NEIGHBORHOOD AUDITREPORT

NEAR WESTSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD AUDIT

February 13, 2018

Report prepared by:

Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion

The Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public AffairsSyracuse University

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INTRODUCTIONOn February 13, 2018, participants representing health and human service providers, Syracuse University, Syracuse City Codes Department, Syracuse Police Department and the Syracuse Common Council collaborated to pilot a neighborhood audit tool along Wy-oming Street in the Near Westside of Syracuse.

The event was the result of on-going work and brainstorming on how to address the in-creased drug sales and drug usage in the neighborhood from a public health, safety, and quality of life lens. In November of 2017, SUNY ESF’s Visioning Voices series focused on the Near Westside and CPTED: crime prevention through environmental design. Building off this momentum, the associated tools, and increased concern among those who live, work, and play in the Near Westside, the Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion at Syracuse University organized this mini-event with two goals in mind:

1) To detect and assess built environment challenges from multiple viewpoints and;

2) To pilot the use of the long form of the neighborhood audit tool and gather participant feedback.

TEAM ASSIGNMENT MAPLocation 1: underpass, W. Fayette and West

Location 2A: graffiti building, Tully and Wyoming

Location 2B: graffiti building, Tully and West

Location 3A: Lincoln building/La Casita, Otisco and Wyoming

Location 3B: empty lot at Lincoln building block, Tully and West

Location 4: Hillside lot, Marcellus and West

AUDIT TOOLThe audit tool consists of a series of questions about the physical space that one can see from a particular street corner or vantage point. Teams used a long-form version of the same audit tool introduced at the Visioning Voic-es event. The tool is designed to be completed by a team of four to six people.

Each team is assigned a spot on the map to evaluate using the audit tool, which includes questions about lighting, sight lines, general impressions of the space, type of land use, signage, auditory and visual isolation, entrap-ment sites, maintenance, and site cohesion. The tool also allows partici-pants to write comments, notes, and offer suggestions for improvement, and encourages team members to take pictures to supplement their notes.

The team make-up is also important to this process. Participants were divid-ed into four teams, each of which had representation from the Syracuse Po-lice Department, City of Syracuse, lo-cal agencies, and community residents. Teams also had different genders and ages represented, as people of different identities interpret the physical space differently.

The report that follows is a summary of the work conducted by teams at six locations along Wyoming Street on February 13, 2018.

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OVERALL AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

A four-way stop sign is needed at the Wyoming and Marcellus intersection. The intersection currently has a two-way stop on Marcellus Street. Westside Peace, Inc., which sits at the inter-section of Wyoming and Marcellus, serves children year-round and is a hub of activity. The current traffic pattern is confusing for drivers and pedestrians and creates potential safety issues.

Alternatively, the two-way stop at the corner of Wyoming and Otisco streets is confusing and disrupts traffic flow. The group recommended switching the direction of the two-way stop, such that the stops signs are located on Otisco Street instead of at Wyoming.

The lack of consistently clear sidewalks was of concern in all areas of the audit. This issue was most pronounced at the cross-walk at West and Otisco streets, which was especially treach-erous and impassable.

NEW TRAFFIC SIGN

REVERSAL OF TWO WAY STOP AT WYOMING & OTISCO

SNOW REMOVAL

At the corner of West Fayette and West streets, the old fencing surrounding the railroad tracks has become a dangerous cut-through. Additionally, the overgrown brush limits visibility at that corner.

FENCING ALONG RAILROAD TRACKS

LOCATION 1Underpass, West Fayette and West streets

The area beneath the underpass on W. Fayette and West streets is a high-traffic thoroughfare that has the potential to serve as a pedestrian corridor to downtown Syracuse. This site was the north-ern-most location covered by the audit.

STRENGTHS

CHALLENGES

Overall, this area has undergone dramatic change over the past decade. There was an atmosphere of activity and renewal in this part of the neighborhood. How-ever, while the buildings nearby looked well-maintained, the underpass area ap-peared neglected. Graffiti traces had been painted over.

There are overgrown bushes and brush along W. Fayette Street, which was a po-tential safety concern. Additionally, the fence along the railroad track had dete-riorated and become an unsafe cut-through. Despite a high volume of car traffic, the area seemed isolated and thus did not provide a pedestrian-friendly environ-ment.

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LOCATION 2

Tully and Wyoming streets at the graffiti building; Tully and West streets behind graffiti building

The graffiti building was a looming landmark on the Wyoming Street corridor. The unoccupied facility had broken windows, tagging that included obscenities, and areas where the side-walks were not shoveled.

STRENGTHS

CHALLENGES

From the corner of Tully and Wyoming streets, the sidewalks were cleared of snow and the area was generally clean with no visible litter. Additionally, this corner had clear sight lines. Some of the artwork on the graffiti building was done by local artists, and residents in the group felt that the art piec-es which were positive and professional were inspiring and reflective of the neighborhood culture and talent. The vibrant colors added life and warmth to an otherwise drab winter scene.

On the corner of Tully and West streets, an area that had less car traffic, the space was generally improved along West Street.

The primary concern in this area is the graffiti building at 215 Tully St. This building is not well-maintained and contributes to safety issues in the neigh-borhood. This large, unoccupied building creates a sense of abandonment and isolation. Group members who work with ACR Health noted this area to be a place where needle clean-up is regularly required. At the corner of Tully and West streets, the sidewalks on West Street were entirely covered in snow. In spite of that factor, the area experienced significant foot traffic, including an informal cut-through that pedestrians used from Tully to West.

LOCATION 2 PHOTOS

From left to right, top to bottom:Wyoming Street sidewalk, facing South toward Lo-cation 2. Team 2 in action. The “graffiti building” as viewed from Tully St. Team 2 group shot. Graffiti building as viewed from West. Snow covered sidewalk on West Street.

