Community members continued discussions this week about how to improve Monroe Avenue, tossing around possible ideas and projects for the summer.
The Monroe Avenue Revitalization Coalition held a meeting on May 18 to discuss the results of a block-by-block assessment they completed on Monroe Avenue.
MARC started its revitalization efforts with a community survey that received over 1,000 responses in June 2024.
The coalition recently completed a months-long detailed evaluation of the two mile long corridor’s physical condition.
Neighbors, business owners and volunteers from the area took detailed notes and pictures as they walked along Monroe Avenue from Howell Street to Culver Road.
The coalition plans to present these ideas for improvements to several groups such as the city, the county and community groups. The group will also hold more community meetings in the future.
Emma Falkenstein, an associate planner with Highland Planning and a MARC volunteer, led the assessment with a goal of identifying opportunities for improvements.
“The big goal of the meeting is to translate ideas and experiences of Monroe Avenue into ideas for change,” Falkenstein said.
How to best improve Monroe Avenue?
During the meeting Falkenstein identified four main topics and several project ideas that community members could discuss and provide input on. The topics and projects included:
Residents weigh in with additional concerns, ideas
Residents of the Monroe Avenue area brought up several issues that needed to be addressed and improved on.
Lisa Jacques said she has attended neighborhood meetings for 21 years and always brings up the idea of planting more trees in the area.
“Between Meigs and Rowley Street there are zero trees and between Boardman and Oxford there are zero trees,” Jacques said. “On a hot day I would rather much walk down shady Park Avenue than hot, sunny, dirty Monroe Avenue.”
John Falcon said he was pleased that the community came together to discuss how to improve Monroe Avenue. For Falcon, his main topic of concern was public safety.
“It’s important that we get people, who are drug addicts or have mental health issues, the help they need so that we can walk down the street without worrying about being panhandled and things like that,” Falcon said.
—Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Monroe Avenue neighbors sketch out summer improvement plans for area
Reporting by Kerria Weaver, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
