THESE PROJECTS ARE--ARE MORE
THAN JUST HIGHWAY DESIGN.
THEY'RE MORE THAN JUST MOVING
UTILITIES OUT OF THE WAY.
ONE SIZE DOESN'T
FIT ALL HERE WHEN IT COMES
TO THIS KIND OF DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
AND A SOCIAL EQUITY
TYPE OF A PROJECT.
IN A WAY, IT'S KIND OF
AN ENGINEER'S DREAM,
I GUESS.
THERE WAS NO OPTION
FOR FAILURE HERE.
ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS--
FEDERAL, STATE, AND
LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS--
YES.
COMING TOGETHER...
MM-HMM.
FOR THE GOOD
OF A COMMUNITY
TO BUILD A ROAD.
NARRATOR: THIS IS LEXINGTON,
KENTUCKY'S SECOND-LARGEST CITY,
WITH A POPULATION
OF OVER 300,000 SURROUNDED
BY ROLLING BLUEGRASS HILLS
AND WORLD-CLASS HORSE FARMS.
A COLLEGE TOWN,
WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
IN THE HEART OF THE CITY,
LEXINGTON HAS A PROUD TRADITION
OF PRESERVING ITS HISTORY
AND ITS HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
BUT A SURGE IN POPULATION,
A WAVE OF NEW DEVELOPMENT,
AND MOUNTING TRAFFIC CONGESTION
PUT ONE SMALL DOWNTOWN
NEIGHBORHOOD
IN THE PATH OF ROADWAY
IMPROVEMENTS.
PLANS TO ALLEVIATE
TRAFFIC CONGESTION
IN DOWNTOWN LEXINGTON
HAD BEEN STARTED
AND STOPPED REPEATEDLY
OVER THE DECADES.
THE CHALLENGE WAS TO ADDRESS
THE CRITICAL TRANSPORTATION NEED
WITHOUT UNFAIR BURDEN
TO THE LOW-INCOME,
HISTORIC, AND COHESIVE COMMUNITY
OF DAVIS BOTTOM.
THERE WERE PLANS
FOR THE ORIGINAL
NEWTOWN PIKE PROJECT
TO GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE AREA
THAT DATE BACK ALL THE WAY
TO THE 1930s.
THE DAVIS BOTTOM'S AREA WAS
GOING TO BE WIPED OUT.
MAN: MY FATHER AND HIS FAMILY
MOVED DOWN HERE,
AND THAT WAS IN 1942.
IT'S BEEN 5 GENERATIONS
OF DEMUSES
THAT HAVE LIVED DOWN IN HERE,
STARTING WITH MY DAD--
OR WITH MY GRANDMOTHER,
GRANDFATHER, MY DAD,
I, MY KIDS, AND NOW
I'VE GOT A GRANDDAUGHTER.
I'M HAZEL, COME FROM IRVINE
WHEN I WAS 3 YEARS OLD,
IRVINE, KENTUCKY.
I WENT TO LINCOLN SCHOOL,
STARTED KINDERGARTEN,
WENT UP THROUGH SIXTH.
I'VE LIVED HERE MY WHOLE LIFE,
SO IT SEEMS LIKE HOME.
LEXINGTON HAS HAD A VISION
FOR THIS PROJECT
SINCE THE THIRTIES.
THAT VISION WASN'T
REALIZED AT THAT TIME.
IT CAME UP IN THE SIXTIES
AS A PART OF A SOMEWHAT
DIFFERENT CONCEPT
TO ACTUALLY BRING
AN INTERSTATE SPUR
INTO DOWNTOWN LEXINGTON.
AS A YOUNG TEENAGER,
I USED TO COME DOWN HERE
AND HANG OUT.
THERE WAS A PARK HERE
AND, UH, MY FRIENDS AND I USED
TO HANG OUT AT THE PARK.
MY MOM AND MY DAD BOTH
GREW UP RIGHT HERE,
SO IT HAS A VERY SPECIAL
MEANING TO MY HEART,
AND TO THINK ABOUT--
WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP,
THIS IS WHERE WE PLAYED.
IN THE SEVENTIES,
THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT
TO PUT AN INTERSTATE DESIGN
THROUGH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND THE NEIGHBORS ACTUALLY
STOPPED THAT ROAD PROJECT.
NARRATOR: THIS VIDEO DOCUMENTS
HOW A DEDICATED PROJECT TEAM,
INCLUDING FEDERAL,
STATE, AND LOCAL AGENCIES,
WORKED TOGETHER
WITH RESIDENTS
TO PRESERVE
A COMMUNITY WHILE SOLVING
A TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM.
THE LONGER THE PROJECT
WAS TABLED, THE GREATER
THE TRANSPORTATION NEED BECAME
FOR DOWNTOWN LEXINGTON.
BY THE MID-1990s,
THE NEWTOWN PIKE EXTENSION WAS
CONSIDERED THE BEST ALTERNATIVE
TO LEXINGTON'S CONGESTION.
LOGSDON: WHEN YOU LOOK
AT A MAP OF LEXINGTON,
AND YOU'RE TRYING TO GET
FROM, UH, THE INTERSTATE
TO UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY,
TO THE UNIVERSITY
OF KENTUCKY HOSPITAL
OR BAPTIST HOSPITAL OR
ANY NUMBER OF HOSPITALS
IN THAT CORRIDOR,
TO THE FOOTBALL STADIUM,
TO SHOPPING IN LEXINGTON,
OFF OF THE INTERSTATE,
RIGHT NOW YOU GOT TO GO
THROUGH DOWNTOWN TO DO
ANY OF THAT, AND, UH,
THIS PROVIDES A WAY
TO GET AROUND
THAT CONGESTED AREA
OF DOWNTOWN.
MAN: REMOVING A LOT OF THE
TRAFFIC THAT'S FLOWING THROUGH
THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
WILL HELP NOT ONLY THE CENTRAL
BUSINESS DISTRICT TO
BREATHE A LITTLE
EASIER, BUT, UH,
YOU KNOW,
IT WOULD BE
A LITTLE BETTER
FOR PEDESTRIANS
AND BICYCLISTS.
