Burton Heights & Garfield Park

Community Assessment Report

Findings, Strengths, Weaknesses, & Recommendations

April 2015

Introduction & Community DescriptionFor the Community Assessment Project, our group chose to survey an area on the

southeast side of Grand Rapids in the Burton Heights and Garfield Park areas. The surveyed area expanded from Burton Street SE to Alger Street SE as the north and south boundaries, and from Horton Avenue SE to Buchanan Avenue SW as the east and west boundaries. Division Avenue served as the area for assessing restaurants, grocery stores, and other miscellaneous community organizations, while Horton and Buchanan Avenues served as the area for residential assessments.

The Garfield Park neighborhood is home to almost 16,000 residents of many races and ethnicities. The population is primarily comprised of Hispanics and Latinos (44.6%), but also includes non-Hispanic whites (27.8%), African Americans (24%), and a few other various ethnic groups (3.7%). Almost half of residents are between 25 and 64 years old (49.2%) with the populations of males and females being about equal (50.2%; 49.8%). Educational attainment is low, shown by an overwhelming majority of the population having only a high school diploma or less (74.5%). The overall crime rate is high when compared to the other neighborhoods in the city, but the rate for violent crime is surprisingly average in comparison. The biggest difference between Garfield Park and other neighborhoods in Grand Rapids is the percentage of residents that live in poverty. Over half (51.3%) of the neighborhood’s population lives at least 150%, if not more, under the poverty level (Community Research Institute, 2010).

The remainder of this report will discuss the findings of each of the community assessments, strengths and weaknesses of the surveyed area, the top three recommendations for change and the appropriate stakeholders for each project, and some final thoughts.

Assessment FindingsOn March 9, 2015 a community assessment was done in the Burton Heights/Garfield

Park neighborhoods in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The four tools that were used to conduct this assessment are: the Audit Tool Checklist, the Pedestrian Environment Data Scan (PEDS), the Minneapolis Healthy Corner Store Program Visual Assessment, and the UNDO Restaurant Assessment. The Audit Tool Checklist tool measures information about environmental land use, transportation infrastructure, community-based facilities, community aesthetics, signage, and the social environment. The Pedestrian Environment Data Scan (PEDS) is an audit protocol that measures environmental features that can influence walking. The PEDS assessment specifically measures: segment number and types, environment, pedestrian facilities, road attributes, the walking and cycling environment, and a subjective assessment. The Minneapolis Healthy Corner Store Program Visual Assessment is a tool that measures the accessibility and availability of healthy foods. It also provides store information, EBT/WIC acceptance, and a physical description of the interior and exterior of each store. The UNDO Restaurant Assessment analyzes the amount of healthy food and drink choices, cleanliness, and advertising presence at fast food, buffet, and table service restaurants in a given area (“Understanding Neighborhood Determinants of Obesity”, 2015). The following paragraphs will summarize our findings from these assessments.

Audit Tool ChecklistThe assessed community was made up of both residential and non-residential land uses.

The types of buildings found within this community included: single and multi-family homes, apartment buildings, and commercial buildings. The only recreational facilities found within the

assessed area were an indoor fitness facility, a playground, a basketball court, and a tennis court. Throughout the community there also were not any natural features, such as open space or bodies of water. The area lacked banks and gas stations as well. The Rapid bus system was the only type of alternative transportation available to residents, and the walkability score was low. Although there were many sidewalks, there were not any bike lanes, wide outside lanes, or trails to walk on. There were also no postings of speed limits. Street connectivity was good throughout the surveyed area, and there were speed humps along Horton Street to slow drivers down. Division Street had a few stoplights because it was a busier street, and Horton and Buchanan Streets were more residential.

This tool also measured the number of community facilities in the area. On Buchanan Street, the school had a playground and “complete” sports equipment. However, the community lacked in various service amenities, such as equipment rental, sports stands/seating, picnic tables/grills, water fountains, restrooms, vending machines, and trash bins. Community aesthetics varied by street. There were trees that provided shade in the residential areas, however, Division Street did not have any attractive landscaping features. There was also a lot of litter and graffiti seen throughout the surveyed area. The final section of the tool is the social environment section. There were a lot of people seen out and about throughout the area at the time of the assessment, but not many were kids or teens. Buchanan and Division Streets were also the only streets where people were seen.

