Neighborhood deteriorating?
Some people just don't get it. When you board up your property, you invite crime.
Today, Chip Fissel of Fissel's at Third and the Broad Street Market put a sign in his window - which reads "Due to the deterioration of the neighborhood, there will be no more window displays." The sign is over some very ugly material covering one of the two plate glass windows of his shop.
Now, what do you think has contributed to the "deterioration" he cites? My bet is he has. For over two years, his other plate glass window has been covered in plywood. The damage occurred during a hurricane. He never replaced it.
It is well known that when property is well taken care of, there is less crime. When homes are boarded up, crime increases. So he has only himself to blame. Of course, we all suffer when a thoughtless property owner doesn't do the right thing and repair damage.
posted by Anniken Davenport, Esquire @ 3:23 PM
6 Comments:
That's exactly what I am saying - the city is contributing to the crime problem by boarding up and sitting on houses and other properties. And by ignoring their own code violations
I'm afraid I don't agree this time. It wasn't thugs who broke the first plate glass window - it was a hurricane, and I presume he had insurance coverage. So why didn't he fix it then? Everyone else on the block has fully functional windows.
And I say that as someone who has over the years spend thousands at Fissels. But I will not spend one penny more until he puts glass back in the window. Right now, I'm so mad I hope he just moves on and let's someone else buy the place. But no doubt, he'll want double market price!
Well, I must not be seeing the rif-raf because I have lived half a block away for 22 years. All I have ever seen are some Johovah witnesses hanging out under the overhang trying to give away pamplets and a few people waiting for the bus. For a few years, I stood there myself with my infant (now 19) waiting for the bus every morning.
Am I blind? I really don't understand what problems he is having with the neighborhood. Heck, once I had a brick through my window, too. But I didn't board up - I had new glass put in. So should I have boarded up instead?
All right, I'll buy that it's tough to get unwelcome guests to leave one's business although that's a problem anyone open to the public has and what the police are for. But that does not explain the boarded up windows.
But when your glass door was broken, you had it fixed.
I remember it well . . .
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