IT PROVIDES A GREAT DEAL
OF CONDUCTIVITY
UH, FROM THE SOUTH SIDE
TO THE NORTH SIDE.
UM, IT CREATES ALMOST
A BYPASS AROUND DOWNTOWN,
SO AS FAR AS
VEHICULAR CONDUCTIVITY,
IT WAS A WIN-WIN FOR
THE CITY OF LEXINGTON.
NARRATOR: THE PURPOSE AND NEED
THAT WAS EVENTUALLY DEVELOPED
FOR THE PROJECT EMPHASIZED
THE CONGESTION, TRAFFIC FLOW,
SAFETY, AND MULTIMODAL ISSUES.
NEWTOWN PIKE IS A MAJOR EXIT
OFF INTERSTATE 64 AND 75
INTO LEXINGTON.
ALREADY A MULTI-LANE ROADWAY
FOR SEVERAL MILES
BEFORE REACHING THE DOWNTOWN
AREA, ONCE IT DID REACH
THE CONGESTED PART OF THE CITY,
IT DID NOT CONTINUE.
THAT'S WHERE IT RAN
INTO DAVIS BOTTOM.
THE NEW PLAN, THE EXTENSION,
CALLED FOR CONTINUING
THE MULTI-LANE ROADWAY
TO HELP TRAFFIC FLOW.
BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS
TO THE COMMUNITY,
INCLUDING SOCIAL, CULTURAL,
AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS,
FEDERAL REGULATIONS
UNDER NEPA--
THE NATIONAL
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT--
WOULD REQUIRE AN ENVIRONMENTAL
ANALYSIS BE PREPARED
FOR ANY PROPOSED ACTION
THAT WOULD USE FEDERAL FUNDS.
IN 1998, AFTER 60 YEARS,
FUNDING FOR THE NEWTOWN PIKE
EXTENSION WAS FINALLY PROCURED.
A MULTI-AGENCY PARTNERSHIP
WAS FORMED TO DETERMINE
A COURSE OF ACTION.
THE PARTNERSHIP INCLUDED THE
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION,
THE KENTUCKY
TRANSPORTATION CABINET,
AND THE CITY OF LEXINGTON.
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT,
HUD, LATER JOINED THE TEAM
AS A COOPERATING AGENCY.
THIS MULTI-AGENCY PARTNERSHIP
DEVELOPED A SET OF
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
FOR THE NEWTOWN PIKE
EXTENSION PROJECT IN 2002
THAT WOULD SERVE AS A FOUNDATION
FOR THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.
THESE PRINCIPLES ADDRESSED
THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION,
MULTIMODAL, AND SAFETY ISSUES
OF THE PROJECT,
WHILE ALSO EMPHASIZING
COMMUNITY OUTREACH,
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE,
HOUSING NEEDS,
AND NEIGHBORHOOD AESTHETICS.
THERE WAS A COMMON
INTEREST AT THE CITY,
THE STATE, AND
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY WANTED
TO MAKE SOMETHING
SPECIAL OUT OF THIS.
NARRATOR: ONCE THE AGENCY
DEFINED A PATH FOR THE PROJECT,
A TECHNICAL TEAM WAS ASSEMBLED
TO CARRY THE PROJECT FORWARD.
THE TRANSPORTATION CABINET
HAS A PHILOSOPHY
OF HAVING
A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM,
AND ON A PROJECT
OF THAT COMPLEXITY,
I THINK IT'S EVEN MORE
IMPORTANT.
OF COURSE, YOU'VE ALWAYS
GOT ENGINEERS THAT DO
THE ROADWAY DESIGN
AND THE DRAINAGE AND STRUCTURES
AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
BUT WE HAD
ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF,
ARCHAEOLOGY, HISTORY.
ALSO HAD SOME CONSULTANTS
ON THIS PROJECT
THAT YOU DON'T SEE ON
A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS.
WE HAD, UH, YOU KNOW,
PLANNING FIRMS COME IN
FROM OUT OF STATE
TO HELP US WITH SOME
URBAN PLANNING CONCEPTS,
AND ANTHROPOLOGISTS
AND A SOCIOLOGIST FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.
THAT'S THE FIRST TIME
AND MAYBE THE ONLY TIME I'VE
BEEN INVOLVED IN A PROJECT
WHERE WE SPECIFICALLY HIRED
AN ANTHROPOLOGIST TO HELP US
UNDERSTAND, UH, THE COMMUNITY
THAT WE WERE WORKING WITH.
THROUGH OUR CONSULTANT, WE HIRED
A NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON
TO HELP US INTERACT
WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WERE
GOING TO BE AFFECTED MOST
BY THE PROJECT.
NARRATOR: WITH THE
MULTI-AGENCY PARTNERSHIP
AND MULTI-DISCIPLINE TEAM
IN PLACE,
THE PROJECT PROCEEDED
THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION
PHASES, INCLUDING
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, DESIGN,
RIGHT OF WAY & UTILITIES,
AND FINALLY, CONSTRUCTION.
MAN: WHEN I ARRIVED, UM,
WE HAD SEVERAL LEADERS
DISCUSSING, UH, WHAT SHALL BE
THE FUTURE OF THE NEWTOWN PIKE.
IT WAS AT A CROSSROADS
AT THAT POINT.
PAM MILLER WAS THE MAYOR
OF LEXINGTON AT THE TIME,
AND MR. CODELL WAS THE SECRETARY
OF TRANSPORTATION IN FRANKFORT.
WHAT WE WERE TRYING
TO DO WAS TO ENSURE THAT
WE WENT TO THE WALL
TO ADDRESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE ISSUE,
TO ADDRESS NEPA, TO ADDRESS
EACH AND EVERY TYPE
OF REGULATION.
NARRATOR: A PROJECT TEAM
WOULD GUIDE THE PROJECT
THROUGH THE NEPA PROCESS,
INCLUDING DEVELOPMENT
OF A PURPOSE & NEED STATEMENT,
IDENTIFICATION
OF PROJECT ALTERNATIVES,
ENVIRONMENTAL
AND ENGINEERING ANALYSIS,
AND MITIGATION OF IMPACTS.
