Looking for a way to get some steps in this spring while enjoying new or familiar parts of the city? Sign up to be a surveyor!
WHO - Volunteers – Kalamazoo residents, students, history buffs, or ANYONE that wants to contribute to this project!
WHAT – Over the next three years, a historic survey project called Inventory Kalamazoo 2022 will record the current condition of all structures in the city limits. From schools, homes, and churches to gas stations, railroad switching towers, brick streets, and water towers- all 24,000 structures will be documented. Surveying will take place in the late fall or early spring when the temperate is above freezing and the leaves are off the trees (possibly during mild parts of winter as well).
HOW - Pairs of volunteers will use smartphones and tablets and the ESRI Survey 123 app to take photos from the public right of way. These images will be linked to the street address. After they are uploaded to the cloud everything will be reviewed and analyzed by qualified historians. Reports will be prepared on the history, context, and structures in each neighborhood.
Volunteers can complete their surveying whenever it is convenient for their schedule as long as it is light out and not raining or snowing. Volunteers can also use the app on their own phone or tablet if they prefer and it has the capacity. More details on this will be discussed at the orientation. If you are interested in volunteering you can sign up online here.
WHEN - The plan is to complete the first phase of field work in 2020 between the beginning of March and the end of May on eight center city neighborhoods: Eastside, Edison, Northside, Vine, Stuart, Oakwood, Southside and West Douglas. Later in 2020 and into 2021 work will begin on the rest of the city.
Volunteer Orientation & Assignments
If you are interested in volunteering, join us at one of the two orientations listed below. This orientation will cover everything you need to know as a surveyor including how the city is laid out, where neighborhoods are, and how to use the ESRI Survey 123 app to record data and take pictures of each structure. Volunteers will also be able to pick up their volunteer materials during the orientation.
Monday March 2, 2020 – 5:30-7PM – Community room at Kalamazoo City Hall (241 W South St)
Wednesday March 4, 2020 – 5:30-7PM – Community room at Kalamazoo City Hall (241 W South St)
Questions? Contact Sharon Ferraro at 269-337-8804 or ferraros@kalamazoocity.org