Brownfield Redevelopment in Huntington, WV

I spent two years in Huntington, West Virginia from 2008 to 2010 attending graduate school at Marshall University and working as a graduate assistant basketball coach. Upon visiting for the first time for my interview with the coaching staff I was second guessing my move from Michigan down to the unknown of West Virginia. Thankfully, my desire to receive a free education and the pursuit of coaching experience was far greater than my desire to avoid something uncomfortable.

My two years there were filled with a ton of memories and experiences, and an appreciation for a city that had received its share of blows, but was still striving to live up to its Jewel City name. After graduating I made it back a few times, but since moving to Texas I've not been back to Huntington. So, this is some perspective from afar, but from one who knew the city well and hopes for its continued renewal and revitalization.

Marshall University Special Collections

4th Avenue Streetcar - Marshall University Special Collections

Due to its location at the confluence of a number of rivers, Huntington boomed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, and continued to grow as a result of the coal and railroad industries. Huntington has the distinction of actually being the second city behind Richmond, Virginia (others have claimed San Francisco as well) to have had an electric street car system. However, as oil began to become less expensive in the later part of the 1900s, coal mining decreased, leaving Huntington with a declining population, followed by compounding factory closures. Those closed factories hope to play into redevelopment plans in Huntington.

Fortunately, there have been a number of projects aimed at revitalizing the city. The Pullman Square redevelopment helped revitalize Downtown Huntington, adding a movie theater, parking garages, and blocks of restaurants and retail. As Huntington's Superblock, Pullman Square was the result of planning that started in the 1960s as urban renewal, and included a number of failed proposals and a few court cases. Eventually, in 2004 the development opened, and continues to be a success today.

Unfortunately, Huntington has had decades of suburban-style development that detracted from supporting its downtown. This is reflected in the attitudes of former leaders of Huntington, highlighted in this Strong Towns article and video, Huntington Calling. The attitude toward traditional, and now wildly successful development, is astounding. When Jean Dean, former mayor of Huntington, asked Chuck Marohn "Why on earth would we go back in time 70 years to model our current cities on? Times have changed", all he could do is respond with: "because it worked." Huntington once created value in its downtown. It's time to do that again in the city.

Now, Huntington is looking to its next big redevelopment project. This time, it is not located downtown, but between the northern edge of Marshall University and the city's Highlawn neighborhood. The proposal has been talked about for nearly a decade, turning brownfield sites into mixed use, light industrial and research uses. The most current proposals come as a result of an EPA Brownfields Area-Wide Planning program grant. From the announcement website, the vision is described as including:

"new recreational and riverfront facilities; retail and hotel development; research and development facilities; green infrastructure for storm water management; and the advanced polymer center."

The City of Huntington, Marshall University and a list of other public and private entities hope to partner in developing four areas: University Park, the Sport Complex Expansion, the Foundry Center and the Polymer Tech Center. The Herald-Dispatch gave a detailed recap of the proposal, which was presented by Sean Garrigan of Stromberg/Garrigan and Associates, a firm with great experience in brownfield redevelopment, especially in the Appalachia and Rust Belt regions. (Full presentation here).

The vision for the redevelopment is supported by "Comprehensive Plan 2025 - The Future of Huntington", and fully supports some of the assistance and guidance that Huntington has received from Smart Growth America in hopes of improving the economic and fiscal health of the city. Specifically, this most recent proposal draws from the goals and vision for the Highlawn neighborhood in Plan 2025. Overall, the plan has six key themes:

Stromberg/Garrigan & Associates

1. Economic Development and Job Creation

The expansion and support of existing industrial and technological industries in Huntington is important, especially with the decrease of coal and heavy industrial jobs in the past. Providing more opportunities for vocational training and partnership with Marshall University's College of Information Technology and Engineering would be a great benefit. Creating a new market for entrepreneurs, especially those that do not need large amounts of space, or that can utilize co-working spaces, opens Huntington to new industries. There's also something about rust-belt cities that is attracting more young, creative professionals who feel a bit more freedom in their pursuits. Rust belt cities also tend to have a base of professionals that have practical manufacturing knowledge: meaning, in Huntington, it might not be flashy, but there are likely people there that can get things manufactured.

Added hotel rooms near sporting facilities would allow Marshall University to compete with other cities for Conference USA championships, as well as regional and national youth tournaments that might regularly utilize recreational and lodging facilities in other municipalities. The planning and building of, especially publicly funded facilities for athletic competition, is an increasingly sore subject for cities, but this seems like a different circumstance given the involvement of a university.

