Beautifying The North Side

[kitten44505]

Upper Elm Street looks like it was transplanted from Hillman Street. Most of the houses there should either be torn down, or turned over to YFD for training.

Ohio Avenue still looks like something could be done to improve it if those living there would get off their lazy butts and do something.

As for Logan Avenue, the best thing that could be done with that street is for a major demolition of the old houses, the east side of the street for the most part is commercial/industrial.

[AllanY2525]

I tend to agree that the "In-Roads" to the North Side are
looking pretty crappy these days.  Elm Street is a disgrace,
the upper end of Fifth Avenue is OK, but some flower beds
along the "divided highway" portion of Fifth Avenue sure
wouldn't hurt.  Ohio Avenue, Logan, etc all need some
fix-up and clean-up as well.

When the Bryson Apartments are finished I am going to buy
a small tractor mower and whoever ends up managing the
building will be tasked with cutting the grass up and down
Woodbine (where there are some abandoned houses).

The corner lots at Woodbine and Bryson across the street
from the building are being taken care of by someone - as
they always look nice and clean and the grass is always
kept trimmed.

My friend and I spent four and a half hours at the Bryson
building day before yesterday, weed-wacking, cutting grass
and removing trash from the exterior of the premesis.

The grounds around the Bryson building are no longer an
eyesore to the neighborhood, and soon the building will
no longer be an eye sore, either.


Allan

[Nathan Pavalko]

I would ahve to argue about 5th avenue. The universitry has helped to improve the parts around it (from the stadium to wood street). I can't say anything concerning Ohio Avenue - Elm Street or Logan Avenue coming off Gypsey Lane because I've never been in that area.

[kitten44505]

How many years has Streetscape been around?

Since you have all the answers, how many years do you want to give them to accomplish their mission?

5 Years - 10 Years - 15 Years - ETERNITY?

I've seen no progress on Belmont Avenue - Fifth Avenue - Ohio Avenue - Elm Street - Logan Avenue coming off Gypsey Lane. All of these streets lead directly to YSU, Youngstown's Crown Jewel.

Perhaps you might put together a team and spend some of your valuable time helping to spruce up these streets.

[Nathan Pavalko]

I do agree that gateways into the city are important, and the Streetscape people have addressed that. They expanded their cleanup to I believe S. Ave, Mahoning Ave. and a portion of Market Street (double check me on that I could be wrong). Also, streetscapes was formed in raction to the politicians in Youngstown. They (the politicians) were doing (and to an extent still are)nothing to improve the look of the city, so Streetscapes came along to phisically do somthing about it. What I am saying is that everything can not be done at once. Start small and build from there.

[kitten44505]

CLEAN UP FIX UP

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POINT 1
Nowhere did I suggest that the city should maintain every plot of empty or abandoned land. Whoever owns it should be forced to CLEAN UP THEIR OWN LAND, and if they refuse, get slapped with a stiff fine, and if they do not pay the fine, then spend a year in HOTEL WELLINGTON.

POINT 2
Are you suggesting that outsiders would ignore the rundown condition of the gateway routes into the city?

POINT 3
On more than one occassion people have complained about the trash that litters the Expressway. It is the city's responsibility to clean that litter up.

[kitten44505]

JUST HOW LONG MUST WE WAIT?

Again, Planting poseys downtown is STRANGE given the fact that there will be much demolition taking place tearing down  buildings where the new Appeals Court building will go, and the Masters Complex.

Streetscape is a fine group with good intentions, and I'm not attacking them, but with so many more important things that they could be accomplishing, it is a waste of time and resources to do the same project year after year when they could be moving on to other projects such as sprucing up the gateways to the city.

From what I heard about the latest Streetscape project, the only people that benefitted were a gaggle of candidates for elective office who would jump at any chance to get their mugs in front of a camera.

Now once we get the word from on high that the city has completed its Master Plan for the downtown area, and there will be no more changes, then AND ONLY THEN should Streetscape come back down and do it's posey planting.

[Nathan]

the flowers downtown may not seem like much, but it is a start. Besides, it is the city's responsibility to repave streets, and maintain many of the lots. Yes, empty lots should be maintained, but there are over 10,000 empty lots in the city. It can't all be done at once, but it will be done eventually.

[kitten44505]

THE NEW NORTH SIDE

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With all the money that is being poured into making the North Side a showcase, you would think that those who profess so much support for such projects as Street Scape would put more effort in cleaning up the gateways into the city - Mahoning Avenue, Logan Avenue and Belmont Avenue being just three of the gateways I have in mind.

Planting a few poseys downtown don't cut it when people driving into the city see trash and filth the minute they enter the city.

The feel good project is a waste of time so long as the negative first impressions have already been made. Who cares about a few potted plants tucked away downtown after seeing high grass, weeds, trashed empty lots, abandoned buildings, and the like?