Greetings!! Thank you all for your participation in our survey that we conducted a few months ago. The survey was for the purpose of seeing how strongly a sense of community exists on your block. Fifty percent (50%) or twelve (12) of your neighbors participated in the survey. So, to find out what you and your neighbors think about living on Bates Street, PLEASE READ ON...

Yes! People on Bates Street think highly of the block. All of you who participated in the interview indicated that the best things about living on this block are:

• Most neighbors are friendly
• A community spirit is felt
• A dead-end street which makes it a quiet, peaceful, and safe neighborhood
• Reasonable housing rate

This is something to get excited about! You clearly indicated that people on the block know each other well and talk to each other, particularly about problems common to you. But most interesting is the fact that ALL of you think that people on the block TRUST each other 100%. This is an exceptional attribute that your community possesses. In fact this could be the reason why you all feel that a sense of belonging and community spirit among neighbors exists here.
 

According to most of you, you experience enormous support from each other on Bates. Neighbors give rides to neighbors and help each other out when one has a problem. There was ASTOUNDING agreement among you (93%) to the statement: "People on this block watch out for each other," Additionally, about two thirds of you indicated that "neighboring" occurs on the block. For example, people feel comfortable borrowing from and lending to each other.
 
 

ALL of you indicated that Bates is a safe place to live (100%), and that it is safe to walk on the street at night (90%). Perhaps the presence of the neighborhood watch adds to the security and safety that you feel on Bates.
 
 

Several of you expressed your concern about the former toxic-dumping site nearby. Some indicated that it is a problem for the whole block when some neighbors neglect to take care of their homes and yards. Others seemed worried about dogs running freely on the block. And a few of you expressed that there are times when you don’t get along excellently with some of your neighbors.

Despite all the issues mentioned, most of you (92%) agree that there is a sense of community that exists among residents on Bates.
 
 

A "CAN DO ATTITUDE" exists among you. In fact, ALL (100%) of you said that people on this block can get things done to improve the conditions of the block; MOST (78%) agreed that people have a "voice" regarding community issues; and most agreed that people can persuade the city to respond to your needs and concerns.
 
 

The result of our survey on your block suggest a lot of positive things, although there were also some concerns. It is most important that as a community, you demonstrate a willingness to work together to improve the conditions on Bates. Your high level of participation in community clean-ups, flower plantings and curbside recycling program show that cooperation and a sense of community exist among you.

If you have any questions about this survey, please do not hesitate to call John Schweitzer at 353-9144, Urban Affairs Programs at Michigan State University.