Pleasant Ridge Community Council (PRCC)
On Thursday the interior walls for the bedrooms and bathrooms on the second floor were framed out, which was great news except for the fact that when I arrived on site to take pictures after work, no ladder was available to access the second level and observe the progress. I'll get up there this weekend and post some photos, but in the meantime, I thought I would share some of my thoughts from the Pleasant Ridge Community Council Meeting I attended earlier in the week.The PRCC holds its public council meeting the first Tuesday of every month (except for June and December) at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center, which is a convenient 0.1 mile walk away from the Starter Home 2.0 project. Curious about what is going on in the community and how I might be able to get involved in some of the efforts, I decided to walk over from the house and attend my first council meeting in 'The Ridge'. Pleasant Ridge is one of the smallest neighborhoods in the city of Cincinnati, but with such a strong and passionate home-ownership base, I wasn't all that surprised with the big turnout, but it was still nice to see such an active council and volunteer coalition, which I think bodes well for the future growth of the neighborhood.
Some of the items discussed at the council meeting included crime calls for service, an intro to free small business and start-up coaching services available to PR business owners, grassroots beautification and safety efforts in the neighborhood, and updates on the ongoing development of the business district. Overall, it was very informative and provided me with a boost of confidence and pride as a future resident of Pleasant Ridge.
The big takeaway for me from all of this as it relates to the Starter Home 2.0 project is the importance of home ownership in building up a group of 'champions' for neighborhoods that will put in the work and effort to ensure that communities thrive and grow in a sustainable manner (something renters are less inclined to do).
