Joanne Lui / The Collegian
The area behind the Fresno State sorority and fraternity houses may have been nicknamed “Sin City,â€Â but residents of the neighborhood – actually called El Dorado Park – demonstrated on Saturday that hope is still very much alive for them.
The City of Fresno’s planning department met with people who live in and around El Dorado Park – including Fresno State students – to discuss what changes need to be made to revitalize an area that is rampant with crime and has the highest concentration of poverty in Fresno.
El Dorado Park – which spans the area between Bulldog Lane, Barstow Avenue, Sixth Street and First Street – has a history of problems with gangs, drugs, vandalism, robbery and slums neglected by landlords.
Last month, the City of Fresno approved $150,000 to develop a strategic plan for El Dorado Park. The city hired M.W. Steele, a company which specializes in renovating rundown neighborhoods.
The team from M.W. Steele and representatives from the city met with residents for five hours at Wesley United Methodist Church, which is located in the neighborhood, to discuss what new or renovated infrastructure could do for the problems that El Dorado Park faces.
Plans could include new roads, parks, apartment buildings, townhouses and community centers. Participants in the meeting were asked to draw on maps of the neighborhood, detailing exactly what they would like the area to look like. Some Fresno State students advocated more open roads, since El Dorado Park is currently an isolated neighborhood full of dead end streets.
Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) President Juan Pablo Moncayo, who served as a facilitator at the event, worked with city leaders to ensure a Fresno State presence at the meeting, since upwards of 3,000 students live in the Greek houses and apartment complexes near El Dorado Park.
“This is part of a big picture vision that we have and that a lot of people on campus have,â€Â Moncayo said, “which is to address the major safety and infrastructure issues of the west side of campus.â€Â
Crime is so bad in the area that managers in a nearby student complex asked ASI representatives not to leave fliers advertising the meeting on doors because they would indicate to criminals that residents might not be home.
“There is an opportunity for students to be a part in the revitalization of this [neighborhood],â€Â Moncayo said. “The opportunity for bridge building between our residents and this area for the sake of security, I think, is really great.â€Â
Representatives from several nearby fraternities and sororities were present at the meeting. Chris Frank, a junior viticulture major and former president of Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) fraternity, echoed Moncayo̢۪s sentiments.
“We recently did a community service committee to help specifically in this area,â€Â Frank said. “We’re going to try to go the inter-fraternity council and try to talk to them and get a big Greek presence in helping this community.â€Â
Frank said that the inter-fraternity council wanted to help in the neighborhood last year by picking up trash, but police told them it would be too dangerous.
AGR is the only fraternity whose house is actually located in El Dorado Park. Members have had problems with cars being broken into, drug dealers selling out of the AGR parking lot, vandalism and even an intruder coming into the house and pulling a gun on a member.
M.W. Steele will take the ideas from the meeting and design several different plans for El Dorado Park. After that, more meetings will be held for residents to debate and help decide on the best course of action.
Frank is not sure that the plan will actually be put into action.
“I wonder who’s going to pay for it,â€Â he said “I wonder what difference it’s going to make.â€Â
Keith Bergthold, assistant planning director for the City of Fresno, said the important thing is for advocates to keep working towards the plan becoming a reality. Though total revitalization of El Dorado Park may take 10 to 20 years, Bergthold thinks that once the process gets started, then private investors will follow into the neighborhood.
“If this community has a newly adopted specific plan … even the community can go lobby in Sacramento and Washington for money,â€Â he said. “They can come to the budget sessions each year at city council and ask for public infrastructure money and other types of public moneys that should accrue to this neighborhood.â€Â
Bergthold also thinks that students at Fresno State can play a big part in the long-term success of the project.
“Students can help advocate with the City of Fresno to stay in the game,â€Â he said. “This stuff never goes on autopilot. It can’t; that’s when it dies.â€Â
Anonymous • Feb 25, 2010 at 8:15 pm
I too once lived on San Ramon, and I now live in the same area and don’t like my present apartment, I would have stayed where I had lived if actually given a choice. I lived in this other apartment for 4 years and liked it, except for the vagabons that seem to think that they can take possession of what I owned, found, or purchased. One to the tenents east of sixth street told me that HE had every right to jump my fence to claim whatever he wanted. (I was told this after I noved from san ramon by two different people.) I had possion of a garage, a patio, and a food pantry and the rooms were bigger. I am also disabled and a senior citizen. Some Laocian people watched my place when I wasn’t home I think they are good people and some are not into the drug chain. I just wanted others to stop taking things that do not belong to them, unless they asked me for whatever they needed.
