Unified Government Adopts Northeast Area Master Plan
Following a unanimous recommendation for adoption by the City’s Planning Commission in October, the Northeast Area Master Plan was formally adopted by the Unified Government’s Board of Commissioners on November 29, 2018. You can download the final plan at the following the link here.
Rooted in resident engagement and built upon existing strengths, the plan captures the Northeast Area community’s bold vision for its future. Implementation of the plan is being led by the Unified Government and Groundwork NRG, and is being carried out by the organizations, residents and stakeholders who are committed to making the Northeast Area a community of choice.
About the Northeast area master plan
The Northeast Area of Kansas City, Kansas, is rich in history, diversity, and opportunity. While plans have been developed in the past for other areas of Kansas City and Wyandotte County, not one has focused solely on the unique neighborhoods that make up the Northeast Area. Once a bustling hub of businesses and established neighborhoods, the Northeast Area is now in transition. Out of listening, learning, and discussing the challenges and opportunities the community currently faces will emerge strategies aimed at building stronger local relationships, increasing job opportunities, improving local housing and services, and addressing neighborhood safety.
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County / Kansas City, Kansas, has asked residents and stakeholders of the Northeast Area to become active partners and provide the grassroots base upon which this plan will be built and implemented. The Northeast Area Master Plan aims to provide community members with the tools to make the Northeast Area a more desirable, walk-able, safe, and economically vibrant place to live, work, and play. The planning process is community-driven and will result in community-oriented early action projects that get the ball rolling on larger initiatives and strategies.
* Note that the strategies and recommendations may geographically extend beyond the technical project boundary depicted in the Project Boundary Map
The plan contains twenty-three community-identified priority projects. Eleven of those, which are designated the highest priority, are slated for completion by 2028. The remaining twelve projects are due to be completed by 2038.
About the Planning Team
THE COMMUNITY
The community is the residents of the Northeast Area of Kansas City, Kansas, and the stakeholders within and beyond the area who invest their time, skills and money toward the continued improvement of the quality of the community and the quality of life of its residents. The community includes a wide range of neighborhood associations, redevelopment organizations and social service providers located in and around the Northeast Area.
UNIFIED GOVERNMENT OF WYANDOTTE COUNTY/KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas (UG), was formed in 1997 after voters approved consolidation of the governments of the City of Kansas and Wyandotte County. The UG covers approximately 155.7 square miles and is home to approximately 163,800 residents. The UG initiated the Northeast Area Master Plan process with ongoing staff support provided by the Department of Urban Planning and Land Use. The UG also recently began a SOAR (Stabilization, Occupation and Revitalization) initiative to address blight in the area. The Northeast Area Master Plan is intended to work in sync with the UG’s SOAR effort.
CAMIROS
Camiros is a professional urban planning firm that provides a full range of services in the areas of planning, zoning, urban design, economic development and landscape architecture to both public and private clients. From innovative public participation methods to strategic implementation programming, Camiros assists municipalities and organizations in identifying the key issues, developing appropriate concepts and defining implementation strategies that help fulfill the local vision.
Camiros is assisted in this effort by a number of partners:
• BikeWalkKC
• Borderless Studio
• Phillips-West Public Relations & Communications
• SE3
• Valerie S. Kretchmer Associates, Inc.
Documents
Documents from Community Meeting 1 (October 2, 2017)
Northeast Area Master Plan Planning Handbook
Activity – Community Story Boards – Assets
Activity – Community Story Boards – Challenges
Community Meeting 1 Summary – Community Assets and Challenges
Documents from Community Meeting 2 (December 5, 2017)
Documents for Community Meeting 3 (March 13, 2018)
Presentation – Community Meeting 3
Northeast Area Resident Statements
An Open Letter – Chester Owens
The Groundwork USA Feasibility Study
Becoming a Groundwork Trust greatly enhances the organization’s ability to continue to collaborate around the transformation of the natural and built environment while empowering local residents to address issues relating to air quality, stormwater management, open space conservation, brownfield redevelopment, public health, safety, economic development and youth engagement.
How did we get here?
Groundwork USA is a national network of grassroots organizations who work to address the social and environmental impacts of historic disinvestment in urban communities across the United States. In April 2018, the organization submitted a letter of interest to become a trust in the Groundwork USA network. Over the course of twenty-two months, the organization:
Submitted a Letter of Interest in response to a competitive Request for Proposals.
Hosted a site visit for the EPA, Groundwork USA, the National Parks Service, and community residents.
Submitted a Full Proposal to Groundwork USA to demonstrate a local alignment with Groundwork USA’s mission and vision.
Conducted a Feasibility Study to determine what a transition might look like.
As part of the Feasibility Study, from June 2019 to October 2019, the organization regularly held Steering Committee meetings with organizational leaders and Northeast KCK residents in an in-depth process that outlined what a change from HNMA to a trust of the Groundwork USA national network might look like and how this change could impact our work going forward. It is important to note, that though the organization may be joining the Groundwork national network, ownership of all projects and operations will remain local.
This study was completed in November 2019 with help from Groundwork USA, the National Parks Service, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
How and why did we decide to become a Groundwork USA trust?
As a member of the Groundwork USA network, the organization would:
Expand and develop our work in Northeast KCK, focusing on the Northeast Grocers Co-op and development of a Green Team (local youth trained and employed in environmental stewardship)
Gain access to help from the 19 other Groundwork trusts across the nation
Receive approximately $200,000 in transition funding from the National Parks Service
Change our name and logo to Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group (Groundwork NRG)
Read the full Groundwork NRG Feasibility Study here.