City planning staff and neighborhood partners presented a draft Sulphur Springs Neighborhood Action Plan that outlines a vision, eight themes and a near-term implementation playbook intended to guide public- and private-sector work in the neighborhood.

Lauren O'Neill, senior planning coordinator, told the council the plan is the product of nearly a year of engagement including two formal workshops, nontraditional engagement at neighborhood events, two rounds of online surveys and more than 400 one-on-one conversations with residents, stakeholders and city departments. Staff summarized the eight themes as: beautification, social capital, natural-resources protection, vacancy and redevelopment, affordable housing, streets and sidewalks, parks and river access, and history and culture.

The draft playbook recommends roughly 10 priority actions for the first year, including formation of a community advisory body, formal partnerships with city departments and nonprofits, targeted affordable-housing strategies (both preservation and new units), targeted public-realm investments to improve walking and biking connections and safety, food-hub and fresh-food initiatives, activation and improvement of Sulphur Springs Park and the Sulphur Springs Pool, public-art investments to strengthen neighborhood character, and a focus on workforce and economic opportunity for local residents.

Council members praised the depth of outreach and pressed for stronger, longer-term funding commitments and anti-displacement measures. Several members urged measures to protect existing residents and to prioritize job creation and home-preservation approaches rather than displacement through market-driven redevelopment. "We need to have a robust government agenda with the state, federal and local partners to invest in this area," Councilman Clendenin said.

Staff requested council's endorsement to finalize the plan and to move into Phase 3, which includes revision, funding pursuit and an implementation sequence; staff said they anticipate several early, near-term actions will be underway within 12 months and that many items are targeted for a five-year implementation window.

Public comment largely supported community-led implementation and asked for clarity on funding and accountability. Residents and community organizations urged that investments result in jobs for local residents and that existing tenants and homeowners be protected as the plan moves to implementation.

Why it matters

Sulphur Springs has a concentration of poverty and a legacy of underinvestment; the plan is intended as a road map for coordinated investments that preserve cultural identity while upgrading basic infrastructure, parks and services. Council members and community speakers repeatedly stressed that safeguards and funding mechanisms will determine whether improvements benefit current residents.

Provenance

The Sulphur Springs presentation began at the start of the item introduced by Interim Planning Director Evan Johnson and the draft plan overview by Lauren O'Neill; the item concluded with public comment and council discussion and a staff request to return with a finalized plan after Phase 3 public review.