Tuesday, June 07, 2011
LaBelle's Shameful Housing
Unsafe Housing In Hendry County
The Ford-Sunset subdivision of LaBelle, Florida is a proud African-American community. But, the City of LaBelle seems to be neglecting it's duty of providing a safe environment for this community on the west side of town.
(Video: Vacant Unsafe Homes Around Kid Jones Park)
For years, housing with broken windows and open doors has co-existed with neat and tidy homes and a showplace community park. But, only a short walk around the Kid Jones Park, one finds vacant homes with broken windows, missing or open doors and roofs leaking or about ready to fall in.
The first African American community in Hendry county is seemingly being ignored by the city zoning department and code enforcement, providing no ready solution for cleaning up the many vacant homes and unsafe buildings in the neighborhood.
Doug Bostick, the city's code enforcement officer says it's a matter of no money to demolish the unsafe structures, and no cooperation from the actual property owner, in many cases an out-of-towner.
Bostick says in some cases, more cooperation is needed from area residents to help protect the vacant homes from being vandalized, suggesting calling the Sheriff's office when suspicious activities are observed.
Bostick also suggested a continuing neighborhood problem is the placing of trash and debris on empty lots and on vacant home sites, which legally the property owner has to remedy, an unfair situation since the neighbors are placing the trash there and not the actual owner.
There are monthly free debris pickups but the waste trucks will not pick up materials scattered on vacant lots.
No other community in Hendry county is in such sad shape with the number of unsafe structures found in the Ford-Sunset Park area. No other community is left at the hands of a code enforcement department without enough money and resources to clean up the area.
(There's a mistake in the video, can you find it quicker than the city will clean up these unsafe buildings?)
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The community's name is
ReplyDeleteFordson-Sunset Park
There is some confusion on the name over the years. The actual subdivisions located in this are are "LaBelle Ford Park" and "LaBelle Sunset Park." There is a sign at the entrance on MLK Blvd. of "Ford-Sunset Park" as I recall. But, I do recall in past years the area being known at Fordson-Sunset. If anyone has any history or photos of the area and past residents, I would be glad to publish some stories.
ReplyDelete-Editor
On further research there is a Sunset Drive and a Fordson Avenue located in the community, and that may be the source of the name "Fordson-Sunset Park."
ReplyDeleteA Sunset-Fordson Property Owners Association, Inc. was dissolved in 1993. Robert Ford and James Singleton were officers.
ReplyDeleteA Fordson-Sunset Park Community Association Inc. was dissolved in 1996. Officers included Martha Singleton, Nora Fagin, Robert Ford, and Horace Dozier.
I wonder how the community got into that shape? Since all the other communities according to this article are not in "such sad shape" Who broke the windows and doors out just in this neighborhood ? Who vandalized all these structures mostly in broad daylight ? Where was the Federal Gov't (Big Bro) with all it's free money ? Why just this proud africian american neighborhood ? Seems like trend. Maybe just maybe other neighborhoods clean up and take care of their area ? Just sayin.
ReplyDeleteHere's an idea, lets raise the taxes on the working people, and the taxes on Fuel so this "sad area" can be fixed like it was a few years ago before those unruly unknown criminals that live in this area tore it up ? I'm quite sure no one from other places are driving into this area and doing damage, it's home grown! If as you say the City doesn't have the money, then they don't have the money ? Times are tough, 9.1% of legal americans are unemployed the debt is 14 Trillion dollars and rising, I don't have this "sad Shape" of Shameful Housing in my neighborhood ?
ReplyDeleteLet the Fire dept practice !
ReplyDeleteit's not just there, Don just doesnt get around the rest of Hendry County. You can go to most any subdivision in Hendry County and find at least 2 streets with houses like these. Many of them abandoned after the hurricanes 4 years ago when they were damaged and the owners had no insurance to repair them. They simply walked away. The banks don't want to repo them because then they are liable for the mess, so they leave them in the old owners names, knowing full well, that they will never pay up. I am quite sure a quick search of any of them properties at the court house will yield deeds with mortgages on them, and while the "owners" have to clean them, the real owners are quite happy to leave them vacant for now, till the values go back up and then they will claim them to sell as-is.
ReplyDeleteSeems like Don, is a typical liberal media loser, he reports all the bad, none of the good or truth and has NO plan to correct any issue's!! He's about as negative as the bum that prints the Hendry-Glades Sunday News. Both are NEGATIVE
ReplyDeleteI found the spelling error in the video-but sent it privately, as I didn't want to call public attention to it out of consideration for Don. Turns out-it was deliberate and I was the first to spot it! Cute trick Don.
ReplyDeletePS: Anonymous (who can't even use their real name to be unkind); you couldn't be more wrong. Don is a very reasonable, fair-minded, intelligent person who is putting a lot of time, research and effort into writing his personal News Blog articles to keep local readers informed. He is obviously a valuable asset to his Community, and the online readers of his Blog.
BTW- Nice use of the FLIP cam Don! Glad to see you using it again, to enhance your Blog articles.
ReplyDeletewell ms. liberal B.A.Cooper, I doubt that anyone cares about the issue, since its like pouring good money after bad, these houses and the area in general are a disgrace, also go over off Bryan where the low income live, go over off Seminole, those houses and yards are worn out, not maintained and the Gov't w/ our Tax $$ built them, but when people keep getting things handed to them for free, why bother maintaining it or keeping it nice inside & outside. This is how those people live, give them a nice new place and in 3-5 years its JUNK. That way in all States, so you & John want more tax payers money spent to fix and clean so they can tear it up and wear it out again. I've lived in my neighborhood for over 25 years in the City, we paid and earned our things, there are no junk houses and worn out neighborhoods, wonder why??
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ReplyDeleteLiving anywhere near this area in Labelle is no picnic. Drug dealers and prostitutes are everywhere; and what exactly are the police doing about it? After being threatened by one of the local drug dealers a police officer told me to 'ignore it'. This type of response makes me wonder if there may be some police-dealer agreement going on?? There needs to be alot more effort made in cleaning up the streets here! Or the citizens need to start making citizen arrests!
ReplyDelete