over announced cutback in Federal funding for the 1970 NDP; and pointing out the
disasterous effect such extensive cutback will have on Atlanta's Neighborhood Develop-
ment Program, Community Participation and Citizen Moral in the affected areas,
Copies of this Resolution were distributed and a copy is attached to the file copy of
these minutes,
Mr. Padgett made a motion that this Resolution be adopted and sent to the
Secretary of HUD and the Regional Administrator, Region III, of HUD. Mr. Jack
Carrollton seconded the motion, which was unaminously adopted,
Mr. Jones then presented the Proposed Budget for 1970 of the CACUR. The
total proposed budget for 1970 amounted to $4,725.00. Copy is attached to the file
copy of theses minutes.
Mr. Padgett explained that, because the salaries of the Executive Director
and the Secretary have now been absorbed by the City of Atlanta, as part of the
Mayor's Office, that by agreement, only $3,000 is to be allocated from the City
of Atlanta, during 1970.
Upon assurance to the Chairman by the Executive Director, that action on
the Budget need not wait for a full membership meeting, a motion was made by
Mr. Padgett that the Proposed Budget for 1970 be adopted. The motion was seconded
by Mr. Henri Jova and was unaminously adopted.
Mr. Jones stated that HUD is well pleased with the Citizens Advisory
Committee for Urban Renewal in its participation in Urban Renewal and NDP; that
its activity and recommendations have influenced major decisions in Atlanta's
participation in HUD assisted programs. He stated also that HUD suggested the
Citizens Advisory Committee for Urban Renewal have a name change, in order to
get away from the out dated limited Urban Renewal concept and so that the Committee
could broaden its scope to include the entire spectrum of Community Improvement;
that a HUD official had suggested that consideration be given to changing the name
to "Citizens Advisory Committee for Community Improvement" or perhaps simply
"Citizens Advisory Committee",
Mr. Jones continued that HUD has an over riding policy of insuring citizen
participation in its programs and insists that machinery be set up so that minority
views can be heard and considered, but not to be used as a veto.
Mr. Jones further stated that HUD suggested that the City of Atlanta needs
a Central Coordinating Citizen Committee to consider and advise on many important
matters, in addition to Urban Renewal and NDP; i.e., Open Space Grants, Water
and Sewer Grants, City Beautification, Public Buildings, etc.; that currently many
of these activities have a disjointed approach. He then passed out a HUD newsletter
containing an announcement from Secretary of HUD, George Romney, that the
Department of HUD is going to reorganize the whole department. Mr. Jones concluded
by stating he had hoped to get a HUD representative to explain the reorganization to
the Committee, but was informed that Secretary Romney's visit to Atlanta on November
20, to explain the reorganization to local HUD personnel did not permit enough time
for HUD officials to digest the changes, but they would be glad to explain them at a
later meeting; that HUD wants to be invited to our meetings, work with the Committee
and be kept well informed.
Chairman Langdale appointed Executive Committee member, W. L. Calloway,
as Chairman of an Ad Hoc Committee (additional members to be added later) to
consider a name change for CACUR.
Mr. Jones then introduced Mr. Walter Denero of the Model Cities staff to
present the Proposed Public Information System for Model Cities,
Mr. Denero stated that a Convention had been set-up in Model Cities to make
the citizens aware of the problems involved in the Model Cities program. He stated
that a survey was taken of the residents in Model Cities and the results showed that
the people do want this type of project; and that most of the residents were aware
of Urban Renewal generally, but not familiar with many details involved in the NDP
and that his proposed system is designed to make them more aware of these details
and thereby better understand the entire program. Mr. Denero distributed a pamphlet
on the Model Cities area entitled ''A Beginning". (Copy is attached to the file
copy of these minutes. )
(Time did not permit Mr. Jones announcing that the Committee had received
acknowledgement and thanks from the family of late CACUR member, Eugene Marcus
Martin, for the Resolution of condolences and sympathy passed by the CACUR at its
October meeting, )
The meeting was adjourned at 3:30 P. M.
Respectfully submitted,
ryake elu! fuityg
Malcolm D. Jones
Executive Director
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Encls: As stated