Forgive me for being crass, but I believe the Heights arsonist thinks of himself/herself as “cleaning up the neighborhood”. Thank God no one has been injured - firefighters or next door neighbors. So far, abandoned houses/buildings have been destroyed.
I’m not defending this person, but it sure would be nice if the city condemned these eye sore properties so as not to continue harming the surrounding property appraisals.
I've often wondered if it's a developer looking to boost sales of his $350K "townhomes" on 25 foot lots.
I've lived there since 1983. I bought there because it was a) cheap; b) centrally located; c) unzoned and with no deed restrictions, and d) had lots of nice trees.
One of those "abandoned" homes was lived in about a month previously. I know because my wife drives by it daily on the way to work. It's also fairly close to several of the new townhomes. When you torch a building like that, the neighbor's place can catch on fire as well.
I want that guy strung up by the short and curlies.
BTW, if you don't like the character of the Heights, which since I've lived there has always included a range of housing from dilapidated dinky shotgun shacks to some classic Victorians, you're welcome to look elsewhere - not burn down what you don't like. Some very nice folks live in some of those lesser properties, I've found. Unlike the yuppies in their trendy new McMansions who won't speak to their neighbors, let alone someone passing down the street.
I’m not defending this person, but it sure would be nice if the city condemned these eye sore properties so as not to continue harming the surrounding property appraisals.
The Heights has always been a "live and let live" neighborhood, which has been a major point in its favor. We don't tell our neighbors how to mow their lawns, what color to paint their houses, or what old junk they can keep in their yards. I LIKE it that way.
My next door neighbor runs a high traffic business out of her house. A Hispanic family 150 feet away sometimes has parties with fairly loud live music. A nearby park has hosted rowdy baseball games, and now has rowdy soccer games. We get along fine.
If you want to get rid of eyesores that harm appraisals, try deporting the illegals that infest 11th & Shepherd.