Things are failing all around us constantly. GM, Chrysler, WAMU, KWOD 106, and on and on. I have myself been examining the simpler moments in my life and appreciating them more. In the crazy previous years 2005, 06, 07 I had a good time living but was too attuned to all of the balls that needed to stay in the air to keep the ship upright. Maybe it is part of letting things die that don’t have any business living that has allowed me to free up that mental space to appreciate the other things. Getting a recycled something, or fixing a broken down something else brings more satisfaction than going and buying something brand new. But similarly the BBQ’s with friends, walks around the neighborhood, days at the river, all seem more valuble in the light of what is truly important. When you wake up tomorrow, stretch and take a deep breath and enjoy the sunrise if you get a chance.

Another good thing that came out of the neighborhood meeting on Monday night was meeting Harry. He lives nearby on E Street and is starting up a community garden of sorts along the side of his apartment complex. He already has an area mulched and has space for several more gardeners to join in! If you live over at Harriet Lane, RiversSide, Metro Place or even Good and would be interested give Harry a call at 821-5748. It’s always fun meeting people who are jumping a little outside the norm and working to bring some changes (and good food) to the neighborhood around them!

Steve

Warning! This image may not be suitable for some viewers.

So about 18 months ago Jason dreamed up this campaign called “Sit Here and Dream Big”. It took a while to build the signs and have the rocks delivered to all of the sites, but we did it. We did it because we wanted to inspire a community. We wanted to get people to think about things a little deeper than just the common stuff that occupies so many of us so much of the time. It didn’t take long to show up to one of the sites and find the above sign broken off of its supports and laying on the ground with the message you see scribbled on it.

Now, at the time, this was very troubling to some of us at LJ Urban. I think when the sign was kicked over it was a little disconcerting, “Oh crap, what have we gotten into over in this neighborhood?” We were having town-hall type meeting with the residents where we invited everyone in the neighborhood to come eat Sal’s Tacos and converse with us about our plans for the community. We had questions and answers but everyone was pretty civil and supportive. Then there was this abuse of our ideals, violence against private property, passive aggressive rejection of our plans and dreams. I know I sound a little melodramatic here but I am trying to dig deeper into what these public interactions mean and show the feelings that were buried behind them.

So we got over it but we never did get rid of the sign, or put another one up in its place actually. We have kept it turned around facing the wall because of its offensive nature but I went and turned it around to face out the other day. I think I just wanted some inspiration. It’s also funny and gets laughs from whoever sees it now. I think what I understand now is that we never can tell how an action, we perceive as helpful or uplifting, might be digested, or barfed back up as the case may be, by the ones we intend to encourage.  All in all I think this sign and all of its deeper meaning are just what I needed yesterday to keep on fighting.

Micah Baginski

If you take a walk one block down B St from Good you will see a tree on the side of the levee that the neighborhood has turned into a playground. Three different rope swings are hung on the tree and because its right up against the levee you can actually get swinging pretty high. What I like about the swings is that nearly every time we go there we meet another neighbor. It’s like the corner in New Orleans or a community garden. The swings were put there by people who were just trying to make a better place and are enjoyed by everyone. I know its not going to change the world when someone hangs up a swing but small things like that go a long way in building a stronger community. And that I believe is a good thing.

Depending on who you are and where you’re at in life this may be either the most interesting opportunity to come your way in a while or it may be way out in left field. Either way I think you need to hear about it because someone is going to be really lucky who steps up and takes the initiative.

Let me stop here for a second, I really to explain our role in all this, we at LJ Urban are not involved in any way in this project and are not going to be hand holding or sitting in endless meetings to make this happen. If you want it you have to come and get it all on your own and once you hear the story you will see why someone is going to be very lucky who does.

Ok, now that I have you thoroughly confused let me tell you what is going on. On the corner of 3rd and C Streets in West Sacramento there is this neat little cafe/restaurant space that has been sitting empty for far too long. John Leonard built it a little over a year ago along with the Riverside housing project and it has remained un-leased since then. So we were looking at the space thinking….Hmmm something needs to happen here. We then called up our friends over at the Redevelopment department in West Sacramento and asked them if they had any ideas.

Before I go any further I have to make sure I don’t get into any trouble with the city: Anything and everything they told me was purely ideas on the table and not commitments or specific agreements. OK. Got that? Good. Now I can go on.

Basically the concept is this. John Leonard is super eager (as you can imagine) to lease the space and is thus willing to make some serious concessions on rent and help out whoever wants to start up a cafe, and the City is (remember what I said about not being for sure) willing to step in and help pay the rent for something like the first 3-5 years. So…Ever thought of starting your own coffee shop? Or have a friend who wants to? Now is the time, you have the perfect location with something like 13,000 cars driving by per day, and on top of it help and lots of it from the city and the landlord.

