The Year in Review
The Associated Residents of
Sequoyah Highlands (ARSH)
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
ARSH Leadership, 1
The ARSH Board officers are elected by
general vote. Current officers are:

President Mahlon Harmon

Vice President Tom DeBoni

Secretary Keisha Nzewi

Treasurer Roger Radius
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
ARSH Leadership, 2

Board Advisors / Associates
 Volunteer advisors
 Newsletter editor

Board Meetings (bi-monthly)
 Discuss neighborhood issues
 Plan events
 Publish the newsletter
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 1
Community Building
 Our Primary Goal for 2009

Obstacles



Geography
“Don’t want to get involved”
Incentives


Social cohesiveness
Emergency mutual assistance
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 2
The Rock at Golf Links [Mahlon Harmon,
President]

Establishes our neighborhood identity

“Dresses up” entry end of our main street

A good excuse for a party (Thanks to the folks
on Elysian Place!)

Photos at www.sequoyahhighlands.org
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 3
National Night Out [Mahlon Harmon, President]
The Halloween Party [Keisha Nzewi, Secretary]
 Thanks to the folks on Donna Way!
 Photos at www.sequoyahhighlands.org
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 4
Rock Area

Cleanup, Plantings
[Sandra Marburg, Board Advisor]

Lighting
[Tom DeBoni, Vice President]

Holiday Rock Decorations
[Mahlon Harmon, President]
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 5
The Highlander Newsletter [Peg Farrell, Editor]

Three issues in 2009

More economical to deliver electronically

Content / ads always welcome!

Online at www.sequoyahhighlands.org
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 6
Welcome Wagon Project
[Keisha Nzewi, Secretary]
Membership / Donation Solicitation
[Roger Radius, Treasurer]
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 7
The ARSH Website [Tom DeBoni, Vice President]
 Contains everything we do, and lots we’d like
to do

Nothing sensitive (no photos of individual
homes; or lists of names, addresses, or email
addresses, etc.)

www.sequoyahhighlands.org
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 8
CORE Training [Peg Farrell]

Communities of Oakland Respond to
Emergencies

Free neighborhood-based, citizen-staffed
emergency response training

Demonstrated that communication is crucial
to safety

More info and class signups:
www.oaklandnet.com/fire/core
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 9
Online Neighborhood Survey

Sparked by CORE Training

Inventory of neighborhood
 residents, human, and animal
 skills, tools, facilities

Online at the ARSH website

Crucial information for emergencies
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 10
Communications / Notification Tree

September Knowland Park fire demonstrated
need

Telephone tree, email tree, web
announcements

Please tell us how we can contact you!
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 11
Oakland City Liaison

Lots of useful information

Services, names, phone numbers
Oakland Police Liaison

Lots more useful information

Advice, forms, names, phone numbers
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 12
Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC)

Police-citizen organization, run by citizens

Sequoyah Highlands is in Beat 35Y

Meetings held every other month
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 13
Neighborhood Watch Steering Committee

Police-citizen organization, run by police and
city

Meets every two or three months

A more complete Watch is needed for
Sequoyah Highland

Classes require a minimum of six attendees
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 14
Two potentially serious issues that are close
to us and worth discussion:

The Oakland Zoo’s planned expansion

The Oak Knoll Naval Hospital’s abandonment and
blight

We solicit your opinions on how we should represent
neighborhood interests in these matters
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Potentially Serious Issues, 1
Oakland Zoo Expansion [Stefanie Gandolfi & Sandra
Marburg, Board Advisors]

Land stewardship questions

Neighborhood input not sought or considered

Environmental impact not explored

Financial management questions not answered

Large structures on the hilltops

Light, noise pollution
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Knowland Park, now
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Zoo Expansion - Key Elements
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
17,000 sq. ft. veterinary hospital
Multistory visitor center/restaurant, education facilities,
administrative offices
Playground & campground
Gondola ride w/two terminals, 8 towers up to 60 ft. tall,
(total length 1,580 ft., vertical rise 330 ft.), 15 8-passenger
cars
(Shuttles for disabled access)
Naturalistic enclosures for indigenous animals including grizzly
bears, black bears, cougars, jaguars, wolves, bison, elk, eagles,
owls, & other raptors
Elevated walkways for viewing animal enclosures
Outdoor amphitheater
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Knowland Park, afterwards
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Knowland Park, afterwards
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Factors of Interest to Us, 1
Permanent
Loss of free access to open space, hiking, vistas
Traffic Impacts: Visitorship expected to double
Still only one main entrance & exit
 Delays due to increased traffic at the intersection of I-580, Mountain
Blvd., & GLR
 Potential bottleneck in event of emergency (second
exit on
opposite side for emergency evacuation)
Visual impacts: Gondola ride visible from I-580
Visitor center & terminal visible from Royal Oak
Auditory impacts: Noise from amphitheater,
playground, campground, visitor center
Machinery & equipment
Animals
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Factors of Interest to Us, 2
Temporary
Construction:
Heavy equipment including ATVs, helicopters,
cranes, drills, cement trucks, & excavators
Work including excavating, paving, pouring,
drilling, riveting, & hauling
Noise & dust, potential traffic & access issues
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Potentially Serious Issues, 2
Oak Knoll Watch [Sandra Marburg, Board Advisor]

Owner/developer declared bankruptcy

Blight and debris left when demolition stopped

Squatters living in buildings

No working fire hydrants on site

Brush not controlled

Police unwilling to patrol site
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Oak Knoll, 1
Dangerous materials
Defiant graffiti
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Oak Knoll, 2
Club Knoll was
considered a
beautiful period
building
It was slated for
preservation and
future use
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
Oak Knoll, 3
Demolition debris
Trashed structures
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2009 Activities, 15
Other things we monitored

Blight and illegal trash dumping

Parking and partying nuisances

Suspicious persons and solicitors

Criminality - burglary/theft, assault
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting
2010 Activities
We want to hear your opinions about:
 Our activities
 Our newsletter
 Our get-togethers
 Our involvements with other neighborhoods
 How we should represent our collective interests
in matters that affect us all
 How we can serve our neighborhood interests
2010 ARSH Annual Meeting