by Darren Dattalo
For some time, there has been a growing level of violent crime on Lowest Greenville Ave, in the area between Belmont and Ross. For over a year, Lower Greenville Neighborhood Association along with M-Streets, Vickery Place, Hudson Heights, Lowest Greenville West and the Belmont NA have worked with Councilmembers Hunt and Medrano and CPC Commissioner Bill Peterson to create a Planned Development District along Lowest Greenville Ave from Belmont down to Bryan. With support of a couple of the major property owners and several business owners, the City Council officially passed the PD in January by a unanimous vote. Although there was an organized opposition, they chose not to appear at the council hearing.
Going forward, businesses which wish to operate past midnight must get a Special Use Permit from the city in order to remain open after midnight. Although final decisions are made by the City, for those businesses that continue to foster a criminal atmosphere, residents and neighborhood groups may oppose their applications. There is an 8-month grace period before the last of the permits must be completed, so it may be a little while before the real impact of the PD takes place. Residents are hopeful that the small minority of businesses that forced this issue will change their business model in the meantime.
A safer atmosphere will attract more businesses with an opportunity for profit during hours outside of 11pm-2am on Friday and Saturday. With the city’s plan for two blocks of streetscape improvements and Madison Partners’ plans for the old Arcadia site, expect dramatic changes to the Lowest Greenville area in the latter half of 2011. There will be a lot of construction and turn-over during that transition but the investment will pay off for both the business community and the neighborhood.
