SESNA / Capital Park logo December 10, 2015 Episode.
The South East Salem Neighborhood Association (SESNA) was designated as the Salem’s second Heritage Neighborhood by the Salem Historic Landmarks Commission in November. SESNA will participate in this program established to encourage neighborhoods to learn about their history and provide them with an opportunity to engage in a positive way with the City’s historic preservation program through June 2017. The HLC will be building upon the work that was completed in the NEN-SESNA Neighborhood Plan: Looking Forward, adopted in March 2015. A committee of volunteers from the SESNA neighborhood will begin meeting in January 2016 to discuss potential projects.
Melanie Zermer and Bill Smaldone joined us today to tell us about their neighborhood and what this program might mean to them. Melanie has lived in SESNA for 25 years and was drawn to a home with a front porch and an east-facing kitchen on a street covered by a lush tree canopy. Bill was from New York and wanted a home from which he could walk to his work at Willamette University. They purchased the first home they were shown, a Craftsman-style bungalow on southeast 21st Street, and Bill gloated to their east-coast friends on his walking commute of less than 10 minutes.
The South East Salem Neighborhood Association (SESNA) was designated as the Salem’s second Heritage Neighborhood by the Salem Historic Landmarks Commission in November. SESNA will participate in this program established to encourage neighborhoods to learn about their history and provide them with an opportunity to engage in a positive way with the City’s historic preservation program through June 2017. The HLC will be building upon the work that was completed in the NEN-SESNA Neighborhood Plan: Looking Forward, adopted in March 2015. A committee of volunteers from the SESNA neighborhood will begin meeting in January 2016 to discuss potential projects.
Melanie Zermer and Bill Smaldone joined us today to tell us about their neighborhood and what this program might mean to them. Melanie has lived in SESNA for 25 years and was drawn to a home with a front porch and an east-facing kitchen on a street covered by a lush tree canopy. Bill was from New York and wanted a home from which he could walk to his work at Willamette University. They purchased the first home they were shown, a Craftsman-style bungalow on southeast 21st Street, and Bill gloated to their east-coast friends on his walking commute of less than 10 minutes.
This neighborhood ranges roughly from 12th Street east to Interstate 5, and from State Street south to McGilchrist. Although it is characterized by its Craftsman-style homes mostly developed in the 1920s and its abundant trees, Bill was quick to note that this is also a very old neighborhood with many streets named for prominent Salemites. They both remarked that their neighborhood has changed for the good over the years, and its early moniker of crime-pervasive "felony flats" (due to the proximity to the correctional institutions) no longer applies. Clean-up projects sponsored by the City have helped them develop a neighborhood response that continues to provide ongoing maintenance efforts.
Following up on the work they accomplished during the recent update of their joint neighborhood plan with their adjacent neighborhood association, North East Neighbors (NEN), they hope this program brings new energy to their desire to improve their residential component. Although a large neighborhood in area, only about 20% of the area is residential in use, with approximately 5000 residents; the remainder is made up of large industrial parcels, such as the Salem Airport. The residents have several improvements in mind that would further enhance the livability of the area and continue to infuse the pride of place that is reflected in their preferred official name of Capital Park.
It will be very interesting to see how this plays out in the coming months. You can follow the progress through their website, www.sesna.us.
It will be very interesting to see how this plays out in the coming months. You can follow the progress through their website, www.sesna.us.
RSS Feed