Code enforcement hits community garden?

[acme54321]

Is that the top of a column upside down in the yard?  Looks pretty ornate.

[movedsouth]

Thanks for cleaning up the trash! It is deeds like this, not $250/day fines, that motivate owners to take charge and fix up their houses.

Regarding the sculpture: It is a bit hard to see in the photo, but I believe this is a sculpture of an owl, not a column, that you see in the front yard.

[John P]

This conversation makes me sick. Its the whole "I dont have to follow the rules if I dont want to" and "The home owners are just victime here" mindset that real;ly ticks me off. Im sorry but if theres a complaint about a big pile of mulch in a vacant lot and it needs to be spread just speard it and stop bitching. If you have a pile of trash in your yard for a month then take responsibility and clean it up. In the first example it looks like the garden owner is incredibly whiny. Please just spread the mulch and get on with it. I dont like how the city nickels and dimes me on my permitting but that the rule. Spread the mulch and move on but please dont bitch about the horrors of your experience. In the second example it looks like the owner realizes hes let trash sit in his yard for a while and has finally decided to pick it up. Congratulations and welcome to homeownership. If hes too ill to do it himself then ask a neighbor. Roadking said he asked last week and was told no thanks. Last but not least iloveionia inserts herself into a situation with city employee no reason while he does his job and then retells it like a soap opera. It doesnt even sound like the owner has a problem with it like you said. I AGREE WITH CHANGING CITY POLICY TO NOT DEMOLISH HOUSES IN A HISTORIC AREA BUT THATS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH LEGISLATION AND WORKING WITH GOVERNMENT NOT BY HARRASSING CITY EMPLOYEES AND DRAMATIZING ROUTINE EVENTS.

[avs]

It makes me sick too when neighbors help each other out when they are being unnecessarily harassed on their own tax dime.

[sheclown]

Nicole's good at "inserting herself" -- at old ladies birthday parties, at Make It Happens, at mothballing COAs. 

But even civility demands, at times, confronting others' harmful behavior.  And she is doing just that, along with dozens from the neighborhood, who are loudly proclaiming "we're not going to take it...anymore."

I suggest, Mr. John P., if you don't like the "drama," don't visit the site.

[iloveionia]

Inserting myself in front of code enforcement caused the following in the soap opera: 

The owner of the Ionia house (where I confronted Danko) called me today to get information about mothballing.  Why?  Because the code enforcement officer (Danko) suggested he do so after the two of them talked today, that it would be a good plan for his front house (mothballing.)  Danko may have actually picked up on the "let's help people concept" even if just for a moment. 

So while you preach personal responsibility, sometimes pushes are needed to help and support and get people (in this case code enforcement) to do the right thing.

And if people don't go out there and do the dirty work (literally) to help people, educate, and support we are all lost in this world.  Roadking cleans much if not all of that block and more at the BP area.  The owner only rejected his offer b/c he was getting out there to do it the rain just prevented it.  I would also imagine there is some pride involved too. 

You don't have to like any of it.  It doesn't matter.  There are those who will be empathetic and help, and those who will read online blogs and bitch.  I prefer to sweat it out (another literally) and help, it is just the right thing to do.

Springfield is a great place.  I love it.  Even with you in it.  :-)

[iloveionia]

much love stephen for your kind words.

[sheclown]

...oh and Mr. John P....that "whiny gardener" could kick your ass, any day.

[strider]

Is that the top of a column upside down in the yard?  Looks pretty ornate.

That is actually a "rescued" piece of one of the Laura Trio buildings (you will notice the ornate parts at the top of the building are gone), or it could be from a building long gone. I used to know for sure, but have forgotten.  No doubt that it is a architectural piece. I think this one may match the one downtown just before you go over the Main Street bridge.