2. Provide Physical and Visual Access to River 

Providing access to the Ohio River riverfront is an area that Huntington has greatly missed. It's understandable though, as Huntington's flood wall is a monstrous physical barrier. The 11.5-mile wall was built starting in 1937 as a way to protect Huntington from devastating floods, and reaches as tall as 20 feet high in some places. City officials once talked about the possibility of an "invisible" flood wall, but this approach is likely too costly, in terms of infrastructure and labor costs, as well as insurance costs for property owners, to ever come to fruition. The wall, at its northeast terminus, ends between 24th and 25th Streets, between the Foundry Center and Polymer Tech Center development zones. With a trail head at the extension of 25th Street, a connection to the Harris Riverfront Park could one day be made.

At some point, the effort should be made to connect these trails, joining other trails in the Paul Ambrose Trail for Health. It would be a legacy fit for Huntington.

3. Enhance Community Character – Strengthen Highlawn Neighborhood Brand 

The existence of the flood wall and railroads creates fragmentation when considering circulation between Highlawn and the proposed development zones. Further connection for the Highlawn neighborhood can allow for better pedestrian facilities and streets. Highlawn, with its proximity to Downtown Huntington and Marshall University, combined with possible connectivity through trails and streets, would be able to boast in its unique setting. Investment on the periphery of the neighborhood can spur revitalization of homes and continued building of characteristics, like street trees, landscaping and wayfinding that would set the neighborhood apart from others.

The ACF site in operation

The ACF site today

At this point, it might also be beneficial to mention the ability to preserve some of the heritage of the American Car and Foundry (ACF) sites. Huntington greatly benefited from the fact that ACF was located in the city, so preserving the buildings when feasible is a great start. It is impressive that these buildings have been on the ACF site for nearly as long as Huntington has been a city. The plants built railway freight cars, mine cars and other equipment. ACF was responsible for introducing the center-flow covered hopper, which became an industry standard, building over 100,000 of the cars in Huntington. You'd recognize them if you've paid attention when you're stopped at a railroad crossing. Work has now ceased in Huntington, with ACF's headquarters now located in Missouri, and manufacturing in Pennsylvania.

ACF plant, from abandonedonline.net

It may also be possible to incorporate some railroad and industrial themes into any public or private infrastructure improvements. The Hardy Yards development in Houston is one example, and the Pearl Brewery development in San Antonio.

Streets in the Highlawn neighborhood also appear to have been brick a one time, consistent with many of the other streets in Huntington. The inclusion of brick into the streetscape design would help tie the areas together.




4. Improve and Enhance Public Amenities

To this point, the proposal wouldn't be simply improving or enhancing amenities, it would be creating them. There are no parks in the interior of Highlawn. Riverside Park, which is at the extreme northern boundary of the neighborhood, is the area's closest park. A lively public realm with parks and tree lined streets can certainly enhance physical activity within the neighborhood, and increase economic development. Parks are an important component of cities and provide an opportunity to improve public health, especially in a city that has been recognized as the unhealthiest city in the country. It doesn't take monument parks like Ritter Park to spur this activity. Parks can be small, or linear. Either way, you want to have more of them.

5. Promote Diversity and Mixture of Uses 

More and more, cities are finding that rigid Euclidian zoning does not work to promote the mix of uses that so many of them want, especially in downtowns and other districts. So, cities amend their zoning codes to allow a greater variety of uses, or rezone land for planned unit developments, which often times gives cities a bit more bargaining power with respect to form, and characteristics like building setbacks.

Most of the area within the four development zones is currently zoned as I-1, General Industrial, and with a Special Use Permit, would allow for Planned Unit Developments. This would give some flexibility to the mix of uses, as well as their orientation with respect to the street and other buildings. Huntington's zoning map is integrated with Google Earth, which makes exploring the city and current land use rules, quite easy.

Zoning in the Highlawn neighborhood area

6. Bring together Catalyst Sites, Highlawn Neighborhood and University Campus 

As part of my graduate studies, I partnered with current Huntington Planning Commissioner Will Holland, examining what Huntington could do to enhance its streetscape, design and connectivity. While our proposals did not include site specific redevelopment, we did recognize the importance of corridors and gateways in Huntington. This sixth theme does the same. Huntington includes some great destinations, including the Marshall campus, Central City, Downtown Huntington, and the future University Park and Foundry Center areas. Connecting those places will be crucial.




