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The City of Grand Rapids is in the home stretch for developing its next 20-year Master Plan! Now's your chance to check out the draft plan and give final feedback. They'll be hosting three sessions.. Free dinner provided! RSVP @ https://bit.ly/3wlWlWu
• Tuesday • May 7 • 5-7PM @ GRPS University (1400 Fuller Ave NE)
• Wednesday • May 8 • 5-7PM @ Ottawa Hills High School (2055 Rosewood Ave SE)
• Thursday • May 8 • 5-7PM @ Sibley Elementary (943 Sibley St. NW)
When: 2024-06-11, 6:30pm
Where: Emerald Flats Auditorium ■ 750 Eastern Ave NE (use the west entrance)
Minutes 2024-05-14: https://bit.ly/3wjYNNm
Agenda 2024-06-11: https://bit.ly/3wlppgT
Guest: Ariana Jeske, Assistant Director, MobileGR
When: 2024-05-14, 6:30pm
Where: Emerald Flats Auditorium ■ 750 Eastern Ave NE (use the west entrance)
Minutes 2024-04-09: https://bit.ly/3JJAhs6
Agenda 2024-05-14: https://bit.ly/4aXwC5Q
Topic: TBD
Registration for the 10th annual Neighborhood Summit is now open.
Also applications for the summer round of Neighborhood Match Fund grants opens on June 1st. Neighborhood Match Funds are a great way to get your idea for the community off the ground; they can be for anything from snow removal to art projects. If you need assistance applying contact us.
When: 2024-04-09, 6:30pm
Where: Emerald Flats Auditorium ■ 750 Eastern Ave NE (use the west entrance)
Minutes 2024-03-12: https://bit.ly/3U7ykM0
Agenda 2024-04-09: https://bit.ly/3VRGglN
Topic: Fund raising ideas
A log of rental unit costs for Highland Park.
Read moreWhen: 2024-03-12, 6:30pm
Where: Emerald Flats Auditorium ■ 750 Eastern Ave NE (use the west entrance)
Minutes 2024-02-13: https://bit.ly/3V2ii6P
Agenda 2024-03-12: https://bit.ly/3uX0kbq
Guests: Mayoral candidate David LaGrand
When: 2024-2-13, 6:30pm
Where: Emerald Flats Auditorium ■ 750 Eastern Ave NE (use the west entrance)
Minutes 2024-01-09: https://bit.ly/48fKJBn
Agenda 2024-02-13: https://bit.ly/3utwE5v
Grand Rapids History Detectives has a session on January 20th about Coldbrook Creek (3:00pm - 3:45pm)
Coldbrook Creek was once a visibly vital feature of the Grand Rapids area landscape, winding its way from Reeds Lake to the Grand River. Native Americans almost certainly recognized what it had to offer, and shortly after European settlement it became an integral part of the growing city’s infrastructure. Coldbrook Creek also played a role in the daily lives of neighborhood residents. Over the decades, though, the creek slowly faded from view as a large percentage of it was incrementally diverted into underground culverts. Though mostly hidden now, Coldbrook Creek continues to play a role in the unfolding history of the Grand Rapids area and is worth a closer look.
When: 2024-01-09, 6:30pm
Where: Emerald Flats Auditorium ■ 750 Eastern Ave NE (use the west entrance)
Minutes 2023-11-21: http://bit.ly/3GgMP9b
Agenda 2024-01-09: https://bit.ly/3RQdwX1
Pizza and beverages will be provided as we go through the questions from Phase #3 of the city’s Master Plan process. Bring you hopes, dreams, and imagination; what future do you imagine for the neighborhood?
Think about ….
In what ways are you connected to the neighborhood?
How does affordability impact youth, older adults, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations in the neighborhood?
What are the barriers to ownership present in our neighborhood?
How do you feel about duplexes, triplexes, and accessory dwelling units being built in or near our neighborhood?
What should change in order for our neighborhood to be more inclusive?
How do people in our neighborhood get to work, school, or to see friends? Biking, walking, public transportation, driving? What are some challenges that come with using transportation options other than cars?
Are people with disabilities, older adults, and children able to get around the same way?
What would you like to see change about how people move in and through your neighborhood?
What barriers currently prevent small businesses from being sustainable and/or accessible in our neighborhood?
Where are business and organizations creating using non-traditional spaces? (alleyways, vacant land, etc…?)
How could businesses be better connected to our neighborhood in the future?
What are some opportunities for under and unused spaces in the neighborhood?
What are some barriers you or others face regarding overall affordability and cost of living?
Are their places within our neighborhood that are historically or culturally important that you would like to see highlighted or replicated?
What types of design features are unique to our neighborhood?
The Master Plan is focused on the “built environment” - what you see when you look around; the design of streets, sidewalks, buildings, and all of the infrastructure of a city. How we choose to design our built environment has impacts on everything for decades, if not longer. When you move through the neighborhood what aspects of the built environment add value and contribute to your experience? What aspects do you experience negatively?
Carrier Creek Trail has been repaired and cleared by the Kent County Drain Commission.
Read moreDid you know that our neighborhood is part of the Coldbrook Creek watershed?