PEDSThe non-residential areas contained high-volume roads. The segments assessed contained

2-way and 4-way intersections. All sidewalks were complete and made of concrete. Path and road conditions were fair, with minor bumps, cracks, holes, and flooding, and there were not any buffers between the road and sidewalks. There were only 4 stop signs in the residential areas, and there was a speed limit of 25 mph. There was on-street parallel parking, and signs indicating parking and no parking zones down Division Street. There were only two traffic control devices within this segment, both on Division Street. There were no designated bikeways, no bicycle route signs, no bike lanes, no bicycles parking facilities, and no bike crossing warnings on either street. There was road-oriented lighting and lighting from stores that helped to illuminate walking paths for pedestrians on Division Street. There were also minimal public garbage cans, benches, and newspaper dispensers within the assessed segments. There was very little tree enclosure, and the view from the sidewalk was fairly open in both directions.

There was minimal space for pedestrians to walk and bike on the same sidewalk, due to the absence of bike lanes. The destinations available on Division Street were attractive, as there was good lighting and many convenient and food market stores available. There were also bars, liquor stores, and adult stores within this segment, which could change opinions on attractiveness. This segment is also not very aesthetically pleasing because the buildings look old and there was garbage all throughout the walking paths. The other streets contained many old housing units and had flooded sidewalks. The streets were not very safe, and there were limited crosswalks, stops signs, and speed limit postings that could cause traffic accidents if pedestrians were to cross the street.

Minneapolis Healthy Corner Store Program Visual AssessmentIn total, 6 stores were assessed within the target area: El Pariso, Rao Food and Beverage,

Family Dollar, Bottle House Beer and Liquor, Rodriguez Supermarket, and Bedolla Market.

Stores were all located on Division Street. El Pariso accepted EBT but not WIC. This store did not provide any fresh fruit or vegetables, dairy products, or milk. The overall cleanliness of the establishment was poor, and there was not a parking lot available to customers. Rao accepted both WIC and EBT.  The store did have a very small produce section and dairy and water available for purchase, but no fruit juices.  The only food item that this store carried on the list was a small selection of cereal with whole grains. Its overall physical description and cleanliness was good. The Family Dollar store accepts EBT but not WIC. There was no fresh produce at the store, and only one cooler used for milk. There was also minimal space that contained whole grain products. Cleanliness was good. The Bottle House was a small corner store that sold beer and liquor. This store lacked almost all of the food items, only having one row of 2% milk on a shelf. The overall aesthetics and cleanliness of the store were very poor. The Rodriguez Supermarket had the largest variety of healthy food options, full of fresh produce, dairy products, and whole-grain options.  Rodriguez Supermarket accepts both EBT and WIC. The overall aesthetics and cleanliness were good. Finally, Bedolla Market accepted both WIC and EBT. In regards to fresh produce, Bedolla had a variety of fruits and vegetables available, dairy was also available to purchase. Physical description and aesthetics were good.

There was a variety in what kinds of stores and access to foods within the target area. Convenience stores, like the Bottle House and Rao lacked much if any fresh food or healthy options.  Most of these stores had mainly prepackaged food and a variety of sugary beverages. The Rodriguez Supermarket and Bedolla Market provide residents access to a large amount of healthy food options. These stores ranged from a variety of fresh produce and other healthy foods including low-fat dairy and many whole grain options.  These stores and markets, overall, were clean and provide residents with an abundance of food choices.

UNDO Restaurant Assessment          In the target area there were a total of three restaurants, two of which were not open at the time of the survey. Halftime Sports Bar (also known as Julian’s Mexican Grill) and Las Playitas Estilo Puerto Vallarta both appeared to be closed the day of assessment. Mi Tierra, is a Mexican buffet and table service restaurant on Division Street. The restaurant had a total of twenty-one tables and one cash register available. The outer appearance of the sidewalks and stairs around the building was satisfactory. The inside of building was observed to be clean and sanitary. The menu contained Mexican cuisine. There was a variety selection of food at this restaurant, but almost all of them were considered to be unhealthy by the Restaurant Assessment Form.

