We have lived in the area only 11 years. In the past two years with all new neighbors moving I have noticed a total lack of pride in our community and in their personal property. Garbage in the streets and unkept yards and cars parked in the yards like a parking lot. All of this is unpleasant to live with and our property values go down. Is there something or some laws that can stop this and get our beautiful community back?

By Liz Turnmeyer

Beautiful community

Liz; Oh how I sympathize. I bought my home in 1969, talk about changes and degrading neighborhood pride. The best bet is to make a list of the addresses where there are glaring examples of these blight conditions and report them to the city blight inspectors. However dont expect rapid responses. The city is extremely slow to respond to complaints about anything. See my article on the site for an example. I started watching the traffic situation in sept. of 99 and it took until april to get a half-a-ed study by the city . Of the 10 problems that I reported they only addressed the speed issue, and then only to say yes there is a problem, and all traffic averages are approx. 10 miles over the limit and its not our problem; call the speed hotline to report continued problems. I have been doing this monthly since Sept 99. Still no changes, the police have other problems and cannot be out here 24 x 7. Lots of luck. I agree with the problem, I do not know how responsive our councilman is, the past one was next to worthless but you can call him also. Claude Mattox; his phone # is in flier in water bill. Lots of luck, my best advice is to be persistant and a real pain. Jon Davis

By Jon Davis

Neighborhood Conditions

Liz
I hear and see what you are saying. Broken beer bottles in the streets.Empty beer containers on the curb. Instead of doing neighborhood alley clean-ups,we are having the volunteers clean the streets and the shrubbery along 47 ave. As for the unkept yards and inoperable cars on private property those are zoning issues. The phone number to call is 262-7844. If that doesn't work you can call our community action officers. We try to address these problems in our neighborhood newsletter.

By Jerry Joaquin, A.N.A.

Neigbhorhood Conditions & Zoning

Hi Liz,

My grandmother moved to that neighborhood in 1952 from IN. She's passed away in recent years, but I too have unfortunately seen that neighborhood go down hill.

Mattox, Claude, Councilman Dist 5 City Council
(602) 262-7446
Fax: (602) 495-2036
E-mail: cmattox@ci.phoenix.az.us
Council Assistant: Pat Severance
West Side Story
http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/DIST5NA/dist5idx.html

Give Mattox's office a call and see where they might be able to help/give you direction. They are helpful. I worked with one of his aides, I know she's very effecient.

While the zoning process does seem to drag out, you do have to stay on top of the properties that you call report. Get to know your zoning inspector, ask him the process and what directions that it's taking for each case.

Neighborhood Notification Office (Zoning) 262-7844
http://www.ci.phoenix.az.us/NBHDPGMS/notoffic.html

While zoning does tell you that the information provided is confidential. They will check out the homes surrounding the complaint home. So, if that home is next to yours, watch out!

Also if it goes to court, the confidentiality portion is no longer valid. They will find out who called them in. It's kind of a lose-lose situaiton as far as I see it. But most cases do not go to court.

We had an absolutely disgusting property at I-17 and Orangewood. It was owned by the Mosque across the street. It literally took us 4 years to get the city to do something. That was because we (the neighborhood) had not been persistant. When I got persistant and called in the big guns, I got action. That property has since been torn down.

As long as no one reports them to the city, nothing will get done.

I hope this information is a helpful start.

Augusta Bulldogs: Helpful City and County Phone Numbers & Info
http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/public/genpage.html?nid=985841916&nneighid=402048063&nsupercity=559970528





By Augusta Bulldogs BW