Double Standards

The photo above shows the tall weeds and grass on the empty lots owned and maintained by the Midtown / Truman Road Corridor (MTRC) Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation. The photo speaks for itself. MTRC is the group that decides if local property owners meet minimum property maintenance codes while investing their property in order to get tax abatement. This corner was originally intended to mark the entrance into the Truman National Historic Landmark District. Unfortunately, the National Park Service moved the entrance back to its original location at the corner of Union & Truman. It appears MTRC not only has problems with preservation standards but also has difficulty with basic property maintenance standards. If the MTRC Board managed the program into the red, then I would expect board members to show up and mow the grass and cut the weeds. That’s what “responsibility” is all about. That’s right, I used the “R” word. MTRC needs to be setting the example for property owners, especially on such a visible corner, especially adjacent to a “Presidential” neighborhood, and especially during these peak months of tourism.