Rehabilitating Eastside Neighborhoods & Key Corridors

For the purposes of this paper we define the “eastside” as the area bounded by Turner Road on the north, Highway 99 on the east, Kettleman Lane on the south and the railroad tracks on the west.

In the late 1990s the eastside of Lodi received a limited effort of revitalization through the landscaping, lighting and beautification along Cherokee Lane. Much more needs to be done. It is along Cherokee Lane, perhaps more than anywhere else in Lodi, a Redevelopment Agency can have a tremendous and significant impact. Economic investment is needed to clean-up deteriorating and blighted properties. Needed investment will improve upon, and hopefully reverse the predictable deterioration of surrounding neighborhoods now slipping into urban decay.

Mixed use of new retail, commercial and offices will raise property values, create jobs and improve the appeal of neighborhoods to the west of Cherokee. As this area is in a tax-producing deficit compared to Lodi’s other commercial areas, the City should consider incentives for development such as greatly reduced impact fees to attract investment. Or, even more stringent measures such as limiting or restricting various commercial formats to the Central Avenue, Lodi Avenue or Cherokee Lane corridors. This fall the City will begin planning Lodi Avenue improvements. Considerations must include projected needs of a growing multi-cultural population, and enhancing the economic appeal of the key corridor.

Cherokee Lane remains today one of the important entry-points or gateways into Lodi. Cherokee is the first impression visitors have of our community when exiting from highway 99. Their first impression is not indicative of the community as a whole. Therefore the eastside must receive the focus of not only redevelopment, but the focus of general, overall community improvements.

Central Avenue is a well-kept mixed use neighborhood surrounded by peoples of different cultures. The businesses along Central reflect a strong Hispanic influence. The retail mix is diverse with several very unique retail offerings. The
businesses would like to see more Lodians from the Westside of Lodi come shopping in their stores and eating in their restaurants.

It is believed to continue and build upon the eclectic feel and business mix would be a worthwhile endeavor; more businesses of a unique nature would be a boost to the specialty shops on Central. An increasing number of businesses would create more attraction to the neighborhood from west Lodi. The international flavor could lead to a “shopping-bazaar” experience, having a greater pull for all people, no matter their ethnicity. Infrastructure investment with street beautification can be a first step in creating incentive for private investment for development.

Businesses do not want to be worried about the safety of their business, employees and customers. The neighborhood needs greater city services. The eastside has gang problems that grip the people with fear. Some forward thinking eastside residents want a greater presence of uniformed police, perhaps a police substation located near Central Avenue. Many people walk to get around on the eastside. The pedestrian auto interface on Central has some people concerned about safety and should be studied for a time when increasing numbers of people come to the avenue.

Community policing practices, offering housing incentives for police and fire personnel to live in the neighborhoods on the eastside have shown to be an effective way to reduce crime and have a positive influence to at-risk neighborhoods. There are many creative ways to introduce more police presence into the eastside. It is the most severe crime prone area of Lodi. We must move soon to reclaim these neighborhoods from dangerous gangs and return them to families and productive citizens. We contend that creative methods of economic development and job creation will help tremendously in this fight to reclaim these neighborhoods. The Job Resource Center is an example of one strategy (see Economic Development White Paper).

City infrastructure is in need of repair on the eastside. Many alleys are in need of repair as they are handling much more traffic than they were designed to service. City sewer lines are in disrepair. We bring these to community attention for if and or when we begin spending redevelopment dollars on the eastside we want to insure the investments are not built upon old decaying infrastructure.

One area that may be lacking on the eastside compared to the Westside of Lodi are city parks. The City might want to look for any land they might develop into a park. The ethnic populations of Lodi are big users of city parks for sports and family activities. Lawrence and Hale parks are sometimes scary places known for crime and not safe for families.

In conclusion, the eastside of the community has many needs and “cries-out” for a redevelopment agency. The eastside as a whole must be seen as the top priority and most worthy / needy recipient of those dollars claimed through incremental property tax gain. Any city, Lodi included, is faced with “shoring up” its needy neighborhoods. It is the great cities that recognize these difficulties as challenges to be overcome, rise to the occasion, sustain the neighborhoods and have them become once again vital contributors to the City’s future and not in anyway detract from it.