LOTS GOING ON THIS WEEK & NEXT!

Wednesday July 11 through Tuesday July 18 we are conducting Observational Surveys at Reservoir Park.  We are looking for two people to stand/sit at the park and just note how many people are using the facilities and what areas are they using.  This will allow us to better assess what things are worth keeping and what things may be replaced.  If you and a friend could spare a little time please either schedule using Signup Genius - or let Sharon Connor know and she will put you in.....

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/60b044dafaa2baaf94-public1

On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, we will be researching Historical Housing at the Goodyear Library from 10 am to 4 pm.  We will show you how simple this can be and we will work together to confirm the style of housing within the historical area.

Friday is our Reservoir Park Pool Party from 4 pm to 7 pm Come and celebrate the artwork done by many of our neighbors and friends along with Mac Love @ play.

GHCAC will be hosting their Cookout on Friday evening from 6 to 9 at the corner of Goodyear and Honodle.

If you are able to volunteer with any of the above activities your help would be most appreciated...there is a lot to do - and "many hands will make it go much more quickly"

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THE MYTH OF HIGHER HOUSING COSTS

While we have been happy that the vast majority of Goodyear Heights residents have responded positively to the effort to have the neighborhood designated as a National Register Historic District, we still come across folks who did not attend one of last year’s series of RIGHT Committee meetings where we explained the project and what it could mean for the neighborhood. For those who missed the meetings, or who do not understand our goals, we would suggest reading this post: “SUPPORT OUR EFFORT” – which provides the basic facts about what designation means—and DOES NOT mean.

We want to clear up any misconceptions that people may have, especially for those who are worried that designation forces you to make improvements to your property. Nothing could be further from the truth; in fact, we chose the approach of National Register designation specifically because it would not add any extra financial burden on homeowners.

That said, we will be providing a wide range of education and informational resources to residents who do want to preserve and restore the historic character of their home and that of the neighborhood. We’ll be offering workshops, booklets, advice and many other resources to encourage our residents to preserve and enhance their home’s value. At some point in the future, we’d also like to work with public and non-profit foundations to offer some additional assistance—like grants and loans for repair and restoration. For additional facts about our effort, you can download a Q&A HERE.

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PRELIMINARY PAPERWORK NOW SUBMITTED FOR NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT

The process has started. With the submission of our preliminary paperwork to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the effort to create a National Register Historic District in Goodyear Heights is now fully underway.

The process begins with a preliminary questionnaire, which gives a general overview of the nominated area and requires the submitter to provide detailed information about the proposed district. This information generally covers four different criteria, which describe an area’s significance in terms of:


a) Historic significance in terms of key national or local historic events
b) Association with important people of national or local importance
c) Definitive characteristics, representing the work of a master, or distinctive features that make it representative of a type, period or method of design/construction
d) Association or potential for archaeological discovery

While many historic districts have been deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places using just one of these criteria, Goodyear Heights can claim to have significance using three of these criteria; a, b, and c. That provides a distinct advantage in pursuing our application.

Our preliminary paperwork also included a number of photographs, including houses, streetscapes, parks and other images which will provide our SHPO evaluation team with an image of the neighborhood’s current condition. Also important were maps of the proposed district and historic maps of the original phases of the allotment.

It’s a long evaluation process; once the materials are reviewed, a site visit to Goodyear Heights will be made by the SHPO to further research the neighborhood and, providing the submission is approved, they will provide recommendations and guidance for preparing the final application for the National Register of Historic Places. This will be submitted to the National Parks Service.

So – our work has just begun! If you have questions, or would like to offer help if it is needed, we would certainly like to hear from you. In the meantime, be sure to sign our online petition, which will help us as we pursue obtaining assistance from the city of Akron on this project.

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