Atchison Village, Richmond, California
Encyclopedia
Atchison Village is a community in Richmond, California
which was originally built as housing for defense workers from the Kaiser Shipyards
. It lies at an elevation of 13 feet (4 m). Constructed by the Richmond Housing Authority in 1941 as Richmond's first public defense housing project, it is the only project funded by the Lanham Community Facilities Act that still exists in Richmond and one of the few in the nation not destroyed after the war. It is one of 20 public housing projects built in Richmond before and during World War II. The village was sold by the government to its residents for $1.5 million in 1956, remaining a mutual housing cooperative to this day under the name of the Atchison Village Mutual Homes Corporation.
Currently, the village is valued at approximately $17 million as of January 2007. It is covered under Proposition 13 as a single unsold parcel, thus limiting tax increases to 2% plus individual memberships sold.
As of July 2010, units cost from $30,000 to $70,000. They are relatively unaffected by the housing bubble or foreclosures, since share certificates cannot be liened, and the low prices may be to the fact that title to the property is not transferred, but only the real property interest in it, making it difficult to take out a loan to buy a Right to Perpetual Use. However, the Atchison Village Credit Union will lend a significant sum against the purchase if the buyer has a co-signer with real property in California.
The grounds are landscaped, including a large park and separate soccer and baseball
fields with bleacher
s. There is also a small children's playground, completely upgraded with modern Big Toys and soft ground. All streets have sidewalks and street lighting and are patrolled by the Richmond Police Department. There is a large laundromat and small supermarket nearby. Point Richmond
is a pleasant walk away and has two supermarkets, a post office, bank, fire station and library. The entire neighborhood is on the National Register of Historic Places
and is part of the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historic Monument. Richmond is steadily improving West MacDonald Avenue with renovated parks and senior housing.
The Atchison Village housing project is an example of the local-federal
collaboration that provided much-needed housing and domestic support for WWII defense workers and their families. The modest, wood-frame buildings clearly reflect the constraints of time, money and materials placed on publicly-funded housing construction during the period, but though simple in design, they have full-dimension clear fir framing and heavy interior plaster. Water mains, electric panels and all roofs have been recently upgraded at a cost of more than three million dollars. Reserves for such replacements are replenished through a dedicated portion of the monthly assessments, to avoid the sometimes catastrophic assessments other condominium associations may levy when they ignore the need for maintenance of large structural elements. Currently under way is a complete rebuild of the sewer system.
Because many of the original residents stayed on, there are many vacancies due to normal attrition from aging. It's a great chance to "age in place." Handicap ramps are allowed, and a majority of units are single story. The auditorium and public restroom is handicap accessible.
The population of Atchison Village is now very diverse, with an increasing Latino, Asian and African American and GLBT population.
. Although this area is known as the highest crime area of Richmond, within Atchison Village the crime rate is actually fairly low. This is partly due to traffic control gates that separate it from the greater Iron Triangle community, with only one entrance/exit. In addition, there is a very active citizenry, many of whom have lived in the village for fifty years and an excellent Crime Watch
and citizen patrol in the evenings.
The Richmond police chief, Chris Magnus, has been very helpful in increasing police reaction speed to reports of suspicious activity and patrol officers are frequent drop-ins to Atchison Village meetings.
Mayor-elect Gayle McLaughlin
endorsed the idea of a "beat cop" to be assigned to the Village at a subsequent resident meeting about violence in the neighborhood. The Village itself has acted to control unlawful behavior, since it does have the power to expel residents by cancelling their membership for gross violations of their share contract with AVMHC.
Recent placement of powerful security cameras at the outside of the village and installation of a gunshot locating systems in Richmond's high-crime areas has increased policing effectiveness and lowered crime. Prospects are good for continued low crime, since the current wave of home desertions is not affecting Atchison Village, which immediately repairs and auctions empty units.
Since it is a Mutual Homes Association, there have been legal challenges to its inclusion under the Davis-Stirling Act (certain sections of the California Civil Code
which cover Common Interest Developments). The Corporation lawyer advises that the Corporation include it under the Act, although in a court case, DeForrest v. Atchison village, the Superior Court judge ruled that technically, the Village is not included therein. However, most corporate decisions made by the Board do include consideration of current D-S regulations.
72M bus line, which runs east from Atchison Village up Macdonald Avenue
to San Pablo Avenue and then south along San Pablo Avenue to downtown Oakland
.
