Fight of the Blight

1. We do have codes against such things already in place…it has nothing to do with some type of lack of initiative from the Winnecke administration. Or for that matter from the Weinzeapfle administration. Code enforcement is a complaint driven system. It takes people like you to volunteer and make the call and complain about the problem to the Building Commission. Did you even call them about any of the problems that you discovered? Have you discussed this with anyone downtown that could make a difference Jordan? Have you seen the Citizens Portal App for your iPhone or Droid that allows you to “submit” these problems directly to the Mayor?

   Ff

2. Jordan….

   So many houses/buildings and so little money, wasn’t it Tom Barnett that said the city had over 10,000 housing units that needed demolition? The city has been actively one by one going through the legal process of condemning these structures and demolishing them, I have witnessed this in my own neighborhood/ward, and have had conversations with people from code enforcement.

   It’s not a simple matter of sending a crew out to demolish a structure, on one case I know of it took several years to get it done, and on this topic I have to say the city is doing just fine. Could they do more? sure but they don’t have an infinite amount of budgeted monies for demolition or the necessary code enforcement personal to do the task….I think it’s a much deeper subject and much more complex than just sending someone from code enforcement out or hiring a crew to demo the building.

   JMHO

   • You are correct Blanger. The only thing I want to add is that Code Enforcement may be able to get the existing property owner to fix the problem. But like you said, it could take years as well. While this is a resolve to the problem, it is a rather slow process.

   • A couple other things come to mind that you may not be aware of…

     In some cases it’s advantageous and profitable for the city to let a building stand that is in violation of building codes…how so? fines!

     In a lot of cases the fines the city imposes are far less than the cost to the owner to bring the structure up to code, once you are in violation and you go the repair route you open up the property to inspection by other city agencies, or other aspects of code enforcement for the building as a whole.

     The other thing is that it isn’t the city’s responsibility to repair personal property ie houses and buildings that are privately owned, the city has the right to visually inspect the property from the street, in some cases can enter the property as in set foot on the property, and can only enter a structure if a door is open or invited in, there are many laws governing personal property rights that a code enforcement officer has to abide by.

     All the city can legally do is write up violations and assess fines….if it goes far enough the city can start the legal process to condemn the structure, front the money for demolition, then place a lien on the property to try to recoup the fines and demolition costs….it is a rather complex legal process that takes a lot of time and diligence on each individual property to turn a dilapidated structure into a vacant lot reducing the property taxes that are collected in the process, in some cases the property is just given to the city and taken off the tax rolls totally until it is sold at auction, improved by the new owner and placed back in the tax base.

     JMHO

   • It was indeed Tom Barnett who stated that “over 10,000 Evansville houses need over $100,000 in repairs each to be habitable”. He took me on a tour of blighted areas mostly in the 3rd and 4th Wards one day and it was enough to stop your heart. I have been in most of the deteriorated areas of America’s biggest cities including working in Camden, NJ for a while and there is little difference in the housing stock there and Barnett’s Billion Dollar problem. We were never more than 5 minutes from downtown Evansville and saw squalor, prosititutes, drug dealers, vagrants, homeless, and pregnant teenages galore. Most people do not see this as they do not go on such tours. It was an eye opening experience. Arena’s, hotels, and even messed up sewers mean little to places like those 10,000 houses and the people who seem to be living in them.

     • The question is, is there a fix that doesn’t involve pumping tax dollars into derelict areas and programs like Front Door Pride the people of Evansville would never recoup?

       Is the goal to have this pretty island of acceptable Downtown artifice amid a sea of squalor?

       • Brad….

         No…there isn’t a solution with the exception of jobs, growth, private enterprise, and private citizens willing to take a chance, what the city is doing is putting lipstick on a pig or a band-aid on a severed limb (spending money downtown), it will not solve the problem any more than building FDP homes in blighted areas.

         This yet again a problem the the government can’t fix by throwing money down a rat hole, you can have the best housing stock in the state but without jobs and people in the pews (houses, working and paying taxes) it’s unsustainable and pointless.

         JMHO

       • The unfortunate answer is that these 10,000 houses will by and large be worth less than half the cost to fix them up due to the neighborhoods they are in after dumping $100k into them. Barnett knew this well and understood that private dollars are not the least bit interested in investing. He pushed the FDP program forward like a bull without success. The City was spending over $200k to build houses that listed at $135k and still sat there unsold for years. FDP proved that the government has no business being in the housing development market.

