South Bramell Street and Friends

Brightmoor-The Forgotten Zone Still!!!!

Oct 13, 2004

Over the years I have been active in the Community, there have been many plans to revitalize our Community and ask our opinion on what we want.

In the 90?’s the City asked us to attend Cluster Board meetings. Then we had meetings with the United Way all with no concrete results. Then the Brightmoor Alliance plan was introduced.
As a result of this plan we have 150 new rent for 15 years and then you can buy them houses, with more coming this Spring. We have been told that the 40 some new houses east of Evergreen that were sold are part of this plan, but that area is Westwood, not Brightmoor.

A couple of weeks ago I was at a meeting where another plan was displayed for the Revitalization of Fenkell. The plan was very impressive with new housing over Businesses, a parking garage over retail stores and some green ways on Fenkell. I was struck by the fact that some of our long standing Businesses were not on the plans, but I?’m hopeful this was an over sight. When talking to a person involved in this plan there were a lot of ifs before it could be implemented.

It is time we stop asking what if and look at what is.

I also have a plan and that is to look around us and do what we can now and the first thing to do is make the City do what they are suppose to do.

Let?’s start with our Business Strip. In Jan. ?‘03 the Brightmoor Environmental Committee asked the City to address the block on Fenkell between Burt rd. and Trinity. Many of these buildings have been

empty for years and the garbage behind the buildings on the south side of Fenkell are nothing but a rat haven. We turned this back in again in Dec. ?‘03 and as you can see it looks the same. We were able to get 20937 Fenkell ordered demolished.

Next we have the buildings at 20831 and 20835 Fenkell. They were ordered demolished in ?‘02. Both were emergency?’s. There were no roofs left. Last week, 20835 came down a year after a wrecking permit was issued!!! But you have to ask yourself, why not take down 20831 since you are there?

In June ?‘03 the Environmental Committee found the shell of a house trailer at 20714 Schoolcraft and turned it in. In Dec. ?‘03 they were told the property owner was issued a violation. In May,?’ 04 they were told a special contractor was going to remove it. Now 5 months later it is still there!!

Now let?’s look at 15345 Lamphere. It was ordered demolished in ?‘97. Then in ?‘02 we called to see why it wasn?’t taken down and were told it was gone. After many calls and pictures we convinced them the house was still there. In May ?‘03 we were given a letter that it would be demolished since it is on a school route. Last week I was told they would check to see why it is not down. Today the tax roll says there is no house there!!!!!!!!!!!!

15101Lamphere. It was ordered demolished in 2000. On May 17,?’03 we got a letter saying it would be down soon since it was on a school route. In June , ?‘03 we got a letter saying it would be coming down since it was on a school route.Sept. 9, 2003 a second wrecking permit was issued. The first of ?‘04 we called and were told the owners had gotten a deferral!! We waited for it to run out and when we called again we were told another deferral was issued in Aug.04!! So the City has made $250.00 from deferrals and this block has had to look at this mess for over 5 years!!!!

The building at 22237 Fenkell and 15318 Hazelton were taken down illegally last year. The City was informed and a year later they are still there!!!

The landlord of a school in the Community continues to get paid around $6,000 a month from Detroit Public Schools even tho the occupants moved in June . The previous occupants must clean up the buildings.

The phone at the Mini-Station is still on and being paid by the Police Department even tho it?’s been closed for some time. A new lease was not issued.

A rust body of a car sits on a lot at 15141 Beaverland 6 months after being turned in.

So let?’s work together and hold the City accountable for the reasons we pay taxes. All the fancy plans will never work until this Community has something to offer new Businesses besides trash and bad buildings. Only then will we no longer be the
?“Forgotten zone and become and become a "Brighter Brighmoor!!!!!!