On August 26 a Community Advisory Board for Palestine East Neighborhood gathered to continue a two-year effort to develop a reuse plan for 20 acres of vacant land. This month, community members began to build a baseline understanding of the land and understand the neighborhood. One tool we are using to understand the area is the EPA EJ Screening Tool that identifies environmental challenges people in the area face. Community-led design is critical to ensure solutions truly reflect needs and interests of the residents.
On August 19, the Conservation Work Group met and reviewed a new analysis of vacant land to discover potential future urban conservation projects. The analysis used the Vacant Lot Mapping Tool that scores vacant land based on multiple criteria to determine projects that can improve the health of the Blue River Watershed. Seven clusters of vacant land have been identified.
The next Policy Work Group meeting is Friday, 9/24/21 at 3pm
The next Conservation Work Group meeting is Thursday, Wednesday 11/3/21 at 4 pm.