Blight Update at 1306 N. Maple

The update is that there is no update or changes. In fact, what appears to be a secure building from the street is an allusion. All the windows on the east side are completely broken out. Both doorway openings on the back side are unsecure. In the garage, which is also apparently tagged dangerous, is loaded with piles of garbage (see above photo) with the front doors open. It has to be attracting rodents (or worse) to the neighborhood. Drug activity was already mentioned in a previous blog concerning this property. And county records indicate that this property has been owned by a church-based educational institution (guess which one). I find it hard to believe that city officials have actually inspected this property. And if they have, then it is crystal clear who has influences over City Hall. If we were to manage property in this manner, City Hall would demand and strictly enforce clean up in 30 days. This property has looked bad for a year or more. Will this end up being yet another case where criminal arson will do more to remove blight than church, government, and M/TRC combined? Wake Up, Independence! Elections are coming up. If you’re happy with the status quo and the level of respect bestowed on our heritage here in Old Town, then there are clear choices for you at the polls. Actually, this would be a great time to take out the garbage!

One Block East

PrudentPreservation makes a great point. It needs to be noted that the 300-400 block of North Pleasant Street is “One Block East” of the Truman Home and within view of the Truman Home National Historic Site. There is a hint (or stench) of hypocrisy to charge off to clean up blight in the “12 Blocks West” while contributing to blight in one block east. It also needs to be mentioned, again, that this block of Pleasant Street has been a part of the M/TRC Neighborhood Revitalization Program. Locals obviously have varying opinions about the state of neighborhood. Have you wondered what folks outside our community think? In May of 2008, the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation (state-wide not-for-profit group based in Columbia MO) listed the Truman National Historic Landmark District on its “Top 10 Most Endangered Historic Places” in the state because of conditions on Pleasant Street and because “institutional property owners in the area have been moving out.” In the 1990’s, we were high on the list of endangered landmarks for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In the 1980’s, it was the US Department of the Interior. Have situations really improved in the last three decades? The Truman Library Institute’s fund-raiser, “Wild about Harry”, is next week and it attracts support from all across the country. It would be great for the local community to demonstrate that they are also “Wild about Harry” by supporting the preservation of his neighborhood and the historic setting his home. The Truman Neighborhood is essentially a living history district with the emphasis on “living.” It is important to have living/breathing human beings and families occupying the surrounding properties. And it is important to take advantage of the resources and tools available at the federal level to accomplish this goal. So what are we waiting for?

NSP Bucks Should Stop on Pleasant Street

The problem with foreclosures and vacant properties hit the 300-400 block of North Pleasant Street, in the heart of the Harry S Truman National Historic Landmark District, long before the crisis hit the community and the nation. The photo above is 419 N. Pleasant taken almost 2 years ago and shows overgrown weeds and boarded up windows. Conditions today are worst. The property looked this way during Candidate Barack Obama’s pivotal campaign speech about “Patriotism” at the Memorial Building (only a block away) while the national press descended on our neighborhood. And we lost one empty building over three years ago from arson (subject of 11-27-09 Blog Post). Today there are actually 5 empty buildings on this block which include an empty historic church sanctuary with plywood covering stained glass windows and, yes, an empty school building (Palmer). But there is actually hope. The federal government has what they call the National Stabilization Program (NSP) where they provide money to local communities to purchase foreclosed properties for rehabilitation and resale. City Historic Preservation staff is currently proposing to use NSP funds for 419 N. Pleasant. This has actually been one of the best ideas to come from City Hall in a long time. No other property in town would give you more bang for your buck than this one. Millions of dollars are available and have been for a while. Other communities have been spending this money. What is the hold up in Independence? If this were a problem associated with the Event Center, it would be treated as an emergency and the city would go into debt to address it immediately. In this case, money is not short but leadership is. Someone needs to take the lead this spring to get the NSP funds invested in our historic neighborhoods. We cannot depend on the First Baptist Church, the School District, or the banking community for leadership on Pleasant Street. City Hall has to step up to the plate and treat issues in Old Town with the same urgency as their beloved projects in the Little Blue Valley.

Deficits on Streets lead to Potholes in Revenue

We’ve mentioned the cost of maintaining open space and parking lots, but what is the impact on city revenue when homes are removed from neighborhood streets? The City of Independence has budgeted over $52 million in revenue from property taxes, franchise fees from city-owned utilities, taxes from city-owned utilities, franchise fees & taxes from natural gas services, franchise fees & taxes & 911 fees from phone use, franchise fees & taxes from cable services, cigarette taxes, gasoline taxes, motor vehicle license fees, and general sales tax. This revenue represents an average of $1120 per household (this assumes households are supporting our local businesses). Every household represents a revenue stream. When these households disappear, so does the revenue. For example, if an entire block of say 26 homes disappear, that could represent a $350,000 loss in annual revenue from the city’s budget or the equivalent of the starting base salaries of 9 entry-level police officers. Obviously, poorly maintained and managed houses can put on strain on city resources but so do empty lots. It is important to maintain our housing stock for a sustainable city government and appropriate staffing levels of police and firefighters. It also supports local public schools, libraries, county government, etc. We need to get behind “12 Blocks West” and any other neighborhood revitalization/conservation efforts to maintain clean and safe housing for our citizens. Otherwise, we will have no choice but to put professional hockey players on our streets to maintain law & order.

