Ludington's Downtown Blight Still Going Strong One Week Later

[XLFD]

 I took the camera out to seek whether the City of Ludington and its downtown Ludington partners had took any steps to correct the blight problem downtown since Bill Summerfield brought it to the city council's attention at the last meeting (ludington-city-council-meeting-june-9-2014-blight-and-fright), be sure to check the video. 

The unofficial minutes condenses his comment as: 

"Bill Summerfield, City of Ludington, expressed concern for residential and commercial blight in the City and asked how the City plans to correct this problem. He mentioned that the population in the City has decreased by 4% since 2010 and the renter occupancy is now 37.8% with home ownership at 62.2%. A definition of blight was provided as well as examples of what he notes as blight throughout the city limits. There are full trash bins at the Welcome Ludington sign and at the harvest garden on Ludington Avenue. He referred to the City of Detroit’s plan to clean up blight in their city. Bill Summerfield asked that the City put enforcement into its code enforcement. His suggestion is to hire contracted code enforcement people with the right equipment and software to enforce the City’s laws with violations being recorded into the City’s database quickly and efficiently." 

I don't know if they've updated their technology and databases yet, but I went to check the downtown area and some city property to see whether they took Mr. Summerfield's call to action seriously.  Mind you, I gave the two places he mentioned located downtown a once over on the following day of the meeting.  One week later, I observed the following at the Community Harvest Garden located where the bowling alley once stood:

The garden bins themselves seem to be well-tended, but the general area seems to be in general disrepair.  The small hillock in the back (in the picture's foreground) and the weeds near the wall (to the picture's right) are all above the length where they are considered nuisances by the city (ten inches by sec. 28-33).  Most of the ground is barren of plants, so the wasteland weeds look extra 'nuisancy'.  Doesn't appear that the owner, a Muskegon LLC that was gifted the $750,000 property by the Neal's for $1 (12R07973.pdf), is paying much attention to the upkeep. 

The City of Ludington is making big bucks off the property too, doubling the taxes on the new owners making them pay $17,000 a year for this community garden, when they used to get only half that from the House of Flavors Ice Cream magnate.  The Morris Street LLC owner is not dumb, however, he has made a financial miracle in making a million dollars from a dollar in Muskegon before.  He should have enough to do some landscaping if he has some dough left over after taxes.

Another place with noticeable blight downtown is the North James Street Plaza area, above.  It is almost the first day of summer, and the grass is dead in some areas, patchy in others for this gathering spot of many city events.  The grass blight is overshadowed by the business blight in the area; The Angry Tomato and Bones and Butts, the two restaurants in the background that had fair reputations, have went out of business likely due to their remote location making them difficult to discover for the casual tourist, and even for the locals.  This follows on the early departure of previous restaurants in that area. 

The plaza area is where outdoor dining should flourish because of its distance from the bustle of foot and vehicle traffic, and perhaps it would be if the regular, more visible, restaurants on the avenue and James Street had not embraced the outdoor dining ordinance.  But now the North James Plaza has plenty of chairs and seats, but no nearby restaurants to supply those chairs with patrons.  Just a nearby shoe store and consignment shop. 

Most of the City properties I visited were fairly well-tended, I took some pictures of several on First Street that were pretty much overgrown with grass and weeds, but the lots were not developed.  I believe I was caught by a passing DPW truck while doing this, because by the time I got to the City's warehouse at 806 North Harrison, I seen two DPW guys actually at work weed-whacking the north end of the property, where a lot of bricks were left out and two foot weeds were all-around them, which were being taken care of:

The warehouse itself is a little of a mystery to me, but it is an area that the City uses to put surplus materials, here is its south side, note the open windows, faded doors, and the barrels loaded with who-knows-what organized outside the warehouse, effectively available to the general public:

This City-owned parcel scares me a lot more than some big weeds, absentee landlords, and folks that cannot afford to keep up with their neighbors, even if that stuff is downtown.  The problem of blight which Bill Summerfield addressed, however, may provide a cause celebre for our City's leaders to create stronger zoning laws and enforcement, thereby restricting everyone's property rights, and causing hardships to the ones that cannot afford the remedies.  But you'd be fooling yourself if you believe such new rules would be equally imposed on everyone.

[Jack Bauer]

Just think how much better it would look if you were actually a productive member of society while visiting these areas?  

[XLFD]

Realistically, it would look the same if I was a 'productive member of society' or not. 

I think of how much better we could discuss and improve things if you could actually leave a constructive comment when you visit this area. 

[Jack Bauer]

Soooo if you helped clean up while you were sitting at these sites, they would look the same?   Hmmm thank you for clarifying you abilities.  You talk and type and that is about all you have for talent.  

