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 April Cleanups
Annual Meeting
'04-'05
 '03-'04
Agenda
'02-'03
'01-'02
Election Forum
History Project
Traffic Study
Yard Sale
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Annual Meeting - Wednesday, February 11th, 2004
The SNA's Annual Meeting was held the evening of Wednesday, February
11th, at Hillside Health Center, 99 Hillside Avenue.
| | Signing the Right Size Statement |
Press Conference
The evening began with a press conference at which Senator Rhoda Perry,
Representative Gordon Fox and Councilman Kevin Jackson signed SNA's
Right Size
Statement. The statement calls on Miriam, the city, and Summit residents
to work together to determine the "right size" for Miriam's Summit Avenue
complex, and to establish binding limits to the hospital's growth.
Welcome and Summary of Activities
SNA president John Bazik summarized the year's issues and activities.
- SNA published three newsletters,
which were hand-delivered to over 4500 households.
- Our annual Yard Sale
once again broke all our previous fundraising records.
- We continued to monitor our
Traffic Calming Project,
which should finally break ground this Spring.
- We also continued to track the DOT's North Main Street paving and
landscaping project.
- We opposed zoning variance requests for signs on Hope Street:
- We convinced CVS to withdraw its request for an "animated"
message board sign.
- We reached a compromise with a doctor who wished to practice
out of his residence on Hope Street (the variance was granted
with a "sunset" clause).
- A variance was granted, despite opposition, for the First
Community Baptist Church to enlarge its sign, but Reverand
Bala agreed put up a smaller sign than variance allows.
- When Cumberland Farms approached us for comment on improvements
they were planning for their Hope Street store, we offered a series
of recommendations for landscaping, improved traffic flow and parking
which they incorporated into their plan.
- The Mayor's Neighborhood Council, one of Mayor Cicilline's policy
councils, was formed last year, and SNA has a seat on the council,
representing our neighborhood's interests.
Miriam subcommittee chair Jon Howard then recapped the association's
activities in opposition to
Miriam Hospital's plan
to expand their facility in the heart of our neighborhood.
SNA Business
A new slate of
board members was elected.
Guest Speakers
| | Fox, Perry and Jackson speak |
Representative Gordon Fox
Senator Rhoda Perry
Councilman Kevin Jackson
Majority Leader Fox, Senator Perry and Councilman Jackson each gave
a brief statement to introduce themselves. It was noted that our
long-serving representatives have been in office, respectively, 12, 14
and 10 years!
During an hour-long question and answer period, a number of topics were
addressed.
- Traffic problems at North Main Street and Chace Avenue,
Cypress and North Main, and along Hillside Avenue.
- The Providence Center has been a cause for concern for nearby
neighbors due to parking problems, rude staff and threatening
patients.
- Deliveries and garbage pickup at CVS on Hope Street in
the overnight and early morning hours disturb neighbors.
- Prospects for and plans to revitalize the North Main Street
business district were discussed.
- The Institutional Zone has yet to be revised and the Miriam
is pressing forward with plans to rebuild.
| | Lieutenant Zeigelmayer answers questions |
Lieutenant Alan Ziegelmayer
Patrolman George Chaffee
Lieutenant Ziegelmayer is in charge of District 8, which encompasses
the Mount Hope, Summit and Blackstone neighborhoods. He described
recent police initiatives in the neighborhood, including the close
monitoring of Club Jade on North Main Street, and a raid on North
Main Street Spa, which has previously been cited for prostitution.
Local efforts to have illegal immigrant workers at the Spa deported
drew some fire from residents who felt the police had overstepped
their bounds.
The officers agreed that under Chief Esserman, the Providence
Police Department is much improved, and a much nicer place to
work.
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