The City Council was presented the results of the proactive zoning enforcement trial this evening. The long and short of it is that the number of violations found in both zoning and building inspections has gone from about a hundred to about four hundred in very short order. This wasn’t, in my view, entirely unexpected as one is bound to find more problems if you are trying to find them instead of waiting for someone else to report them.
Possible solutions for the problem range all the way from doing nothing, making this a seasonal event or hiring another zoning inspector. This matter has been referred to the land use committee to help boil down possible solutions and, if possible, build a consensus. If you have input, here’s the place to provide it.
May 22, 2007 at 11:38 am
Andy,
When you get a chance, please stop by. There is what appears to be an abandoned home, in my neighborhood, which was raided by the Police, about a month ago. The grass has grown up over the fence, and the yard is full of trash bags. There is a citation from the city on the front door. I am not sure what that will accomplish, since there is the house seems to be abandoned.
Bring your camera. This is a perfect illustration as to why we need some action soon.
May 22, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Will do.
May 23, 2007 at 7:25 am
Andy, I contacted you about 4 weeks ago about an ‘abandoned’ house, in foreclosure, with grass 2 feet high. Her is an update for you on the property at 9844 South Clark Place. After 2 calls to the Property Maintenance number 257-8484,one visit from a city employee who stood on the street and phoned the police deparment that day, and yet another call to the city manager, the city set out a crew of 3-4 to cut the lawn that should be the banks responsibility. Now this process has to get smoothed out here. The typical resident is NOT going to go to such lengths to get landlords, homeowners, bankowners to take their property management seriously. The MJM article of 5/22/07 mentioned the ‘process’ of sending out notification and the response time is 30 days. If the house is abandoned, no one gets in to pick the notification notice! And, my vote is with you, hire more zoning officers to get this job done that has been swept under the rug for too long. This is why there are 400+ violations.
The residents are fed up with the city’s excuses. Some of this is a direct result of the OTHER problem that exists in the city. Why not find willing, legal residents to volunteer and train them to do some zoning violation work? Along side of the HelpSaveManassas project start another chapter BringBeautyBack. Keep up the endless, good job you are doing!
May 23, 2007 at 7:28 am
We will be working on the process during the next land-use meeting. I appreciate your patience and do know that I won’t give up until this process works a little better. It took a long time for it to get this way but I’m trying to get it fixed as fast as I can!
May 23, 2007 at 7:35 am
“Bring your camera. This is a perfect illustration as to why we need to something soon.”
Good idea Steve! Perhaps concerned citizens should canvass the city with cameras, take pictures and submit them to the full city council at a meeting. After dealing with my own neighborhood nightmare, I have driven throughout other parts of the city and have found grass OVER 3 feet in height. I think I’ll begin to take a camera along in the future.
May 23, 2007 at 7:38 am
Andy, I contacted you about 4 weeks ago about an ‘abandoned’ house, in foreclosure, with grass 2 feet high. Here is an update for you on the property at 9844 South Clark Place. After 2 calls to the Property Maintenance number 257-8484,one visit from a city employee who stood on the street and phoned the police deparment that day, and yet another call to the city manager, the city sent out a crew of 3-4 to cut the lawn that should be the banks responsibility. Now this process has to get smoothed out here. The typical resident is NOT going to go to such lengths to get landlords, homeowners, and bankowners to take their property management seriously. The MJM article of 5/22/07 mentioned the ‘process’ of sending out notification and the response time is 30 days. If the house is abandoned, no one gets in to pick up the notification notice! And, my vote is with you, hire more zoning officers to get this job done that has been swept under the rug for too long. This is why there are 400+ violations.
The residents are fed up with the city’s excuses. Some of this is a direct result of the OTHER problem that exists in the city. Why not find willing, legal residents to volunteer and train them to do some zoning violation work? Along side of the HelpSaveManassas project start another chapter BringBeautyBack. Keep up the endless, good job you are doing!
May 24, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Andy,
Thanks for your great and good work in this area… there are so many neighborhoods in Manassas on the edge of blight that threaten to drag the entire City into a permanent spiral of decline. It is certainly true that, unless we channel vast investment into our civic infrastructure, the tired residential housing stock of Manassas will slowly suck our remaining vital neighborhoods into the rapidly broadening landscape of residential and commercial slums that increasingly characterize Manassas. Now is the time for civic investment, not civic retreat. Raise taxes to pay for the zoning inspector, PLEASE! Otherwise, every citizen will suffer a much larger financial hit in terms of decreased property values, not to mention the social deevolution that will accompany the broader financial collapse of our community. Manassas is quickly becoming the slummy hole in the vibrant economic donut. Please fight back with investment in our town, and don’t retreat in the face of the rabid rednecks who would drive our town into ruin based on their selfish, lonesome, sad, angry and ideological commitment to low taxes. Alas, some of us still want to live in a good place.
June 25, 2007 at 7:36 am
Andy,
I figure that 20% of the population reflexively follow the rules; that 5% almost never follow the rules; that the remaining 75% base their actions on how the 5% are dealt with. Therefore it is critical to deal strongly with the 5%. After that, most other folks will fall in line. You can do it. Go for it.
Rich