I do commend your ability to create multiple accounts and bring in a few of you family members to have conversations with each other.  How come there is basically no presence of people who have differing opinions of you here?  Is it because you and your cronies treat them with such disrespect they just don't come back?  Why is it you can't have a debate and admit you are not always right?

[XLFD]

Well, when I was taking these pictures, Jack, I was on my bicycle, and

1)   I didn't have a weed whacker and a lawn mower to knock down the weeds in the "community garden", and I was cognizant of the fact that this was private property and I would be trespassing and tampering with another person's property, which is illegal and unethical to do, respectively.

2)  If I tried to fix the James Street Plaza, I would need either grass seed or some turf to cover the blighted areas, after removing the dead grass.  Didn't have this on my bicycle.  Plus, the property owners of 102 W Ludington Ave (KDMAC LLC- effectively Dave and Chamber of Commerce Prez Kathy McLean) and the City would likely prosecute me for tampering with their land.

3)  If I tried to remove the barrels from the City of Ludington warehouse and take them to a proper dump-- on my bicycle, mind you-- it would take a few trips and I am sure the LPD would be notified of my theft of the City's biohazardous wastes, or whatever it is in them. 

So maybe you should be looking into sending an E-mail to Morris Street LLC, KDMAC LLC, and the City of Ludington, who have their own civic duty to keep their property looking acceptable to community standards.

Perhaps this is why we don't have more people like yourself come and make the insipid, ad hominem arguments like you string together here, and then lose their interest in doing so over time; we encourage openness not only in government entities, but in thought.  You, and anyone else who believes I am wrong in my debates, has the opportunity to set me straight at any time by actually debating and checking my data, but all I (or others here) usually get is false aspersions and false generalizations about my (our) character. 

[Willy]

X
After a trip to Detroit recently I can say that Ludington's worst blight would be a garden in Detroit.

Jack
X is a very productive member of society. He alerts others as to what is going on in local politics, this is something nobody but him is willing to do. I call that being a model citizen.

[XLFD]

That's why blight is a difficult problem to define, and to remedy, it is a subjective term.  The car you cannot yet afford to fix due to your high summer tax bill, but don't want to weed whack the area around it may appear as blight, but it may just be a temporary condition. 

Thanks for making the objective distinction about my productivity that basic humility prohibited me from making, Willy.

[AQUAMAN]

Now where have we heard that Sheeple name Bauer before? Doesn't matter, another COL Drone that speaks with a foot in his mouth anyhow. As for the N. James St. Plaza, there was a very popular and successful restaurant there for many years. He had a bustling lunch business that many of us locals went to often, (when it was easily seen and easy to drive or walk to). The beautiful tables of white ash with gloss lacquer, (mf'd. by local industrial craftsmen of Thompson Cabinet), were there since the late 60's, and his chili was a blue ribbon winner in local contests year after year. His soups and sandwich lunches drew lines of people out the door. This now lonely corner has a theme that most people don't want nor need, thanks in part to Kaye Holman, whom destroyed a good thing there. The bustling business of Harbor Pharmacy also attracted many locals to it's party store as well as drug store items. Apparently, the good people running the city council nowadays think that's all bad for this local economy, and prefer the BLIGHT there now! 

[AQUAMAN]

That pile of empty or partially empty chemical drums in one photo, are plainly BLIGHT for the eye. They are also ILLEGAL, in the sense that toxic chemical residues are probably leaking into the ground! Easily a case of serious violations that some EPA and health depts. should be investigating, and giving heavy fines to the City for this act of negligence! 

[Willy]

There are many uses for barrels. A lot of food products are shipped in metal barrels, such as honey, fruit juice concentrate, mollases and many other edible products. I'm not saying this is the case regarding these barrels but the only way to find out is to have them inspected. If this property is zoned industrial or heavy commercial then the barrels would probably be allowed to be stored outside.

[XLFD]

If I ever turn up missing, could one of you guys check these barrels out as a favor to my parents.  Thanks.

[AQUAMAN]

I inspected these barrels and took pics. too. They are NOT food barrels. They are chemical barrels for oil, and other toxic petroleum substances. More than a few have chemicals in them yet, the rest are "keep Ludington beautiful" type waste barrels from the beach and elsewhere in parks. They are certainly NOT Beautiful now, and need disposal. The ones with chemicals yet need to be properly disposed of, and that costs money, and that's why they are probably still left unattended and being a Blight, and safety issue to nearby residents! 

[wildfire]

Well XLFD I hope you don't turn up missing, But whats the deal here pick on XLFD day greeeeee, He's a dam good guy it sound like someone is a wee bit jelous cause XLFD does get out n does look into a lot more stuff n why answers needs more answers  he's helping people n himself its the kind of person XLFD is, So keep up the "GOOD WORK" N This is a "Great site so we can all talk just about anything, who needs a newspaper we can find it out on here, lol  Have a blessed day everybody.