Community Strengths & WeaknessesThere were some weaknesses and strengths found in the community of Burton

Heights/Garfield Park. A major strength of the community is the variety of food markets available. Food access is significantly vital for the health and wellbeing of a community. Access and availability to healthy food options can help reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer, heart failure, obesity, and other chronic health diseases. Many times, low-income communities lack access to healthy food options. These individuals often settle with purchasing unhealthy foods, poorly maintained fresh foods, or fast food (Flournoy, 2006). As observed in the assessed community, small convenient or corner stores offered fewer healthy foods, are poorly maintained, and lacked in cleanliness. Fortunately, this community also contained food markets that offer a great deal of healthy options for its residents and were fairly clean. Another major strength of this community is the variety of facilities available to its residents at walking distance. This community had

churches, a school, health and social service buildings, a community center, and several other businesses, like bakeries, beauty salons, check cashing establishments, and laundromats. The school has access to playground equipment and “complete” sports equipment, tennis and basketball courts. Although there were many vacant buildings within this community, this environment is rich in different types of buildings at a close distance to residents. These community facilities can potentially enhance the lives of residents in several ways.  These places help encourage physical activity and exercise. The school park provides open and green space. Community centers, clinics, and social service buildings allow communities to feel unified and safe, and give a voice to its members. The businesses within this community help bring money back to it and individuals are encouraged to support local businesses. Though the community offers a variety of healthy food options and contains many destinations at walking distance, this community does have some weaknesses.

A major weakness of this community is safety.  Traffic on Division Street is very busy and can get congested during rush hours. There is also not enough space for pedestrians to walk and bike on the same sidewalk, as there is no bike lane. There were no speed limit postings and limited crosswalks within the segments assessed, this can cause many traffic accidents and danger to those who cross the street. Another weakness of this community is its cleanliness and attractiveness. Many of the buildings had graffiti painted on them which makes the community feel unsafe to be in.  Most of the buildings on Division Street and Buchanan Street look old and run-down. The residential areas also are mainly made up old housing units and some were very poorly taken care of. Sidewalks within the residential areas had flooded sidewalks because of the snow, also making it very difficult to walk through.  There was also garbage observed all throughout the walking paths on the residential and non-residential segments assessed.

Recommendations for ChangeKnowing the results of the community assessments, and the strengths and weaknesses of

both communities has helped to better prioritize projects for change. Below are the top three priorities for change in the Burton Heights/Garfield Park area.

Priority #1: Creation of Complete StreetsMuch of our transportation infrastructure has been focused in the past around improving

and maintaining mobility. In the early 1900s, travel by automobile became the primary mode of transportation in the United States. A substantial amount of resources were invested in the creation of roads and parking structures in order to accommodate the growing need. At that time, being able to get to where you wanted to go as quickly and cheaply as possible was the number one goal. Focusing on mobility was necessary for that time, however, that focus now needs to shift. “The ultimate goal of transportation must be accessibility – our ability to reach desired goods, services, and activities safely” (Burden & Litman, 2011). In order to move towards a transportation system that is more “accessible” than “mobile”, we must invest more resources into creating an infrastructure that allows access for people using all modes of transportation. This is where the idea of “Complete Streets” comes in. This idea can be defined as “a program that advocates for streets designed to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities” (Dodson, Langston, Cardick, Johnson, Clayton, & Brownson, 2014). Policies focused on this idea should include: ways to encourage street connectivity in order to create a comprehensive, integrative transportation network; a way to ensure that this idea is applicable to all roads, old and new; ideas to guarantee

that the results of the policy will complement the community, not overshadow it; measurable goals and outcomes; and finally, steps to implement the idea (Burden & Litman, 2011). But not only do Complete Streets policies benefit the aesthetics of the local community and transportation infrastructure, they have also been cited “as an effective strategy for combating obesity, because people with access to safe walking spaces are more likely to meet national recommendations for physical activity” (Dodson, Langston, Cardick, Johnson, Clayton, & Brownson, 2014). It is because of these reasons that a Complete Streets policy should be created for the surveyed area in Burton Heights and Garfield Park.

Division Avenue is a main arterial road that runs north and south through the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. It was the main road that was surveyed during our assessment, and a prime candidate for a Complete Streets policy. A similar policy was proposed in Chapter 2 of the 2012 Green Grand Rapids plan that suggests, “that the Street Classification Policy be updated by adopting a Complete Streets policy, and design guidelines for implementing improvements such as re-paving and reconstruction projects are undertaken” (Green Grand Rapids, 2012). The report also stated that city staff has already begun work on the implementation of a Complete Streets policy throughout the City of Grand Rapids. However, the roads in the historic city neighborhoods are the first priority in this case because of how narrow they are. Therefore, in order to make sure that the Division Avenue corridor is made the first priority, a strong coalition must be formed with stakeholders who are well known in the Grand Rapids community. But first, the proposed project will be discussed in more detail.

