City of Jacksonville Considers Love to be Blight?!?!?!

[fieldafm]

Have to say, I am really upset about this. Really appreciate the Daily Record for diving into this pretty disgusting act. 

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=545174

[Tacachale]

Really weird. If not the City or FDOT, who else would have cut them all down?

[CityLife]

Bizarre story. What do you say we MJ posters chip in for a reward to anyone that gives up the perpetrator? I'll chip in if others do. 

[fieldafm]

Daily Record has now updated the story and confirms that COJ considered them 'blight'

City spokeswoman Aleizha Batson said Tuesday morning the locks were removed by the parks maintenance staff because the area supervisor considered them to be blight and graffiti.

What's truly disturbing, is that I see COJ employees routinely walk by overflowing traschans and 'actual' liter along the Northbank Riverwalk and do nothing about it.

[Tacachale]

Wow, thanks for doing so much for downtown, COJ! It's all fixed now, just take the rest of the year off.

[benfranklinbof]

It looked like art to me. The locks on that fence with the Southbank in the background looked incredible. Well thank goodness I just bought some locks. I guess it's time for my love and I to put them up

[thelakelander]

The "love lock" custom began about 15 years ago in European cities, then spread to America and other countries.

While Jacksonville's display was just a few locks, in some locations, hundreds, even thousands, of the locks have been placed on bridges and pedestrian walkways over water.

In 2013, the New York City Transportation Department removed more than 5,000 locks from the Brooklyn Bridge

Love locks on the Brooklyn Bridge last week:

[fieldafm]

Gosh, look at how 'awful' these things look. So glad the City removed them instead of doing things like actually picking up trash along the riverfront.

[CityLife]

COJ has the right to maintain its own property, but I would still love it if someone filed a class action suit against the city for reimbursement of the locks. I'm not a lawyer, but think that the city allowing them to be placed there and allowing them to remain in place for a length of time somewhat implies that the city accepted their placement. This in turn encouraged future placement of locks.

You really want egg on someone's face, make them defend against that. Ultimately, the city would probably settle by offering to create a new spot for "love locks" Downtown.

[fieldafm]

Here's an example in South Korea of a public art display using the locks.




You can't see the locks here, because the city allowed a massive yarn bomb project, but this along the Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh. There also locks near the gorgeous Schenley Park near the University of Pittsburgh.



Frankly, I've seen this in just about every city I've been to.

[fieldafm]

COJ has the right to maintain its own property

Correction: They have a duty to maintain public property. 

A duty in which they fall short. While there is a really cartoonish blight mascot walking around town, COJ-owned properties in economically depressed neighborhoods sit and rot.  Maybe it's time COJ start cleaning up those properties and putting them to better use instead of cutting down some padlocks on the Riverwalk.... or maybe even empty the trash cans along the Riverwalk with more regularity.. or maybe mow the right of way more often?

[CityLife]

^I agree they are working in the public interest and don't think this move is in the public interest. Like you, I think its ridiculous. The City should be facilitating and encouraging things like this, not seeking to destroy it.

I was speaking more to the legal aspect of their removal for the basis of reimbursement by the city.

[Lunican]

At least they didn't just cut down the gay locks of love.

[Noone]

Bizarre story. What do you say we MJ posters chip in for a reward to anyone that gives up the perpetrator? I'll chip in if others do. 

I still have an open contest on MJ if anyone can take a picture of the NEW Waterways signage and post it on MJ that was never presented to the Jacksonville Waterways Commission. I'll treat you to Chopstick Charley's and we'll use Uber or Lyft. 2014-665, 2015-127

MJ posters we have all given up asking you know who about you know what. 2010-604

When it comes to the St. Johns River an American Heritage River a FEDERAL Initiative in our new super duper restricted CRA/DIA zone who is the RICOKEEPER?

Visit Jacksonville!

[I-10east]

I guess that throwing tied shoes over telephone wires is 'desired art' also....