“M/TRC-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E”

The Examiner reported correctly in their headline “Hope for Truman Road Corridor?” when they placed the question mark at the end. The Midtown / Truman Road Corridor (M/TRC) Neighborhood Revitalization Program started out strong, but its record has most definitely been questionable of recent years. They supported the demolition of two homes in the expanded National Historic Landmark District that were also judged to be historic by the City’s Heritage Commission. Then they did not follow through to make sure the developer filled in all the empty spaces. They cleared land in an “Urban Renewal” style with the promise of putting in a park and some housing. Now we are spending public money for mowing and maintaining empty lots. Some of these vacant lots had been called in for code enforcement (in other words, conditions that contribute to “blight”). They continue to operate with staff and board members who live in other parts of town or even other cities. Church representation on the board has always had a priority over representation from neighbors. They continue to send money to the Kansas City consulting firm of Ochsner, Hare & Hare (OHH), for helpful advice? I realize that the economy is bad but we’ve been working at this for 15 years and there was plenty of time to get this right when the real estate market was strong. The extra $38,425 the City Council has budgeted for this year doesn’t appear to be buying anything new but the continued bureaucracy of maintaining an approved group of property owners who are not paying property taxes. Actually, the sidewalks in front of some of those approved properties are in horrible condition. It seems the neighborhood would be better off to invest an additional $537 dollars to hire a full-time police officer (starting entry-level base salary of $38,962) devoted to this neighborhood and let the M/TRC Board (with church representation) solve their own budget problems. If I recall, the M/TRC Neighborhood Revitalization Plan was actually developed by the RLDS Church and OHH (maybe they would be interested in contributing). It seems the reputations of many are on the line. Those who are actually paying their taxes and those at the national level concerned about the fate of a valuable Presidential Neighborhood deserve more effort from the community to get this right.

Pink Slip Appears!

Just 3 days after the blog post on January 24^th that presented problems at 1306 W. Maple, it appears that the City responded appropriately with tagging this building as dangerous. Wow, someone must be actually reading this blog. Unfortunately, the property owner has still left broken glass on the front porch while children are playing at the neighborhood park just down the street. The tag (pictured above) actually references a fire at the property while there is no visible evidence of a fire (maybe it’s prophecy). Also, it has been 3 weeks since the date on the tag and it is still not registered on the city’s website as a complaint. Are city officials serious about this case? Is the property owner pulling a few strings? Does Rex know his name is on this tag? As average citizens and taxpayers, using property maintenance code complaints is our primary means of fighting neighborhood blight. I would encourage all citizens to use this tool that is available through our city government but, as you can see, it is important to follow up on these code complaints to make sure City Hall works like it is suppose to and that property owners respond appropriately. Government/institution-sponsored revitalization programs will not work without the helpful participation of local neighbors, citizens, families, and, yes of course, churches. When neighborhood children witness first-hand poor community stewardship by adults, then they will assume that no one will care when it comes to graffiti, vandalism, or worst. The cycle continues. Stay tuned to see what happens to 1306 W. Maple. It may give us a preview of how “12 Blocks West” will be managed. The home actually appears to need only minor repairs to keep it on the tax rolls. It’s too bad they didn’t take advantage of the tax incentives when they were available through our award-winning M/TRC program (when the adjacent hospital was in business). Does anyone see a pattern here?

Make a Wish and Blow out the Flames

On President’s Day Weekend, let us rededicate ourselves to our own presidential history. Let us strive to preserve neighborhoods in our community that promote human interaction and helping one another as opposed to new developments founded on barriers & isolation. It’s about maintaining neighborhoods with safe pedestrian-friendly paths as opposed to those dependent on gasoline-powered engines. It’s in having neighborhood churches and institutions that view adjacent homes as shelters for souls and spiritual revival as opposed to obstructions to convenient parking. Where homes are not just considered investments in one’s portfolio but also investments in the heritage of one’s community and beyond. It’s in fostering a sense of place and community where young families choose to invest instead of the location of last resort for those with very few choices. It’s being blessed with institutions of compassion & wisdom addressing needs in their own back yards as they prepare to march off to save the world. Where revitalization plans are judged based on their impact on families as opposed to dollars & duration. And where government entities put more emphasis on community preservation as opposed to program preservation. Where our property taxes are considered a responsibility to our community as opposed to being used as leverage to induce responsible behavior. And where diversity is considered an asset rather than a deed restriction. Where judgments of crime & punishment are based more on what is best for the safety of families and neighborhoods versus the availability of jail space. And yes (in reference to the photo above at 822 N. Liberty), a community where arson is considered a punishable crime and not a revitalization tool. Here in Independence, we have tremendous opportunities to lead the nation in preservation & revitalization instead of being just another case study of lessons learned.