In general, this project has the opportunity to do a couple of things for the City of Huntington:

Further connect the Marshall campus with the rest of Huntington

As Marshall University continues to grow and expand its educational opportunities and host athletic, educational and performance events, it is important that Huntington is able to better capture the attention and economic impact of students and visitors. By providing continued connectivity to campus and the city, especially Downtown Huntington (a recent Herald-Dispatch article summarizes the continued growth of Downtown), the city can better capture spending that might otherwise be taken to areas outside the city limits.

Marshall has a baseball team, but is without a baseball stadium. It is remarkable that their teams have been as competitive as they are, given the team has no on-campus field facilities, and plays their home games at a YMCA field about 5 miles outside of town, or in Charleston, WV. It wasn't until a few years ago that the Track and Field teams, remarkably, had a track on which to practice and compete. (Now they have an indoor track as well.) But, the opportunity is there to create a space adjacent to campus, adjacent to Dot Hicks Field, that can hold baseball games, as well as other civic or university events.

Encourage walkable redevelopment along 3rd Ave, adjacent to campus

University Park development area

3rd Avenue has relatively high speeds for a road adjacent to a university campus. The posted speed limit is only 35 MPH, but the design, and one way direction of the road, likely induces much quicker travel.

With one way streets, it may be hard to replicate the success of Downtown Huntington. Normally, one way streets are not too good for small cities and retail. While this is a long shot, extending the development pattern of Downtown Huntington, and creating more walkable places, might be supported through the change of one way streets to two way streets.

C-2 zoning in red, I-1 in purple

In looking at Huntington's zoning code, most of the commercial land along 3rd Avenue is zoned as C-2, Highway Commercial District. This zone has a 15-foot setback, which is not ideal along walkable thoroughfares. This space usually ends up being parking, or some sort of landscaping that is not maintained well. A few blocks of 3rd Avenue already have commercial properties, which are zoned C-2, adjacent to the right of way, so the hope would be that this continues through the University Park and Foundry Center development zones.

One proposal would be in building apartment or student housing within the University Park development zone. It's been a while since a new apartment complex was built near campus, with The Village on Sixth being the largest single apartment complex near campus. Honestly, it's surprising to me that there hasn't been a greater attempt at more apartment complexes near campus, especially within walking distance of campus. To promote walkability, there need to be people. It can start with apartments.

Encourage redevelopment adjacent to Development Zones

This is especially true for a number of blocks near the Foundry Center. There are three blocks that are currently zoned R-5, the highest intensity residential zone, which seem underutilized. As connections with the Marshall campus and other districts occur, this portion of R-5 zoned land would be well suited for multifamily redevelopment, or development of single family homes on smaller lots. What would help this area be an even more representative extension of more dense parts of Huntington, is a relaxation of the building line setbacks, especially if future development in the Foundry Center zone is built to more urban standards, and the setback lines of the ACF buildings are preserved through redevelopment of the existing structures.

R-5 zoning district (in brown) adjacent to the I-1 ACF site

These efforts are plans, and nothing more at this point. But, it's important that Huntington see what can be done with so much of the land that is currently unproductive, especially parcels that are in prime locations, and have the ability to greatly contribute to the city's tax base. Sean Garrigan, of SGA, noted that "What will happen will not look like this plan, which seems contrary to this effort, but without going through this effort you won't know what the opportunities or priorities are." Yes, these are plans, but this exercise of visually seeing what is possible is important.

These plans could act as a catalyst for investment for areas on north side of 3rd Avenue. Huntington can now use this in attracting developers that want to play a role in the city's continued redevelopment.


Bonus: During some research I came across this flag proposal for Huntington from the 1970s, "Huntington, geared for progress."

Once Around the Block: Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Huntington, West Virginia's 4th Avenue, Old Main Corridor

Here are some  interesting urbanism and local government related articles from the past week or so:

From The Guardian, some of the urban design mistakes that have great intentions, but end up creating more isolated, unhealthy and inactive communities.

As Metro moves closer to its new bus network here in Houston, see how the agency is preparing for the dramatic change in service. This change will happen overnight, essentially at the flip of a switch. Related to the new bus network, Kurt Luhrsen, Metro’s vice president for service planning and transit reimagining said “We encourage people to live and work along these corridors where we have frequent service. So, over time it gives certain areas a bigger locational advantage.”