There are connections in Point Richmond for buses to Marin and points north and south as well as the 72M stops at the combined Richmond BART and train station to Davis, Sacramento and beyond. Freeway access E+W I580 is excellent down one mile of parkway.
is about one mile west across Garrard Boulevard, the BNSF railway Intermodal switching and loading yard and the Richmond Parkway. An accident at the refinery on January 15, 2007 revealed defects in the community notification system and several members of the community were affected by fumes. Richmond City Councilman Tom Butt has made sure that this will not happen again.
Prevailing winds are from the southwest, off San Francisco bay, but air quality suffers due to nearby commercial activity.
Currently there is much community environmental activism concerning a plan by Chevron
to add facilities to process heavier grades of crude oil with more sulfur content (sour crude).
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
which was originally built as housing for defense workers from the Kaiser Shipyards
Kaiser Shipyards
The Kaiser Shipyards were seven major shipbuilding yards located mostly on the U.S. west coast during World War II. They were owned by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, a creation of American industrialist Henry J...
. It lies at an elevation of 13 feet (4 m). Constructed by the Richmond Housing Authority in 1941 as Richmond's first public defense housing project, it is the only project funded by the Lanham Community Facilities Act that still exists in Richmond and one of the few in the nation not destroyed after the war. It is one of 20 public housing projects built in Richmond before and during World War II. The village was sold by the government to its residents for $1.5 million in 1956, remaining a mutual housing cooperative to this day under the name of the Atchison Village Mutual Homes Corporation.
Currently, the village is valued at approximately $17 million as of January 2007. It is covered under Proposition 13 as a single unsold parcel, thus limiting tax increases to 2% plus individual memberships sold.
Description
Atchison Village includes 450 apartments of five styles in 97 one-story buildings and 65 two-story buildings. Every unit has ground level access both front and back and fenceable backyards. Each unit has a dedicated parking space and there is ample on-street parking near each unit on the public streets. There is free wireless at 1.5 Mbyte/s from a Meraki system of 8 nodes.As of July 2010, units cost from $30,000 to $70,000. They are relatively unaffected by the housing bubble or foreclosures, since share certificates cannot be liened, and the low prices may be to the fact that title to the property is not transferred, but only the real property interest in it, making it difficult to take out a loan to buy a Right to Perpetual Use. However, the Atchison Village Credit Union will lend a significant sum against the purchase if the buyer has a co-signer with real property in California.
The grounds are landscaped, including a large park and separate soccer and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
fields with bleacher
Bleacher
Bleachers is an American term used to describe the raised, tiered rows of seats found at sports fields or at other spectator events...
s. There is also a small children's playground, completely upgraded with modern Big Toys and soft ground. All streets have sidewalks and street lighting and are patrolled by the Richmond Police Department. There is a large laundromat and small supermarket nearby. Point Richmond
Point Richmond
Point Richmond, also sometimes referred to locally as The Point, is a neighborhood in Richmond, California, USA, near the eastern end of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, between Interstate 580 and the San Francisco Bay...
is a pleasant walk away and has two supermarkets, a post office, bank, fire station and library. The entire neighborhood is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is part of the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historic Monument. Richmond is steadily improving West MacDonald Avenue with renovated parks and senior housing.
The Atchison Village housing project is an example of the local-federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
collaboration that provided much-needed housing and domestic support for WWII defense workers and their families. The modest, wood-frame buildings clearly reflect the constraints of time, money and materials placed on publicly-funded housing construction during the period, but though simple in design, they have full-dimension clear fir framing and heavy interior plaster. Water mains, electric panels and all roofs have been recently upgraded at a cost of more than three million dollars. Reserves for such replacements are replenished through a dedicated portion of the monthly assessments, to avoid the sometimes catastrophic assessments other condominium associations may levy when they ignore the need for maintenance of large structural elements. Currently under way is a complete rebuild of the sewer system.
Inhabitants
Just prior to and during the war, the Lanham Community Facilities Act of 1940 provided $150 million to the Federal Works Administration. It built approximately 625,000 units of housing in conjunction with local authorities nationwide. These were highly sought after and company managers were the most likely to be able to procure housing in Atchison Village.Because many of the original residents stayed on, there are many vacancies due to normal attrition from aging. It's a great chance to "age in place." Handicap ramps are allowed, and a majority of units are single story. The auditorium and public restroom is handicap accessible.
The population of Atchison Village is now very diverse, with an increasing Latino, Asian and African American and GLBT population.
Crime
Atchison Village is located in the Iron TriangleIron Triangle (South Richmond), Richmond, California
The Iron Triangle, sometimes known as Central Richmond, is a neighborhood in Richmond, California. It is a largely residential area but includes the downtown Richmond business district along Macdonald Avenue...