The proposed Complete Street project will take place on Division Avenue in the Burton Heights and Garfield Park neighborhoods. The project will redesign the look and function of Division Avenue in the surveyed area to ensure that it is safe, attractive, and usable for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders. This includes the addition of bike lanes on each side of the road, wider sidewalks for pedestrians, trees and other landscaping to make the area more attractive, and finally, the addition of pedestrian crosswalks at intersections. It will be funded by the City of Grand Rapids through their plan to implement Complete Streets. If enough money cannot be provided, other methods of funding can be researched. The local community will be heavily involved in the planning and implementation process, and will be allowed to voice their opinions on the project at town hall meetings and forums.

In order to continue to move forward with this project, a coalition of stakeholders will be created to advocate for its implementation. Stakeholders such as local government officials, representatives from the Garfield Park Neighborhood Association, the Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition, the Grand Rapids Downtown Development Authority, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, and local concerned citizens can comprise this coalition to support the Complete Streets project and its implementation in the community. Since the Complete Streets project would be beneficial to the community there should not be stakeholders against the implementation of the project. However, it is possible that because of the size and monetary cost of the project, there could be some opposition to the project.

Implementing the Complete Streets project will help the surveyed area to improve accessibility for people using all modes of transportation, and also to improve the physical look and function of the transportation infrastructure. It will also improve the physical health of area residents because of the attractive new areas to socialize and exercise. For these reasons and many more, a Complete Streets project should be implemented in the Burton Heights and Garfield Park neighborhoods in order to make it a more attractive, safe, and accessible place.

Priority #2: Removal of GraffitiThe presence of graffiti has grown over the years. It has often been thought of as a form

of vandalism in many cities and countries throughout the world. Stanley Cohen developed a typology of vandalism that consists of six subtypes (Thompson, Offler, Hirsch, Every, Thomas, and Dawson, 2012). The six subtypes include: acquisitive vandalism, tactical vandalism, ideological vandalism, vindictive vandalism, play vandalism, and malicious vandalism (Thompson et. al, 2012). In addition to the six subtypes, he also developed five motivations for which graffiti and vandalism occur. These include gaining membership in a deviant group using anti-social acts, gaining of self-esteem, self-expression, disrupt order of authority, and the rush people get with engaging in illegal behavior (Thompson et. al, 2012). These motivations could be the very reason that so much graffiti has been observed in Burton Heights/Garfield Park.

Neighborhoods that have large amounts of graffiti directly impact the people that live within the neighborhood (Foster, Giles-Corti, Knuiman, 2011). It shows that the neighborhood has lost social control and it is associated with higher crime rates (Foster, Giles-Corti, Knuiman, 2011). With the high crime rate found in Burton Heights/Garfield Park, and the amount of graffiti that is seen within the community, this loss of social control could be a real possibility.

The proposed project suggests that Burton Heights and Garfield Park adopt a community clean up project called place making/place keeping. Place making is where the community works together using capital funding to shape and make the town a place where people want to live and visit (Dempsey and Burton, 2012). Place keeping is a long-term management solution that helps to maintain the quality of the town through the investment of the community so the neighborhood would be valued for many generations (Dempsey and Burton, 2012). This is a feasible option for the community of Burton Heights/Garfield Park.

The stakeholders for this project are local businesses in the area. This includes: the restaurants, bars, grocery stores, auto repair shops, and beauty salons. They are stakeholders because if the neighborhood seems safe and free of crime, people will be more willing to go to these businesses. It will also bring more visitors to the area. Further stakeholders that can be identified are the citizens of the community. If they feel safe and comfortable in the community, they will be more invested in the neighborhood. They will want to be out in the neighborhood and on the streets because crime could potentially be reduced due to the clean up of the area. The Grand Rapids Police Department will also benefit from the reduced crime rate. They will have to spend less money in this district because it will become a safer place to live. The Grand Rapids Police Department will also not benefit because with the crime rate where it is at, many of the deputies have job security because of the need for police enforcement in the area.

