Blight and Beautification NAT
chairperson: Claire Antonetti, to join this NAT or ask a question: (send email)
Overview
The Blight and Beautification Neighborhood Action Team (B & B NAT), organized in 2004, through a group of neighbors interested in improving blighted public spaces in Maxwell Park. The group acted to adopt and maintain Caltrans properties bordering the freeway at two of the main gateways to the community, and partnered with the City of Oakland to plant over 300 street trees in Maxwell Park and establish a new traffic circle at the foot of Pierson where it connects to MacArthur Boulevard.
Out of these efforts sprang two large ongoing, grant-funded projects:- LAMMPS (Laurel Access to Mills, Maxwell Park and Seminary), please visit the City of Oakland’s website to learn more about LAMMPS Preferred Concept Plan and the project’s history
- The Improving the Park NAT.
Current Actions
Community members are welcome to participate and comments on NAT actions. Use the form to the right to signup to help, or submit your ideas!LAMMPS
Project lead(s): Claire Antonetti | Robert McGillis
LAMMPS is a community-based transportation project inaugurated in 2005 through the Maxwell Park Blight and Beautification Neighborhood Action Team (B & B NAT), with early support provided from District 6 Council Member Desley Brooks, District 4 Council Member Jean Quan, and Mayor Jerry Brown. Shortly after the project was launched, the B & B began a partnership with boarding neighbor Mills College, in an ongoing collaborative effort to promote a shared vision.
LAMMPS is a collaborative project entered into by the Mills College and Maxwell Park community with the City of Oakland, funded through Caltrans grants, to bring improved accessibility, viability of alternate transportation and enhanced livability for the surrounding neighborhoods: Mills College, Maxwell Park and Seminary’s Millsmont District, boarding the segment of MacArthur Boulevard from High Street, Pierson Street to Seminary that have been negatively impacted by the division, noise, blight and pollution of the heavily trafficked I-580 freeway.
LAMMPS promotes a safe and beautiful gateway that encourages these communities to forgo their cars and walk and bike to the Laurel shopping district. The plan will promote safety on foot, bike and auto, and establish a safe, viable and vital link to the Laurel.
• 2015: Current: Upon receipt of the 2014 ATP Caltrans grant the City of Oakland takes over management of the current stage of the project with oversight from the B & B NAT. The grant is intended to fund the first phase of the Preferred Concept Plan: from High street to Mills College gate, with a projected completion by 2017. This is the central focus of the project currently. Soon the community will enjoy: new traffic signals better access to bus tops, new streetscape re-paving, new landscaping/lighting and bike and pedestrian access. Also funded is a final community meeting, date to be determined and the community will be notified.
• The B & B NAT has entered into a relationship and is currently receiving support from our New District 4 Council Member Annie Campbell Washington and her staff. Together, along with the Mills College administration, we are working with the City of Oakland Department of Public Works to ensure the project remains active and moves forward according to plan, established by the grant-funded Preferred Concept plan.
See past actions for the timeline of other events within this project.
Check back soon for lots more information! Close section X
LAMMPS is a collaborative project entered into by the Mills College and Maxwell Park community with the City of Oakland, funded through Caltrans grants, to bring improved accessibility, viability of alternate transportation and enhanced livability for the surrounding neighborhoods: Mills College, Maxwell Park and Seminary’s Millsmont District, boarding the segment of MacArthur Boulevard from High Street, Pierson Street to Seminary that have been negatively impacted by the division, noise, blight and pollution of the heavily trafficked I-580 freeway.
LAMMPS promotes a safe and beautiful gateway that encourages these communities to forgo their cars and walk and bike to the Laurel shopping district. The plan will promote safety on foot, bike and auto, and establish a safe, viable and vital link to the Laurel.
• 2015: Current: Upon receipt of the 2014 ATP Caltrans grant the City of Oakland takes over management of the current stage of the project with oversight from the B & B NAT. The grant is intended to fund the first phase of the Preferred Concept Plan: from High street to Mills College gate, with a projected completion by 2017. This is the central focus of the project currently. Soon the community will enjoy: new traffic signals better access to bus tops, new streetscape re-paving, new landscaping/lighting and bike and pedestrian access. Also funded is a final community meeting, date to be determined and the community will be notified.
• The B & B NAT has entered into a relationship and is currently receiving support from our New District 4 Council Member Annie Campbell Washington and her staff. Together, along with the Mills College administration, we are working with the City of Oakland Department of Public Works to ensure the project remains active and moves forward according to plan, established by the grant-funded Preferred Concept plan.
See past actions for the timeline of other events within this project.
Check back soon for lots more information! Close section X
Ongoing Gateway Maintenance
Project lead(s): Stephen Weitz
Redding Street from Birdsall Avenue to High Street, and Courtland Avenue behind Walgreens was one of the first projects of the B & B NAT. Volunteers created the landscaping you see now, and maintain the plants and pick up trash on an ongoing basis. The community gets together on Earth Day and Creek to Bay Day to continue maintenance, plus other community days are scheduled when time permits.
See the Past Actions section for more detail of the development of this project. Close section X
See the Past Actions section for more detail of the development of this project. Close section X
Past Actions
These actions are completed and closed for activity. Please use the form at right to submit any comments or questions about these past actions.Improvement of Gateway to Maxwell Park at High and Redding Streets
Project lead(s): Jan Hetherington
Initial activities were pre-B & B and later folded in to the NAT
o The first ‘Earthday Cleanup’ involving the neighborhood was held in April 2003. Trash collected & weeding done along Redding Street. The ‘Strip’ (Redding from High to Birdsall) became an official ‘Adopt-A-Highway’ project.
o Led by landscape designers & neighbors Suzanne DuPont and Anthony Garcia, a design was created for the ‘Strip’ and the ‘Triangle’ behind Walgreens between their parking lot & Courtland Avenue. With tremendous help and support from the neighborhood and outside volunteers (Eastbay Conservation Corps), we mulched and planted. The strip was done in the Autumn of 2003, the triangle in the autumn of 2004. The Triangle became an official ‘Adopt-A-Spot’.
o Ongoing and regular monthly cleanups were established in 2003, after Earthday, until 2011.
o A grant was received from KOB (Keep Oakland Beautiful) for additional plants. Close section X
o Led by landscape designers & neighbors Suzanne DuPont and Anthony Garcia, a design was created for the ‘Strip’ and the ‘Triangle’ behind Walgreens between their parking lot & Courtland Avenue. With tremendous help and support from the neighborhood and outside volunteers (Eastbay Conservation Corps), we mulched and planted. The strip was done in the Autumn of 2003, the triangle in the autumn of 2004. The Triangle became an official ‘Adopt-A-Spot’.
o Ongoing and regular monthly cleanups were established in 2003, after Earthday, until 2011.
o A grant was received from KOB (Keep Oakland Beautiful) for additional plants. Close section X