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LOCATION 3Otisco and Wyoming streets; West Street between Tully and Otisco streets

Standing at the corner of Otisco and Wyoming streets, the neighborhood felt open and reasonably safe.

STRENGTHS

CHALLENGES

The neighborhood here felt relatively safe. There were not many places to hide at the corner of Otisco and Wyoming streets, which was occupied by SALTQuarters, an art gallery and artist-in-residence program. The corner also benefited from security cameras located across the intersection at the Hillside Children’s Center lot. There was almost no graffiti visible aside from minor vandalism on a street sign on the southeast corner of the intersection.

On West Street, between Tully and Otisco streets, La Casita Cultural Cen-ter at the Lincoln building anchors the space. There appeared to be a new lighting fixture installed at the parking lot on the south side of the Lincoln building. The parking lot had a steady flow of traffic that was not over-whelming in volume.

The buildings in the area would benefit from additional information, such as hours of operation or accessibility signage. On West Street, between Tully and Otisco streets, the crosswalk entrance was iced over and full of snow, which made for unsafe walkways for pedestrians and impossible crossing conditions for people with limited mobility.

On the south side of the Lincoln building, a barbed wire fence and an un-identified structure adjacent to the Lincoln building appeared in disrepair. The L-shaped space around La Casita’s entrance is well-maintained but also hidden from view and would need further auditing. Also, La Casita’s en-trance may also benefit from additional signage that clearly identifies the use of the space.

LOCATION 3 PHOTOS

From left to right, top to bottom: Team 3 at SALTQuarters. Corner of Otisco and Wyoming. Team 3 in action, using the Audit Tool. Wyoming St sidewalk between Otisco and Tully. SALTQuarters at Location 3.

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LOCATION 4Hillside lot, Marcellus and West streets

This site is surrounded by a variety of organizations, such as CNY Services and Hillside Children’s Center.

STRENGTHS

CHALLENGES

The area has a good flow of daytime traffic and feels well cared for with the presence of various organizations including Hillside. An antique fire hydrant added a flair of charm and history to the neighborhood.

The currently vacant lot, however, this is slated to become Performance Park in Summer 2018. A four-way stop is needed at Marcellus and Wy-oming streets, crosswalks need to be marked and there should be signage that indicates the presence of children at play. Parts of the sidewalk needed repair and curb cuts were problematic. More lighting is also needed in the area. The experience of being in this area is different at night.

NEXT STEPSFINDINGS FROM THE AUDIT

The areas for improvement range from short term to long term issues. The recommendations from the Neighborhood Audit Report serve as a platform for follow-up meetings with responsible entities at the City of Syracuse and private building owners (outreach has already occurred).

The findings from the audit tool ultimately create an advocacy agenda for the neighborhood. The built environment subcommittee of Take Back the Streets, responsible for planning this event, will take the lead on these efforts. The overall areas of concern noted earlier in the report, especially snow re-moval and abandoned and degrading buildings, will be key points of discus-sion in the short-term.

Building connections and creating a space for conversations among partici-pants was also a benefit of conducting the audit. The discussion held collec-tively after teams returned from their respective locations highlighted the value of communication and diversity in stakeholder participation.

AUDIT TOOL

This was the first time the full-form audit was used. The document was long and should be tailored accordingly for future outings. The tool should also be completed by everyone in the group to ensure different viewpoints within the same team can be compared when distilling feedback. To truly assess the safety of an area, the audit should be also done both at night and during the day. It is also recommended that questions are added dependent upon the season (i.e., snow, trash, etc.). The tool should be translated into Spanish so that it is accessible to Spanish speakers in the community as well.

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APPENDIXPARTICIPANTS

Nelson Aquino Syracuse Police DepartmentJustin Baratta Missio ChurchRebecca Bostwick Lerner Center for Public Health PromotionAdam Bregou Missio ChurchBill Croft Syracuse Police DepartmentShannon Ryan-Crysler Hillside Children’s CenterJake Dishaw City of Syracuse, Division of Code EnforcementHillary Donohue Group 1 Design, residentJoe Driscoll Syracuse City Common CouncilStasya Erickson Northside UPBelinda Felder ACR HealthJordana Gilman Lerner Center for Public Health PromotionJim Hiltbrand Syracuse Police DepartmentKaren Hunter Hillside Children’s Center Eunice Lee Lerner Center for Public Health PromotionIbrahim Malik Lerner Center for Public Health PromotionLeah Moser Lerner Center for Public Health PromotionPhilip Rose Prevention NetworkLeah Russell Peacemaking Center/TBTSMichelle Sczpanski City of Syracuse Department of Neighborhood and Business Development, residentMichael Yarema Syracuse Police Department

LINK TO AUDIT TOOL

http://lernercenter.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Audit-form.pdf

ABOUTTHE LERNER CENTER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PROMOTION

The Lerner Center was established at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 2011. The Center’s mission is to im-prove the health of the community through service, research, education, as well as advocacy and policy. The Center has worked extensively in the Near Westside of Syracuse since 2012, addressing a wide range of community health issues and opportunities, in partnership with residents and public and private partners.

For more information, visit http://lernercenter.syr.edu.

Take Back the Streets is a grassroots campaign aimed at improving health and safety in Syracuse’s Westside neighborhood. The initiative was launched in the fall of 2015, after extensive conversations with residents and neighborhood organizations on pressing neighborhood concerns. The campaign brings to-gether more than 20 service providers and dozens of residents to work togeth-er toward positive change.

For more information, visithttps://www.facebook.com/pg/NearWestsideLove/about/

TAKE BACK THE STREETS (TBTS)

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