Hood Council Note: Comprehensive Plan-Volume I - Background Information

Volume I - Background Information
This report details the state of the hood before the storm.

Chapter 1 - Population and Demographics

The population was decreasing due to emmigration and low birthrates. The population is aging and there may not be enough of the younger generation to substain the hood in the future.

Chapter 2 - Land Use

Land was under very strict control. There are construction requirements and criteria for each street. McIntosh allows for up to three levels and is mostly commerical. Each residental streets have house value criteria and there are plenty of green spaces and parks.

Chapter 3 - Transportation

With the new BV deal, cars have been discouraged due to the small size of the neighborhood and easy walking distance to most places. Carpools and public taxis make transportation faster. There is an airport nearby, but residents must take a ferry to get there.

Chapter 4 - Housing

All sims have adequate housing. Even the lower valued homes are still great in terms of comfort. Mortgages allow for residents to obtain the home of thier dreams. There is little movement within the hood, most residents focus on improving thier home.

Chapter 5 - Economic Development

Unemployment is at record lows especially since Apple Valley gathers data on residents that manage thier own businesses (though technically unemployed, they gather income). Descretionary spending is low with most sims spending 50% or more of every simolean they make on household expenses and food.

Chapter 6 - Natural & Agricultural Resources

Currently there is one farm to provide food and fresh produce to the hood. Residents can buy food from other hoods, but must pay a delivery surcharge.

Chapter 7 - Parks & Open Space

Currently there are three parks to service residents: Celebration Park,
Children's Park and Botanical Gardens.

Chapter 8 - Historic & Cultural Resources

Currently no way to track or maintain historic or cultural resources in spite of Apple Valley's rich cultural history and long past.

Chapter 9 - Community Facilities (Police, Fire, Community, School)

Currently there is an unmanned police station (awaiting a police chief to occupy
the site) thus we must use SCPD. The hood uses SCFD for fire related emergencies
and the local Medical Centre for medical needs. There is a school for teenagers
as an alternative to SC's public school system. Currently there are a few
community lots for residents (The Pavilion and The Centre).

Chapter 10 - Utilities

Currently the community uses wind power and utilities from SC.

Chapter 11 - Intergovernmental Cooperation

Currently the hood is active in the SUN Core and has relationships with
other hoods.

Archives/Technology Note: Historical Society

The Historical Society met concerning awarding Historical Preservation Awards. These little plaques can be mounted outside the local for all to see.



Eligibility for Historical Preservation Award:
This award will recognize the best work in protecting a threatened historic property in Apple Valley. The historic property may be a building, structure, object, site or district. Commendable community and individual efforts such as advocacy, fund raising, creation of a protective ordinance, physical stabilization, and repair will be recognized.



Historical Preservation Award Criteria:
Nominations will be evaluated by the following criteria:
-The degree to which projects have overcome a significant, tangible threat to the historic resource (the type and degree of the threat to the property should be identified)
-The degree to which the project has successfully protected a historic resource from harm
-The degree to which efforts have been made to ensure the future protection of the property through fund raising, covenants, reuse, and rehabilitation plans or other measures

Hood Council Note: Party Areas

Residents are complaining about the lack of places to marry and throw parties in the hood. I propose that we install a wedding arch at the ballroom at The Centre and truly renovate that space to be a nice party facility. Currently the ballroom only occupies the second floor, but with the demolition of the courthouse, I believe we can turn the ballroom into a very nice amenity and many brides and grooms will love to visit the place and make it thier own. We can make it a two story venue, with the alter and wedding area downstairs (the layout can be moved into various ways-round, alter, etc) and the reception area upstairs (buffet tables, piano, DJ booth, tables and chairs, dance floor, cake & champagne table)

Hood Council Note: Budget

Should we publish the budget? Time moves by so slowly here in the hood and we keep a budget for each simweek. I suppose publishing it won't hurt-it will help residents realize where the money is going and how much things cost. That would help residents be more trusting of the hood council and our desicions to better the hood.

Hood Council Note: Dyanamics of Hood

The hood is changing, it's getting smaller as more sims decide not to return after college, emigrate to other hoods or simply leave. Also residents having fewer children. This change is not a bad thing as the hood wants to stabilize and focus on the charm of small town living. Many other residents have applied for emigration and are currently waiting on external things-like promotions, children reaching certain ages and such before they leave.



With the population decreasing, do we have a need for multi-family housing? There are still sims that desire the convenience of living on McIntosh and walking to work and entertainment areas-they don't want the traditional single family homes. But is multi-family living the way to go? Or should we encourage the building of single family townhomes. The Apple Valley Boarding House is still empty, there haven't been any boarders since it's existence and that lot is 3x2, perhaps it can be converted into a series of flats, but under what surname? Perhaps simply building a 2x2 home for downtown living is best and it can be rented-perfect for those just starting out. Except there are not too many sims just starting out (especially with the surname law). Most families are pretty well off and stable in their finances, there are only a few that have a lower income. Is our hood becoming elitist?



To counter-act the possibility of becoming elitist, I propose that we tear down the Apple Valley Boarding House and create a nice multi-sim living community. With 3-4 units, community gardens and direct access to the Celebration Park behind the lot, this multi-sim lot can be very beautiful and desired amoung younger sims returning from college, but not ready to move home yet due to circumstances. We'll have the surname be the name of the community (McIntosh Parque Place or simply Parque) for easy transmission of funds. We'll limit each unit to 2 sims each and limit the rental period to one season (6-7 simdays). Rental fees would cover garden maintaince and home maintaince. The rent would be low, less than $1000 each simweek (or $1000 the entire rental period).



The current townhome on McIntosh will be rebuilt into a single family townhome and then placed on the market for those sims desiring urban living, yet have more than 2 sims in thier family and desire to put thier roots down.



This would help out a few college graduates and sims that desire to stay in the hood, while their family desires to move elsewhere.