I’ve been watching the back and forth for over a year now on the issue of Latin American Youth Center using the JF Cook school. The neighborhood protested loudly beginning in June 2009 (see prior posts here, here, here, here, here, here. and here). We passed a resolution which you can read here. I was at the meeting in October 2009 when Mayor Fenty got an earful of community resentment and LAYC brought at least a dozen students, presumably to show us that the program breeds upstanding citizens, but the effect was to raise ire.
Last night at the BACA meeting, I spoke with Angie Rogers who’s been advocating for LAYC in the community, and I also spoke with Kate somebody, also with LAYC. I told them that while I was glad at their continued approach to reach out, I really didn’t see anything they could do at this stage to change hearts and minds around this issue. And though I am sympathetic to their outreach, I didn’t want to go against my neighbors, several of whom are loudly protesting against them. I still don’t. However, I do want to state some reasons why LAYC in the Cook School might be a good thing:
- That block is dark, and completely vacant on that site. The LAYC project will renovate the school and there will be constant activity there.
- The program has a high reputation and the kids are there because they want and need a change. Perhaps we could enter into a voluntary agreement that any youth in the program that are found to be creating problems in the neighborhood be removed.
- LAYC wants to be a part of the community and has already in the past participated in community improvement events.
- LAYC realizes it made a gross misstep by not presenting to the neighborhood immediately, but it has been trying to engage, listen, and work with us for the last year. What if we saw what compromises (other than losing the live-in component) could be made?
- What are the real alternatives? For at least years to come the school will be vacant and blighted as it is now.
I don’t know – I want to throw it out there. Is anyone willing to change his/her mind on this issue? I think if LAYC does get into the JF Cook School that they’ll be good neighbors. I’m happy to post any responses here in a separate post, or you can respond below.
Bates Area Civic Association 
Caryn – I have serious concerns about the future of the J.F. Cook and Slater Schools if they are to remain empty. With the city making huge budget cuts, I don’t see the city giving tax incentives or grants to developers to do huge developments on these properties. We may end up with yet another vacant school that is boarded up, deteriorating the quality of life in the community and encouraging crime and other activities.
Personally, I am glad that they are going to use the space. No matter what the community wishes, it is not going to magically turn into some sort of retail/community art space. It is just an old empty school. One of the main things our community stands together on is that we all want to see less crime. If someone doesn’t give kids the skills they need to actually get a real job, the kids have very few chances in life that are not criminal in nature. LAYC may make our neighborhood safer by occupying a dark and empty building and may make the city itself safer by nipping some early crimnal careers in the bud. Who knows? Just my two cents.
I didn’t have strong feelings either way. There are valid points to both sides. Geovani is right that an empty blighted school isnt what we want, and until NPR is moved and they get on the ball with the other projects on N. Capitol, the space probably wouldn’t become something “cool or hip”.
Im willing to give them a chance, but one chance only. As we all know, we have been the “last stop” for too many offenders who get dumped back in Ward 5 because no one else wants to deal with them. If we can be assured that if there is ANY type of problems with the students/school that it will dealt with as you suggest above, then as Ryan mentioned, maybe this is a chance for the students to get a better start in life . I hope I am right 🙂
I am far more upset with the City and the Major’s office, than I am with LAYC. While the introduction of LAYC to the Bates and Hanover Areas has been bumpy, the City government made it worse. I suspect that in the end, we will be stuck with LAYC and the new residents on the top floor of the Cook School. I do greatly value the lives and abilities of these young adults, but I can’t help but saying it is probably time to start making lemonade if we feel we have been stuck with lemons. I think if we hold LAYC and MPD to the highest standards, we can improve the safety in the area. We should be clear that we expect the best behavior from LAYC, SOME, and other services’ participants. We need to promote and publicize how these services monitor and police themselves. If LAYC is to be our new neighbor, we need to work quickly to make it work for everyone’s advantage. Finally, if LAYC is prohibited from using the property, we need to continue to mind Cook and Langston until WE find new interested parties. (Just some thoughts.)
I’ve pretty much kept my mouth shut on this issue, because I’ve only lived in the neighborhood (100 block of P Street NW) for a year and one week, and I’ve wanted to respect the wishes of long-time neighborhood residents. But I’m very willing to give the LAYC a chance. I live less than a block from the J.F. Cook site and, though I understand my neighbors’ concerns about over-saturation of social services in our neighborhood, my priority is to see the J.F. Cook site occupied.
The housing component is two-thirds of the proposal, if you take that off of the table, and after factoring in the operational requirements for YBPCS, what is left to compromise on? I haven’t seen any offers from LAYC beyond accepting community input on one room.
Mike, Where I see compromise is how they go about ensuring they will be a resource on combating neighborhood problems and not be a source of them. In this, I see great potential for collaboration. Honestly, might the residential component be good in that that block has constant presence day and night? And if they are working to monitor and provide security it could significantly reduce vagrancy and crime.