For nearly two decades, Athens’ four neighborhood associations have been representing residents’ desires and needs specific to their areas.
The neighborhoods are sorted into four corresponding associations: the Southside Community, Near Eastside, Westside and Near Northside.
The associations serve to meet the shared concerns of residents in a fairly small, well-defined area of the city, said Athens Councilwoman Christine Fahl, D-4th Ward.
“What makes the neighborhood associations unique is that each one is different and has slightly different goals,” Fahl said. “However, they all have the intent of informing people in their neighborhood what is going on and dealing with their concerns.”
Fahl, who is the former chair of the Near Eastside Neighborhood Association, said the associations are particularly important to Athens because they allows people to voice their concerns and collaborate for larger ideas.
The associations consult regularly with Mayor Paul Wiehl, City Planner Paul Logue and other boards and commissions, said Beverly Flanigan, co-chair of the Westside Neighborhood Association.
“Westside has specifically worked on improving the West State Street Park with its baseball and softball fields, dog park and community garden,” Flanigan said. “We also monitor graffiti abatement and encourage a neighborhood watch on crime and vandalism.”
The neighborhood associations frequently collaborate on projects aimed at improving Athens and work cooperatively with Ohio University, said Delia Rapp, president of the Southside Community Association.
Most recently, the associations have been working on promoting a batter balance of rentals and owner-occupied housing and preserving historic homes, such as the Armory, Flanigan said.
“They are absolutely helpful and important to the city,” Logue said. “A lot of times we don’t hear from the community about problems, and they let us know what is going on and what we can work on.”
Disaster preparedness has been a focal point of the Near Eastside Neighborhood Association, according to Co-Chair Ben Lachman.
“This is something that concerns everyone, so we invited some of the other NA’s to help out on that too,” Lachman said.
Each of the four neighborhood associations envision a greener, more beautiful, and more peaceable community for all residents, Flanigan said, adding that she looks forward to cooperation in meeting these goals.
“We’re pretty proud of our associations, and we would love to have the Ohio University community know more about us,” Flanigan said.
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