Just 3 days after the blog post on January 24th 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?
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