Last month a group of concerned citizens gathered at the Joyce Beers Community Center in the Uptown District to gauge interest about the formation of a neighborhood watch and residents group in Hillcrest.

Since then, steering committees have been meeting weekly and recently decided that the neighborhood watch group would work within the umbrella of the newly-named and formed Hillcrest Town Council (HTC).

The town council steering committee also came up with a mission statement – “To provide a voice and enhance the quality of life for Hillcrest renters and home owners and to support actions that benefit our neighborhood.” The mission statement was shared at the general meeting, which took place last Tuesday, and was met with resounding applause and cheers from the packed house.

According to those in attendance, the group started because long-term residents in the area feel they don’t have a voice and that Hillcrest area is being taken for granted. The area has never had a residents group of the kind businesses in the area have benefited so greatly from.

“Hillcrest has a great village feeling and the village needs a voice for those that live here, said Ann Garwood, an HTC steering committee member. “It is high time that a forum is built that will allow everyone to be heard, so that we can build a better community.”

More than 60 people attended the meeting Tuesday night and there were a lot of excited voices. Many expressed the community’s excitement in coming together, hoping that strength will come in numbers.

“More people are finding out about the group and they are very receptive to the formation of the council,” said John Taylor, a Hillcrest resident and member of the steering committee.

According to Taylor the group originally started with eight people and has doubled in size at every meeting.

“It’s exciting because we are now getting feet under us to become a strong entity within the community,” he said.

This year Hillcrest will host its Centennial Celebration and the group hopes to be part of that celebration.

“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to circle around the community, for businesses and residents alike to celebrate our rich history and the community we all love, including its ‘walkability,’ friendliness and the history. After all, it has been the center of the gay community in San Diego for years,” Garwood commented.

However the community also has many challenges the group hopes to deal with.

“We’ve also have crime issues we face, many of which have been in the news lately,” she said.

Garwood is speaking of the more than 60 incidents that have taken place throughout the Hillcrest/North Park area in recent months. The crimes appear to be hate related and there is no doubt that the Hillcrest area is being targeted.

“We have assailants coming into the neighborhood that are attacking and even killing people and we have residents that are scared, and rightly so,” she said.

The HTC will also tackle issues dealing with transients and the many problems that surround homelessness. “If somebody lives on the street, they don’t live the same way that others do. There is often a lot of debris that is left behind when they move on and we, the residents of Hillcrest, have to clean up after them,” Garwood explained.

According to Garwood the group is open to anyone that wants to get involved, so that they too can take part in the “village’s voice,” and have input in the HTC.

The group has identified four major issues that it will initially tackle. Sub-committees for the Hillcrest Centennial events, crime, development, and litter/graffiti are being formed. At the meeting, 28 people signed up for those committees and members look forward to coming up with solutions for those issues.

The HTC meetings will be facilitated by Leo Wilson, who is on the board of Uptown Planners and belongs to the neighborhood association in Bankers Hill.

“There is no one leader, there is no board and there isn’t a dollar in the bank. All we have is a great community and I think the energy to make it better,” Garwood concluded.

The steering committee is open to anyone who wants to participate and meetings will take place throughout the month. The next steering committee meeting will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

The HTC meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting will be held Tuesday, March 13 in the Joyce Beers Community Center. The Hillcrest Neighborhood Watch will begin each monthly meeting. All Hillcrest residents are asked to attend.

For more information about the Hillcrest Town Council, call (619) 260-1929 or log on to www.hillquest.com.