LOGSDON: WE DID FOLLOW
THE NEPA PROCESS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE WERE
MADE AWARE
THAT THIS WAS
A SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE,
BUT WE STILL HAD TO GO OUT
AND DO THE COMMUNITY IMPACT
ASSESSMENT AND THE
SOCIO-ECONOMIC EVALUATIONS
AND TO DETERMINE
AND DOCUMENT
WHAT THE SITUATION ON
THE GROUND WAS AND IDENTIFY WHAT
THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS MIGHT BE.
NARRATOR: THE ENVIRONMENTAL
EVALUATIONS FOR THE PROJECT
IDENTIFIED A NUMBER
OF POTENTIAL COMMUNITY IMPACTS
TO ADDRESS THROUGH
THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WAS
SORT OF FORGOTTEN
BECAUSE
"THE ROAD WAS COMING."
WHITWORTH: THE PROJECT
HAD BEEN LOOMING OVER THE
NEIGHBORHOOD FOR SO LONG,
A LOT OF THE HOMES
THAT WERE RENTAL HOMES
WERE IN DECLINE BECAUSE
THE LANDLORDS DIDN'T REALLY
SEE A NEED TO IMPROVE THEM
OR KEEP THEM UP, MAYBE, TO THE
STANDARDS THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE.
LOGSDON: AND THEN
THE CITY ITSELF DIDN'T INVEST
IN SIDEWALKS AND, UH,
OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE--
STREET LIGHTING, SEWERS--
AND SO YOU REALLY--
YOU END UP WITH THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S REALLY,
UM, GOT DETERIORATED HOUSING
AND DETERIORATING
INFRASTRUCTURE.
NARRATOR: TO FULLY UNDERSTAND
THE PAST AND PRESENT EFFECTS
OF THE PROJECT ON THE COMMUNITY,
A COMMUNITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
WAS PREPARED.
THE IMPACTS DOCUMENTED
IN THE C.I.A. INCLUDED
THE NEIGHBORHOOD DECLINE,
COMMUNITY COHESION EFFECTS,
RELOCATIONS,
DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES,
AND PAST IMPACTS
TO ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS
THAT HAD CUMULATIVELY AFFECTED
THE DAVIS BOTTOM NEIGHBORHOOD.
IN THIS CASE, WE WERE
LOOKING NOT JUST FORWARD
WITH DIRECT AND INDIRECT
COMMUNITY IMPACTS,
WE WERE LOOKING BACKWARDS
TO SEE WHAT
THE SCOPING AND THE PLANNING
OF THE PROJECT HAD ALREADY DONE
TO THE COMMUNITY,
POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE,
AND WE REALIZED THAT
THERE HAD BEEN SOME
ADVERSE IMPACTS
TO THE COMMUNITY
JUST BY THE CONCEPT BEING PUT
OUT THERE OF THIS PROJECT.
NARRATOR: THE COMMUNITY IMPACT
ASSESSMENT CONCLUDED
THAT THE IMPACTS TO DAVIS BOTTOM
WERE DISPROPORTIONATELY
HIGH AND ADVERSE.
THUS, MITIGATION WOULD BE
REQUIRED TO OFFSET
THESE IMPACTS IN ACCORDANCE
WITH ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
EXECUTIVE ORDER 12898.
THIS WAS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
IN A SOCIAL EQUITY
TYPE OF A PROJECT THAT SAID,
"WE'RE IMPACTING THESE RESIDENTS
"TO A SIGNIFICANT DEGREE,
AND SO WE'VE GOT TO SOMEHOW
BRING EQUITY, EQUITABLE JUSTICE
INTO OUR DEVELOPMENT."
NARRATOR: THE NEWTOWN PIKE
EXTENSION PROJECT
PURPOSE AND NEEDS STATEMENT
HAD, FROM AN EARLY STAGE,
ESTABLISHED THE NEED TO AVOID
ANY FURTHER UNFAIR OR UNDUE
BURDEN ON THE DAVIS BOTTOM
COMMUNITY, BASED ON THE HISTORY
OF THE PROJECT AND THE AREA.
WOMAN: WHEN I FIRST
STARTED IN THE PROJECT,
THERE WAS SO MUCH MISTRUST
A FEW BLOCKS AWAY
IN THE GEORGETOWN AREA.
WE HAD, UH, A ROAD
COMING THROUGH,
AND MANY OF THE RESIDENTS
IN THAT AREA WERE DISPLACED.
SO THE RESIDENTS IN
THE NEWTOWN, UH, PROJECT
THOUGHT THE SAME THING WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM.
NARRATOR: REBUILDING TRUST
BETWEEN THE LOCAL RESIDENTS
AND THE PROJECT TEAM, PLANNERS,
AND LOCAL AGENCIES WAS
A MAJOR CHALLENGE.
THE NEIGHBORING RUPP ARENA
PROJECT HAD ALREADY REMOVED
A CHUNK OF THE PARCELS AND HOMES
ADJACENT TO DAVIS BOTTOM.
IN 1974, TO MAKE WAY
FOR THE CONSTRUCTION
OF RUPP ARENA
AND THE CIVIC CENTER,
APPROXIMATELY 145 DWELLINGS,
50 APARTMENT BUILDINGS,
AND 20 COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS
WERE DEMOLISHED.
BY 2002,
LAND VALUES
IN DOWNTOWN LEXINGTON
WERE AT A PREMIUM,
AND DEVELOPMENT WAS
ENCROACHING ON THE
DAVIS BOTTOM NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE--AND THE PROBLEM
THAT WE ARE HAVING NOW,
NOW IT'S THAT--THE TRUST.
YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD COME IN
AND SAY THEY WERE GOING
TO DO ONE THING;
IT TOOK THEM SO LONG TO GET
STARTED THAT WE WERE SCARED THAT
THEY WAS GONNA TAKE IT AND NOT
GIVE US WHAT THEY SAID IT WAS--
COLEMAN: THEY HAD BEEN
HEARING ABOUT THIS ROAD
FOR 30 OR 40 YEARS,
AND THEY HAD LOTS
OF ISSUES WITH GOVERNMENT
MEDDLING IN YOUR BUSINESS
AND TRYING TO TELL YOU
WHAT TO DO.
