City Wastes Time and Money
Submitted by History on Wed, 08/20/2008 - 14:57.
After speaking with many residents (Fair Park) of the city of Dallas, I have learned that Carolyn Davis and Mayor Tom Leppert does little to enforce the compliants made by citizens through Code Compliance. Because Ms. Davis has lived in this particular area for a good portion of her life, she knows the various streets and buildings that are very much overdue for a massive overhaul! Many buildings along Malcom X Blvd. and M.L.K. have been either empty or trashed, large amouts of heavy trash have sat on residental crubs forever,A popular eyesore one of the two carwashes is owned by a Dallas Constable, who allows drug sales to take place, at least the other car wash is ocasionally patrolled and if needed busted by the police. One resident who filed a compliant about an empty house was later told, that the city has to follow protocol and contact the next living relative if the origalnal owner does not respond. It has been two years nothing has been done? Slum Landlords are fined (slap on the wrist)the property is more vauleable to the owner when empty simply because he/she can use property as a tax write off. Although Ms. Davis has her hands full, cleanig up mess after former council member for this area Leo Chaney, Ms. Davis should be well aware of what is going on! Mayor Leppert has the power to help change many things, one of them being some city employees riding around town in the City of Dallas cars hanging out or just doing personal relaxig errands while on taxpayers money!Ms.Davis allowing SLUM LANDLORDS to slap a coat of loud ugly paint on an old abandoned building does not take care of the problem. Take note to some of the businesses that your council gives permits to operate just to have revenue for the city this is very tacky! MANY citizens care about this neighborhood do you? We have called you as well sat in on council meetings. Still little change!
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Fair (?) Park
I am not a Dallas Native but have lived in Dallas since 1982, after military duty. First impressions are key, right? In 1982 I moved here from Virginia, a very laid back Virginia. The first home I stayed in upon arrival in Dallas was the home of my husband's late grand parents, on Lenway St. near MLK, but it wasn't MLK then it was Oakland. The neighbors were all very old, had been the staples of the community for more years than my age at that time. There were nice clean yards, nice neighbors with family that came all the time to visit, some to live. Within a year we bought our first home on that very street. A pier and beem home that had problems but had character and it felt like a home. The problem was there was no one, not even the City of Dallas with all the "Neighborhood Improvement" programs that would work with individuals that wanted to improve the homes or businessess. They did work with big buck people that would come with money to purchase large sections of land and bringing promises of hotels, resturants, etc. So, we lived there 13 years, struggling to maintain the home which needed major electrical repair but could not get a loan to do the work. We left. Many of the older community residences have passed on and family members could not improve either so they too left. I have seen the area sit with empty homes, drug dealers overpower, prostitution more comon and crime heavy. There never came a time when the promised improvements actually came from the building of the ampitheater, by what ever commercial name that facility has now. Recently we wanted to purchase a business, closing after over 40 years service to the area, but the support from the City of Dallas was not there. It was too much an aged building, unsecure and imposible to meet code without time and huge investment. The icon is lost, now it sits empty. The best thing I've seen happen, Minyard built the new big store. I Thank Bob Minyard for visiting with me in the old store, seeing the need and meeting the need. Now the DART rail system, which may breath life into the area. It will surly bring life changes to the community, which may not help the current or long lived residences. There is currently a transformation, slowly, running away those who tried, struggled and hoped, now which will bring in new members to this community. That will convert it to the new Fair Park. I do love the area, even want to be part of the revival and renewal. I just wish we could get a museum with the history of this pricless area before it changes completely.