[Durham INC] instead of plywood on windows...

Fri Mar 4 14:52:52 EST 2011

Just to clarify, I am no way suggesting art as a permanent solution. These
houses should have people living in them, period.  However, in the meantime
I suspect that people *may* be less inclined to smoke crack in an art
installation.

Adrian Fletcher

On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 2:34 PM, Matt Dudek <matt.dudek at gmail.com> wrote:

> I agree that boards aren't ideal, and I think Art is great as a temporary
> fix to bring focus on a neighborhood in need of help. In Detroit though, as
> far as I understand, those art installations were never meant to be
> permanent. The intention was to get news crews to show the need for
> investment in those neighborhoods. Now it's become a part of "ruins porn."
>
> I live in Cleveland-Holloway and even though there has been significant
> reinvestment, and a number of vacant houses renovated, there are still 15
> vacant/abandoned houses within a block and a half of my house. I don't want
> permanent art installations that outsiders come to gawk at. I want *new
> neighbors,* permanent, real-life new neighbors invested in the health of
> the area.
>
> I think the city's installation on Holloway St. is great, and I think the
> temporary New Neighbors exhibit is a fantastic idea. I hope it brings people
> to East Durham and shows what a vibrant, functioning community it is. I know
> the intent of the program was to get people to buy houses in East Durham,
> and I hope that's what it accomplishes.
>
> (And I should mention that both Ken Gasch and Bill Anderson have been
> instrumental in bringing new owner occupiers to Cleveland-Holloway. I hope
> more real estate agents start showing more homes in our neighborhood and
> other East Durham Neighborhoods to people looking to buy a home for
> themselves, and not just investment properties.)
>
> Just my two cents.
>
> Matt Dudek
> *Cleveland-Holloway*
>
> On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 1:59 PM, <TheOcean1 at aol.com> wrote:
>
>>  I love Melissa's idea (about the painting contest, not young kids using
>> them as meeting locations), and greatly prefer the look of that house on
>> Holloway with these windows/painted plywood to secure it.
>>  But I'm a little concerned that owners of boarded up houses will view
>> this as a more permanent solution than the old style of boarding up the
>> house.
>>
>> They won't be productive properties again until they are occupied, and as
>> a Realtor, it's hard to show a boarded up house, painted boards or
>> otherwise. I see boarded up houses as property that needs to change hands
>> for everyone's sake, the neighborhood, the former owner and the future
>> owner, even the house itself.
>>
>> Since I'm on the committee, I wanted to make proper disclosure that I'm a
>> Realtor with a history of buying/selling vacant properties. There's no money
>> in it, which is part of the problem. I became a Realtor to assist a
>> neighborhood. One of the primo houses, with a piece of Ellerbee Creek
>> running thru it's backyard, we bought for less than $20k. Do the math, my
>> take was less than $300. and most wouldn't have done the paperwork for that.
>> But it helped transfer ownership so the renovations could begin.
>>
>> My reason for bringing up that house is that it was easy to show to
>> perspective buyers/renovators. The front door had been kicked in, and the
>> same sneaker print was also on the front door of the house next door.
>> Both of these houses are now beautifully renovated and owner occupied.
>>
>> Not sure that would be the case if they had been boarded up, with
>> decorated boards or plain ones.
>>
>> I think the question might be: "Which helps a house change hands faster,
>> decorative boards, or a Realtor who is community minded enough to do the
>> work for peanuts?"
>>
>> *Bill Anderson*
>>  In a message dated 3/4/2011 10:15:07 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>> fletch.groups at gmail.com writes:
>>
>> Ken, not every boarded up house has a neighbor that can keep an eye on it.
>> There are entire blocks of streets that are made up entirely of boarded up
>> houses. Turning these buildings into art may increase traffic and visibility
>> around them, helping decrease squatters and general crime in the
>> neighborhoods they are in. Detroit has had some success with this<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg_Project>
>> .
>>