What do you think? Email me at Levi(at)LJUrban(dot)com if you want some phone numbers to start checking things out, and in the mean time drive by 3rd and C and see what I am talking about.

Levi Benkert

We’ve got a big City Council meeting next Wednesday night that is critical for our projects in the Washington neighborhood of West Sacramento. If you are bought in to the vision of what we are doing there (urban/green/good) we would love to have you come out and help support it – especially if you live nearby! There are quite a few neighbors that are objecting to the limited parking we are proposing, we are making the case that society needs to move beyond a car only transportation scenario and that not every house needs to have space for 3 cars. I once heard a really neat quote by Jamie Lerner “The car is kind of like your mother in law. You need her around but if she is the only woman in your life you have problems”

If you are interested in coming out and supporting good sustainable development let Steve know if you could make it and he will tell you about what time the topic will probably come up! He’s at 329-3727 or steve@ljurban.com

It’s one of those things that cities don’t think is really “normal” so they often resist and rarely  if ever think up on their own. So that means you might have to fight for this one.

I believe every neighborhood needs a community garden and there is a good chance if you want one that you will have to be the person that puts it there.
They don’t have to be big or even all that elaborate. There does not need to be an automatic watering system or even grand tool storage systems. In fact you may be better of without them. You see gardens serve a very different role in our communities than parks or civic spaces. Gardens bring us together and make us work side by side, they tear down the social walls that we normally put around ourselves in public spaces and breathe life into community.

But not all garden communities need to have gardens. In New Orleans 7th ward you will find many vacant lots left after the devastation from hurricane Katrina. But there is one lot in particular that was vacant long before the rest of them, and although it’s only grass, it serves the same purpose for the community as a community garden would. The residents call it simply “The Corner”. Long ago it was a run down apartment building and its owner scraped it thinking one day she would build a community garden but instead the neighborhood took to it vacant and planted grass. They started to use it as a gathering space and it quickly evolved into the center of the neighborhood where people would meet and hang out, they would sit and watch the sun go down in the evenings together on the corner after work and if someone in the neighborhood needed help they would get up and do what needed to be done. You see the concept of a garden is not about the vegetables or even about the aesthetics its about the people. A community garden with no community is nothing at all, but a vacant lot with a community can become the lifeblood and soul of the people living nearby.

Every neighborhood needs a corner or a community garden.

Are there any “Corners” in your neighborhood?

Thanks so much for all of you who commented on the Planning commission notes I posted a few days ago.

I re-wrote the text based on what I heard from you. I think I got all of it but help me out and tell me what I missed. It’s a bit shorter this time around because I read it out loud and it felt a bit drawn out.

Here it is…

Planning Commission Hearing November 20th 2008  – Washington Blocks  -  Levi Benkert
Commissioners I want to thank you for taking the time to review the project we are proposing for the Washington neighborhood.

For the Record my name is Levi Benkert. I own LJ Urban, the developer for the project you see before you tonight.
As you may know I recently moved into the Good project with my wife and three kids and can tell you the density works well and the concept of shared outdoor living spaces makes for a thriving community. The exact type of community that the Washington neighborhood so desperately needs. [Read more →]

This Thursday the 20th we have a Planning Commission hearing in West Sacramento on two of our projects, Habitat and Simple. We have been working on these projects for over a year and the vote is a major deal for us.

I am working on my opening plea to the Commissioners and want to share it with you here to get your input on it. It feels like it may be a little over the top… Let me know what you think.

And if you decide that you want to come out and support us the hearing starts at 6 and we expect to go on at about 6:30.

Here is what I have so far…I think its about 8 minutes worth of talking.

Planning Commission Hearing November 20th 2008  – Washington Blocks  -  Levi Benkert
Commissioners I want to thank you for taking the time to review the project we are proposing for the Washington neighborhood.

For the Record my name is Levi Benkert. I own LJ Urban, the developer for the project you see before you tonight.

You have heard all about LJ Urban’s vision for sustainable homes and building a walkable community in the Washington Neighborhood. You may have seen the Good project or read about it in the paper.

Many of you may have even been a little skeptical about the density and livability of this new type of housing. [Read more →]

It’s been a long time since we’ve talked about anything but GOOD – but the other pieces in the Washington neighborhood are still moving through various stages of getting approval, so it’s high time we share them!  One of the biggest challenges currently is figuring out what makes a building “compatible” with the neighborhood.  Most people are thinking about the Victorians on 3rd and 4th Streets, but we also have to account for the super modern Ziggurat and STRS.  You can’t make a 30 unit condo building look like a Victorian and the planners aren’t going for anything modern, so how do we find a great building in the middle?  Our architects at Myhre Group have turned out this design for our Simple project at 4th and G St.  that we love with stone and exposed cedar to help warm it up.  What do you think?

Steve