Elmer Avenue Residents as Watershed Managers

Harvesting the Rain SymposiumJune 30, 2010

Rebecca DrayseDirector, Natural Urban Systems GroupTreePeople

Site Selection CriteriaRequired Criteria (Pass/Fail):Single-family land useAppropriate soils for infiltrationAdequate street width Preliminary EvaluationSize and land useNeed for infrastructure improvementsNeighborhood demographicsPride of ownershipAdditional CriteriaWilling community Ability to attract fundingPolitical support Possibility to expand pilot

Involving the Community

Canvassing Asking questions Listening Gauging project interest Watershed education Surveys

5 community meetings Program introduction ROW design workshop Design review Private property workshop

Involving the CommunityTaking it to the street

Involving the Community Education Participation Listening Flexibility Variety Regular contact Adaptability

Project Team Communication TreeResident IssuePlanning/Design/ Construction IssueGeneral Project IssueEmergency Construction IssueProject Outreach Team:Miguel LunaPam GibsonCity Construction Team:Ruben RosalesSuperintendent Rudy Aguiles311 EmergencyLarge Issue: Email to allTeam LeadersSmall Issue: Email toDirect Leader forInclusion in Weekly UpdateDocumentation of Issuesand Resolutions inWeekly Email(Edward)Project Team Leaders:Edward Belden, Rebecca DrayseRuben Rosales, Pam GibsonMiguel Luna, Hugh LeeWing TamDistribution of Weekly UpdateEdward Belden, Rebecca Drayse, Pam GibsonMiguel Luna, Ruben Rosales, Hugh LeeWing Tam, Kosta Kaporis, Tatiana TlatenchiIsabel DeVera, Patricia, RobertGuy Stivers, Jason SchmidtContact Edward and RebeccaPassed on to ConstructionTeam if it is an issueRegular Job Coordination Meetings

Refrigerator Magnet for Residents

Elmer Avenue Neighborhood Retrofit Private Property Components

Elmer Avenue Neighborhood Retrofit Private Property Components Rain barrels Rain barrel overflow directed to swale/rain garden Turf replaced with native and drought-tolerant species Permeable pavers Drip irrigation with smart controllers Additional trees

Elmer Street Tree Planting and Maintenance Training

*So with the knowledge that the next step for the WAS was to provide evidence on a large scale the results on the monitoring study the selection of the site became crucial. TreePeople and the Watershed Council conducted an evaluation of potential sites based on an extensive set of criteria. The criteria looked at various aspects from physical conditions to the needs and participation of the community. The Concept Plan includes this site criteria list.**Traditional single- family neighborhood block with 24 homes built in the 50s. Working class community, many multi-generational households.

All but two homes are owner-occupied. Most residents have lived there between 10 and 30 years.

Sent out letters, let folks know when we would be in the neighborhond Asked how long they had lived in the area, if there were flooding issues, street issues or other local issues. Would they like to see changes on their street?

16 prefer to receive their materials and presentations in Spanish (even though many speak English)4 in English3 prefer English, but are fine with Spanish.

As a result - All materials provided in Spanish and English All but one meeting conducted in Spanish with English interpretation. Residents assisted as well since many are bilingual.

Conducted several community meetingsFirst to introduce concept and gauge interest2nd - Presented prelim concepts and got feedback Presented refined designs based on feedback and got additional feedback and buy-inAlso did a private property workshop for residents interested in having improvements on their propsOver half did.*Held most meetings in local park or library but one in Elmer Alleyway just south of block to increase participation Open house allowed residents to come by view designsadd comments and ask questions.

They were also provided with more information about the private property options that will be offered and a rain barrel, and lots of colorful, fragrant natives were handy to view. *Just a few reminders about involving the community.Provide a background as to why the project is important in a way that touches them. Invite participation, ask their opinion, listen, be flexible, provide a variety of styles and ways to participate. Make regular contact, follow up on any inquiries. *Another key piece of the overall project is the installation BMPs at the lot level. Homeowners have the opportunity to be a part of the project and support its goals through the installation of various BMPs on their property. Options include rain gardens (which which will provide a unified look with the ROW), rain barrels/cisterns, water-wise irrigation, conversion to California-friendly plants and increasing permeable surfaces.We recently held a meeting with the residents so they could review and select an option for their property. Approximately two-thirds of the homes have expressed an interest in participating in the program. We will be meeting with the residents in the next couple months to finalize their choices and discuss design details. While we will provide maintenance for the first couple years, homeowners will be responsible for the long-term maintenance. We will be providing training workshops and manuals.****Important to involve residents directly to build ownership in project. Since most of the projects was installed for them, we wanted folks to get their hands dirtyOrganized community tree planting for all the trees being planted in the ROWOne Saturday morning residents assisted by TP staff, volunteers from area planted (X) treesHeld a potluck after *