Houston hasn't received much rain in the last few weeks, allowing Public Works to continue to better patch potholes. In the case of other cities, like Hamtramck, Michigan, residents take matters into their own hands.

Harris County continues to grow without much form of planning, resulting in frustrations from residents. "As County Judge Ed Emmett frequently notes, the unincorporated parts of Harris County are now sufficiently populous to count as the fifth largest city in Texas." More roads are being constructed, but the county still suffers from traffic congestion. "Total lane miles in the county increased 40 percent over four years."

Politico magazine featured two transportation related articles in the past week, with one of them exploring the craziness of transportation planning acronyms. The other article, exploring what highways have done to many cities, examines the unintended consequences of the interstate highway system. The second article features a mention of Charles Marohn, highlighting Strong Towns' stance that "we simply cannot afford the highway system we have built. It already costs too much to maintain, and yet we keep building more of it."

"Change the streetscape and it changes the mindscape." - Charles Holley

In my former college town of Huntington, West Virginia, the Old Main Corridor Project is moving to its final phases. Recognizing the importance of town-and-gown relationships, Huntington has been working to improve the connectivity of its downtown with Marshall University's campus. "A change in the streetscape really is a change in the mindscape," said Charles Holley, executive director of the city of Huntington Department of Development and Planning. A survey showed that once Marshall University students left campus, they felt as though they were in a gritty area because it was dark and uninviting," Holley said. "They believed the downtown area lacked the sense of safety that they felt on campus."

Huntington is seeing great growth in its downtown, and its wonderful to see the work that has gone in to making the Old Main Corridor, or 4th Avenue, a more complete, connective street. I can't wait to visit Huntington again sometime in the near future to see these changes. As a graduate student at Marshall University, my friend, and current Huntington planning commissioner, Will Holland and myself made note of the great potential that Huntington possesses in many of its corridors, especially 4th Avenue, but also 16th Street (Hal Greer Boulevard), and also 20th Street (Marshall Memorial Boulevard).

Now for a host of Michigan and Detroit related articles:

Paul Egan at the The Detroit Free Press asked, "Are Michigan roads in lousy shape because they’re not well built to begin with, or because repairs are done in such a way that they are likely to fail?" Michigan suffers from a host of challenges on its roads as Egan mentions, "including the state’s highest-in-the nation truck weight limits — double what other states allow; its swampy soil, and its frequently harsh freeze-and-thaw cycles." This makes producing quality roads a challenge. Another quote from the article, from Michigan state senator Patrick Colbeck, “Building roads that last longer would mean that we will eventually need less money to maintain our roads, not more.”

Here's a look at some of the last pay phones around the Detroit area, and some statistics about the remaining pay phone across the country.

The University of Michigan made a creepy, fake city in which to test driverless cars.

Plans are progressing for a 26-mile bike path around the City of Detroit. Trail plans included a number of miles of an abandoned railroad line, as well as existing infrastructure, such as the Dequindre Cut.

Finally, a look back at the Mt. Clemens Race Track, a former "thunderous short-track stock car speedway." The track began as a harness racing track before giving way to stock cars on its half mile and quarter mile tracks. The story accounts the hardships of being a short-track owner. Short tracks are becoming less common, as noted in this Car and Driver article. For me, making regular summer visits to Whittemore Speedway in northern Michigan were a highlight. It's too bad we've lost so many of these tracks, especially when the entertainment has always been highly accessible, especially for families.

Once Around the Block: Monday, July 6, 2015

I hope everyone had a blast of an Independence Day weekend (pun totally intended). Here are a few articles from the world of city planning, urbanism, and general interest from the past week or so:

Let's start again this week with another set of articles and stories from Michigan. Detroit is a city that continues to receive a great deal of attention from urban planners and public policy experts, especially as the city attempts to restructure its infrastructure and governmental structure.

An interview on Local 4's Flashpoint program with anchor Devin Scillian included urban planner Gil Penalosa. Penalosa stopped by the WDIV studios to discuss what exactly Detroit, and other cities for that matter, might need to accomplish in order to be considered a "great city". It's encouraging that this sort of discussion is happening in Detroit, and frankly, this serves as a reminder to other cities that this sort of discussion should be occurring even when your city seems to be thriving (Houston!). Penalosa makes a number of suggestions for Detroit and other cities. When asked about what people in cities want, Penalosa says that most desire to be in a city that allows us to use our senses. "Just how birds fly, and fish swim, people walk."




