Time to Design

We are in the design stage of the Happy Valley Community Crossroads. By "we" I mean ALL of us. Print off the sketch of 22nd and Harris (below) and draw/color in a possible image for the street. Submit your design to the Firehouse Cafe (1314 Harris Ave.). In late-July we'll gather as a neighborhood and decide together the design we will submit to the city. Everyone is welcome to submit a design (young, old, artist, doodler, whoever!). So join us, submit a design, tell a friend, submit another design, and look out for information on our next meeting in July! Have fun!

More Press on Our Project

Paint The Town

by Communities First Association Staff Laura Jean Harris

(communitiesfirstassociation.org/)

“Let’s paint the street!” Is essentially what artist Dan Tucker suggested at his neighborhood meeting. He shared what he had seen on his trip to Portland; intersection art.

Intersection art in Portland, OR

The whole idea for the intersection art project was inspired by a nonprofit called City Repair. The idea is that a low-traffic intersection can become like a town square. As a square, the intersection can be blocked off for a plethora of events and/or attract some local business street-side venders. City Repair’s goal is firstly that communities come together and secondly that the community actually accomplish the intersection art itself.
“It all starts with a potluck.” (cityrepair.org) City Repair explains. At this potluck neighbors are encouraged to share what it is that they care about, what they want to see for their neighborhood. If they desire to do so, neighbors can work together to rally supplies, volunteers, and seek city approval using a legalese letter provided by City Repair.

Dan Shares at the Firehouse Coffee shop

The group desired to do so. They titled the project, “Happy Valley Community Crossroads.” Now they just had to rally everything except funds. Happy Valley Neighborhood has a wonderful problem- instead of trying to find money for projects, they needed to find projects for the money. How did this happen? Aaron Walters, pastor of The Table, and barista at Firehouse Coffee shop is very committed to serving his community and had applied for and received a grant for community development project that uses ABCD (Asset Based Community Development). They also received five “small and simple” grants for their county.
Now they needed an intersection with just enough, but not too much traffic. Aaron and Dan scanned the neighborhood for the best intersection.
They both independently agreed on Harris Avenue and 22^nd Street. This is a diverse intersection. The four corners of this intersection are comprised of: The Samish Preschool, a rental complex comprised mostly of college students, a single family home, and a duplex comprised mostly of retirees.

Meeting at the Samish Preschool

Neighbors met at the Samish preschool, sitting on tiny preschool chairs to further discuss the project that they hoped would take place just outside.
Jeff Littlejohn describes the meeting thus, “Very naturally people got comfy and started sharing other neighborhood issues both positive and negative, like at a kitchen table. They went up a couple of notches in intimacy, trust, and ownership in just an hour and a half’s time.” It was a time of sharing interests and dreams, and for allowing people to self-declare what they may never have before. It was the fulfillment of City Repair’s first goal.
It was also a key meeting in planning. They determined to gain more community involvement, deciding to send a template of the intersection to two local elementary schools: Larrabee and Happy Valley. The students will be given the opportunity to submit a design for consideration. This will bring awareness of the project to parents as well.
This is a great start to a beautiful dream of creating space for neighbors to meet and work together.
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Here is a link to the story as told by John Servais of the Northwest Citizen Newspaper http://www.nwcitizen.com/entry/intersection-art-comes-to-happy-valley

Here's what it could look like!

Happy Valley Community Crossroads article in Northwest Citizen

Happy Valley neighbor, John Servais, wrote and posted this article (below) in the Northwest Citizen. Enjoy!

Intersection Art Comes to Happy Valley

Sun, Jun 09, 2013, 10:37 pm  //  John Servais

  The leaders of the project, from left, Aaron Walters, Jody Guenser and Pam Sinnett. Standing, of course, at Harris and 22nd. Missing is Dan Tucker.

 
The Happy Valley Neighborhood has taken on a project to paint an entire intersection with a colorful design.  It is to help create a fine community place.  As a resident of Happy Valley, I have watched this idea get circulated and grow these past few weeks and the idea seems just superb.  The "Happy Valley Community Crossroads" is the name for the project.
Aaron Walters, one of the leaders of the effort said, "The primary goal is to bring people together."  Jody Guenser added, "The neighborhood is what we want to bring together."
 
Now a location has been selected - by the residents of the neighborhood.  It is Harris Avenue at 22nd Street - in the very heart of the valley and almost central to the entire neighborhood.  Over the month of June, people - young and old - can submit colored design suggestions.  In July there will be a neighborhood gathering to decide on the best design. Then the proposal will be submitted to city hall for approval.
 
Attached is a pdf file of the coloring design sheet - which anyone can download and use to design a suggested scheme for the street corner.  The designs can be submitted at the Firehouse Cafe at Harris Ave and 14th Street.
 
It started with Dan Tucker - as he discovered these street corner developments in Portland, Oregon.  You can google "intersection art portland" and see for yourself.  Aaron Walters picked up on the idea and the two of them brought it forward to others in the neighborhood association.  And people liked it.  The residents near the intersection have been supportive.
 
Let us hope the city encourages and approves this proposal.  Perhaps other neighborhoods will like the result and choose corners in their neighborhoods for the same sort of project.
As Pam Sinnett said about the project, "We hope it makes people smile and maybe slow down a bit."