The Mulberry Street Association Success Story
Overview of Actions
A. The Issue
In 1999 owner/occupants were faced with yet another clean up in the aftermath of
Hurricane Floyd. Flooding by the Assumpink Creek has been a long and stubborn
problem for those who lived upon its banks.
Prior to the Hurricane Floyd event owner/occupants were stunned by the unveiling
of a Federal Project called Project Impact. Owner/occupants were stunned because
during Project Impacts unveiling it was announced that no resident would be displaced
and that a solution to the flooding problems that troubled this area was at hand.
Only to discover in newspapers weeks later that a portion of Mulberry Street would
be bought out and homes demolished.
After the Hurricane Floyd event Project Impact was expanded to include most of
Mulberry Street that borders the Assumpink Creek. At this point citizens had not
come together to form an association.
It was not until after owner/occupants started receiving the buy-out offers from
the government that dismay and concern arose. The initial buy-out offers were very
low and did not meet the governments own criteria of Mitigation. Which stated that
mitigation was NOT meant to make the owner/occupant whole, but allow them to recoup
most but Not All of their investment in property.
B. Organization: The Association
Most owner/occupants realizing that they alone could not deal with the maze of often
confusing and frustrating local and national procedures decided to form a collective
bargaining unit or association to address the buy-out issue.
Citizens met and voted upon the creation of the Mulberry Street Association and voted
in its executive board. This board consisted of a Chairman, Co-Chairman, Secretary,
Treasurer, and Sargent at Arms. The executive board then proposed to its members by-laws
which were voted upon and adopted. With monthly meetings and emergency meetings the
association next secure grant funding to run the association along with monthly dues collection.
The leadership's first assignment was to see if rather than removing homes that if a
flood control measure could be introduced to prevent flooding issues. This was turned
down being told it would be too costly to construct a flood prevention project upon
the Assumpink Creek. Having brought this back to its members the membership then
decided that its leadership would be the sole representatives in the buy-out process.
The leadership of MSA immediately made its presence known to local, state and federal levels
of government to inform them they were advocating for the owner/occupants of Mulberry Street involved
in the mitigation. Along with private meetings with state and federal levels of government it was
the leaderships responsibility to become involved with City Council locally and did so.
MSA tools used during this mitigation were local newspapers, local TV, and the World Wide Web.
This together with owner/occupants involvement made the difference in owner/occupants getting
an equitable buy-out one they felt more reflect the governments own criteria.
C. The Outcome
The Mulberry Street Association is an unique example of citizenry in action. By MSA's involvement
with other local civic associations through the Trenton Council of Civic Associations. Owner/occupants
were able to achieve an equitable buy-out. This long time flood prone community who helped each other
in good and bad times proves that citizens can make a difference.
Today MSA members are now out of harms way and never have to go through the ordeal of flooding issues.
This website is testimony to the efforts of the owner/occupants of Mulberry Street when faced with the
demise of their community they came together in peace and harmony and sought an equitable solution they all
had to faced. Together they achieve what no single owner/occupant could on their own.
And the story does not end here. This website shall also cover the result of this mitigation which is the
demolition of Mulberry Street till the construction of the park. Currently demolition is held up by the bonding
of the company charged with the demolition.
In 1999 owner/occupants were faced with yet another clean up in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd. Flooding by the Assumpink Creek has been a long and stubborn problem for those who lived upon its banks.
Prior to the Hurricane Floyd event owner/occupants were stunned by the unveiling of a Federal Project called Project Impact. Owner/occupants were stunned because during Project Impacts unveiling it was announced that no resident would be displaced and that a solution to the flooding problems that troubled this area was at hand. Only to discover in newspapers weeks later that a portion of Mulberry Street would be bought out and homes demolished.
After the Hurricane Floyd event Project Impact was expanded to include most of Mulberry Street that borders the Assumpink Creek. At this point citizens had not come together to form an association.
It was not until after owner/occupants started receiving the buy-out offers from the government that dismay and concern arose. The initial buy-out offers were very low and did not meet the governments own criteria of Mitigation. Which stated that mitigation was NOT meant to make the owner/occupant whole, but allow them to recoup most but Not All of their investment in property.
B. Organization: The Association
Most owner/occupants realizing that they alone could not deal with the maze of often confusing and frustrating local and national procedures decided to form a collective bargaining unit or association to address the buy-out issue.
Citizens met and voted upon the creation of the Mulberry Street Association and voted in its executive board. This board consisted of a Chairman, Co-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sargent at Arms. The executive board then proposed to its members by-laws which were voted upon and adopted. With monthly meetings and emergency meetings the association next secure grant funding to run the association along with monthly dues collection.
The leadership's first assignment was to see if rather than removing homes that if a flood control measure could be introduced to prevent flooding issues. This was turned down being told it would be too costly to construct a flood prevention project upon the Assumpink Creek. Having brought this back to its members the membership then decided that its leadership would be the sole representatives in the buy-out process.
The leadership of MSA immediately made its presence known to local, state and federal levels of government to inform them they were advocating for the owner/occupants of Mulberry Street involved in the mitigation. Along with private meetings with state and federal levels of government it was the leaderships responsibility to become involved with City Council locally and did so.
MSA tools used during this mitigation were local newspapers, local TV, and the World Wide Web. This together with owner/occupants involvement made the difference in owner/occupants getting an equitable buy-out one they felt more reflect the governments own criteria.
C. The Outcome
The Mulberry Street Association is an unique example of citizenry in action. By MSA's involvement with other local civic associations through the Trenton Council of Civic Associations. Owner/occupants were able to achieve an equitable buy-out. This long time flood prone community who helped each other in good and bad times proves that citizens can make a difference.
Today MSA members are now out of harms way and never have to go through the ordeal of flooding issues. This website is testimony to the efforts of the owner/occupants of Mulberry Street when faced with the demise of their community they came together in peace and harmony and sought an equitable solution they all had to faced. Together they achieve what no single owner/occupant could on their own.
And the story does not end here. This website shall also cover the result of this mitigation which is the demolition of Mulberry Street till the construction of the park. Currently demolition is held up by the bonding of the company charged with the demolition.
