Ramblewood HOA

11 Neighborhoods unite to fight

Steele Creek Division

In the Ramblewood Neighborhood off Nations Ford Road, houses with neat, close-cropped lawns back up to overgrown lots, overflowing trash cans, and abandoned cars.

That's true of nearby communities, too, where residents are battling everything from city code violations to speeding cars.

Virginia Keogh is trying to turn things around. She organized the Southwest Area Coalition, an 11 neighborhood task force, in November, and has been working since then to listen to residents' concerns and provide information on how to address them.

"We found that all the neighborhoods were having the same problems. "Keogh said. "I felt like they needed help, especially the elderly people who can't afford to move or don't want to move. they can have a better quality of life, where they're not afraid to sit on their porches or take a walk in the afternoon."

Many of the problems started about 10 years ago, when younger residents, mostly renters, moved in alongside older homeowners.

"the majority are in transitional phase, and the transition i sgoing down." Keogh said of the communites. "The People who own their homes are the ones tyring to keep the neighborhoods stable. New people are coming in and doing whatever they want, and that can't happen."

Keogy, 63, and her husband, James, lived in Ramblewood for 16 years and moved about five years ago to Yorkshire, partly beacuse of their frustrations with constant code violators.

But Virigina Keogh still wanted to help Ramblewood and neighborhoods like it, so she sent letters about starting a coalition to communities along Nations Ford Road, Arrowood Road, and surrounding areas. Eight neighborhoods joined immediately and three others followed.

Since the group was formed, its members have discussed crime, drugs, absentee landlords, and other issues. They have encouraged city code-enforcment officers to walk through local neghobrhoods, provided information on recognizing gand colors and graffiti,and helped send children to day camp.

The colaition comprises 11 neighborhoods with more than 1,000 homes. The homes average values are 75k to 85K, Keogh said.

Keogh modeled the coalition after the West Boulevard Neighborhood Coalition, created about 5 years ago.

The west-area group had thrived because of its local roots, said member Doroty Waddy, who has been sharing idea with Keogh. "We live here, we breath ere, we have ownership here, and when the sun goes down, we stay here," she said. "We have a vested interest."

McDowell Farms resident Sharon Bailey said she joint the Southwest-Area Coalition to get help dealing with unkempt yards, speeding cars, and multiple familites living in single-family homes.

"They can give us access to a lot of beneficial information." she said. "They can help us all come together and come up with idea."

In coming months. the coalition will collect information on low-income housing and the multiple-familty situatins and bring those findings and concerns before the city councils, Keogh said.

She also hopes to make local businesses, churches and residents aware that real problems exist in southwwestern Mecklenburg County.

"The areas around Nations Ford Forad are not the same as the lower part of the county." she said. "I think people just want to live an dhave some sort of peace of mind that they don't have to walk through trash and broken-down houses."

Southwest area coalition meets 7 pm 3rd Tuesday at Silver Mount Baptist Church. 501 W. Arrouwood Road

Meetings are open to anyone who lives in the 11 neighborhoods the colaition represents.

Ramblewood, Windsong Trails, Foxboro,Colony Acres, Pine Valley, British Woods, Tyvola Ridge, Starmount, McDowell Farms, McDowell Meadows and Montclaire South.

Contact Viriginaia Keogh at 7045048365