[strider]

This conversation makes me sick. Its the whole "I dont have to follow the rules if I dont want to" and "The home owners are just victime here" mindset that real;ly ticks me off. Im sorry but if theres a complaint about a big pile of mulch in a vacant lot and it needs to be spread just speard it and stop bitching. If you have a pile of trash in your yard for a month then take responsibility and clean it up. In the first example it looks like the garden owner is incredibly whiny. Please just spread the mulch and get on with it. I dont like how the city nickels and dimes me on my permitting but that the rule. Spread the mulch and move on but please dont bitch about the horrors of your experience. In the second example it looks like the owner realizes hes let trash sit in his yard for a while and has finally decided to pick it up. Congratulations and welcome to homeownership. If hes too ill to do it himself then ask a neighbor. Roadking said he asked last week and was told no thanks. Last but not least iloveionia inserts herself into a situation with city employee no reason while he does his job and then retells it like a soap opera. It doesnt even sound like the owner has a problem with it like you said. I AGREE WITH CHANGING CITY POLICY TO NOT DEMOLISH HOUSES IN A HISTORIC AREA BUT THATS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH LEGISLATION AND WORKING WITH GOVERNMENT NOT BY HARRASSING CITY EMPLOYEES AND DRAMATIZING ROUTINE EVENTS.

John P, besides needing to freshen up those read comprehension skills, you are just plain very wrong. But the city leadership must love you.  They hope and pray that everyone thinks the way you do.

The city leadership can and will ignore a room full of polite, quiet people all day long.  They can not ignore a room full of angry ones.  Unless we get angry over what the head of MCCD has her peole do, we will will not get the needed change.

[Timkin]

Nicole's good at "inserting herself" -- at old ladies birthday parties, at Make It Happens, at mothballing COAs. 

But even civility demands, at times, confronting others' harmful behavior.  And she is doing just that, along with dozens from the neighborhood, who are loudly proclaiming "we're not going to take it...anymore."

I suggest, Mr. John P., if you don't like the "drama," don't visit the site.

+1!!!!  PSOS and their team are amazing!   Even though Springfield is not my "hood", I love the area  and respect and appreciate the hard work of the individuals who put their money (and their efforts) where their mouth is and get out and get it done and are , very definitely one by one saving the houses! 


There will always be the element of people in the community that sit and ridicule groups of people like the SOS team.  Move on and ignore them.    They would rather be part of the problem than part of the solution , any day.

[Debbie Thompson]

John P, the mulch was just delivered about week ago.  It rained for days, then it took a couple of days before people could go over there to spread it.  It hasn't been sitting there for a long time, and it will be spread in a day or two. This was just harassment.  Sustainable Springfield takes beautiful care of all their gardens in the neighborhood. They are amazing.  Given the astonishing amount of time MCCD devotes to our little one square mile, I'm sure they know that.

And if Ionia had not "inserted herself" into the situation and galvanized the preservationists in Springfield, who at that point had about given up in defeat from fighting so hard for so long and not getting anywhere, I can't imagine where we'd be today.  But I know for sure, wherever we would be, there would be fewer houses there with us!

Opinions are fine, everyone has them, but really, you should do a bit more legwork first.   

[Debbie Thompson]

Fieldafm, I don't know whether to be excited or discouraged by the pictures you posted.  Excited because Dancy can look like that.  Discouraged because after so many years of trying, it still doesn't.  You and aclchampion come join the fight with us.  We are determined to save this treasure, and all the remaining Springfield history.  It's Jacksonville's first "suburb" and deserves to be protected, cherished and restored.

[shellysu]

What a lovely street! I happen to do title searches on most of the foreclosures in Duval County and I am amazed at how many have ridiculous code enforcement liens. Some of them are as much as $150.00 per day and the Mortgage is subordinate to any County Liens. I would like to see the city waive liens in certain situations so that investors or whomever buys the property can bring it up to code and increase the property's value. It's a win, win for everyone.

[iloveionia]

John P, the mulch was just delivered about week ago.  It rained for days, then it took a couple of days before people could go over there to spread it.  It hasn't been sitting there for a long time, and it will be spread in a day or two. This was just harassment.  Sustainable Springfield takes beautiful care of all their gardens in the neighborhood. They are amazing.  Given the astonishing amount of time MCCD devotes to our little one square mile, I'm sure they know that.

[/quote

+1 love my friends at SS. 

What a lovely street! I happen to do title searches on most of the foreclosures in Duval County and I am amazed at how many have ridiculous code enforcement liens. Some of them are as much as $150.00 per day and the Mortgage is subordinate to any County Liens. I would like to see the city waive liens in certain situations so that investors or whomever buys the property can bring it up to code and increase the property's value. It's a win, win for everyone.

This is exactly what we are working on with CM Lumb.