>> On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 10:34 PM, Ken Gasch <Ken at kengasch.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Boarded up windows scream: "Hello squatter, please consider prying a
>>> board loose on my back side and coming on in. As you can see by my boarded
>>> up windows, I am empty and nobody will bother you for weeks at a time."
>>>  Artwork will do the same thing.
>>>
>>> Boarding up homes is a bad policy.
>>>
>>> Homes should be lived in.
>>>
>>> I have had to keep squatters out of houses scores of times.
>>>
>>> For starters, go in a few times and throw all their belongings out. That
>>> usually keeps them from coming back.
>>>
>>> Empower the neighbors to watch the house for you. I have one project
>>> where a neighbor ran off some would-be looters/squatters with a 12-gage,
>>> double barrel shotgun.
>>>
>>> Get temporary power on and play music and keep a light on or two. Put
>>> lights on timers.
>>>
>>> Sign a trespass agreement with the police and post "no trespassing"
>>> signs. My sign is not big and neon orange. My sign is very small. It does
>>> not scream: "empty house."  It is in 12-point type and says: "No
>>> Trespassing. Durham Police Department, Pursuant to NC General Statute
>>> 14-153.13 (1), I hereby authorize any officer of the Durham Police
>>> Department to arrest and remove any intruder found upon these premises.  I
>>> will testify in court as to my power to delegate this authority.  Please do
>>> not hesitate to phone me at any time of day or night.  Thank you, Ken Gasch
>>> <919.475.8866>919.475.8866."
>>>
>>> Do not board up houses!!!
>>>
>>> Ken Gasch
>>> REALTOR®/Broker
>>> Seagroves Realty
>>> www.KenGasch.com <http://www.kengasch.com/>
>>> C: <919.475.8866>919.475.8866
>>> F: <866.229.4267>866.229.4267
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>   On Thu, Mar 3, 2011 at 10:24 PM, Barry Ragin <bragin at nc.rr.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> You know, for a city that's on everyone's list of the top ten places to
>>>> live in the US, we sure seem to have a lot of vacant and abandoned houses in
>>>> this town.
>>>>
>>>> I can't for the life of me understand why that should be.
>>>>
>>>> Barry Ragin
>>>>
>>>> On 3/3/11 4:30 PM, Melissa's yahoo wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Maybe Durham would consider hosting a contest where artists paint a
>>>>> board to be permanently displayed in windows that are broken/in disrepair.
>>>>> Durham could give a small cash prize and/or display the winning board at
>>>>> City Hall or something like that. It would be great publicity for the many
>>>>> artists in Durham and the Triangle. If this doesn't float, maybe we can make
>>>>> it a contest for schools or school aged children and give the winner a $200
>>>>> savings bond - this is what they did for the Durham America Recycles Day
>>>>> contest this year. Or the winner's school could get a raingarden
>>>>> installation or something like that, which we want to see done anyway...
>>>>>
>>>>> Melissa
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPad
>>>>>
>>>>> On Mar 2, 2011, at 7:13 PM, "RW Pickle"<randy at 27beverly.com>  wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Since this is a current topic of a new committee, those involved (as
>>>>>> well
>>>>>> as anyone else interested) should view the recent window treatment
>>>>>> (instead of plywood or other materials) used by NIS on a house located
>>>>>> on
>>>>>> Holloway Street. The house is located on the right in the first block
>>>>>> (going out Holloway from downtown past the Public Library) just past
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> Dillard Street intersection. The house is white and I believe it's the
>>>>>> 3rd
>>>>>> or 4th on the right as you head out Holloway that way. This is a
>>>>>> window
>>>>>> treatment that offers security, yet looks like a window. The house
>>>>>> also
>>>>>> has fresh straw in the yard from reseeding (just to help you locate
>>>>>> it).
>>>>>> It has much better curb appeal than plywood and just casually looking,
>>>>>> it
>>>>>> looks like windows are in place.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Randy Pickle
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Durham INC Mailing List
>>>>>> list at durham-inc.org
>>>>>> http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
>>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
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