Maintaining the thoroughfares, retail, and residential areas of University City is essential for its economic development and growth. With an expansive 10 square miles in the MSD boundary and a total of 63 square miles in the trade area, which hosts over 4,700 businesses, ensuring cleanliness is a significant undertaking. So how do we tackle keeping the area clean?
Grocery carts, graffiti, and trash are just a few of the challenges we face. University City Partners has identified four key strategies to address these issues.
Operation Clean Streets
Our commitment to cleanliness is demonstrated through our contracts with two agencies. Yellowstone Landscaping maintains University Research Park, while Phoenix Landscaping focuses on several thoroughfares and target areas, including North Tryon, W.T. Harris, and the newly improved Triangle at US 29 and US 49. These contracts account for over 20% of the MSD and University Research Park budget.
Partnership with the City of Charlotte
We work closely with the City of Charlotte, particularly with Jerry Green and the Housing & Neighborhood Services department. Regular meetings help us strategize on maintaining cleanliness in University City. Council Member Renee Johnson has also been a strong advocate for our efforts.
Active Involvement from University City Partners Staff
Our staff plays an integral role in keeping the area clean. Collectively, they spend 40 hours each month canvassing the area, surveying parcels, and reporting issues. Janelle Goodrich, Director of Operations, leads these efforts with support from other staff members and UCP interns. One effective tool we’ve implemented is the use of postcards to engage private property owners before submitting potential code violations to the city.
Collaboration with UNC Charlotte
In partnership with UNC Charlotte’s Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences, we are conducting a study to understand the trash issues in University City. Led by Drs. Sandra Clinton and Youngseob Eum and a team of interns, this study will help us identify patterns of trash in our community. We are also developing tools for our community to contribute data on trash levels, materials, and photos. The findings will guide our strategies for tackling various types of trash, including shopping carts, fast food waste, and smoking-related litter.
Despite the ongoing battle against trash, we recognize the critical importance of keeping our community clean. Cleanliness influences economic development, perception, and overall quality of life. We encourage you, as ambassadors of University City, to report trash using the City of Charlotte app and to address panhandling and loitering by installing signage and reporting incidents to 911.
Together, let’s continue to keep our beautiful community clean and welcoming. —Keith Stanley
The I-85 Southbound ramp off of Mallard Creek Church Road seems to always be littered with all kinds of trash and garbage. It is a terrible eye-sore for the community and its residents. The trash often extends on the southbound side of 85 from Mallard Creek Church Road to WT Harris Blvd. I have been a homeowner in this area for 20 years, and I had never seen the streets and roadways as littered as they have become lately. I sincerely hope that this new “clean street” initiative will help to correct this situation.