Sedgefield

Sedgefield

A LOOK BACK by Pam Stoess from a 1990's neighborhood newsletter

“GOOD houses in a GOOD Community” declares the 1940’s-era sales brochure of the Marsh Realty Company touting the virtues of their new development – Sedgefield! With instructions directing potential buyers down East Boulevard to Avondale Avenue and then Poindexter Drive, the Marsh Company proudly announced that their new homes featured modern amenities such as “automatic electric water heaters, tiled baths, and extra closets.”

But this development was not the first neighborhood in what we now call Sedgefield. Earlier communities of Devonshire, off Avondale Avenue (now Park Road), and South Park sprouted in the farmland south of Charlotte. It all began way back in 1908 when G.A. Marsh purchased 160 acres and set about farming in what is now Sedgefield. He built his growing family a large two-story home close to what is now Elmhurst Drive. Near the family home were a riding rink and stables, now the site of Southside Baptist Church and the Sedgefield Apartments.

In 1930 a small area was plotted and laid off in blocks for homes off Park Road. This was to become Devonshire, which would see another building boom when 98 acres were developed between 1941 and 1945. Between 1938 and 1941 houses were built along Marsh Road, from South Boulevard to Auburn Avenue. This development was called South Park.

It wasn’t until after WWII that Lex Marsh, son of G A Marsh, would begin to develop the family farm into the community of Sedgefield. The former wagon roads would become the paved streets of “a planned community for those purchasers and their families who want to enjoy the advantages of living in a highly desirable neighborhood…” according to the Marsh Realty Company brochure. Originally there were only 70 homes, followed by 60 duplexes on Belton Street and the 303 unit Sedgefield Apartments. More development came during 1947-48 when the Charlotte Lumber Company built a number of smaller homes in the southwest corner of the neighborhood along Melbourne Court to Hollis Road. Meanwhile the Marsh Realty Company continued to develop the remaining family farm acreage, building more single-family homes and then in 1966, the 166-unit Elmhurst Apartments.

Growth continued in the area with the Cloister Apartments on the corner of Marsh and Park Road in 1966 and was followed in the 1970’s by the Versailles complex on Park Road at the boundary of Sedgefield and Dilworth. A public housing project, Savannah Woods, was built in 1982 on the Marsh Road parcel behind the Cloisters now flanked by the E B Moore Park. In the mid 1980’s, the ¬¬¬¬ acre Moore farm with land on both sides of Marsh Road was developed with a mix of single and multi-family projects. In addition to residential development, the Sedgefield included an elementary and middle school and numerous churches.

As the sales brochure proclaimed, “Look the community…over carefully…we know you’ll like your neighbors, and the schools, transit and other city conveniences you’ll find!

About our association

History of Sedgefield Neighborhood Association

The first organization representing Sedgefield was in conjunction with neighborhoods along Park Road, such as Freedom Park (across Park) and Ashbrook (behind YWCA) This organization was formed in the late 70's and chartered in 1982 as the Sedgefield-Park Road Association. The issue that united neighbors at that time was the plan to place a subsidized housing project near the corner of Park and Marsh Rd. The Housing Authority had begun to acquire land in outer lying neighborhoods to disperse the clusters of such housing in the center city.

This organization was also responsible for the placement of the Scaleybark Branch Library in 1985. In the next year or two, the Association would be active working with the rezoning of the very large EB Moore farm for planned development. That area is now known as Selwyn Farms and on the other side of Marsh, Stone Orchard. Toward the end of the 80s the organization became defunct.

In the early 90s, a group formed to start a new neighborhood organization to represent only Sedgefield. It would be called the Sedgefield Neighborhood Association. Officers and a board of directors was named and organization by-laws were established. A City Neighborhood Matching Grant funded a neighborhood newsletter delivered to residences throughout Sedgefield. Attendance at meetings began to grow. Membership dues of $5 per household would fund the treasury so that the newsletter could continue. Various neighborhood businesses advertised to support the newsletter.

In 2000, after 10 years of struggling to build membership and meeting attendance, SNA was taking off. Another Neighborhood Matching Grant enabled Sedgefield to erect customized identity signs throughout the neighborhood.

