BHNA 101: A Brief History of the Bluff Heights Neighborhood

Transcription

1 BHNA 101: A Brief History of the Bluff Heights Neighborhood May 16, 2012

2 Agenda Opening Remarks & 2012 BHNA Officers Bluff Heights Map & BHNA Mission Reports from: the 2nd & 3rd Council Districts; Police Dept. (East Div.) July 4, 2012 Celebration/Block Party Updates Immanuel Church Adaptive Reuse Project Updates: Mann School, Bike Blvd. & Bixby Park Grounds to Grapes Neighborhood Walking Tour BHNA 101: A Brief History of the Bluff Heights Neighborhood Q&A

3 2012 BHNA Officers John Thomas Bill Garlin Frank Ginipro Antonio Cruz Christine Votava Debbie Gray President Secretary/Treasurer Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member

4 Map & Mission The Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association is a non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to community building, education, historic preservation, public safety, neighborhood beautification and thoughtful growth designed to enhance the quality of life among its residents.

5 Reports from the 2nd & 3rd Council Districts Long Beach City Council District 2 - Suja Lowenthal Long Beach City Council District 3 - Gary DeLong

6 Report from the Police Department East Division Commander Mike Beckman

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8 July 4, 2012 Celebration/Block Party Update Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 4 from 12:30 6PM Latest Block Party Planning Meeting was held on May 15 th This event cannot be accomplished without the generous volunteer help, support and donations from Bluff Heights residents and our local businesses To volunteer, sponsor or donate (we urgently need all 3!), just info@bluffheights.org or call (562) Even more details on our activities will be provided on an upcoming post card mailer and on our BHNA website and Facebook page please check back often for updates!

9 July 4, 2012 Celebration/Block Party Schedule Opening Ceremonies (12:30pm) Patriotic Pooch Parade (12:50-1:00pm) Potluck Picnic and BBQ (All Day) Bike Rodeo (1:00pm) Dunk Tank (1:30pm) Water Balloon Toss (1:30pm) Bubble-Gum Blowing Contest (2:00) Chili Tasting Contest - free (2:00-5:00pm) Cake Walk (2:30pm) Watermelon Eating Contest (3:45pm) Limbo Contest (4:30pm) Opportunity Drawing (All Day) Closing Ceremonies (5:30-6:00pm) Plus: Long Beach Fire Department Truck Demo (TBD),Crafts, Face Painting, Music, Vintage Bike & Car Showcase and Much More!

10 July 4, 2012 Celebration/Block Party Sponsorship Proposal

11 Immanuel Church Adaptive Reuse Project

12 Immanuel Church Adaptive Reuse Project (cont d.) Background Objective Latest Status Next Steps

13 Horace Mann Elementary Update The latest school happenings from Christine Votava: The school will host Open House Night and our Spring Scholastic Book Fair this month We can always use volunteers and donations! Important Dates for May: May 24 Open House Night 6-8 P.M. May 24 Scholastic Book Fair 6-8 P.M. May 25 Scholastic Book Fair 2-4 P.M. May 28 Memorial Day, No School

14 Bike Long Beach & Bike Blvd. Update

15 Bixby Park Update

16 Grounds to Grapes Neighborhood Walking Tour Scheduled for Saturday, June 2 from 2PM 5PM Starts at Temple Coffee and ends at The Wine Crush (discounted beverages will be offered at both locations) It s BHNA 101 Live! Join BHNA President John Thomas and longtime resident & botanist Ken Yliniemi as we learn about more local history, then walk and explore beautiful examples of our neighborhood homes and gardens Look for details in the May BHNA enewsletter and e-blasts Tickets are $20 for BHNA members and $25 for non members; don t wait, space is limited to 30! To register, please log on to our website: and click on the PayPal link

17 Grounds to Grapes Neighborhood Walking Tour (cont d.)

18 BHNA 101 A Brief History of the Bluff Heights Neighborhood: Bluff Heights is a section of the Alamitos Beach Townsite which was originally planned by John W. Bixby in 1886 and annexed to Long Beach in The Pacific Electric Railway was originally located where Broadway now is, along the neighborhood s southern boundary. The Horace Mann Elementary School was originally built in 1914 to provide education for the children in the growing neighborhood. During this time of early 20th Century boosterism in Southern California, bold marketing tactics were utilized by real estate brokers and entrepreneurs to promote the sale of these sunny California lots to Mid-westerners seeking a warmer climate. Long Beach experienced an inordinate amount of new residents from the state of Iowa, resulting in the city s oft heard moniker of Iowa by the Sea. The area is predominantly Craftsman Bungalow, but in the early twenties, Spanish Colonial Revival and Prairie Style single-family and multi-family residences began to appear.

19 BHNA 101 (cont d.) A Brief History of the Bluff Heights Neighborhood (cont d): In the later twenties and thirties Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and Art Deco structures were built. During the late thirties, forties, and early fifties Neo-Traditional homes and apartment buildings began to appear. In the early to mid-eighties developers came into Long Beach, tearing down these older homes and building in their place 8 or 9 unit apartment buildings better known as cracker boxes. Before local residents realized what was happening, many neighborhoods were destroyed or on their way, having lost the wonderfully charming historic homes. The Bluff Heights neighborhood was saved, for the most part, by a group of residents who fought for down zoning, resulting in stopping further destruction of historic properties. By doing this over 600 contributing structures were saved, resulting in Bluff Heights becoming the 17 th historic district in Long Beach in 2004.

20 Q & A

21 Mark Your Calendars: Our Next Meeting is Currently Scheduled for August 2012