Horace Mann Neighborhood Assoc.

I am concerned with the on street parking situation in our neighborhood. The residents of the apartment complex' bordering Boynton have literally taken over on street parking. Many perform maintenance to their vehicles in our neighborhood, leaving behind garbage and used motor oil, as well as numerous instances of empty liquor bottles.

There must be local ordinances regarding the quantity of parking and the number of vehicles a multi-family housing complex can offer and support.

I am empathetic with the needs of the apartment residents, but their needs are the concern of the property owner and should not come at our expense.

This issue has many ramifications; safety concerns due to increased vehicle traffic, persons in our neighborhood that do not belong increases the risk of theft, forces our invited guests to park further away from our homes, and negatively influences our property values, etc.

Are there other homeowners who share my concern? Is there a history of response to this matter by homeowners or the association? Have we contacted the property owner to discuss our concerns?

I am very interested in improving this situation in our neighborhood and reaching out to my fellow neighbors who share my concern to develop next steps toward potential resolution.

Sincerely,
Kevin Olson

RE: ON STREET PARKING

I am in complete agreement with the sentiments of Mr. Olsen. I, too, am concerned when I see people that do not live on my street or nearby streets parking in front of my house. I have had two occasions where complete strangers have come up to my house and asked me if I had their cars towed! One person showed up at 9:30PM! Out of the blue, some stranger just comes up to my front door! I tell you that was a little frightening. I appreciate that there isn't much parking in the apartments on Boynton St., but some of the cars belonging to these residents sit in front of our houses for days and weeks on end. Another issue I have seen is that many of the people that do not live in this neighborhood come speeding down our streets, or come through playing extremely loud music. I actually stopped someone from dumping his trash in front of my house! I am all for calling the police, taking down license plate numbers and calling code enforcement when cars are there for more than 3 days in a row without being moved. I think if we stand up as a neighborhood and show people that we are not willing to put up with their bad behaviors in our area they will find somewhere else to go. We must all be vigilant and know who are neighbors are and aren't. We must all look out for each other.

By Erin U.