Last week Stephen Colbert found himself in Monroe, Michigan, hosting the monthly local-access cable show "Only in Monroe". Since Colbert's new stage is not yet complete for his Late Show debut, he took to local access. Colbert chatted with regular hosts, and registered nurses, Kaye Lani Rae Rafko, the 1988 winner of the Miss America pageant, (and personification of Parks and Recreation's character Joan Callamezzo) and Michelle Baumann. Colbert then featured the "vicious internet flame war" happening in Monroe between Yelp reviewer "Mark M", and Jerry's Frenchtown Bar and Grill. Finally, "a local Michigander who is making a name for himself in the competitive world of music" stopped by. That local Michigander was none other than Eminem.

Redevelopment in Huntington, West Virginia; The Jewel City

This week I saw a tweet announcing that Strong Towns, the non-profit that supports models of development that allow cities, towns and neighborhoods to become financially strong and resilient, would be visiting my old stomping grounds of Huntington, West Virginia for a few days. The City of Huntington and the non-profit Create Huntington will host Strong Towns at their Chat and Chew tonight. (I was happy to see that Charles Marohn was also able to visit Huntington just over a year ago as well.) Strong Towns will be working with the City of Huntington on implementation strategies for their updated comprehensive plan, Plan2025.

My March Madness: 2015

The bracket came out on Sunday. The "First Four", or first round (this name is terrible) begins tonight. Second round games start on Thursday. Admittedly, this is a difficult time of the year for me. No, not because of some tragic event's anniversary or haunting reminder. The reason: college basketball.

Having spent seven years involved in Division I women's college basketball, being around basketball teams and having friends that play, have played, or currently coach Division I men's basketball, it's tough to avoid basketball on a daily basis from October to February. It is impossible to escape in late February and March as teams are winding down their seasons and vying for automatic NCAA bids in their conference championships. It was a heart breaker seeing William and Mary lose in the CAA tournament final, as well as my Michigan State Spartans losing in overtime in the Big Ten tournament final. But it's always fun to see a team like Albany win on a last second shot by a guy who lost his mother within the past year, or a team like sub-.500 Hampton win the MEAC as a 6-seed. These small schools play mostly for school pride, with hopes of adding a bit more to each school's endowment, while seeing a spike in admission applications.

The first four days of the NCAA tournament offer some of the year's best basketball games, with many of us watching or listening to a variety of games. Many of us picked our games in our brackets, filling out multiple brackets to cover for Cinderella scenarios or our Alma mater. Workplace productivity on that first Thursday and Friday of action often slows to a crawl.

I have been blessed through basketball, without a doubt. For many basketball traditionalists, women's basketball is, at best, a fringe sport, but it provided me an experience many students never have as undergraduates Working in women's basketball doesn't sound impressive to many, but there are a great deal of former players, high school coaches and others who covet graduate assistant coaching positions, with the hopes of becoming a college coach. I was blessed to have that opportunity. I was able to gain experience in film editing, strength and conditioning practices and was afforded access to some of the best coaching minds in basketball. I also benefited from the physical activity of daily practices, the academic advantages of preferred scheduling and an abundance of athletic apparel. My experience at Michigan State led me to Marshall University, then William and Mary. I got to travel across the country, saw some fantastic cities, ate in great restaurants, and even went to Mexico and Colombia due to the game of basketball. These are all fine blessings themselves.

But the danger of March is finding ourselves emotionally tied to the outcome of a 40-minute contest played by 18 to 24-year-olds; as if we have something on the line ourselves. Taking pride in a program's successes is fine, and being disappointed when they lose is acceptable too; but our emotions cannot use the game of basketball as their barometer. For the coaches, this is even more of a struggle, as their ability to provide for their families depends on their performance. Thankfully, for us as Christians, our right standing with the Lord and his acceptance of us is not based on our works, but through our faith in Christ, and His imputed righteousness.