THEY HAD BEEN MADE
PROMISES IN THE PAST
THAT WERE NOT KEPT,
AND THEY WERE
VERY SKEPTICAL.
NARRATOR: REBUILDING TRUST
WOULD TAKE SOME TIME AND EFFORT.
THE PROJECT TEAM HIRED
A COMMUNITY LIAISON, AND LATER
A SOCIAL WORKER TO HELP
WITH THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS.
OUR JOB--THAT'S JUST
THE SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT--
WAS TO HELP GAIN THAT TRUST.
AND WE WOULD SIT DOWN
TOGETHER...
YES.
AND STRATEGIZE
FOR HOURS...
UH-HUH.
ON HOW WE WERE GOING TO
GET PEOPLE INVOLVED.
YES.
SO I THINK IT DID TAKE SOME TIME
FOR PEOPLE TO REALLY BEGIN
TO TRUST AND TO SEE THAT
THE PROMISES WERE NOT
GOING TO BE EMPTY ONES
AND THAT...
THAT THEY COULD,
UH, BEGIN TO BELIEVE SOME OF THE
THINGS THAT THEY WERE HEARING.
WELL, THIS--THIS
NEIGHBORHOOD IS SO RICH,
UH, BOTH IMMEDIATELY AFTER
THE CIVIL WAR AND, REALLY,
WHEN WE STARTED WORKING
ON THIS PROJECT.
THE--THE STORIES ARE--
ARE JUST, UH, AWE-INSPIRING.
AND SO WE KNEW ONE OF THE GOALS
OF MITIGATION WAS TO KEEP
THE NEIGHBORHOOD--
THE FABRIC OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD
TOGETHER, NOT JUST THE PEOPLE.
UH, YOU KNOW, BACK IN
THE SIXTIES, WHEN THEY STARTED
THIS INTEGRATED, WE DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT THAT EVEN MEANT
BECAUSE--BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS
DIFFERENT NATIONALITY
OF THE PEOPLE LIVING
DOWN HERE; HISPANICS,
WHITE, BLACK PEOPLE
ALL LIVE TOGETHER DOWN HERE.
EVERY--EVERYONE
DOWN HERE WAS FAMILY.
CLAY-YOUNG: SO, IN 2002,
WHEN WE BEGAN
THE PROCESS OF PLANNING,
WE KNEW WE HAD TO GET IT RIGHT
BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN SO LONG
IN THE MAKING, AND WE ALSO KNEW
THAT THIS WAS THE HEART
OF WHAT WE NEEDED TO PRESERVE.
IT'S LIKE A HOME, IT'S
A COMMUNITY JUST RIGHT HERE,
AND IT'S SMALL, BUT IT'S OUR
HEART, IT'S WHERE WE GREW UP.
NARRATOR: TO REBUILD TRUST
AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF THE NATURE OF THE COMMUNITY,
AN ANTHROPOLOGIST
FROM THE UNIVERSITY
OF KENTUCKY WAS BROUGHT IN.
DR. JULIANA McDONALD WROTE
A RAPID ASSESSMENT SURVEY,
TRAINED THE PROJECT TEAM,
AND SENT THEM
INTO THE COMMUNITY TO TALK
TO THE RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES.
IT FORCED US OUT
OF OUR COMFORT ZONE
AND IT FORCED US TO GET TO KNOW
PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND IT GAVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY
TO GET TO KNOW US A LITTLE BIT.
I PROBABLY GOT TO KNOW THEM
BETTER THAT NIGHT,
UH, AND I JUST...
HAD A WHOLE NEW RESPECT
FOR THE PEOPLE DOWN HERE.
BUT I THINK MAYBE MORE IMPORTANT
TO THE--TO THE PROCESS
WAS THE RELATIONSHIPS
THAT CAME OUT OF THAT
BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE--
THAT THINGS GOT A LITTLE EASIER
UH, FROM THAT POINT
FORWARD AND--
AT LEAST IN TERMS
OF THE RELATIONSHIP.
WOMAN: BY DOING THIS KIND
OF INTERVIEWING,
AS YOU MIGHT CALL IT,
OR TALKING WITH PEOPLE,
YOU GET AT THE REALITY
OF PEOPLE'S LIVES,
AND THAT CAN CHANGE
EVERYTHING FOR YOU.
BUT--BUT ONCE WE REALLY GOT TO--
TO GO DOWN INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
AND--AND MEET THE PEOPLE,
INTERVIEW THEM,
HEAR THEIR SIDE,
HEAR THEIR STORIES,
UH, IT REALLY HELPED TO HUMANIZE
THE WHOLE PROJECT, THOUGH,
AND--AND THE IMPACT THAT THIS
PROJECT WAS GOING TO HAVE
ON THEIR LIVES, SO IT--IT
REALLY--THAT WAS A TURNING POINT
FOR ME IN THE PROJECT.
IT BECAME A TWO-WAY
STREET WHERE...
THE PROJECT WAS CHANGING
THE RESIDENTS, AND GUESS WHAT--
THE RESIDENTS STARTED TO CHANGE
THE PROJECT MEMBERS.
NARRATOR: VARIOUS DESIGN
AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES
WERE IDENTIFIED
TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY IMPACTS.
EARLY ON, GENE CLECKLEY
FROM FHWA ATLANTA
CAME TO LEXINGTON TO PROVIDE
SOME TRAINING SESSIONS
AND SUPPORT FOR THE TEAM
IN DEVELOPING A SOLUTION.