         • Blanger and Joe…

           You guys pretty much echoed my thoughts exactly. It seems to me that anything short of a top to bottom change of approach by local government is pointless and doomed to fail. The only fix is long term and will involve changing from expecting government solutions to problems through taxing productive members of the community and spending on unproductive areas to empowering the free market to solve these problems by creating a very favorable and equitable tax structure across the board and trusting in more private solutions that don’t waste money. A great case in point was Roberts Stadium and the choice not to sell it.

           It’s no wonder things are going south in so many areas of the city. One look at what government is doing with the money it gets in taxes is telling. We have a small corridor from the river to the Civic Center that these people seem to care about and pump money into they are gleaning from the people of all other parts of the city. It’s like an AIDS patient who needs continual transfusions to stay alive. Problem is, these transfusions are taking a toll on everywhere else whose life blood is being drained to provide the AIDS-ridden artifice that is Main Street.

           When 30 homeless people live in $200,000 homes, there is a serious problem, yet people like Jordan believe the way to fix it is more code enforcement? Come on.

           • Evansville does not have sufficient wealth in place to tax enough to solve the blighted house problem. Why they ever thought putting up a dozen or so $200,000 homes randomly among abandoned houses defies logic. It is sort like trying to warm up the Ohio River by tossing a few gallons of coffee in it. Money was wasted and the problem was not even remotely close to being solved. Of course they had good intentions and some even believed it would work. The sad fact is that government has no knowledge of value and is wedded to spending on areas with such large problems that the attempts to make a difference just deplete the coffers. The sewer problem is an example of a problem that only government is big enough to fix and if they had the will to raise the rates to do the job it would be done by now. Sewers are local government’s job. Houses are not.

             Evansville would be well served for its government to do their job and leave temples to sport and dilapidated houses alone. The most local government should do to the crap houses is to tear them down when they can legally do so. Barnett told me once that it was about $5,000 to demolish a house. It is sort of intimidating to think that Evansville would have to spend $50 Million to wipe the slate clean of these 10,000 houses. By the time that was finished there will be at least 1,000 more crap houses in need of the wrecking ball.

     • Thank you Mr Wallace I thought my memory was correct….

       Another aspect Jordan may be missing is the number or bankrupt and foreclosed properties, there are lots and lots of them here in Evansville and all across the nation, each one because of existing laws present different obstacles or hurdles that have to be navigated to just figure out who actually is the mortgage holder, who is responsible for the upkeep if the property in vacant, and who to drag into court if it gets to a condemnation order.

       JMHO

3. I’m sure that’s exactly what broke property owners would love to see more of in a bad economy – code enforcement slips stuck on their doors.

   Jordan, you’re rapidly becoming on of them…a bureaucrat and a Nazi.

   The crux of your problem is this… You said in the article, “It makes absolutely no sense to invest in Downtown Evansville if we aren’t going to enforce the building codes,” when what you should have said was, “It makes absolutely no sense to invest in Downtown Evansville.” Full stop.

   The reason some areas of Evansville are looking like “Little Detroit” is because this city is in a similar financial situation as Detroit. Evansville is an aging city with an aging population that once thrived on manufacturing. Now that manufacturing base is moving overseas and more of the younger people are choosing to start their careers elsewhere.

   Thinking the key to fixing blight is in “code enforcement” is like thinking the key to fixing a gangrenous appendage is to swab the skin with alcohol.

4. I definitely agree with the article and I’m glad someone is finally bringing this mess to the forefront. It seems like mayor rockstar is too busy working on legacy projects than actually doing what he said he was going to do.

   I will say though that I was no fan of FDP and I wouldn’t worry about trying to mix that in with cleaning up the city’s blight. I would suggest that the first step be the simple code enforcement and all existing structures. From there start on demolition of those that don’t meet inspection. We can worry about the private sector building on the lots later. Let’s just get the blight removed first.

   • “I would suggest that the first step be the simple code enforcement and all existing structures. From there start on demolition of those that don’t meet inspection. We can worry about the private sector building on the lots later. Let’s just get the blight removed first.”

     True…..

     But, in a lot of cases the housing that needs to go is on old 35-40-45′ (width) lots regardless of depth city ordinances prevent building on a lot smaller than I believe 60′ in width without a variance, so it would require two lots to achieve and of course they would need to be adjacent to each other and combined into one property.

