Sunnyside UP and the West Virginia University Student Government Association hosted a progress tour of Sunnyside Wednesday to showcase improvements that have been made to the neighborhood. SGA has donated $100,000 to the organization, and more than half of that has already been used to clean up Sunnyside. "Mainly students live here, and we think that if we put effort into making Sunnyside look better, the city will want to help out," said WVU Student Body President Jason Zuccari. The funds were spent clearing sidewalks of overgrown bushes, painting rusted-out dumpsters and covering graffiti. More than $10,000 has been spent to hire private contractors to clean areas that were too overgrown for volunteers to handle. The main focus for now, however, is garbage that litters the streets of the neighborhood. "Solid waste is a big issue. If we could clear that issue up, 40 (percent) to 50 percent of the appearance complaints would be taken care of," said James Hunt, executive director of Sunnyside Up. City Council officials were present for the tour and showed interest in cleaning up the solid waste and overused dumpsters in Sunnyside. "If we could impose a fine to the owners of the dumpsters when they overflow, or when people throw things like mattresses in there, I think that would help," said Mayor William Byrne. Sunnyside Up has plans to install a small park area at the corner of Grant Avenue and 6th Street, which will begin construction in the spring, Hunt said. "I think it would be a good place where students could come and relax or read because there really aren’t any places like that in Sunnyside," said Chris Lewallen, SGA chief of staff. The disparity between the upscale housing units and the neglected residences was evident while walking down McLane Avenue. "You can tell where the landlords switch – some of the houses look terrible, and then next door, they look great," Lewallen said. Plans to renovate and expand the bus stop on Grant Avenue and 3rd Street were also discussed. SGA will also plan to start a neighborhood association for Sunnyside, and will be accepting student volunteers who have an interest in cleaning up their neighborhood. "We want to have a student-run association that encourages other students to clean up their trash after a party. "We think that will be more effective if the students see that it’s other students who care about Sunnyside instead of just the administration," Lewallen said.
Sunnyside Up, SGA show off progress
Published: Thursday, October 22, 2009
Updated: Thursday, October 22, 2009 01:10
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