Merced’s Loughborough area getting new attention from city, after years of violent crime
.JPG "Merced officials say they have launched a new initiative to help improve the quality of life in the city’s Loughborough neighborhood.")
It’s going to be a jam-packed year for the roughly 3,000 residents that call Merced’s Loughborough neighborhood home.
A nine-month pilot program has already kicked off goals and initiatives set on revitalizing the neighborhood, which has been racked by violent crime and outdated infrastructure.
“It’s an older area of town, an area of need and an area that we need to show attention to and let the residents know that we’re thinking about them,” District 5 City Council member and Mayor Pro Tempore Matthew Serratto said.
Serratto, whose district includes Loughborough, is spearheading the effort. City officials said they hope the pilot program will become an ongoing rotating neighborhood revitalization project throughout Merced.
“We’ve never done this before, but what intrigued me to this whole process is not only does it take a shot at improving the Loughborough area, but we could replicate it as a pilot and take it to other parts of the city,” said City Manager Steve Carrigan.
Serratto said the project could be implemented in south Merced in 2021 and in downtown neighborhoods in 2022.
“I think (it) can be a template for how we go about getting all neighborhoods invested in their own health and well being,” said District 3 City Council member Jill McLeod.
Hoping to turn things around
Years ago, the Loughborough neighborhood in north Merced was a highly sought-after place for residents to live.
Back when Castle Air Force Base was open, military men and women filled up many of Loughborough’s apartment complexes and homes, and the area had a good reputation among locals.
Over the years, however, crime became more rampant in the Loughborough area. For example, in 2008, Michael Riley, a Navy veteran who served in the Iraq War, was gunned down outside the neighborhood’s Village Meadows Apartments. Not long after, Riley’s brother, Marlis, also suffered a violent death in the Loughborough area.
Still, city leaders are confident the set of goals they’ve set out will lead to positive change for Loughborough.
Monthly objectives emphasize residents’ concerns based on months of outreach. Poverty, crime, sidewalk conditions and youth activities were common complaints.
“The intent is to improve the neighborhood and respond to the genuine concerns of the residents,” Serratto said.
On the calendar
January through March target much-needed public works improvements. April will host a neighborhood cleanup day, May aims for public safety with a National Night Out-style event and June and July focus on youth services.
August highlights workforce development and September concludes the program with a government and nonprofit services fair.
The purchase of a 12-by-6 foot “block party trailer” seeks to bring festivities and yard games to Loughborough, along with refreshments like popcorn and snow cones for kids.
“It seems to me, at least from my opinion, to be a really great opportunity to give people in the city more to do, to add value to the community and to help build community as well by bringing people together,” Serratto said.
Locals could check out the trailer free of charge, instantly providing what Serratto describes as a “block party in a box.” It would also include a voucher for renting a bouncy house.
Serratto said the trailer could be available by July of this year. The trailer could eventually be used in other neighborhoods if the project is implemented throughout Merced.
Also on the agenda is establishing a neighborhood advisory committee, which would act as a direct pipeline to council for ideas and suggestions.
“What this really is, is the city encouraging citizens to step up,” Serratto said.
Other projects include street light upgrades to LED lighting, 14,500 square feet of sidewalk, curb and gutter repairs and storm catch basin repairs. At half the size it should be, the neighborhood’s storm system is inadequate, Serratto said.
Overall public works costs estimate a $446,250 price tag. There is an existing budget of $100,000 for storm repairs, but the remaining balance will need future direction for funding allocation.
The block party trailer costs $9,000 to purchase and $9,000 annually for operating expenses.
Serratto said his vision for Loughborough is to see it become a great working class neighborhood that is affordable and safe. The intent is not to displace anybody through gentrification, but to respond to real concerns.
“We want so see their lives get better,” he said.
This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 1:36 PM.
