NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT MEETING FOR COLE CREEK/ORCHARD PARK JUNE 2
May 12, 2009
May 12, 2009
NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT MEETING FOR COLE CREEK/ORCHARD PARK JUNE 2
OMAHA – Are you interested in keeping Cole Creek and Orchard Park clean? Are you willing to volunteer your time to help make it happen?
The Benson-Ames Alliance is seeking individuals, families and organizations interested in learning more about forming a new neighborhood association in the area surrounding Cole Creek near Roncalli Catholic High School and Orchard Park. The group is hosting an informational meeting Tuesday, June 2, at Roncalli from 6:30 to 8:00PM. The event is free and open to the public.
Cole Creek, part of the city’s local floodplain system, begins south of Sorensen Parkway and flows into the Little Papillion Creek near the intersection of 78th and Cass. It’s the subject of a pilot project that seeks to stabilize the creek for flood and erosion control, improve its water quality and enhance the recreational use of nearby Orchard Park.
The project area, a $1.6 million investment in the Ames sector of the Benson-Ames Alliance, runs from Sorensen Parkway to Orchard Park. The project partners hosted an informational open house April 21, and one of the ideas that surfaced was organizing a neighborhood association to help protect the investment. The residential area immediately surrounding the project site is not currently served by a neighborhood association.
“A neighborhood association can be a powerful tool in addressing local concerns,” said Troy Arthur, vice chair of the Benson-Ames Alliance (B-AA) Steering Council. The B-AA is bordered by Western Avenue on the south, Sorensen Parkway on the north, Saddle Creek Road/Fontenelle Boulevard on the east and 72nd Street on the west. It’s currently home to seven registered neighborhood associations and would welcome an eighth, Arthur said.
Residents who demonstrate a commitment to neighborhood improvement can receive support from a number of local organizations, including the Neighborhood Center and Keep Omaha Beautiful. Keep Omaha Beautiful, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2009, works with organized groups to help clean, beautify and maintain a park near their geographic area. The Cole Creek project site runs through Orchard Park, which has not been adopted.
For more information about the June 2 meeting, contact Omaha by Design at 402.554.4010 or info@omahabydesign.org.