The Northeast Huntsville Civic Association promotes the area as a great place to live and improves the quality of life by Connecting Neighbors to Cultivate Community.  NEHCA serves neighbors who live with in a 3.6 square mile area of 3,500 households and nearly 7,000 residents of wide diversity. This diversity is our strength and sustenance. We also connect with city hall; one way we do that is by participating the in city’s budget process in June of each year. We have a set of bylaws and a defined service area to guide our activities and to do banking.  The association was established in the late 90’s.  We need contributions to continue our mission of Promoting the Area and Improving the Quality of Life!  Please Give Time or Money!

These are a few special projects and issues NEHCA members initiated or resolved:

Community Safety & Peace

• Rison Avenue:  obtained drug bust at 812 Rison trailer (March 2017) obtained condemnation of the trailer AND ensured the condemned trailer was removed (August 28, 2017). 
• Darwin Downs, Oak Park and Five Points: Met Ability Plus group home managers about operations to improve neighbor relations.  Drastic improvement on Peck Dr.
• Andrew Jackson Way:  Secured the first bus shelter for the area. Participated in site selection and property owner approval  (April 2017)
• O’Shaughnessy Drive:  secured peace and quite and eliminated eyesore for neighbors by persistent request for the removal of industrial equipment on the Hsv Utilities parcel.  (March, 2016)
• Oakwood Avenue: to reclaim the road as a residential Avenue we obtained commitment from planners and Traffic Engineering to downsize to two lanes when the street is repaved.  Projected completion date: 2020
• Oak Park Drive: secured a commitment by Public Works to repair the road ahead of normal process since the standard evaluation did not apply to the extraordinarily steep incline.  (completed February 2016)
• Oakwood Ave & Maysville intersection: Secured evaluation of signage driving eastbound. The speed changes from 40 mph to 30 mph.  A value-added sign for the reduced speed limit was installed to be in compliance with new federal guidelines. (August, 2016)
• Orba Drive at Oakwood Ave: requested evaluation of the sight distance on a steep, curved road.  A four-way stop was installed to protect the homeowners at the intersection. There have been no traffic incidents since the 4-way stop was installed. An unintended benefit was slower traffic westbound on Oakwood Ave. past the Oak Park.  (May, 2015)
• Chambers Drive residents’ backyards abut the deep, dark parking lot that was a haven for vagrancy.  We pitched in to get approval to install a gate and have responsibility for taking the chain up and down each day.  Vagrancy ended! (Nov. 2016)
• Optimist Baseball Field: lobbied to cover up the open ditch on the west side (2012)
• Established a standing request for crime statistics for the service area, (July 2016) and continue to lobby for on-line access to statistics.
• Honored our police department by folding 1,000 peace cranes to demonstrate our desire for good relations between police and neighbors in all parts of our city.  The  garland of 1,000 paper cranes was on display outdoors at Optimist Park for one week.  A single garland folded from the map of Huntsville is on display at HPD HQ. (July 2016)
• Safety Festival to spread awareness about speeding and other common safety concerns with HPD, HEMSI, Emergency Management Agency, SWAT team, NAMI, and more. (Sept 2019).

Community Health, Education, and Recreation

Civic League

• yearly contribution for scholarships for youth athletics since 2015

Chapman School

• Donated money, time, and materials for the 7th and 8th grade Student Council trip to Washington DC (spring 2017)
• recruited more Reading Buddies to expand on initiative of Jackson Way Baptist Church (fall 2016)
• enlisted Big Brothers Big Sisters to focus on mentors for MLK and Montview and Chapman 5th grade boys by request of the principals of these schools (fall 2016)

Philpott Park

• obtained commitment from Parks and Rec to expand the play area to install balance and coordination equipment and improve the layout of tables under the pavilion. Soccer goals were also delivered for pick-up games.    (Winter 2017)
• obtained a picnic table for use by persons in a wheelchair and new playground equipment.  The tennis court was refreshed at this time also. (2006)
• Used a $500 grant from the Huntsville Historical Society to buy benches.  The City purchased the right type and installed them. (2006)
• Requested stations for dog-waste bags from city Green Team and keep them filled (2012)

Oak Park

• Donated money for partial scholarships for two baseball players in the Civic League teams (March 2016 and 2017)
• Built sustainable trails in the land adjoining the park with Land Trust approvals.  Work began in Oct. 2015, First Trail Opened March 2016. Easy access to trails increases property values in the area and are a regional destination for mountain bikers and hikers.

 A tribute to the Public and Private Partnership is in this video! 

• New sections of the trails completed in early 2017, and a hand-built bridge was installed in April 2017. The project brought craftsman from other parts of the city to the area. 
• Organized family kickball at Oak Park for general public (fall 2016 and spring 2017)
• Obtained raised garden boxes from the city’s Green Team budget (March 2015). Individual donors installed pavers (Spring 2017) Boxes are used as demonstration gardens; Patricia Gill nurtures the plants and maintains the site for pollinators and herb gatherers.
• Installed the first Little Free Library on a city park with private funding and labor (Jan. 2015).
• Requested stations for dog-waste bags from city Green Team and keep them filled (2012)

Optimist Recreation Center and Park 

• Purchased kiddy-size, indoor soccer balls for summer games (Jan 2017)
• Hosted the Annual Garden Gathering, a swap meet for gardeners every year since 2017.  Over 100 attended. Children make their own pizza gardens.  Festival included a raffle, vendors, beekeeping and worm hotels. 2022 gathering in the works!

Community Enhancement & Maintenance

• Chapman & Waltham Drives: Lobbied for landscaping at the I-565 overpass  (2002)
• Dallas&Lincoln Mill area: collaborated with Hsv Utilities for landscaping at the water tower (2000)
• Adopted Oak Park and Philpot Park – (2000)
• Adopted Oakwood Avenue for litter removal (Jan 2016)
• Adopted Oak Park Trails as the Land Trust Trail Care Partner (April 2016-current)
• Adopt-a-mile sponsors for monthly litter removal on Meridian Street (August 2020-current)
• Beirne Ave Park tree planting with Operation Green Team (December 2020)

2021 Board Members:

• Cortney Brown – President
• Sabrina Simon – Vice President
• Austin Jackson- Communications Chair
• Ben Payment – Treasurer
• Steve Rowley – Secretary

The association was established in the late 90’s.  We need contributions to continue our mission of Promoting the Area and Improving the Quality of Life!  Please Give Time or Money!