Last year, one of the top priorities voted by community council members was community identity. As most of you know, we are often mistaken for several of our neighboring communities – Rolando, Rolando area, La Mesa, etc.

Today, we are close to achieving our goal. In spring 2017, board members Gerrie Flaven and Lynn Edwards applied for funding to create a banner district along our College and University borders in order to create a community identity and also create banners for our business district as the first step in jump starting what we hope will be revitalization and redevelopment on University Ave. In May, we were notified that we had been awarded funding and after several months of navigating through the city process for banner districts, we received word last month that our proposed banner district would be on today’s City Council’s agenda.

At today’s meeting, the City Council authorized and established the Rolando Park Banner District. In her official comments, City Council President Myrtle Cole gave the following statement:

“I want to take a moment to highlight item 102 on the consent agenda. This is an exciting item for the Rolando Park community and I am so glad to move it forward. Today’s action will establish a banner district for Rolando Park and allow the community council to install a series of banners along public streets within the Rolando Park neighborhood, including along parts of College Avenue and University Avenue that are outlined in the ordinance.

Rolando Park is a beautiful neighborhood with such an active community, and I know how eager the residents are to raise their profile of and publicize opportunities for neighbors to get involved with the community council and local events hosted in the district.

So I just want to say thank you to Lynn Edwards and the rest of the Rolando Park Community Council for working with my office to bring this item before the City Council.

I look forward to the unveiling of the banners this spring.”

The banners will be installed by the end of February and RPCC is planning a community-wide celebration for the official unveiling of the banners in mid-March. Stay tuned for details! We are expecting Ms. Cole to attend with an official proclamation of our banner district as well as other city and community representatives.