Michigan State - 2000 National Champions

However, that radical grace is not demonstrated in the halls of athletic departments throughout the NCAA. If you want to see who's hiring, just check out the The Market on the NCAA's website. It's full of basketball job opportunities, and will have even more here in the next few weeks. (There are only 87 openings as I write this, but you can be sure there will be many more in the coming weeks.) Staff will lose their jobs, and the coaching carousel will continue. I remember the tension that existed following our losses in our conference tournaments, wondering whether or not I'd be able to continue graduate school or have a job that next week. It is almost assured that all of the coaches that you see on the sidelines in the NCAA Tournament will have the same jobs next year, or move on to a larger school. Of the 351 Division I basketball teams, 68 made the NCAA tournament, which means there are 283 other head coaches that must be concerned for their livelihood and families, not to mention each team's assistant coaches, operations staff, graduate assistants, office staff, or training staff. If a head coach is fired, you can be sure nearly every other staff member will be looking for other employment.

Even those coaches that are successful at smaller colleges try to make a jump to bigger schools, and sometimes pay the price. Take Manhattan College coach Steve Masiello as an example. After getting to the NCAA Tournament with Manhattan College last year, Masiello was poised to become the new coach at the University of South Florida in the American Athletic Conference. He was a student at the University of Kentucky from 1996 to 2000, and listed on his resume that had graduated. However, further review showed that his resume was inaccurate and that he had not in fact graduated from Kentucky. You may not need a bachelors degree to coach college basketball, but questions of character sometimes speak louder than basketball coaching skills. (And, in my opinion, character should sit higher than simple basketball coaching skills.) Masiello and his Manhattan Jaspers won the MAAC conference tournament and will actually face Kentucky, Masiello's now-Alma-mater, if they beat Hampton in their first round play in game.

Some coaches understand that losing a game in the NCAA tournament should not define you. Creighton University basketball coach Greg McDermott's post game speech after his team lost to Baylor last year should make us breathe a sigh of relief that there are some level-headed coaches out there who care for their players and staff.

As we are in the thick of March Madness, remember that these coaches (both in men's and women's basketball) and their staffs are under tremendous pressure to succeed and to find definition by wins and losses. Please pray for them, their hearts, and for their families. Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes faithfully minister to coaches and athletes (who are typically pretty stubborn and prideful due to their success in coaching), and will be doing so at the Final Four for both the men and women.

Some coaches are rooted in Christ, and we should be praying for them. Scott Drew, head coach at Baylor, has displayed this well. In addressing a Baylor losing streak last year, Drew made sure people knew what he felt was most important for his players. Drew said to the team's chaplain, "We may not win another game this year, and I may be a horrible coach, but if any of these guys leave without knowing Christ, that will be the real loss." Drew also said, “Winning the game of life is a lot more rewarding than a 40-minute basketball game that’s so temporary. To have an opportunity to help be a part of an impact on a young person’s life is the best feeling.”
thankful.

Here's a strong spin on winning… Check out this pic. pic.twitter.com/xyPhVokUyj
— Morris M. Michalski (@CoachMo7) March 23, 2014

I was constantly challenged by this tension of success and the pressure that basketball brings, and it is an ugly perspective to have. I am thankful that Christ's acceptance does not ride on wins and losses. So, I'll be watching this weekend again, just like everyone else, but with a perspective that the wins and losses in my bracket do not determine my identity in Christ or control my emotions.

In closing, as a Michigan State graduate, the Spartans are my obligatory pick. If they struggle in the tournament, be sure to check in and see how I'm handling it. Go Green, Go White!

Philadelphia, PA, 2011

Cancun, Mexico, 2010

Chicago, IL - Athletes in Action training camp, 2009

Bolivar, Colombia - Sharing my testimony, 2009

Impromptu practice at a Cartagena, Colombia school, 2009

On the bench at Marshall

New Orleans, LA, Cafe De Monde - C-USA Championship, 2009

6 Months in Houston; Reflections and a Little Personal History

I have now been in Houston now for just over six months. I have lived in five different cities in four different states within the past five and a half years. While there has been stress and uncertainty in relocation, I have seen God’s grace in each place I have lived. Here's a background of my time spent in each city:

East Lansing, MI - As a resident mentor in Wonders Hall at Michigan State University, some fellow mentors challenge me in my faith, and through the fellowship and encouragement of men of Spartan Christian Fellowship and University Reformed Church, I find true faith in Christ. My four-year involvement with the Michigan State Women's Basketball team leads me to Marshall University.

Huntington, WV - Before ever visiting Huntington, I accept a graduate assistant coaching position with the Marshall University Women's Basketball team. I found fellowship among others in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and River Cities Community Church. My time, and the encouragement and camaraderie of this crew, in Huntington strengthened my faith unimaginably. No other town has a spot in my heart like Huntington. 