     This is being done….without naming names in one area of the city with help and coordination from the DMD I do believe, but I could be mistaken. 😉

     JMHO

5. I was looking at some pictures of Evansville from the late 1800’s Very few of the original homes that were built in the 1800’s still stand today. Back then, they just knocked down the old homes and built a new one right in its place. With new advancements, like aluminum & vinyl siding we are protecting these old wooden homes from the elements quite a bit longer. Since homes are lasting longer today, we are not just knocking them over anymore. It seems to take a large storm, an act of God, or purposeful neglect before we come to that conclusion these days.

6. I don’t know what the answer is to dilapidated homes/properties other than keeping the current course with the City Code Enforcement program. And that eventually it must go when it is finally determined to be uninhabitable or unsafe.

7. Thanks Jordan for an excellent eye opening article.

   I just hope that the people that can do something about this major community will read your article.

   • +1 This is a breath of fresh air from that Linzy article.

8. Oh, wonder why the 3rd Ward city councilwomen isn’t speaking out on this blight problem since it’s in her area?

   Guess she to busy pushing her political agenda so she can make her union buddies happy.

9. Jordan, the code has not eroded even a little bit. What has gone to hell in a hand basket is the political will to enforce the perfectly good codes. Codes are enforced to the letter away from the downtown to collect fines or condemn a property so the city can steal it. Downtown in particular always seems to get a free pass from code. You pals at Kunkel are the worst offenders and nobody does a damn thing. That was brought home when Kunkel Square was closed by homeland security over not having a necessary staircase. A STAIRCASE for Christ’s sake. Who can’t see a missing staircase? Local authorities just rubber stamped it. Maingate got to open without fire protection codes updated and then your example of the melting Frontier Liquor. Most of downtown is not up to code and a window actually fell out of the Ford Center.

   The difference in getting grief from the building inspector and not is personal connections to the damn politicians. Grease them and you won’t get bothered. Your article is good but it neglects the dirty little reasons that justice is not equal in River City.

10. alot of these houses are put up for auction and sold to :slum Lords” who care less about the buildings as long as they can rent and get their guarranteed rent from section eight. A house in our quiet, clean neighborhood was taken back by the bank, auctioned off and from that point yard and house went to hell, dope, drive bys, etc and when we complained about the condition to code enforcement we were told section 8 took care of the problems and not them. called section 8 they could care less.

11. I’m going to try and act surprised that my article didn’t pass the Brad Linzy liberland test.

    Let me start off by saying this: In no way shape or form was this article discussing the value of the Front Door Pride Program. My personal opinion on the program was that it was a good idea but terrible, if not horrendous, execution. I merely mentioned FDP in the list with the others as possible programs that, if they are going to function, should have the following two areas on their list.

    Whether or not FDP should exist or continue is up for debate, but if it’s still functioning it should serve northern downtown and the far western third ward as well. So spare me the complaining about FDP. Nobody is going to tell us anything new about the state of that program.

    Next, I echo the sentiments of Winnecke The Pooh that the first goal of this area should just be to renovate, retrofit, or demolish. Of course, the city just used over $700k that should have gone towards this goal. Once everything is past step one, then we can figure out what the private sector wants to do and what the market demands are for each area.

    The purpose of cleaning up the blight is to change the mindset of the region. Yes we have downtrodden people in the area who will probably never get it but several studies over the years (don’t ask me to cite any bc I’m going to be lazy like Linzy this time) have shown that if you sit a broken glass window on a sidewalk, the neighborhood around it will become dilapidated as well. On the flip side, when that glass window is picked up the area around it starts becoming kept up and cleaned more often. You are a byproduct of your environment.

    Also, I want to say I agree with the statements of Give Us Barabus. I don’t think the codes themselves have been eroded. I certainly agree that there have been certain people and companies who have been allowed to break these rules as the city turned the other way. I’m not blaming anyone specifically at the BC but I am saying that I would like to see things change. This really shouldn’t be that big of a deal. And I’m sorry but me calling for better code enforcement is not a Nazi as referred to by Linzy. I find it highly ironic for this man to complain about the gov’t not doing their job only to turn around and criticize those who seek to demand good public policy out of government offices. BRad- Shut up!

