Staff Editorial: Apartments not only ugly but possible danger
Issue date: 6/4/09 Section: Opinions
For months now, the vacant buildings on the corner of Fourth Street and Polk Avenue have stood in a state of disrepair. All three of the houses are surrounded by an ugly fence and unkempt lawns. They have had their windows shattered and their siding stripped away. The front section of one of the homes has even collapsed.
Residents occupying the other buildings in the vicinity of the intersection have had to deal with looking at this eyesore.
But they are not the only ones who observe it.
The property is located on a busy intersection that connects the campus with downtown Charleston, so many visitors to the city, including prospective students and their families, dive past the run-down houses, no doubt giving them the impression of Charleston as a run-down city.
While the images of the buildings are bad enough, the homes have become a dangerous safety hazard as well. Viewing one building from the street, one can easily see inside through a broken window to where someone has spray-painted the walls of one of the bedrooms. In order to conduct this vandalism, someone would have had to scale the chain-link fence, enter the dilapidated structure and get onto the second floor. This may sound a bit more hazardous with the knowledge that the vandalism took place in the building that is already partially collapsed.
Most college-educated members of the community would hopefully know enough to stay out of buildings that look as if they could be knocked over by a stiff breeze. However, during the summertime, the biggest worry is that elementary and high school students, who are out of school for the summer, may kill some of their free time by exploring the vacant structures.
Eastern students may have enough sense to stay out the buildings, but that doesn't mean they have other forms of interaction with them. The buildings, especially their windows, have become prime targets for rocks or any other throwable object. It's only a matter of time before one of these projectiles hits a pedestrian or passing car.
Currently, there are two sides in the battle over the demolition - the city and the owners of the property - and they are engaged in a stalemate. The owners have plans to demolish the buildings and break ground on a new development on the property. But, they will not go forth with their plans until they receive a loan from a bank. The bank will not give them a loan until the city approves the project.
Meanwhile, the city has sued the owners, and offered to finish the demolition itself, something that the owners claim will end up costing them more in the end. So, for the time being, the eyesore remains.
The solution to the problem seems too obvious to believe. If the city truly cares about the image of Charleston, as well as its safety, couldn't any court proceedings be avoided with a simple approval of the developer's plans? In theory, this would cause a chain reaction: city approves project, bank grants loan for construction, owners go ahead with demolition, the new apartments go up. It seems to make more sense then suing.
The editorial is the majority opinion of The DEN editorial board. Reach the opinions editor at: DENopinions@gmail.com.
Residents occupying the other buildings in the vicinity of the intersection have had to deal with looking at this eyesore.
But they are not the only ones who observe it.
The property is located on a busy intersection that connects the campus with downtown Charleston, so many visitors to the city, including prospective students and their families, dive past the run-down houses, no doubt giving them the impression of Charleston as a run-down city.
While the images of the buildings are bad enough, the homes have become a dangerous safety hazard as well. Viewing one building from the street, one can easily see inside through a broken window to where someone has spray-painted the walls of one of the bedrooms. In order to conduct this vandalism, someone would have had to scale the chain-link fence, enter the dilapidated structure and get onto the second floor. This may sound a bit more hazardous with the knowledge that the vandalism took place in the building that is already partially collapsed.
Most college-educated members of the community would hopefully know enough to stay out of buildings that look as if they could be knocked over by a stiff breeze. However, during the summertime, the biggest worry is that elementary and high school students, who are out of school for the summer, may kill some of their free time by exploring the vacant structures.
Eastern students may have enough sense to stay out the buildings, but that doesn't mean they have other forms of interaction with them. The buildings, especially their windows, have become prime targets for rocks or any other throwable object. It's only a matter of time before one of these projectiles hits a pedestrian or passing car.
Currently, there are two sides in the battle over the demolition - the city and the owners of the property - and they are engaged in a stalemate. The owners have plans to demolish the buildings and break ground on a new development on the property. But, they will not go forth with their plans until they receive a loan from a bank. The bank will not give them a loan until the city approves the project.
Meanwhile, the city has sued the owners, and offered to finish the demolition itself, something that the owners claim will end up costing them more in the end. So, for the time being, the eyesore remains.
The solution to the problem seems too obvious to believe. If the city truly cares about the image of Charleston, as well as its safety, couldn't any court proceedings be avoided with a simple approval of the developer's plans? In theory, this would cause a chain reaction: city approves project, bank grants loan for construction, owners go ahead with demolition, the new apartments go up. It seems to make more sense then suing.
The editorial is the majority opinion of The DEN editorial board. Reach the opinions editor at: DENopinions@gmail.com.
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