When I moved to San Ramon, the origional owner was to replase the washer and dryer, but NEVER did, and the second owner had a honeymoon affair with her new property and the bank required a new facelift in order it to be refinanced, then the honeymoon was over and the family said that they couldn’t afford to come from the Bay area to collect the rent, nor make annual repairs, then she defaulted on the loan and for eight months ontinued to pay my rent until I was informed about the situation. A friend tool me the hall of records to find some proof. I moved my things with a dolly and got burned with over charges to move what I couldn’t. I was in shock and had to spend four months recooperating from the change. I still am not on my feet with my enviornment. Some of these people seem to be in a drug culture or on another planet.
barblv • Feb 25, 2010 at 12:15 pm
I too once lived on San Ramon, and I now live in the same area and don't like my present apartment, I would have stayed where I had lived if actually given a choice. I lived in this other apartment for 4 years and liked it, except for the vagabons that seem to think that they can take possession of what I owned, found, or purchased. One to the tenents east of sixth street told me that HE had every right to jump my fence to claim whatever he wanted. (I was told this after I noved from san ramon by two different people.) I had possion of a garage, a patio, and a food pantry and the rooms were bigger. I am also disabled and a senior citizen. Some Laocian people watched my place when I wasn't home I think they are good people and some are not into the drug chain. I just wanted others to stop taking things that do not belong to them, unless they asked me for whatever they needed.
When I moved to San Ramon, the origional owner was to replase the washer and dryer, but NEVER did, and the second owner had a honeymoon affair with her new property and the bank required a new facelift in order it to be refinanced, then the honeymoon was over and the family said that they couldn't afford to come from the Bay area to collect the rent, nor make annual repairs, then she defaulted on the loan and for eight months ontinued to pay my rent until I was informed about the situation. A friend tool me the hall of records to find some proof. I moved my things with a dolly and got burned with over charges to move what I couldn't. I was in shock and had to spend four months recooperating from the change. I still am not on my feet with my enviornment. Some of these people seem to be in a drug culture or on another planet.
Jared Harper • Oct 4, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Sorry pal. It is not gonna happen. Look at the pic, those silly kids are just playing Monopoly. They took off with the program that was supposed to revitalize your hood and they cashed in, they did not let you stop at go to collect $200, rather they made you wait there and think the $200 was coming on its way, and there you are still waiting.
Not to mention the next step by the university might be to buy out all those apartment complexes, demolish them, and build Campus Pointe II, but shhhh…..you didnt hear the spilled beans from me. Its already in their Master Plan well after the one they have now is complete. beware poor, disabled and the colored people of this campus community, they will come to take you out of the way all in the name of progress, then you can go join the west side or motel drive in their slum shacks. Public education is being sold off by the acre, and privatized by the Welty and CSU business mafia.
Jared Harper • Oct 4, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Sorry pal. It is not gonna happen. Look at the pic, those silly kids are just playing Monopoly. They took off with the program that was supposed to revitalize your hood and they cashed in, they did not let you stop at go to collect $200, rather they made you wait there and think the $200 was coming on its way, and there you are still waiting.
Not to mention the next step by the university might be to buy out all those apartment complexes, demolish them, and build Campus Pointe II, but shhhh…..you didnt hear the spilled beans from me. Its already in their Master Plan well after the one they have now is complete. beware poor, disabled and the colored people of this campus community, they will come to take you out of the way all in the name of progress, then you can go join the west side or motel drive in their slum shacks. Public education is being sold off by the acre, and privatized by the Welty and CSU business mafia.
robert winchester • Oct 2, 2009 at 11:10 pm
i live in sin city for 14 years and i was just wondering when this program starts am disabled
and i have no way of moving nor a place to move too. is there going to be some type of asistance for people like me and where do people that lived here for years that have come to call this place a home that you guys call hell . yes am not going to sugar coat this many of the years have been not so good but back in the 80s i lived here it was the same but who named this area sin city don’t you think the name is the problem . not the people some of us are here to live and not do drugs or gang bang or robb and yes the land lords do not take care of there propritys by making updates and changing things on there units . i live in a housing authority apartment four plex . i feel the root of money and disregared of human morals is the problem thats why we suffer this is a beautful area but land lords and the commuity has let us down provity and jobless and eldery need more than to be put on the back burner we came here we did not bring this every time there is good some how the land lords bring back the trouble so how can we fight this . and maybe when the games for fresno state come can we get more support on street crimes that come from other area’s of town not to point fingers most of the crimes are here to watch the games .i ‘ve had visiters from the game take from me a cell phone and my girl friends purce and my keys to my car . in day light on san ramon so come on we must take responceblity for or actions .
robert winchester • Oct 3, 2009 at 6:10 am
i live in sin city for 14 years and i was just wondering when this program starts am disabled
and i have no way of moving nor a place to move too. is there going to be some type of asistance for people like me and where do people that lived here for years that have come to call this place a home that you guys call hell . yes am not going to sugar coat this many of the years have been not so good but back in the 80s i lived here it was the same but who named this area sin city don’t you think the name is the problem . not the people some of us are here to live and not do drugs or gang bang or robb and yes the land lords do not take care of there propritys by making updates and changing things on there units . i live in a housing authority apartment four plex . i feel the root of money and disregared of human morals is the problem thats why we suffer this is a beautful area but land lords and the commuity has let us down provity and jobless and eldery need more than to be put on the back burner we came here we did not bring this every time there is good some how the land lords bring back the trouble so how can we fight this . and maybe when the games for fresno state come can we get more support on street crimes that come from other area’s of town not to point fingers most of the crimes are here to watch the games .i ‘ve had visiters from the game take from me a cell phone and my girl friends purce and my keys to my car . in day light on san ramon so come on we must take responceblity for or actions .