. Although this area is known as the highest crime area of Richmond, within Atchison Village the crime rate is actually fairly low. This is partly due to traffic control gates that separate it from the greater Iron Triangle community, with only one entrance/exit. In addition, there is a very active citizenry, many of whom have lived in the village for fifty years and an excellent Crime Watch
Crime Watch
Crime watch may refer to:* Crime watch or neighborhood watch, a citizens' organization devoted to crime prevention within a neighborhood* Neighbourhood Watch , neighbourhood watch in the UK* Crimewatch, a British television show on BBC One...
and citizen patrol in the evenings.
The Richmond police chief, Chris Magnus, has been very helpful in increasing police reaction speed to reports of suspicious activity and patrol officers are frequent drop-ins to Atchison Village meetings.
Mayor-elect Gayle McLaughlin
Gayle McLaughlin
Gayle McLaughlin is a California politician. She is a member of the Green Party and, since 2006, the mayor of Richmond, California and a member of Richmond's City Council. McLaughlin was elected on November 7, 2006 by a 279-vote margin over incumbent mayor Irma A. Anderson...
endorsed the idea of a "beat cop" to be assigned to the Village at a subsequent resident meeting about violence in the neighborhood. The Village itself has acted to control unlawful behavior, since it does have the power to expel residents by cancelling their membership for gross violations of their share contract with AVMHC.
Recent placement of powerful security cameras at the outside of the village and installation of a gunshot locating systems in Richmond's high-crime areas has increased policing effectiveness and lowered crime. Prospects are good for continued low crime, since the current wave of home desertions is not affecting Atchison Village, which immediately repairs and auctions empty units.
Legal issues
Atchison Village is governed by an eleven member board of directors, elected at large from the membership. Currently, it is financially stable and is steadily building structural reserves. Member disputes are largely handled by private hearings and mediation. Members may, however, be expelled for gross infractions of rules included in the contract. This happens very rarely, however, averaging less than one incident in three years for 450 memberships.Since it is a Mutual Homes Association, there have been legal challenges to its inclusion under the Davis-Stirling Act (certain sections of the California Civil Code
California Civil Code
The Civil Code of California is a collection of statutes for the State of California. The code is made up of statutes which govern the general obligations and rights of persons within the jurisdiction of California...
which cover Common Interest Developments). The Corporation lawyer advises that the Corporation include it under the Act, although in a court case, DeForrest v. Atchison village, the Superior Court judge ruled that technically, the Village is not included therein. However, most corporate decisions made by the Board do include consideration of current D-S regulations.
Transit
Atchison Village is served by the AC TransitAC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...
72M bus line, which runs east from Atchison Village up Macdonald Avenue
MacDonald Avenue
Macdonald Avenue is the main east-to-west artery in the Oakland suburb of Richmond.-Overview:Macdonald Avenue runs in a straight line from the Richmond Parkway through downtown to San Pablo Avenue, after which it continues as a minor street for a few blocks, ending at Ludwig Avenue in El...
to San Pablo Avenue and then south along San Pablo Avenue to downtown Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.
There are connections in Point Richmond for buses to Marin and points north and south as well as the 72M stops at the combined Richmond BART and train station to Davis, Sacramento and beyond. Freeway access E+W I580 is excellent down one mile of parkway.
Environmental issues
The Chevron Richmond RefineryChevron Richmond Refinery
The Chevron Richmond Refinery is a petroleum refinery in Richmond, California, on San Francisco Bay. It is owned and operated by Chevron Corporation and employs more than 1,200 workers, making it the city's largest employer. The refinery processes approximately of crude oil a day in the...
is about one mile west across Garrard Boulevard, the BNSF railway Intermodal switching and loading yard and the Richmond Parkway. An accident at the refinery on January 15, 2007 revealed defects in the community notification system and several members of the community were affected by fumes. Richmond City Councilman Tom Butt has made sure that this will not happen again.
Prevailing winds are from the southwest, off San Francisco bay, but air quality suffers due to nearby commercial activity.
Currently there is much community environmental activism concerning a plan by Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
to add facilities to process heavier grades of crude oil with more sulfur content (sour crude).
External links
- Wikimapia aerial view
- Atchison Village at the American Home Owners Resource Center website
- Wartime Housing
- Atchison Village Credit Union
- Atchison Village at the Online Archives of California
- Berkeley Daily Planet regarding Atchison Village
- Regional Oral History Office / Rosie the Riveter / WWII American Homefront Project Collection contains interviews that describe the history of Atchison Village.