Alchemist

I’m very excited about the 12th Street Market. We at Alchemist have been juggling with the idea of a coop coffee shop or café that allows for a mixed-use site that would serve the community. We also want a site that will allow us to help support entrepreneurs in the community. We’ve had some grand ideas about how we might be able to find a historic building on or near Twelfth Street that would house a business, at least one apartment, and space for education and support for business skills and entrepreneurship.

After meeting with community members at the Alchemist sponsored community design meeting, we found support for the coffee shop idea which confirmed earlier research, but there was also a very strong interest in having a market in the community where people could buy fresh produce, environmentally friendly products and healthy food. An idea started brewing that went beyond just coffee and buildings. We could start with a community marketplace in the near future, if we could find a community space indoors or outdoors near 12th Street. We would provide spaces for community members to sell fresh fruit and vegetables and other products that promote healthy eating and healthy communities.

The next step is to find a community space, and then find people inside or outside of the community who want to support the economic development of Alkali Flat. Working with the community on building a vibrant economy will benefit the downtown/midtown area. Having an exciting marketplace that will serve Alkali Flat and the surrounding downtown community will help bring energy back to a growing community.

If you are interested in learning more about the 12th Street Market concept and how you can share your talents to help invigorate the growing downtown/midtown area, please join us. We will be having a meeting soon on how we can find a community space and get the market going. For more information, contact Nancy Miller, lifeworkdesign@yahoo.com.

All are welcome, but you must RSVP to get on the guestlist for this private party! Send an email with your name and number of people in your party to http://www.alchemistcdc.org

For those who weren't there on Tuesday, we had a great "informal" board meeting. Erin Reshke and Todd Kelly came to pitch us some ideas about our fundraising party. Basically, Todd had an event set up already and he said we could raise the cover price and keep the proceeds. He was just looking for a non-profit to benefit from his largesse! Also, we planned to have an after party following his event to raise even more money. He has the spaces lined up, he has the artists, and he will provide the lighting and sound equipment. All we have to do is get liquor, a license, art and publicize the event! We were all really excited at the meeting and most of the difficult work has been taken care of for us already.

Meredith will work on getting a one day liquor license. Lisa and Wendy will work on a logo and statement about Alchemist to display at the event.

Alchemist CDC Board Meeting
Minutes August 8, 2006

Overview of Board Meeting

Committee Reports

The Advocacy committee meeting included:
Ethan Evans, Wendy Carter, Mary Helen, Kevin and Rebecca. Rebecca will check vacant lots by light rail to find out who owns them. Kevin is talking to RT to get other days free to ride the bus. Mary, Rebecca, Molly and Wendy went to a planning meeting for the city council. .

The Café committee included Nancy, John and Wendy.
Some of the questions discussed were how to go about starting a business in the Alkali Flat community. What is the business going to be? What can we do in the short term, and then long term to make it happen? The committee brainstormed ideas for the short term such as a farmer’s market with fresh fruit and vegetables that might bring people from the neighborhood and the capitol. We need to be responsive to the community. We can look at other successful models. This can be a catalyst to bring other businesses into the community.

The Fundraising committee meeting included Meredith and Wendy.
The committee suggested a party fundraiser with musicians, art and a DJ. People would pay at the door, possibly about $10, and buy their own beer and wine. We would have businesses donate. We can publicize with flyers. John will look into locations. Meredith will look into a beer & wine license. Lisa will check on a band and DJ. We can possibly have the party the next second Saturday which is Oct 14th . John and Meredith will continue to work on fundraising.

Special projects committee: Molly said that since there are no special projects at this time, she will help with the sustainable communities grant. Wendy will meet with Debra Ortiz to put the grant on the agenda. She will check with Bill Crouch on a contract.

Lisa recommended we change banks to Ironstone Bank because they don’t have fees and would be affordable for a small nonprofit. Wendy and Meredith will be the signers. Nancy witnessed the signature change.

Lisa completed the federal state and tax exemption forms. Rebecca made a motion to approve them. John seconded.

Fundraising: Wendy led the discussion on filling the board to twelve members. Need more discussion about fundraising and better connect to city politics. Wendy will check with the cooperative bank, and Molly will register with the government grant website.

