Hutchinson Heights Neighborhood Association

I'm very interested in going forward with the fence replacement program. i see it as a part of a program to improve our neighborhood and maintain or increase our property values. Neighborhoods that have done this have seen a 5-10 percent increase in property values across the entire neighborhood. that would essentially make this a no cost improvement at worst. I'm interested in everyone's opinion on this.

Fence Replacement Program

I would need to see verified studies to agree that this fence would increase the property values of houses in the ''entire'' neighborhood. I am sure that those houses along the fence line would benefit from it but those of us who live in the interior would see no increase in value at all and would receive no benefit from it. I would not concider this until someone can tell me exactly how much my assesment would be and how it would benefit my property values.

I am against the fence program.

Bob,
I live about as far from the proposed fence as you can & I don't believe it will improve the value of my property. I am also unhappy that the annual maintenance fee would pay for snow removal on the sidewalks that are along the proposed fence area - those sidewalks are the responsiblity of the property owners whose homes back to the street and in all the years we have lived here, I have not seen those sidewalks shoveled after a snowstorm. Every year they are reminded to take care of those sidewalks & they are never shoveled. Sorry Bob, but I am voting against the fence and I hope that the fence projoct does not pass.

Debbie Spannuth

Fence improvement

I'm excited to see some resposes here. Thanks.

I've spoken to a couple of realtors that originally got me interested in the fence. One said that when home valuations are done they include all homes in a 1-2 mile radius of similar type in thier estimating procedure. It's eveident then that even if the perimeter homes go up then all homes within that radius will benefit. Another realtor said when they bring clients into carriage place the avaoid the hampton entrance and come in on mansfield coming from south to north. Now that can't be good for offers. By the way i don't live near the fence either.

I just came from a neighborhood watch meeting and the PAR officer had some interesting comments, unsolicited that I think also support this kind of community improvement. He was dicussing the broken window theory' which apparently is some kind of study,(http://www.cityofseattle.net/police/prevention/Tips/broken_window.htm) that indicates when a community begins to look shabby (broken window) that tends to expand unless action is taken to remedy that shabbiness (fix window). In my mind our perimeter fence is our broken window.

He also said that neighborhoods that have a quality outward appearence tend to have less crime especially thing like vandalism and things like that.

Without action to increase our home and improve the neighborhood we will eventually suffer crime rates (per the par officer)and home price decreases like they are seeing in mission viejo.

As far as the assement goes if the value of your home goes up so will your assesment. I'm pretty sure tha's how it works. The fence will cost money to build and maintain. How much we won't know unless we vote to have the city work up an estimate for us.

I'm afraid as a community we may be short sighted on the impact of not making community improvements that keep us competative with the better communities in the area.

As far as the snow removal goes, I'm not sure which side of the debate your on, that's one of my pet peeves too! The perimeter people have never, consistently, in the 17 yuears I've been here, shoveled or maintained the main arteries. That will not happen when left to individuals and that's why I would like to take that away from them and pay someone to do it. It will then look good, all the time, not annoy me, and improve the community as a whole.