SACRAMENTO-
A grass roots master plan for South Sacramento was introduced Thursday at an empty lot off Stockton Boulevard by the non-profit Ubuntu Green, an organization that seeks to improve the lives of neighborhood residents.
South Sacramento residents who participated in a seven-day community brain storming session known as Charrette to develop the neighborhood master plan said input from residents is often an afterthought.
“Let’s find out from the community first, where do we need to make some policy or development changes? Neighbors should have a say,” Stephanie Francis, whose family has lived in the Oak Park and South Sacramento area for over sixty years, told FOX40.
The plan developed a wish list in the areas of public transit, walking and biking paths, energy conservation, urban agriculture, schools and housing.
The plan goes so far as developing conceptual drawings for family housing and a blue print for additional walking and biking paths.
The next phase will be to implement the plan, which was endorsed by a dozen non-profit community groups as well as residents.
“We have an advocacy tool that we can take to our elected officials and to agencies and to developers and say this is how we want our community to look as we move forward,” said Charles Mason, the founder and president of Ubuntu Green.
The plan already has the attention of several elected officials and planning agencies, which also took part in the Charrette.