Although most of the creek is underground, open parts of the stream can be found in Highland Park and on the campus of Aquinas College! Join our friends Coldbrook Creek Community for the quarterly water testing on Saturday, January 6! They will test for things like conductivity, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, pH and turbidity. Water testing is easy to learn, fun to take part in, and only takes about an hour per site. No experience is required!
Quarterly Coldbrook Creek Testing
Saturday, January 6, 2023
10:00am: Highland Park : Meet in parking lot at SE corner of park, off Grand Ave.
11:00am: Aquinas College : Meet in the small lot between gym and St. Joe dorm, accessible via campus Fulton entrance.
2024-04-20 : Highland Park Clean-up
2024-06-15 : Eastern Park Clean-up
2024-07-20 : Annual Party In The park
2024-09-14 : Dumpster Day
2024-01-09 : Board Meeting & Master Plan Engagement 🍕
2024-02-13 : Board Meeting (2024 events)
2024-03-12 : Board Meeting
2024-04-09 : Board Meeting
2024-05-14 : Board Meeting
2024-06-11 : Board Meeting
2024-07-09 : Board Meeting
2024-08-13 : Board Meeting
2024-09-10 : Board Meeting
2024-10-08 : Annual Meeting
2024-11-12 : Board Meeting
2024-12-10 : Board Meeting
When: 2023-11-21, 6:30pm
Where: Emerald Flats Auditorium ■ 750 Eastern Ave NE (use the west entrance)
Minutes 2023-10-17: http://bit.ly/3GgMP9b
Agenda 2023-11-21: http://bit.ly/3vdRdiX
When: October 28th, 8:00am - noon
Location: 628 Diamond Ave NE (north end of lower parking lot)
St. Isidore Catholic Church will be hosting multiple concurrent events on this day, so we all need to be good neighbors. Dumpster Day will be keeping to the north end of the lower parking lot. We ask that people not queue in the parking lot, and also to not block Diamond Ave. If there is significant traffic please approach via Housman & Flat and queue on the side streets until there is space to enter the parking lot adjacent to the dumpsters.
There will NOT be metal recycling dumpster this year.
OASIS will be present collecting returnable cans.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Any time you can help out between 8:00am and noon is appreciated. If you have any questions contact hpnagr@gmail.com.
DO NOT bring appliances (air conditioners, refrigerators, etc…) which contain freon and have not been properly drained.
DO NOT bring hazardous materials such as tires, oil, paint, ashes, or fuel.
DO NOT bring large appliances.
DO NOT bring cathode ray tube TVs.
Only residents of Highland Park are permitted to use our Dumpster Day; please be prepared to show identification.
Please be prepared to unload your own waste. We will have volunteers available to assist, but volunteers need to assist everyone.
Remember that free yard waste drop off is available to all city residents Monday - Saturday 7:30am - 4:30pm at the Butterworth drop off site (2001 Butterworth St SW).
A local vendor is holding an open house this Saturday (October 21st, 2023 10am - 4pm) for anyone with an interest in vintage of DIY furniture.
When: Saturday, October 21 • 10 am - 4 pm
Where: Around back, the alley behind 712 Grand Ave NE
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=639667198151573
Are you a contractor or know a local contractor? Wolverine Building Group is searching for local contractors for the Factory Yards project.
Wolverine Building Group is seeking sub-contractor partners for Factory Yards. If you are with a company that has not worked with Wolverine previously OR, if you live in the neighborhood and work as a trade contractor, OR if you are involved in the trades and curious about the project and Wolverine, come by and say hello on Monday, October 30 from 3-5 pm.
Flyer https://wolvgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Project-Annc_Invite-Mtg_english-10_30.pdf
Have you taken the survey for the Rapid's new master plan? The Transit Master Plan will strategically help The Rapid build a sustainable transit system to serve metropolitan Grand Rapids and surrounding region. The plan will take into account the recent employment and business growth in West Michigan and help align and serve the needs of the community.
The survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/thrivingtmpsurvey
The plan’s homepage serves as the central location for you to find out more information about the Transit Master Plan, learn about upcoming events, and ways you can provide feedback.
Master Plan Homepage: https://www.transitthriving.org/
There will be an open house at Rapid Central Station on Thursday October 19th
When: 7am-9am, 12pm-2pm, 6pm-8pm
When: 2023-10-17, 6:30pm
Where: Emerald Flats Auditorium ■ 750 Eastern Ave NE (use the west entrance)
Minutes 2023-09-12: http://bit.ly/3vgFMXU
Agenda 2023-10-17: http://bit.ly/3hQq9mR
The last board meeting of the 2023 calendar will be 2023-11-21.
When: 2023-09-12, 6:30pm
Where: Emerald Flats Auditorium ■ 750 Eastern Ave NE (use the west entrance)
Minutes 2023-08-15: http://bit.ly/3I1kvZR
Agenda 2023-09-12: http://bit.ly/3jrzz8O
Proposed calendar of events for 2023 is as follows:
September 16th, Park Cleanup
October 17th, Annual Meeting
October, Dumpster Day
Board meetings are scheduled for: 2023-10-17, 2023-11-21. These are the third Tuesday for every month except September when the meeting occurs on the second Tuesday.