CrossroadsMHK

What is the city doing to preserve neighborhoods and promote their cohesiveness?

Preserve Neighborhoods

Improving Food Access in Northview, and improving the food deserts.

While I understand the city has limited tools to promote the building of a grocery store in the Northview area, there is some commercial zoning, but it seems no store wishes to move into the area. So I propose something that is more within the capability of the city while it won't be as good as a grocery store, there are ways to help promote the growing of food in the area to meet some food needs. Would it be possible to add some food producing tree to the existing street tree program. There is plenty of native fruit producing trees and shrubs in Kansas meaning lower maintenance Morus Rubra(Red Mulberry) produces fruit in the summer, drought, cold, pollution, tolerant to poor soil, and can even tolerate shade as an understory tree or in the shadow of a building. Asimina triloba(PawPaw) provides fruit in the fall August-September bit more picky is only an understory tree must be grown under something else Prunus mexicana(Mexican Plum) produces late fall, drought tolerant needs full sun Diospyros virginiana(American persimmon) very tolerant of urban conditions, so air pollution drought and not great soils. Ripens in September fruit is available through the winter. Amelanchier arborea(downy serviceberry) tolerant of urban conditions as well. Pecan not a fruit but a nutt would provide food as well, though they take quite some time to start producing nutts after planting. Of course there is a lot of shrubs as well too many to list Of course you also have more traditional fruits from Europe. Pear, and Apple do well here assuming in the case of apple the variety is highly resistant to cedar apple rust, and the pear is resistant to fire blight. Sour Cherry does well here too I know this might come off as unconventional, I certainly have never heard of any other town/city doing it. Though I come from a small town in western Kansas and people often had fruit trees and nutt trees and shared it with the neighbors. While as I said not as good as a grocery store, this could greatly improve access to fresh and varied fruits in the food deserts in town. I think this also can fit with Manhattan attempting to retain that small town feel, and our connection to agriculture. It would also be something unique for people visiting the town.

I would like for you to do away with the level 4 bio weapons lab that you plan on opening up in the heart of our agriculture in America!!!

Does MHK promote neighborhood cohesion as a vehicle to protect property values, deter crime, build citizenship?

Affordable housing

In the breakdown it discussed median housing rents at $910, and median home purchase of almost $210k. With the increase of non family/ “no married” family situations noted in the slide there seems that would be a discrepancy for the 30% or less burden monthly. Idea— look more closely at this issue with an alternative board? Including those who wish to live here but must move away to pot- or Geary counties because of costs.