by Bailey White
Staff Writer
Downtown retailers met with members of Downtown Vision, Inc. Tuesday afternoon to discuss issues facing property and business owners in the neighborhood.
On the agenda were programs to improve the public’s perception of downtown parking and tools to brighten downtown’s appearance.
In an effort to improve downtown’s perspective as a clean and safe place, DVI has come up with the Good Neighbor Program, which seeks to unify merchants in an effort to maintain a clean and safe environment. It’s essentially an adopt-a-block program in which retailers would form groups and establish a “block captain” who would oversee work in their specific area. Then the groups will work together to pick up any trash near their property and solve any other cleanliness issues affecting their block.
“This will raise the numbers to get everyone supporting downtown’s perception as being a clean and safe neighborhood,” said Joe Snowberger, DVI’s director of operations, adding the program blends ideas from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Neighborhood Watch Program and similar programs started by the City’s Neighborhoods Department.
“It’s also about getting to know your neighbors and knowing what’s going on in your block,” said Terry Lorince, executive director of DVI.
Both groups also hope to clarify rules regarding responsibility of sidewalk maintenance, whether for trash clean-up or repairs.
“There’s an issue of who owns the sidewalks,” said Lyn Briggs, DVI’s director of marketing. “We’d like to get people to take ownership.”
The retailers in attendance were optimistic about the program, and Ginger Readion, co-owner the London Bridge Pub summed up their attitude.
“We’re 100 percent behind anything positive happening downtown,” said Readion.