    Lastly, this is just the first part in a series of articles. The EPA is doing a great job in repurposing Jacobsville and I firmly believe this project will compliment it perfectly. The main goal of this is one thing- gentrification.

    • “My personal opinion on the program was that it was a good idea but terrible, if not horrendous, execution”

      This is a coward’s statement…or an aspiring politician’s. In what way could it possibly have been executed that didn’t involve your precious government coming in and thinking it knew better than a free market what the value of homes should have been in these sh*thole areas?

      I am thrilled and honored that you think I’m your ideological archenemy. Means I must be doing something right.

      As for the “broken windows” philosophy, I think that was championed by Rudy Giuliani in NYC. Maybe that’s the Nazi you were reaching to quote.

      • A cowards statement? All they had to do was build houses that were in the same price range as surrounding houses. Habitat for Humanity did that just a few blocks down the road from the FDP houses. They are non-profit and can accomplish that simple task. I personally would have liked to see more highrises instead of one level one room shacks that will just rot again.

        You’re doing something right? I guess in your twisted world you doing just fine applying theories to every situation before you even investigate what really happened. That Hostess story a few months ago proved that. As soon as the story broke, you blamed the union nevermind the fact that it was later discovered that management had given themselves a hefty raise. When that story broke it was 50-50 as to whose fault that was (there was even a remote possibility that it could have just been lack of market demand). But as always you came running in with YOUR beliefs before any evidence surfaced.

        And the fact that you went off into some Rudy Guiliani Nazi quote off a basic broken glass window example is just further evidence that your a libertarian nut case.

        • Jordan looks around frantically for a weapon…finds a Twinkie…launches it.

          • Way to dodge the fact that you put your political blinders on. Didn’t you just right an article complaining about a candidate dodging your question?

          • write*

          • I didn’t see a question. Those usually end in one of these: “?”

12. I also want to add this:

    I have discussed many times over with Brad on this site how to attract business to both of these regions. I have discussed the fact that the tech park should be located in this area instead of in the i-69 corridor (like Indy’s 16 Tech) and I’ve discussed land planning solutions to prevent the size of the city from growing while the tax base population is declining. He has rejected both and is now admitting he has no solution for attracting the free market to this area.

    • Hahaha. It’s too late in the evening to be baiting me into a debate. Maybe tomorrow. I will say the only disagreement I remember having with you over planning issues was the use of more mixed zoning. I advocate an approach that moves us toward more mixed, or commercial/residential combined zones, whereas you like the the current idea, which leads to suburbia and sprawl.

      More people should be able to run businesses out of their homes. That’s all I ever recall saying on this subject.

      • Oh so I’m the one now whose advocating for sprawl? That tells me right there just how full of cow dung you are.

        I never had a discussion with you about mixed residential areas and I never will discuss any sort of planning with you because no matter what is said you will always twist it into some attack on the free market libertarian view that really has nothing to do with the situation.

        You even complain about cleaning up existing cemeteries as if someday we are just going to get a bunch of brad linzy’s to get off the cco and go out there and fix them with their money and their time. Yea right!

        • How many of the problems you have photographed and complain about have you raised a finger to fix?

          The cemeteries issue was a great example the lengths to which you are willing to go to distort reality, cast blame, and raise your own narcissistic public profile.

          Until now I’ve pulled punches with you thinking you might one day realize what a tool you’ve been on some of these issues, but if you want to go down this road of being my enemy, I will stop pulling punches and being diplomatic.

          • Yea it’s not like I didn’t go in front of the CC and got $70k restored in the perpetual funds only for them to waste several hundred if not thousand on C&P advertising (for which you defended them).

            And of course me taking pictures of actual cemetery neglect is distorting reality. I guess I should cook up some hypothetical situation about Eric Williams taking our guns and hiding them in blighted houses.

            Don’t give me that you’ve been pulling punches line. You’ve been stirring s* on here longer than I can remember. There’s over a hundred + people telling you what they think of your tactics on your article thread. That speaks for itself.

          • It is a distortion of reality when all you do is complain about something that someone else is supposedly not doing. Did you once approach Chris Cooke the Cemetery Superintended and discuss the cemetery situation with him? NO!

            Did you once approach any of the City Administrators about the dilapidated buildings/properties that you found? NO!

            Did you ever think once that other people have looked at these problems? Do you think that you are the only one who cares? Cmon Jordan!

          • Oh so now you’ve decided to change names huh.

