Help!!

[downtownparks]

Heights and Macbeth. I dont think anyone has suggested that homeless oriented social services be shut down or discontinued, just spread out evenly. I know of 6 halfway houses within 6 blocks of my house, and 4 homeless shelters within a mile of my home. Can someone who lives in Southside Estates, or Lakewood say that?

[fsu813]

bingo.

[zoo]

Whether you support homeless vets or not is irrelevant in this case. The use of this home in this manner is illegal under the current Springfield Zoning overlay, unless grandfathered in prior to the enactment of the overlay.

So not only is Ms. Pittman creating an ethical issue with accepting govt subsidy for donation/use of her own, personally owned property, she is attempting to skirt the law to suit her purposes.

This use is illegal in Springfield's Historic District, period.

[cline]

Just because a homeless shelter or some other social service opens near your home doesn't mean it's a bad thing. 

So when exactly would having a homeless shelter near you be a good thing?  I don't know of many realtors that would use that as a selling point.

[Dog Walker]

What do you want to bet that a lot of these homeless "vets" are not vets at all.  This is a common ploy by bums who want more sympathy.  I've seen thirty-five year old beggars with signs that say "homeless Vietnam vet" more than once.

[Deuce]

Zoo's right. This is illegal. It seems SPAR's on it but you did the right thing posting here to notify other community members. Be sure to post on the SPAR boards and contact Johnny Gaffney.

To all those who are hating on Omar wanting to be rid of this, this destroys property values. Let's just say hypothetically that the economy didn't turn sour and the housing market was still strong. Let's just say his house was worth $200,000 when he moved in. Let's say this goes in next to him. Let's say that a few years later he wants to sell his house for a lot more money (cause in our example the rest of the neighborhood has continued to bloom and property values have risen dramatically). Now most homes in the neighborhood are way above median value for Jacksonville. Think of the limited number of people who have the means to afford the more expensive homes. Do you think they are going to buy next to a shelter for vets even if they want to live in an urban area? Most won't.

I want none of this crap in Springfield. If you love it so damn much, call person who is running it and ask them to come to your neighborhood. Nimby? Damn skippy and I have no qualms with that accusation. In fact I don't even mind being called elitist for wanting to turn Springfield into another Avondale. After all, I'm just trying to maximize the return on my investment so I can live the American Dream and never have to work again. That's what capitalism is about. One person wins, but the other looses.

[strider]

Zoo: So not only is Ms. Pittman creating an ethical issue with accepting govt subsidy for donation/use of her own, personally owned property, she is attempting to skirt the law to suit her purposes

.

Ms. Pitman is not attempting to skirt the law.  If she was, you wouldn't even know about this.  She has made the proper and legal applications for an exception as allowed by the Springfield overlay.  Look up the law yourself.  If you, the community, do not want the exception granted, then you need to tell the proper people and do so using facts, not false accusations. 

[Sigma]

That's what capitalism is about. One person wins, but the other looses.

Uh, that's not what capitalism is all about. Capitalism is win-win.

I see your point though an she should have discussed her plans with her neighbors first. 

[Deuce]

Not to get into a big discussion about political ideologies with you Sigma, but capitalism is not win-win. Maybe I oversimplified in my post. If a company expands it's market share without total growth in the available market, it does so at the expense of it's competitors. One company wins, the other loses. I'm taking the economist approach here, holding all other factors equal. A capitalistic economy is a zero sum game. In fact capitalism grew out of Feudalism, hardly a fair system.

This works the same in housing. Even if all homes are going up in value or down in value, some go up or down more than others. There are winners and losers in the housing market. I want to be a major winner. When the economy turns around, I want to see double digit growth for my zip code!!

Could someone besides Zoo or Strider, post the applicable law to what is going on with Omar's neighbor.

[fsu813]

strider,

if it's not against the law, fine. But there is still a conflict of interest in 2 ways:

1) she'll be getting government funds for her own personal property. she's certainly not donating the property.

2) it's in direct conflict with what the community wants. the community overhwhelmingly does not support this decision and i hope that everyone makes that clear to her and our distirct councilman, Mr. Gaffney.
Councilman Gaffney
Office of the City Council
117 W. Duval St., Suite 425
Jacksonville, FL  32202
Phone: (904) 630-1384
FAX: (904) 630-2906
Email: Gaffney@coj.net
Assistant: Bridgette Green

&

Ju'Coby Pittman-Peele
CEO/President of Clara White Mission
jpittman@clarawhitemission.org
904.354.4162, EXT 103

[strider]

if it's not against the law, fine. But there is still a conflict of interest in 2 ways:

1) she'll be getting government funds for her own personal property. she's certainly not donating the property.

2) it's in direct conflict with what the community wants. the community overhwhelmingly does not support this decision and i hope that everyone makes that clear to her and our distirct councilman, Mr. Gaffney.

1)  If she is getting nothing more than anyone else would for "rent" or whatever and if she is doing it by the book, it is not unethical nor is it a legal conflict of interest.  My point is that until you know, it is in your best interest not to accuse her. False accusations help the other "side" not you.

2) That is, afterall, the point of making something OK by exception only.  If the community has factual and solid reasons (not false claims or accusations) for not wanting the zoning excemption, then the "powers that be" should find with the community.  Make a lot of false claims and accusations as I have read here on this thread already and many previous times on this forum and others, and you will give the exception a good chance of being approved.

[macbeth25]

Another thing, should accusations prove to be incorrect, they sometimes result in legal actions.  I never can remember the difference between libel and slander but either can be expensive.  No, I am not saying that anyone is incorrect, only pointing out an obvious consequence should there be an error.  I would imagine that posting what proves to be incorrect information on a public website such as this could have the same consequences as printing incorrect material in a newspaper or publishing it through other media. 

[Deuce]

I would imagine that posting what proves to be incorrect information on a public website such as this could have the same consequences as printing incorrect material in a newspaper or publishing it through other media.

Then they are certainly posters on this website that would be guilty of slander.

I do not want a single group home in this neighborhood! No gentrifying neighborhood grows by adding group homes! I know that I am not alone in this sentiment. Probably half the Springfielders on here agree with me, the other half don't.

[macbeth25]

I'm really not trying to be funny but where would comments on a website like this fall? Much of the activity here is conversational -- almost like you're in the same room and talking -- but it is being typed on a page. 

[fsu813]

If she's going to be receiving ANY funds from this then it's a conflict, period.

Good luck getting very far with a libel suit over a message board conversation of opinions having to do with the subjective 'conflict of interest topic' (ha).