Members of the community that support the clean up project must form a coalition. The coalition must have a variety of people that sit on the board. Some people include: local business owners, pastors, important community members, a school principal, the Grand Rapids Police Department, and possibly the Rapid Bus System. Using the qualifications that are involved in the coalition the first thing that has to be done is to gain community support. This can be done through community meetings, door-to-door surveys, and representation at community events such as school sport games or community dinners. The development of partnerships is imperative to the success of the clean up project. The next step is to determine the cost of the clean up project and the funding that is available. This funding can be done privately through partnerships that can be formed which can help finance the project. Another source of financing can be done through charity or grants. Looking for grants that will fund the clean up process would be a viable option. One program located in Michigan that could be a possibility is the

Redevelopment Ready Communities that would help fund the clean up process. This project will take time, but with the involvement of the community and trusting partnerships, it could potentially be cleaned up within a year.

This program will help make the community feel safer and residents will more likely want to be active participants within the community. This will in turn help to increase the neighborhood walkability score and physical activity rates. The simple act of cleaning up the graffiti in the community can have long lasting benefits, and it can help the entire community of Burton Heights/Garfield Park.

Priority #3: Community RevitalizationThe overall feeling of the Burton Heights/Garfield Park neighborhood was one of relative

safety while conducting the survey, but it was found that there are many vacant lots and buildings along Division Avenue in the neighborhood. Increasing amounts of research is finding that vacant land and vacant buildings within neighborhoods can lead to negative health effects and decreased safety. Cohen et al. (2003) found that vacant and boarded up housing is linked to an increase in premature mortality as well as being causally related to health.  Residents of Philadelphia reported that vacant land within their neighborhoods had a negative impact of many factors of health including perceived fear of violence, crime, and prostitution, which all can lead to anxiety and other mental health issues (Garvin et al. 2013). Crime rates have been found to be as much as two times higher in areas with open vacant buildings with crimes such as drug dealing, prostitution, and property crimes taking place (Spellman, 1993). To combat these problems, actions must be taken to decrease the number of vacant space within the Burton Heights/Garfield Park neighborhood.

Along with cleaning up the graffiti in the neighborhood, revitalizing the neighborhood by decreasing the number of vacant buildings will have similar stakeholders. Local residents and business will be involved to decrease fear and perception of crime in the area. This can lead to an increase of business for owners due to more residents being out in the community. Homeowners and residents will be involved to bring a safer environment for raising families in the area. The Grand Rapids Police Department will benefit from a decrease in crime within the area due to a decrease in vacant buildings. Other stakeholders that would likely be involved are schools, churches, and community organizations.  

One solution to the problem of vacant buildings is to bring in new businesses. The businesses can increase pedestrian traffic in the area and lead to an increase of growth of the entire economy in the area. New businesses will revitalize the neighborhood and can lead to more jobs and help to decrease poverty levels in the area.  

Another way in which the community can decrease the negative effects of vacant buildings is to turn them into green space. Greening is cleaning up vacant lots of trash or planting grass and trees on vacant lots and it has been found to reduce crime rates as well as increasing the perception of safety in the area (Garvin, Cannuscio & Branas, 2013). It may be difficult to convert vacant buildings into green space because it would require tearing the buildings down and planting greenery. In a community that may be lacking the funds to complete a project like this, it could be difficult to garner support for such projects. To combat this, community members that are for a plan of this nature should frequent town hall meetings, increase awareness of the movement in the community by going door to door or posting flyers, and work with local community leaders and business owners to gain backing. By decreasing the number of vacant

buildings and lots within the Burton Heights/Garfield Park neighborhood, the health and well being of the community will increase and all will benefit.

Final ThoughtsThrough the findings of our community assessments, three priorities for change were

created for the surveyed area. By partnering with local government officials, non-profit organizations, business owners, and neighborhood residents, these projects can be completed in a timely fashion, and with maximum stakeholder input. Through the implementation of the Complete Streets, graffiti clean up, and neighborhood revitalization projects, the neighborhoods of Burton Heights and Garfield Park will become cleaner, more attractive places to live and work. The completion of these projects will encourage physical activity, the formation of social ties, and an overall more pleasant neighborhood for residents to live in. These benefits alone should be enough to convince officials of the need for these projects. Without them, the area will continue to be a dreary and crime-ridden place to live for neighborhood residents.

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