HE CHALLENGED THE ENTIRE
PROJECT TEAM TO BE CREATIVE,
TO STRETCH, TO LOOK FOR
OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE COULD,
UM, LOOK FOR WAYS
TO APPLY NEPA LAWS
ACCORDING TO THEIR INTENT,
BUT ALSO LOOK FOR WAYS
WHERE WE COULD DEVELOP
THE PROJECT, BUILD THE PROJECT
IN WAYS THAT WOULD,
UH, THAT WOULD--WOULD NOT CREATE
AN UNFAIR BURDEN ON THE FOLKS
THAT LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WHITWORTH: BECAUSE OF THE
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES,
IT ALLOWED US
TO USE MITIGATION FUNDS,
UH, FOR A VARIETY OF THINGS
THAT WE MIGHT NOT NORMALLY
THINK OF OR INCORPORATE
INTO A NORMAL HIGHWAY PROJECT.
AS THE CURRENT SECRETARY
OF TRANSPORTATION LIKES TO SAY,
HE WANTS TO WORK IN THE ART
OF THE POSSIBLE, AND I THINK
THIS TEAM HAS DONE THAT
FOR ABOUT 14 1/2, 15 YEARS NOW.
JOSE SEPULVEDA WAS GREAT
TO WORK WITH, THOUGH.
IF HE DIDN'T KNOW, HE WOULD FIND
SOMEBODY THAT HAD AN ANSWER
OR HE WOULD FIND SOMEONE
OR PUT US IN TOUCH WITH SOMEONE
THAT COULD HELP US FIND THAT,
UH, FLEXIBILITY THAT WE NEEDED
TO DELIVER THE PROJECT WITH
THE CREATIVITY NEEDED, THOUGH,
WITHOUT HAVING AN UNFAIR BURDEN
ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT ALL, BUT
STILL HELP US TO, UM, ULTIMATELY
BUILD A ROADWAY PROJECT THAT'S
MUCH NEEDED IN LEXINGTON.
WELL, WHAT HAD
TO BE DONE WAS, INSTEAD
OF JUST A STRAIGHT ROAD
GOING THROUGH, TAKING
OUT THE HOUSES, TAKING
OUT THE OTHER PROPERTIES
AND BULLDOZING
RIGHT THROUGH,
WHAT HAPPENED WAS
THAT THERE WERE
ALL KINDS OF TALKS
ABOUT A BOULEVARD
AND WHERE THE TREES
WERE GONNA BE AND WHERE
THE PARKS WERE GONNA BE.
NARRATOR: THE NEWTOWN PIKE
EXTENSION HAS DEVELOPED
IN PHASES, AND THE FIRST PORTION
OF THE ROAD WAS COMPLETED
AND OPENED TO TRAFFIC IN 2010.
IT EXTENDED THE END
OF NEWTOWN PIKE
SOUTH INTO LEXINGTON.
THIS PORTION OF THE ROADWAY WAS
RENAMED OLIVER LEWIS WAY
IN 2013 IN HONOR
OF OLIVER LEWIS,
AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN JOCKEY
WHO WON THE FIRST KENTUCKY DERBY
IN 1875.
TO MEET THE OVERALL
PROJECT GOALS
OF PRESERVING THE COMMUNITY
WHILE STILL PROVIDING A VIABLE
TRANSPORTATION FACILITY
AND TO PROVIDE MITIGATION
FOR THE COMMUNITY IMPACTS,
THE PROJECT TEAM DECIDED
ON AN URBAN VILLAGE CONCEPT
TO SUPPORT THE BOULEVARD
OPTION FOR THE ROAD.
THE PROJECT TEAM BROUGHT IN
URBAN PLANNERS AND ARCHITECTS
TO DEVELOP
THE URBAN VILLAGE PLAN.
THE PLAN WOULD ADDRESS
PROJECT IMPACTS
BY PROVIDING HOUSING
IMPROVEMENTS TO LOCAL STREETS
AND INFRASTRUCTURE
AND COMMUNITY FEATURES.
THE NEW BOULEVARD WILL
EVENTUALLY EXTEND THROUGH
AND AROUND
THE NEW URBAN VILLAGE,
WHICH HAS BEEN RENAMED
DAVIS PARK.
NORMALLY, TRADITIONALLY,
WE LOOK AT THE RIGHT OF WAY
THAT IS NEEDED TO CONSTRUCT
THE IMPROVEMENT, THE HIGHWAY.
AND WE LOOK AT THOSE
CONSTRUCTION LIMITS,
PLUS REASONABLE ROOM THERE
FOR MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS,
ACCOMMODATION OF UTILITIES.
IN THIS CASE, WE WERE LOOKING
AT MITIGATION ACTIONS
THAT REQUIRE RIGHT-OF-WAY
THAT WENT WELL BEYOND
THE FOOTPRINT OF THE PROJECT.
WE WERE BUYING RIGHT-OF-WAY
AS PART OF THE PROJECT,
AS PART OF OUR
MITIGATION STRATEGY,
BEYOND WHAT WAS NEEDED,
ALWAYS IN THE UNIFORM ACT.
MAN: WE WERE AFRAID THAT THE
LAND--ONCE THE ROAD WAS BUILT,
THAT THE LAND IN THE AREA
WAS GOING TO BE BOUGHT UP
BY PROSPECTORS OR DEVELOPERS
AND THAT THEY WOULD
COME IN AND THEY WOULD TEAR A
LOT OF THE EXISTING HOUSING DOWN
AND THEY WOULD REPLACE THAT
WITH MORE EXPENSIVE HOUSING.
WE KNEW THAT WAS GOING
TO PUT THE RESIDENTS IN A PLACE
THAT--WHERE THEY PROBABLY
WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE
TO AFFORD THE NEW HOUSING
THAT WAS COMING IN.
NARRATOR: APPROXIMATELY 25 ACRES
OF LAND WERE PURCHASED,
AND THE URBAN VILLAGE CONCEPT
BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE.
HOW DO WE CREATE
A SENSE OF PLACE HERE
THAT WILL BE SUSTAINABLE
FAR BEYOND
UH, WHAT WAS HERE ORIGINALLY?