Williamsburg, VA - My basketball experience allowed me to be hired as the Director of Basketball Operations for the College of William and Mary Women's Basketball team. It's here I realize I no longer desired to pursue collegiate coaching as a profession, even though I love the sport, and have been blessed greatly through it.

Harrisonburg, VA - My location and public administration education leads to a land-use planning position with Rockingham County, Virginia. I spend 13 months in Harrisonburg, enjoying fellowship with the James Madison University Fellowship of Christian Athletes group, and those at Covenant Presbyterian Church. 

Looking back on these past five years, I can see how the Lord has continued to reveal himself to me, and how he has allowed my circumstances and relationships to increase my dependence on him, and increase my faith in his reign. It is a testament to how limited of a view we have in this present time of the orchestration of the events in our lives, and that the Lord is faithful to work things out for our good and our joy.

With that background, here’s a little rundown of the past few months:

April – A position in the Planning and Development Department for the City of Houston opens. I apply.

May – I am notified that I have been selected for an interview with the City of Houston. I am also told I have interviews with Howard County, Maryland and the City of Cincinnati, Ohio planning departments. I participate in an interview over Skype with the City of Houston. I'd say I nailed it.

June – Knowing I may not be in Harrisonburg much longer, I soak up the Shenandoah Valley, hiking as much as possible in Shenandoah National Park, finding bears on the trails, swimming in waterfalls, and picking as many wild blackberries and raspberries as possible. My parents spent a week at my apartment in Harrisonburg, and we also spent a few days in Washington DC. We met up with one of my best friends, Luke, where he helped reaffirm my decision to move to Houston.

July – To add to the confusion, I learn that the City of Norfolk, Virginia would like to interview me for a position in their Planning Department. I made sure to enjoy Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, the State of Virginia and my coworkers and friends as much as possible. I was not able to find a time to interview with Norfolk, so I declined to continue in their application process. Norfolk is a great city, and I wonder what would have become of that interview.

Finally, on Thursday, July 19, 2012, I began my journey to Houston with a U-Haul trailer in tow. I took my time enjoying Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, finally arriving in Texas on Saturday, July 21. Brian, a coworker and fellow Michigan State graduate, graciously provided me a place to rest my head for a few months until I was able to find a living situation. I attended Sojourn for the first time on Sunday July 22, 2012, where Kyle Bryant promptly gave me an extensive tour of the city, and then the next day, I went to work. Welcome to Houston, now breathe. And try not to sweat so much.

August – I found myself trying to navigate Houston, learning more about the city I work for and the residents that I serve. I worked in a long weekend trip back to Michigan for a family wedding and managed to take in a Tigers game. I was glad to enjoy an exceptional Michigan summer for a few days.

September – I was able to finally find a comfortable and modest living situation, and became a covenant member at Sojourn.

October / November – Fall in Houston proved to be beautiful, and I made a trip to San Antonio to see my girls from the William and Mary Women’s Basketball team playing in a Thanksgiving classic at the University of Texas San Antonio. I miss those girls. I also had the chance to take in an Oakland University Basketball game, as the Golden Grizzlies traveled down to Houston to take on Texas Southern. It was great to see my Michigan State roommate and fellow scout player James, as well as the Grizz get a win. Having family that teaches and attends Oakland, as well as having worked their basketball camps for many summers, I enjoy supporting Oakland any way I can.

December – Christmas in a warm climate just did not feel the same, so I made sure to be at home with the family for Christmas. Michigan had a white Christmas, and it was great to get feel some cold weather!

Now that spring is right around the corner, it won’t be long until I will be reflecting on having spent a year in Houston. The Lord has blessed me richly in finding a community of brothers and sisters in Christ at Sojourn Houston committed to sharing the gospel and building each other up in righteousness. My roots are continuing to be planted, and I am thankful for the friendships that have been cultivated through my time here, and I look forward to the continued partnership of the gospel that lies ahead. There have been times of personal disappointment and difficulty, but these pains pale in comparison to the joy that has been gained as the Lord continues to reveal his plan for my life, and for the ministry of Sojourn in Houston.

I was comfortable in Virginia, soaking in the agrarian lifestyle of Harrisonburg, hiking with the black bears and deer in the mountains or the meadow, swimming in waterfalls, eating wild berries and hanging out at the farmers market; but I was also ready for a new challenge. My move to Houston was made with some trepidation, but it has been most sanctifying, and I thank the Lord for that.