"Renaissance" - To be born anew. Websters New World Dictionary, 4th Edition
Land Park is considered one of Sacramento's finest neighborhoods, long known for its quiet leafy streets, lovely homes and friendly easy-going ambiance. It is home to young families, savvy urbanites, busy middle-aged homeowners and a goodly number of senior residents, many of whom have raised their families here.
Since it was formed almost 20 years ago, the Land Park Community Association has been the principal neighborhood organization for Land Park. Since then, the LPCA has performed some functions well, such its annual "Taste of Land Park" wine-tasting fundraiser. The LPCA, however, has not realized its full potential to be an effective community organization. Instead, it has become a largely insular group with a narrow view of its mission and little ambition to energetically serve Land Park. It is an organization sorely in need of new energetic leadership.
During this past year, the LPCA has struggled. The new contingent of directors elected in a board shake-up last Spring has been championing new initiatives and seeking to implement organizational reforms, such as a Transparency Proposal to open up the LPCA to broader participation by its members . These proposals have been frequently stymied by deadlocked tie votes.
Land Park is facing new challenges: growing concern over crime, increased traffic congestion and a controversial proposal to move the Zoo out of Land Park. We are also facing the specter of economically challenged commercial corridors, such as Freeport Boulevard and Broadway. There is also a desire among many residents for more opportunities for social interaction- for our children, our families, our seniors, for everyone.
With the LPCA often preoccupied with internal discord, opportunities are being missed and challenges are not being adequetly met. We seek to bring fundamental change and reforms to the LPCA, to make it stronger, more cohesive and more effective in serving our neighborhood. What we propose is a new beginning for the LPCA: an LPCA Renaissance.
We ask you to join us in this effort to give Land Park the community organization it richly deserves. In this blog, you can view the first round of reform proposals that we are championing. Please feel free to post your comments and join this dialogue on the future course of the LPCA and Land Park. If you would like to lend your support to these efforts or wish to discuss them, please e-mail us at ckpinsacto@aol.com