            Why do you keep bringing up Cooke? I’ve said it a billion times on here he’s the reason for the cemetery neglect. He has no power to allocate additional funds-that would come from Todd Robertson and yes he was present at the CC meetings to discuss this matter. I still don’t understand why you and your fired cemetery manager buddy keep bringing him up. I mentioned it on here before I’ve talked to both him and his gf and am satisfied with his credentials and openness.

            And I seriously doubt anyone else is looking into these problems. Urban blight and cemetery neglect are not something that just popped up overnight or even under the time people like Cooke have been on the job. They are well documented decades old problems and it’s about time someone addressed them. They are problems that are real and need to be addressed now unlike your hypothetical gun nonsense.

          • he’s NOT the reason for cemetery neglect*

          • I didn’t defend the advertising. I agreed with you on that part of the article in question. Go back and look again. Also, I was very diplomatic in my criticism of your cemetery article. I didn’t attack you personally. I attacked the specific ideas and questioned the evidence. I could have given my real thoughts on the matter, which are that you enjoy the attention of having a crusade and you will go so far as to make a mountain out of a molehill in that quest, but I have held my tongue on that with you until now.

            Your photos of the cemeteries were weak. In some of them I couldn’t even figure out what you were supposed to be showing us. Some showed no more than a slightly leaning stone that was only leaning because it was near a tree.

            I think you will find I will always give credit where it’s due, and I think you deserved credit for the Gresham Home. On virtually every other pet crusade you’ve picked a losing angle and it’s been done for selfish reasons and out of sheer stubbornness and lack of any political sense. Roberts Stadium is the prime example of where you picked the wrong angle, you allowed yourself to be used as token opposition on a predetermined task force, when if your true goal were to save the Stadium for posterity, you would have joined the Option C crowd when it was clear that was the only clear angle going forward that could win public support. I would argue that YOU are a big part of why Roberts is a pile of rubble.

            As for my most recent article…people are flooding it from the Wedding camp because they know this will hurt and they are in defense mode, circling the wagons. That is what happens when you strike a solid blow. They certainly won’t be inviting me to any task force meetings.

          • Friends Friend is not me.

            I do not post on this under any name other than my real one.

          • You don’t have a clue about the Roberts situation. I saw first hand where one of the councilmembers who took the position to sell it was wanting to sell it to the incoming medical facility organization so they could pay to demolish it.

            The fact that the task force report was rigged so that the final conclusion was a lie just proves how far they had to go to get around mid-sized option and I fully expect it will cost them dearly at the 2015 election. Your “Option C” apparently didn’t work either.

            You have not been “diplomatic” at all. You complained about the Gresham House article and you’ve complained about all the others that you mentioned. You said the cemetery article was cavalier as if writing about hypotheticals is any better.

            You can say whatever you want about the projects I work on, but last I checked I’ve gotten results and haven’t made one single penny off them nor will I ever. I spend my own free time and my own money on them.

          • You need to pull up your panties and check yourself, my friend.

            I congratulated you on the Gresham House thing and said you’d done a good thing bringing attention to it. Your insistence on seeing me as your enemy is clouding your memory and your judgement.

          • I’ve read the CCO here and there over the past two years. I used to enjoy the “Is it true articles and other interesting articles posted. As soon as Brad Linzy started rearing his ugly head I stopped. An associate of mine asked me, “hey did you read the article posted by that doomsday prepper hater of all government agencies?
            Sooooo, I, like an idiot, decided to see what he was ranting about this time. My bad decision has cost me undue stress and I can only shake my head thinking how sad it is to live in such fear. That’s why, rails and roberts stadium, I refer to this web site as the BLO (Brad Linzy observer).
            Before you toot your own horn Mr. Linzy, musical extraordinare, have you EVER actually noticed???? Its the same 8 or 9 bloggers listening to your ramblings.

          • Oh and P.S. I assure you the Wedding camp isn’t worried about you hypothetical questions. Ask your friend Tucker over coffee, ” With his history and bad decisions he has made, why would he throw his hat in the RING????

13. +10 to Troll Patrol

14. A few years back, a big deal was made about the deteriorating condition of the yellow brick residence near the corner of Fulton and The Lloyd.

    Numerous skilled tradesmen and their employers donated their time, merchandise and talent to bring this residence up to standard.

    Drive by and look at it now!

    Disgraceful!

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