SPAR revolt?

[uptowngirl]

Some may not agree with this, but I feel as if they don't have time to even acknowledge you live here unless you are giving them money. It all comes down to the money. We are a very mixed neighborhood from pretty darn well off to pretty darn poor, unfortunately the only people being heard are the pretty darn rich, and usually only if they are paying through the nose. I think people forget part of the charm of Springfield is the great mixture of demographics; you just can’t be successful by leaving at least half the neighborhood behind!

[jbm32206]

Amen to that sister! Membership to SPAR means nothing, unless like you said...you're paying out the yang to help fund their favorites. It's a disgrace that most of us aren't even recognized unless they need you for something...and that's never your opinion!

[thelakelander]

If what you all claim is true, it sounds like there may need to be an alternative group with the goal of carrying out some of the things that SPAR overlooks.

[jbm32206]

No, it's more like we need SPAR to handle it, that's what we pay our membership for

[thelakelander]

But if they aren't doing what you believe they should be doing, what's the benefit of being a member?  Why not keep your money?

[jbm32206]

That's exactly what many of us are discussing...and renewing our membership is certainly up in the air at this point. The thing of it is, as a whole, the idea of SPAR is a good and valued one...and there's more to the organization than just a few that, IMO, are holding it back from being all that it can be. This is why I'm undecided as to whether or not to remain as a paying member or not. I just feel that there's issues that need to be addressed and changes made to the board

[AlexS]

No, it's more like we need SPAR to handle it, that's what we pay our membership for

THis is not my vision of how it's supposed to work (pay your membership and SPAR takes care of everything). The mebers are part of SPAR.
SPAR (the board) provides leadership and guidance. SPAR (members + board) work together in implementing the mission.
From the Bylaws:

The mission of the Corporation is to provide leadership to the residents of Historic Springfield to revitalize, preserve, and restore the community through its diverse programs.

Members are expected to provide periodic feedback via surveys and to be involved in revitalization activities and volunteer service to the community.

It would also be helpful to list specifically what you think SPAR should be doing rather than saying SPAR is not doing what it's supposed to. Also list the things SPAR does well and should be doing more of.

[walter]

I have attended meetings where no one is supposed to talk (except board members) but developers are allowed the floor whenever they so choose.

This is because SPAR is bought and paid for by the Springfield developers.  If you're not with them, you're shunned.  I was talking with a SPAR board memeber yesterday and was told that even though they are a board member they are not on the "executive committee" and are left out of most of the important discussions.  They said the executive committee of SPAR basically runs the show and makes all the decisions regardless of imput from other sources.  The meetings and "discussions" are mainly window dressing.  So unless you are privy to the machinations of the "in" group at SPAR, you're pretty much SOL.  Until this changes I would say let the "in" crowd foot the bill for their agenda.

[strider]

SPAR Council, if you will remember, is the result of the combination of Historic Springfield Community Council (HSCC) and Springfield Preservation and Restoration (SPAR).  I was on the first SPAR Council board and Louise's first official act was to ignore the by-laws until I called her on them and then she simply worked around them to accomblish what she wanted.  Which was to add members to the board who were friendly to her and would vote her way. The by-laws have since been changed to match what she wanted to do.  I also believe the mission statement has been changed as well.  SRG came in first with the security fund idea and as been there ever since.  Louise Despain is with the developers and always has been.  In most organizations like this, the Executive Director works for the membership and directly answers to the board.  Yet with SPAR Council, it is obviously the other way around.  From conversations with board members, going to meetings and talking with Louise herself, it is quite clear who runs SPAR Council.  As long as this situation exists, the interests of the entire community will not be served, only the interests of certain special interest groups. 

At this stage, it perhaps would be easier to start a new organization.  With the implications of election irregularities and the make up of much of the board, getting a new Executive Director that truely had the interests of the entire community at heart and worked for the board or even a board that would vote to get a new Executive Director seems like a impossible task. It is a shame as some on the board truely do or at least once did have the desire to do the right thing.

[jbm32206]

No, it's more like we need SPAR to handle it, that's what we pay our membership for

THis is not my vision of how it's supposed to work (pay your membership and SPAR takes care of everything). The mebers are part of SPAR.
SPAR (the board) provides leadership and guidance. SPAR (members + board) work together in implementing the mission.
From the Bylaws:

The mission of the Corporation is to provide leadership to the residents of Historic Springfield to revitalize, preserve, and restore the community through its diverse programs.

Members are expected to provide periodic feedback via surveys and to be involved in revitalization activities and volunteer service to the community.

It would also be helpful to list specifically what you think SPAR should be doing rather than saying SPAR is not doing what it's supposed to. Also list the things SPAR does well and should be doing more of.

I didn't mean to imply that I pay my membership and that's that....I was trying to say that I pay my membership and expect the council to do what they're in place to do....but that doesn't happen. I also feel that the past several posts hit the nail on the head and actually responded to your questions.

[JaxByDefault]

SPAR need to stop thinking "upscale" and start thinking "urban scale."

SPAR's core leaders are unresponsive to criticism.

The organization needs greater operational and financial transparency.

The city thinks SPAR actually speaks for the residents of SPR. However, 1/2 of the time "SPAR" speaks to the city council or city agencies, they have not notified or consulted the neighborhood on the issue.

