City of SSF is planning to take away our only Old Town playground, Cypress Park, as well as open green areas at Pine and parking lots. SSF has received MILLIONS in developer impact fees, without benefit to community of Old Town (Downtown) that has been the most affected. Old Town area has been historically under resourced and underrepresented for many generations and directly affected by the welcoming of biotech industry, without receiving any direct benefit to an already disadvantaged community.

PLEASE ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO PARKS THROUGH THE USE OF IMPACT FEES COLLECTED AND IN PREVENTING FURTHER HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS THAT HAVE DESTROYED THE HISTORICAL CHARACTER AND CHARM OF OLD TOWN and HAVE NOT PROVIDED ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 

OLD TOWN HAS TAKEN THE BRUNT OF HIGH RISE BUILDINGS FOR BIOTECH'S BENEFIT WITHOUT CONSIDERATION FOR RESIDENT'S HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THERE WAS NO CONSIDERATION IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING (CADENCE COMPLEXES - ZERO AFFORDABLE UNITS!), DENSE CONSTRUCTION (OVERBURDENING AREA), OVERCROWDING, LACK OF SETBACK CONSIDERATIONS (E.G. OBSTRUCTING NATURAL SUNLIGHT - MILLER AVE COMPLEX), LACK OF YOUTH/SENIOR SERVICES, LACK OF LATINX CULTURAL RECOGNITION AS CONTRIBUTORS TO SSF'S ECONOMY, PROSPERITY & RICH HISTORY.

PLEASE HELP TO ADVOCATE IN KEEPING CHILD PLAYGROUND, REQUESTING YOUTH/SENIOR SERVICES AND IN PROMOTING CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAMS.

Cypress/Pine Playground is in need of age-appropriate and safe play structures, i.e.  infant swings, age appropriate play structures, a full-size basketball court, trees, etc. At present time, there exists only one working teen-age swingset in entire playground. Unacceptable!

Pine Green Lot (Pine & Linden) is SACRED GROUND for our community. YOUTH are innocently born into area that lacks equitable opportunities. Youth who tragically lost their lives should be honored and memorialized with dignity and respect and memorial trees should be properly cared. A gazebo with garden/bench seating and additional trees would bring cultural and tradition to a vibrant predominant Latinx community that would bring much needed pride and sense of belonging to residents and community who have faced many PREJUDICES over the years.

SENIOR CITIZENS lack a safe place for socialization and outdoor recreational area, as well as local artists in providing beautification and promoting their artwork.

The community is in need of a YOUTH PROGRAM/SERVICE CENTER AND A COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER. Our only facility is the poorly maintained Boys & Girls Club, which only offers a limited under-resourced school program and not a full-service nor community wide. There is a lack of outreach, resources and services for non-English speakers, as well as for struggling local businesses, many of which are small family owned.

Old Town has been DISCRIMINATED with knowledge of being at a disadvantage with known barriers and challenges, i.e. non-English speaking, lack of  computers/internet, resources, transportation/mobility challenges, and not having adequate & proper outreach and notifications.

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT KEEPING CYPRESS/PINE PLAYGROUND, REQUEST IMPROVEMENTS AT PINE LOT, I.E. GAZEBO PARK, PREVENT FURTHER OVERBURDENING AREA OF UNAFFORDABLE HIGH RISE BUILDINGS; MAINTAIN PARKING LOTS FOR COMMUNITY USE, AND RENOVATE ARMOUR LOT FOR COMMUNITY USE