AND WHEN I SAY WE'RE
BUILDING A NEIGHBORHOOD, WE'RE
BUILDING A--A PARK, WE'RE
BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL USE,
COMMUNITY FACILITIES,
WE'RE BUILDING MULTI-FAMILY,
SOME RETAIL,
SO WE'RE BRINGING ALL OF THIS
INTO ONE COHESIVE,
SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
NARRATOR:
AS THE PROJECT TEAM WORKED
ON THE URBAN VILLAGE PLAN,
THERE WERE SOME OTHER
DETAILS TO CONSIDER,
SUCH AS HOW TO KEEP
THE NEW HOUSING AFFORDABLE
FOR THE RESIDENTS,
HOW TO MANAGE THE LAND
WHERE THE NEW URBAN VILLAGE
WOULD BE DEVELOPED,
AND IN THE MEANTIME,
WHAT TO DO WITH RESIDENTS
WHEN THEIR HOUSES WERE REMOVED.
WE, THE PROJECT TEAM, REALIZED
THAT WE HAD TO RELOCATE
THE INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS
WHO WERE LIVING DOWN HERE.
WE ESSENTIALLY WERE GOING
TO BUY THEIR PROPERTY
AND WE WERE GOING TO RELOCATE
THEM INTO MOBILE HOMES.
THESE MOBILE HOMES HAD TO
BE AMENABLE TO THE CITY
OF LEXINGTON,
AS WELL AS TO THE RESIDENTS
WHO WERE GOING TO LIVE THERE
FOR 4 TO 5 YEARS
WHILE THEIR FINAL HOUSING
WAS GOING TO BE BUILT.
NARRATOR: RELOCATION HOUSING
PAYMENTS PROVIDED COMPENSATION
FOR THOSE WHO CHOSE TO LEAVE
THE NEW VILLAGE BEING BUILT.
THE PLAN ALSO PROVIDED
INCENTIVES FOR THOSE
WHO CHOSE TO STAY IN
THE TEMPORARY HOUSING ON-SITE
WHILE WAITING FOR THE
NEW HOUSING TO BE COMPLETED.
A TIERED SYSTEM WAS ESTABLISHED
TO ALLOCATE HOUSING
IN THE URBAN VILLAGE.
CURRENT RESIDENTS WERE
ALLOCATED HOUSING FIRST,
FOLLOWED BY FORMER RESIDENTS
AND FAMILY,
AND THEN NEIGHBORING RESIDENTS.
BECAUSE WE WERE CONCERNED
ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD COHESION
WITH THE NEWTOWN PIKE
EXTENSION PROJECT, WE WANTED
TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO STAY
IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD
AND KEEP THOSE
CONNECTIONS GOING.
NARRATOR: MEANWHILE,
THE PROJECT TEAM LOOKED
FOR A WAY TO MANAGE
THE NEW VILLAGE
AND KEEP THE HOUSING AFFORDABLE
FOR THE RESIDENTS.
FEDERAL REGULATIONS
IN THE UNIFORM ACT
WOULD REQUIRE THE KENTUCKY
TRANSPORTATION CABINET,
ONCE IT PURCHASED THE LAND,
TO SELL THE LAND
BACK TO THE RESIDENTS
AT FAIR MARKET VALUE.
THIS, HOWEVER, WOULD DEFEAT
THE GOAL OF AFFORDABILITY
FOR THIS COMMUNITY
AND COULD AFFECT THE ABILITY
OF THE PROJECT TEAM TO MITIGATE
FOR POTENTIAL RELOCATION
AND COMMUNITY COHESION IMPACTS.
DURING THE PROJECT
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS,
WE CAME UP WITH
3 POSSIBLE IDEAS
OF WAYS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE
TO KEEP THE LAND
AND MAKE IT AFFORDABLE
FOR THE RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE
TO STAY HERE, WHICH WAS
THE ULTIMATE GOAL.
NARRATOR: THE OPTION THAT BEST
SUITED THE PROJECT'S GOALS
WAS THE COMMUNITY
LAND TRUST CONCEPT.
WHICH IS ULTIMATELY
WHAT WE DECIDED TO GO WITH
BECAUSE IT PROTECTED
THE PROPERTY,
IT KEPT IT AFFORDABLE
BY USING AN ENTITY
TO MANAGE THE PROPERTY
AND HOLD IT IN TRUST.
NARRATOR: IN THE COMMUNITY
LAND TRUST SYSTEM,
PEOPLE CAN OWN A HOUSE,
BUT NOT THE LAND.
THE LAND IS OWNED
BY THE LAND TRUST.
HOUSES HAVE TO BE SOLD TO
A HOMEOWNER, NOT AN INVESTOR.
AND HOUSES HAVE TO
BE OWNER-OCCUPIED.
LOGSDON: ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
MAKES A LAND TRUST REALLY UNIQUE
IS THAT IT PROVIDES SUSTAINABLE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
NARRATOR: BUT FOR THE RESIDENTS,
THERE WAS A CATCH
TO THE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST:
RESIDENTS COULD OWN THEIR HOME,
BUT NOT THE LAND.
WHEN THIS--WHEN THIS
PROJECT FIRST STARTED,
THEY WAS TALKING ABOUT
LAND TRUSTS, I MEAN, YOU KNOW,
AND I--I DIDN'T HAVE
AN UNDERSTANDING OF A
LAND TRUST, YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW, I WAS A FIRM BELIEVER
THAT--MY FATHER ALWAYS TAUGHT US
THAT IF YOU--THAT IF YOU BUY
SOMETHING, IT'S YOURS.
YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THE LAND,
YOU WANT EVERYTHING ON IT.
NAVIN: WELL, WE NEEDED
TO WORK THROUGH THE IDEA
THAT THE RESIDENTS COULDN'T OWN
THE LAND, AND THAT WAS, UM--
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT--THAT
REALLY DOES REQUIRE
SOME EXPLAINING.
NARRATOR: THE FIRST PHASE
OF DAVIS PARK,
WITH ITS NEW HOMES
AND APARTMENTS,
WAS COMPLETED IN 2014.
TO QUALIFY FOR HUD FUNDING,
A NOISE WALL WAS BUILT
BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
AND RAILROAD TRACKS AND YARD.