SPAR's executive leadership needs to work on how SPR issues are presented to the city.  SPR residents should be encouraged to contribute and participate; there needs to be coordination of message and a professional representative. A volunteer in this role would work as a hybrid community organizer and lobbyist. It has been highly effective in other transitional neighborhoods.

SPAR's core leadership must change their posture and tone when dealing with local business owners. They should value the Chicken Koop as much as 9th and Main--more so, because the Koop is actually open, stable, and busy.

Many of SPAR's ideas for Springfield are fundamentally flawed from urban planning standpoint. SPR needs more live-work developments and higher residential density for the neighborhood to work. The goal should not be turning every residence into a single family home. Many were not even built as such in the first place (hence some renovations being forced to keep the second door even after converting the house to single family). Multi-family homes and affordable housing should be a goal. They should value actual density, not the appearance of density.

SPAR needs a greater focus on development that promotes downtown connectivity. Why isn't SPAR leading the charge to get the block of Main between State and Union changed to two way traffic? Why does SPR work with the city to have "downtown" events in Klutho? Why doesn't the historic tour also feature downtown locations? SPR should be a part of Downtown, not an isolated off-shoot.


As another example, there are fundamental flaws in the Main Street design that are detrimental to neighborhood growth. Too many medians, too few cut-throughs, and no slant parking are a killer. Even the suggestion that we should forgo elaborate median plantings and irrigation in favor of palms and hardy native plants was met with disdain.

National retail should not be the immediate focus of SPAR's development plan. SPR needs to follow the same development path as every other neighborhood and we will be richer for it. Places like Pearl, Shantytown, Zombie, and the community garden should be encouraged to proliferate--making SPR the new Five Points. Kudos to neighborhood property owners for giving some of those places a change with fair rent; kudos also to those who invested in starting a business here. Good development flocks to trendy neighborhoods with a buzz, not empty neighborhoods "with promise."

Commercial rent prices must drop. Hionedes and other owners are a problem, but SPAR should work with the city to create robust commercial development incentives for developers and small businesses. Renovation, occupancy, and start-up grants would be useful. So would limited tax abatement on active--not empty--properties.

I applaud SPAR's hiring of an urban planner, but I hope he will challenge some of the SPAR's core assertions. I also hope that the new planner will meet with the board of MetroJacksonville to discuss urban connectivity issues.

Whether true or not, SPAR leadership maintains the appearance that they are too closely tied to SRG. As a result, the perception is that SRG has more leeway than other developers and individual homeowners. To avoid conflicts of interest, SPAR and SRG should quit sharing a lobbyist on municipal issues.

I agree with a neighbor who has pushed for SPAR to stop using the word "gentrification" in their literature. It's outdated and has bad connotations outside of Jacksonville.

The organization needs to reach out and represent all residents, be they renters or homeowners, developers or small business, black or white, wealthy or poor. SPAR should be reaching out to New Hope to get them back into the neighborhood, as well as encouraging new in-fill and renovation developers to create true affordable housing (i.e., closer to $150K than $250k). And all apartments are not evil; they are an urban necessity.

SPAR loves to conduct studies. When the studies do not say what they want them to say, they get grants for more studies. Many residents find the studies invasive and annoying, especially when their findings are swept under the rug. (However, MetroJacksonville did publish a good evaluation of the last study data.)

SPAR needs to ease off of their "at war" mentality. I appreciate those that made SPR home when it may have required that mindset, but it no longer does.

The executive leadership has lost sight of its commitment to historic preservation. That duty has been picked up by other neighborhood organizations-- sometimes putting them in direct opposition with SPAR. This leads to neighborhood rancor.

[strider]

The city is beginning to understand that SPAR Council does not really speak for the community at large. And SPAR Council will continue to lose credibility as a result. Most residents know that Spar Council no longer speaks for them.  Nothing new here.  The best way to get change is to bring to the public what is really going on and who really is making those decisions.  People hold those positions and they must be made accountable or nothing will change. 

Yes, what "Spar Council" seems to want to see happen in Springfield is not in sync with reality, but that is because the few people who have any real input have only their own special interests in mind.  They see the world only in how it benefits them, not for the greater good.  If you want changes in how things are done, you must address the people factor - bring in new leadership, not just talk about how things should be and what should be done.

[AlexS]

Yes, what "Spar Council" seems to want to see happen in Springfield is not in sync with reality, but that is because the few people who have any real input have only their own special interests in mind.  They see the world only in how it benefits them, not for the greater good.

It would be interesting to hear what people think "SPAR Council seems to want to see happen in Springfield" and compare it to what the residents want to see happen.
I have tried to figure out what the residents want to happen but am not sure if there is a majority who agrees on common goals.
Some of the more obvious goals like reduce crime, have clean streets, parks and alleys I think both SPAR and residents agree upon.

[JaxByDefault]

Several urban planning savy professionals  have run for the SPAR board. Some were successful, some were not, but the same core issues remain.

To change the leadership one must convince the broad SPAR membership -- who votes for the board--that these issues exist and need remedied. Thus, I would assert that discussion of issues remains relevant.

[32206livedraps]

The problem with that is that "SPAR" doesn't want to hear what the neighborhood wants.  The organization doesn't even include all of it's board members in it's decision making process, so the thought of including mere resident's in the process is a stretch at best. As for the voting on members or issues, that is another issue entirely.