Now with a multi-page newsletter and regular quarterly meetings featuring timely topic presentations, attendance was growing. By 2002, the Sedgefield Sentinel morphed into a professionally produced, fully self-supporting newsletter mailed to 800 homes, including those in Selwyn Farms.

In May 2005, our renovated Sedgefield Park was formally dedicated, with a family festival event following the ceremony.

In 2006, SNA partnered with Dilworth Youth Athletic Assoc and funded by a Neighborhood Matching Grant, to renovate the Sedgefield Middle School baseball field off McDonald Ave and contiguous with our new Sedgefield Park.

In 2007 SNA kicked off a website, made possible by NeighborhoodLink.com. Also in 2007 SNA membership set a record with 135 members! Attendance at recent meetings has grown to as many as 50! The City of Charlotte began to use St Paul UMC, our meeting site, for many of their public meetings.

By Laws of Sedgefield Neighborhood Association

PREAMBLE
The Sedgefield Neighborhood Association is dedicated to promoting community involvement, to improving the quality of life for Sedgefield residents, and to building and preserving a close working relationship between City Government and the residents of Sedgefield. For this purpose we adopt and establish these by-laws.

Article I – Name

The organization is the Sedgefield Neighborhood Association, a non-profit organization, hereinafter referred to as the Association.

Article II – Membership

Section 1 – Eligibility. The membership of this Association shall be limited to single family residents of households in Sedgefield.
Section 2 – Application. Any person desiring to become a member shall make application to the Board of Directors in such manner and form as the Association shall prescribe. Upon acceptance of membership, applicant shall make payment of annual membership dues.
Section 3 – Term of Membership. Shall commence on the date of dues received by the Association Treasurer and shall expire on December 31 of that calendar year.
Section 4 – Meetings. Shall be held on the second Tuesday of each month.
Section 5 – Quorum. A quorum for the conducting of Association business shall consist of the active members present at any meeting, including those represented by proxy.
Section 6 – Voting. Only active members shall be entitled to vote. Any active member may be represented by written proxy if not able to attend in person. Voting may be by voice, however, 10% of the active members present, including those represented by proxy, shall have the right to demand voting by roll call.

Article III – Officers

Section 1 – Number of Officers. The Officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. These Officers shall be the Board of Directors. This Board of Directors may add to their number by nomination from the current active membership and a majority vote of the membership.
Section 2 – Election of Officers. All Officers shall be elected by the active membership and must be active on the Board of Directors. Each Officer must have two thirds (2/3) majority of the votes to be elected.
Section 3 – Term of Office. Officers shall be elected at each annual business meeting on the second Tuesday of May and serve a two year term beginning June 1.
Section 4 – Special Committees. The Officers may appoint special committees to perform such duties as they may determine.
Section 5 – Removal of Officers. Any officer or board member may be removed by a majority vote of the remaining officers.
Section 6 – Vacancies. A vacancy in any office for any reason shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the manner prescribed by Section 2 of this Article.

Section 7 – Officer Responsibilities
President – The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association and shall have general charge of the business affairs and property of the Association. The President shall preside at all meetings of the membership and of the Officers. The President shall have signing power on checks in addition to the Treasurer.
Vice-President – The Vice-President, in absence or disability of the President, shall act in the President’s stead.
Secretary – The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings and attend to the correspondence pertaining to the office.
Treasurer – The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds, sign checks and make regular reports of the financial condition of the Association.

Article IV – Dues

Section 1 – Amount. The annual dues will be $10.00 per household, due and payable on January 1 of each year.
Section 2 – Due Date. Payment may be made anytime during the membership year for the current year ending December 31. Dues will not be prorated.
Section 3 – Purpose. Dues shall be used for projects and services for the benefit of the Neighborhood Association deemed appropriate. A majority vote of the Board of Directors is required if the expenditure is over $500.00.

Article V – Amendments

Section 1. Amendments of these by-laws may be adopted by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members attending or voting by proxy at any regular or special meeting, provided written notice of the proposed change in by-laws has been submitted to the active membership at least ten (10) days prior to the vote.

Article VI – Dissolution

Section 1. Upon dissolution of the Association, any capital assets will be donated to another non-profit organization to be determined by the Officers of the Association.