OTHER MITIGATION EFFORTS
DEVELOPED TO ADDRESS
THE COMMUNITY IMPACTS
IDENTIFIED FOR THE PROJECT
INCLUDED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE
CARVER NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER,
REDEVELOPMENT
OF A COMMUNITY PARK,
SUPPORT FOR THE
NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON
AND SOCIAL WORKER
DISCUSSED EARLIER,
AND A PROJECT
TO COLLECT ORAL HISTORIES
FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
ALL OF THESE EFFORTS WERE
MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF
THE PARTNERSHIP
BETWEEN THE CITY,
KYTC, FHWA, HUD,
AND OTHER
AREA STAKEHOLDERS.
I THINK
IT'S A GREAT THING
FOR THE COMMUNITY,
THAT IT'S
SOMETHING NEW.
THINK, UM, A VERY IMPORTANT
ASPECT OF THIS WAS
THAT WE ALL AGREED
WHEN WE SAT DOWN TOGETHER--
AND A NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS
DID THAT--AND WE DEVELOPED
THOSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
THAT ANCHORED THE PURPOSE
OF WHAT WE WERE PURSUING.
WE KNEW THAT LATER ON,
THERE MIGHT BE DIFFERENCES,
DIFFICULTIES,
CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME,
BUT AS LONG AS WE STOOD TOGETHER
ON THOSE PRINCIPLES,
WE KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS
ALL THE OTHER ISSUES.
AND I LIKE TO CALL
THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES DOCUMENT
OUR CONSCIENCE FOR THE PROJECT.
IT BECAME THE CONSCIENCE THAT--
THAT GUIDED EVERY DECISION
THAT WE MADE.
CLAY-YOUNG: SO WE CAME UP
WITH A DECISION MATRIX
THAT ALLOWED US
TO MAKE DECISIONS
NOT, UH, SPONTANEOUSLY
OR EVEN BY EMOTION,
BUT JUST BY WHAT
WE ALL AGREED WAS IMPORTANT.
BALLINGER: THE MATRIX TOOL
HELPED THE PROJECT TEAM
VISUALIZE A VERY COMPLEX,
UH, DECISION
THAT WE HAD TO MAKE.
IN A WAY, IT WAS--IT WAS
MORE OF A COMMUNICATION
TOOL THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
SO YOU WEIGH
THE THINGS YOU WANT
TO GIVE THEM
SOME WEIGHT,
AND THEN YOU CAN LOOK
AT YOUR CHOICES,
AND YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING HAS
ALL THE THINGS YOU NEED
AND IF IT HAS MOST OF
THE THINGS YOU WANT,
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THAT'S
PROBABLY YOUR BEST CHOICE.
WEEKLY OR MONTHLY MEETINGS
WERE VERY IMPORTANT.
TRANSPARENCY WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
NAVIN: THERE WAS A LOT
OF TENSION IN THE BEGINNING,
BUT NOW THE RESIDENTS ARE USED
TO THE ENGINEERS COMING
AND THE OTHER, UH,
PROJECT TEAM MEMBERS,
AND IT'S REALLY BECOME
LIKE A FAMILY GATHERING.
GODFREY: IN THOSE MEETINGS--
IT WAS ON A THURSDAY NIGHT--
ALL THE PROJECT'S DIRECTORS WERE
THERE, THE ENGINEERS WERE THERE,
AND THEY EXPLAINED TO THEM
EXACTLY, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY,
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND THEY HAD THAT PATIENCE
TO--TO TALK TO THEM,
TO EXPLAIN IN HUMAN TERMS
AND NOT THE TECHNICAL TERMS.
WOMAN: THEY CHOSE TO WALK ALONG
BESIDE THESE PEOPLE
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE VENTURE,
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROCESS,
AND, UH, THEY HAVE DONE THAT
AND CONTINUE TO DO IT.
THE TONE HAD BEEN SET
FOR THE PROJECT, THOUGH,
BY JIM CODELL, FORMER SECRETARY
OF THE--OF THE CABINET;
BY JOSE SEPULVEDA, AT THE TIME
DESIGNED THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES;
MAYOR PAM MILLER.
THEY SET THE CHALLENGE EARLY
FOR THE PROJECT, THOUGH, THAT
IT WAS AN IMPORTANT PROJECT.
MILLER: AND WHAT WAS
WONDERFUL ABOUT IT
FROM MY POINT OF VIEW
WAS THE LEVEL
OF COOPERATION INVOLVED
BETWEEN THE BRANCHES
OF GOVERNMENT.
I THINK THAT WE HAD
A PRETTY SPECIAL PROJECT TEAM.
WE HAD A PROJECT TEAM THAT
DEVELOPED A CHEMISTRY
WITH EACH OTHER.
WE HAD A PROJECT TEAM THAT
RESPECTED EVERYONE'S OPINION,
BUT ALSO EXPECTED
THAT PEOPLE WOULD SHARE
THEIR OPINION,
SO WHEN WE DIDN'T AGREE
ON SOMETHING, WE HAD SOME
PRETTY TOUGH CONVERSATIONS
ABOUT HOW TO RESOLVE
THOSE DIFFERENCES.
IN THAT PROCESS, THOUGH, WE--
UH, INSTEAD OF GROWING APART,
WE GREW TOGETHER
AND WE--BECAUSE I THINK WE
ALL GREW TO WHERE WE FELT
LIKE THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM
THAT WAS WORTH SOLVING,
AND THAT WE WERE DETERMINED
TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT
A WAY TO MAKE THIS PROJECT WORK.
THE CREDIT GOES TO THE TEAM
BECAUSE THEY KNEW THE RULES WELL
SO THEY KNEW HOW TO WORK
WITHIN THE RULES,
BUT GETTING NOT NECESSARILY JUST
AT THE CENTER OF THE RULES,
BUT AT THE EDGES OF THE RULES
AND STILL BE WITHIN THE RULES.
I THINK THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE
ANY PARTICULAR SPECIAL SKILLS
OR--OR GIFTS THAT ANY
OTHER TEAM DOESN'T HAVE,
UH, BUT I THINK
THAT WE DIDN'T GIVE UP,
WE JUST KEPT PUSHING.
