Lakeland High Rise Design Revised

Black Explosion September 11, 1977 Page 8 Michele Chandler According to Leonard Smith, chairman of the project area committee (PAC their efforts to change development plans for the Lakeland community are useless. The project was built in 1974 for the low income residents. It was intended to replace poor housing in the neighborhood. Do to years of delays and cost increase developers were invited to give the city lower cost options. At a public hearing in August developer, Leon Weiner presented his plan which included two 150 unit apartment buildings one for senior citizens and another for University faculty, staff and perhaps students. 26 townhomes, 40 apartments for low to moderate income households and 6 single family homes. The mayor asked that city staff and the citizens group look at other options for the project. Weiner met with PAC two weeks after the hearing and said he would consider the input. Mr. Smith called the work "wasted effort" and said "with seven white council members and only one black, we have no bargaining power." Residents are firmly against the building of the apartment for members of the University community. They want single family homes. The group agreed to the building of the senior citizens units if they were set away from Baltimore Avenue to promote the safety of its residents. They also asked that the building be reduced in size such that it would only accommodate members of the College Park community. The citizens also asked that the number of public housing units be 24 not 26 and that they be spread throughout the community rather than placed in one area. Another request was that Lakeland Road, Navahoe Street and Berwyn House Roads not be closed. Mr. Smith also decried the lack of provision for neighborhood commercial space to allow the continuation of small stores. PAC member Mary Braxton polled former residents and most reported they left the community due to "inadequate housing".

Date

1977