We need a simplified message that we can put on flyers and use at fundraisers such as, “Making redevelopment work for low and moderate income residents in the central city.”

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Our recent workshop generated lots of great ideas for the Alkali and Mansion Flats neighborhood (stay tuned for the short and long version of the notes) - many of which we're excited about setting into motion.

In order to keep moving, we'll need to raise some funds in the very near future. This is where you come in. Yes, of course we'd love it if you wanted to donate to us. But, we also want your ideas. We need ideas for exciting fundraisers that can engage a lot of people, capture people's imaginations and raise a good amount of money with a minimal expense. Something catchy...a central city marathon of some sort maybe....Got a good idea? Send it to us! Thanks!

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Tuesday, May 2, 2006

Last week, Alchemist appeared at City Council to oppose the insane plans for Sacramento to expand into the flood plain of Natomas and offered some suggestions on how to accomodate new residents into the existing urbanzied areas of our city. Here's what was said:

Comments on Natomas Joint Vision, April 25, 2006

Good Evening Mayor Fargo and Members of the City Council:
My name is Wendy Carter, I live in the Alkali/Mansion Flats neighborhood, and Im here representing Alchemist, a non-profit community development organization.
As an organization committed to equitable and sustainable development in Sacramento, we must oppose any further action to develop the Natomas Joint Vision area. We believe that the resources both staff time and funding required to study and proceed with development - should be re-directed towards efforts in existing neighborhoods. We understand the need to plan for a growing population, but we dare to believe that this can be achieved primarily within the existing urbanized areas of the city.

To accomplish this, we propose three strategies:

Strategy 1: Dedicate more resources to neighborhood scale planning, and empower communities to take the lead. The idea of Form Based Codes has been so attractive to residents not only because it provides an avenue to protect historic neighborhoods, but because it includes a strong emphasis on public participation. Residents need to be able to define what they DO want, rather than having to spend all their energy fighting against what they dont want. With assurance that new growth will be respectful of the existing neighborhood, residents are much more likely to accept higher densities and new development. The current level of funding dedicated to form based codes is not adequate and the implementation plan is set too far in the future.

Strategy 2: Develop stricter policies and enforcement mechanisms related to vacant buildings and lots to reduce the incentive for speculation, which renders substantial quantities of city land unproductive, especially in older central city neighborhoods such as Alkali Flat and Oak Park.

Strategy 3: Make central city areas attractive to families by continuing to invest in safety, affordable housing, education and the arts.

By halting further development in the Natomas area, you will be taking a great step towards achieving the goals set by the Urban Environmental Accords, signed by Mayor Fargo this past weekend.

Thank you.

Tuesday, May 2, 2006

Alchemist welcomes four new board members: Rebecca Dowd, Nancy Miller, Sherrie Navarro and Meredith Nixon. These awesome women bring with them lots of experience and energy, and they'll be helping us chart the course for Alchemist's activities in the coming year. Stay tuned!

Chris Aguirre and Carl Pinkston have retired from the board; we miss them but appreciate their contributions to building this organization.

As for Lisa Nelson and Wendy Carter, we're still at it!
Love Sacramento? We want to keep you loving it!

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Alchemist on the move!

Hey friends of Alchemist! If you're on our mailing list, you'll soon be getting an update on some of our recent exciting activities! If you're not, then email us at info @ alchemistcdc.org. One of our most interesting and pressing projects is on Form Based Codes in the Alkali Flat neighborhood. Our unpaid staff and interns are working hard with the neighborhood association and the city to hold our first workshop to seek input from residents on how they want their neighborhood to develop. If you're wondering what Form Based Codes are, check out the The Form Based Codes Institute's resource list. Form-Based Codes create a predictable public realm by controlling physical form primarily, and land uses secondarily, through city or county regulations.

We are moving faster than the city on this one, and need your donations to help pay for basic supplies and materials for our first workshop. Are you willing to donate your time or money? You can donate securely on line at http://www.alchemistcdc.org/donate.php, send us a check (email back for the address), or email us at info @ alchemistcdc.org and we'll be in touch with you!