NARRATOR: SUPPORT FOR THE
NEWTOWN PIKE EXTENSION PROJECT
BY CITY LEADERS, STATE
TRANSPORTATION LEADERS,
AND CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL
STAFF HAS CONTINUED
OVER THE PROJECT'S MANY YEARS.
TODAY, DEVELOPMENT
OF THE NEWTOWN PIKE EXTENSION
AND THE DAVIS PARK
URBAN VILLAGE CONTINUES.
IN 2015,
ADDITIONAL HOUSING UNITS ARE
SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION.
THE INITIAL PORTION
OF THE ROADWAY PROJECT
WAS COMPLETED ON THE NORTH SIDE
OF THE PROJECT.
THE REMAINING PHASES
OF THE PROJECT WILL CONNECT
THE END OF OLIVER LEWIS WAY
WITH THE NEW ENTRANCE
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY.
THESE ADDITIONAL PHASES WILL
ALSO INCLUDE THE CONSTRUCTION
OF COMMERCIAL SPACE,
INSTITUTIONAL SPACE,
AND ADDITIONAL FAMILY HOMES.
THE URBAN PLANNERS
AND ARCHITECTS HAVE CONTINUED
TO WORK WITH INPUT
FROM THE RESIDENTS TO DESIGN
THE EXTERIORS AND INTERIORS
OF STRUCTURES.
ALL THE HOMES ARE DESIGNED
TO BE 20% MORE EFFICIENT
THAN THE INTERNATIONAL
ENERGY CODE.
SO TO PRODUCE LOWER
ENERGY BILLS FOR THE RESIDENTS,
WHICH MEANS LONGER-TERM,
MORE AFFORDABILITY
FOR EACH ONE OF THEM.
HOLMES: THE MITIGATION DOLLARS
HELPED US DO A HIGHER LEVEL,
HIGHER QUALITY OF THE HOUSE
THAN WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE
ORDINARILY HAVE DONE,
AND THAT--THAT WAS REALLY HUGE
IN TURNING A LOT
OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS
AS YOU SEE NOW.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY BELIEVED,
EVEN THOUGH WE KEPT TELLING THEM
OVER THIS LONG PROCESS--
YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T
BELIEVE IT
UNTIL THEY--
THEY STARTED
SEEING IT BUILT.
AND THEN THEY
COULD COME IN,
TOUCH, AND FEEL
AND SEE WHAT
IT WAS ABOUT.
THEN THEY SAID,
"WOW, THIS IS
REALLY NICE."
WHEN I FIRST COME
DOWN HERE, YOU KNOW,
I WAS LIKE, "WOW."
IT'S, LIKE, JUST--
LIKE I HAD MOVED
SOMEWHERE ELSE,
NOT ON THE SAME STREET,
YOU KNOW, AND THEN I WAS
SITTING DOWN HERE
ONE NIGHT AND I WAS
LOOKING AND I WAS LIKE,
"OH, I'M LOOKING
AT THE LEXINGTON,
KENTUCKY SKYLINE."
I THANK GOD I LIVED
TO SEE IT.
CLAY-YOUNG: HAZEL IS THE--
WE'RE VERY PROUD OF HER.
SHE HAS GRADUATED FROM
WHAT HABITAT REQUIRES...
YEAH.
SHE HAS HER HARDHAT READY
FOR CONSTRUCTION
OF HER HOUSE,
AND I'M HOPING
THAT THE PROJECT TEAM
WILL DO SOME VOLUNTEER WORK
TO HELP BUILD HAZEL'S HOUSE.
WOULD YOU TRUST US
WITH THAT, HAZEL?
YEAH, SURE.
HA HA HA!
TO SEE THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD
AND THE--THE FOLKS THAT WE
HAD WORKED WITH SO LONG,
TO SEE THEM HAPPY MADE ME
EXTREMELY HAPPY THAT DAY.
I--I JUST--I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN
MORE PLEASED WITH ANY PROJECT
THAT I'VE EVER WORKED ON
IN MY ENTIRE CAREER
THAN TO GO DOWN
TO THE, UH, GROUNDBREAKING
AND THEN THE, UH,
THE RIBBON-CUTTING WHEN WE,
UH, WHEN WE FINALLY HAD
THE HOUSES COMPLETED.
NARRATOR: THE VISION IS BECOMING
A REALITY FOR THE CITY,
THE NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND THE ROADWAY.
THE PROJECT FEATURES, INCLUDING
THE URBAN VILLAGE PLAN,
HOUSING, COMMUNITY LAND TRUST,
MULTIMODAL FACILITIES,
NEIGHBORHOOD INFRASTRUCTURE,
COMMUNITY PARK REDEVELOPMENT,
NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER
IMPROVEMENTS,
COMMUNITY LIAISON,
SOCIAL WORKER,
AND ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
SERVE AS MORE
THAN JUST MITIGATION
FOR COMMUNITY IMPACTS.
THEY DEMONSTRATE HOW
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING,
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT,
DESIGN, AND MITIGATION
CAN BE CONDUCTED TO IMPROVE
LIVABILITY IN A COMMUNITY
WHILE ADDRESSING
TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
MOORE: I THINK THE NEWTOWN PIKE
EXTENSION PROJECT IS
A VERY UNIQUE PROJECT BECAUSE
IT'S A PROJECT WITH A HEART.
IT LOOKS AT THESE
DISPLACED RESIDENTS
NOT AS JUST PEOPLE THAT HAVE
TO BE MOVED OUT OF THE WAY,
BUT PEOPLE THAT HAVE--
THAT THEY WANT TO WORK WITH
AND WALK ALONG BESIDE OF.
I THINK THAT
THE DISPLACED RESIDENTS
ARE THE HUMAN FACE
OF THE PROJECT.
SEPULVEDA: IF I MAY SAY, THIS
HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING,
BUT YET THE PROJECT
THAT I HAVE LIKED THE MOST
IN ALMOST 35 YEARS
IN FEDERAL HIGHWAYS
'CAUSE IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE,
AND THERE'S A CHANCE
TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT
FOR A COMMUNITY.
