Deliberate Hemming Park Neglect and DeAmenitization

[Metro Jacksonville]

Deliberate Hemming Park Neglect and DeAmenitization



"Any changes to Hemming Plaza would occur only after collaboration and discussion with City Council, the Downtown Investment Authority and other stakeholders.  There is no action under way and has been no decision to proceed as described in your email, although the City of Jacksonville could obviously take steps to replace any tree based on the condition of the tree and safety of the public."
 

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-sep-deliberate-hemming-park-neglect-and-deamenitization

[coredumped]

Once the pride of Jacksonville. Such a shame.

[peestandingup]

Hehe, you guys used my Redman meme. And I'm really glad we're talking about this. Over the past year, I've noticed a rapid decline in this park. It was alluded to a couple months ago by a few folks (me included) that it was indeed intentional. Sadly, I'm beginning to believe that's exactly the case. Its obvious actually.

^It's not just the mayor, the Jax general population doesn't want taxes raised either.  I guess it is hard for people to make the connection that in order to have "nice things" we may have to raise taxes.  Whenever raising taxes is mentioned all the ex-Tea partiers start crying.

Its not that simple. A lot of times when you raise taxes, it lines the pockets of special interests. But granted Jax as a whole doesn't seem to give two shits about anything that's for the public (public spaces, parks, mass transit, etc). You see it everywhere you go here.

I too have noticed the parks becoming less & less desirable places to want to hang out. I personally think its done on purpose to make them more of a dump, attract the wrong elements & to justify even more why not to spend any money on them (just like transit in this town) Me & a friend biked by Hemming on Saturday afternoon & it looked worse than I've ever remembered seeing it. Trash everywhere, lots more homeless, none of the fountains looked like they ere working, etc.

Like I said, on purpose.

[Bill Hoff]

Unfortunately, this type of neglect can be found all around Downtown and some of it's surronding neighborhoods.

[GoldenEst82]

My Studio is right off the park. I am there at pretty late at night, and well- the 7-11 on Julia and Forsyth is scarier than Hemming. Except for the rats, they're scary.

One thing that absolutely BOGGLES my mind are the Laura St. "improvements" with the redundant street signs and rattle free ride, (insert eyeroll) that went in in 2009 did nothing to fix the issues with the homeless.

I once asked Mayor Payton, just before this project started; how he could justify the expense when it didn't even deal with the real problem.

He told me the only reason we notice the homeless is because there is no one else there. Oh, yeah- and the up-lighting of trees and tearing up (not fixing) of the roads is supposed to bring in the crowds?

Aaaand, 4 years later- the homeless remain- and those intersections SUCK ASS.

I wish that money had been put into the "day center" that Mayor Brown proposed- and into our public mental health system. THAT would have done something, other than rattle my car to bits and piss me off.
/rant

[fsujax]

Yes, this is just a microcosim of how this City treats its parks and ROW, especially in the urban core. If the residents of the neighborhoods did not come to gether and do what they do, could you imagine how much worse it would be? We continue to subsidize suburban sprawl at an alarming rate with no plan to restore the urban core of the city (other than a few sq miles of downtown).

[Riverrat]

It's disgusting that this is the FRONT YARD to CITY HALL where our CITY LEADERS work every day. They do nothing about it. Absolutely disgusting that they let this crumble right in front of their own eyes - under their watch. They should all be ashamed.

[thelakelander]

Looking at these pics, I'm amazed we want to see more buildings taken down for more green space. We should be ashamed.

[GoldenEst82]

It's disgusting that this is the FRONT YARD to CITY HALL where our CITY LEADERS work every day. They do nothing about it. Absolutely disgusting that they let this crumble right in front of their own eyes - under their watch. They should all be ashamed.

+1000
If our front lawns looked like that...

[fsujax]

^^then the city would fine us.

[nagrom73]

Question: did you pick up any of the trash after taking pictures of it or did you just leave it there?

[isphil]

Hemming is indicative of what has happened in Jacksonville over the years.  Downtown, along with other areas of the city have been allowed to decay while city & business leaders go home to their 'safe' neighborhoods every evening. When the decay & neglect lead to crime &vagrancy, they attack the problem while ignoring the source.  There's a lot of 'me first' in this city and a lack of collective pride. That has to change if we ever expect to move forward.  I think it's clear at this point, it's not going to happen under a Brown administration.

[Cheshire Cat]

Question: did you pick up any of the trash after taking pictures of it or did you just leave it there?

Actually some of us went out with a small clean up detail and helped pick up litter the next day.  Thanks for asking.

If you have a contact number wed be glad to have you next time.  That is, in addition to your tax money thats supposedly being spent to do this exact thing.

But if you take a look, we photographed worse problems than just litter.  Removal of seats and benches, destruction (by the city) of the electrical resources, broken infrastructure, maggots, etc.

Thank you for your time and effort spent to pick up the park.  To the issue of the electric box, this looks to me like a safety hazard.  Could it be that the city is looking for another lawsuit? 

I find the neglect, litter and overt mess that is currently Hemming Park to be an outright disgrace.  It is one thing to say we can't afford something and another thing altogether to let basic maintenance of a public park at the doorway to City Hall become more than an eyesore, but in some ways a true hazard to those who visit.  Who is responsible for picking up the park, cleaning the flowerbeds, keeping the wiring safe and basic repairs to park furnishings as opposed to the removal of assets we, the taxpayers paid for?  This is unacceptable and will not stand.  I have to think this over a bit more and look into certain legalities with regard to electrical outlets owned by the city.  There is something terribly wrong here and it cannot stand. 

[nagrom73]

My husband and I do the same at murray hill park. Pizza boxes, juice boxes, cigarettes, weave, etc.. Thank you for being one of the few who don't just point fingers.

[Cheshire Cat]

Diane Melendez
2:20 PM
To: mweinbaum@coj.net

Dear Michelle,

As per our discussion I am sending you a link to a story that has several pictures of the issues I discussed with you on the phone moment's ago.  Most worrisome is the fact that there are boxes containing electrical wiring in various planters that have the wire cage protecting the electrical connections pulled away and are currently exposed.  This certainly appears to be a potential hazard if in fact those are working electrical boxes.  If they are not working I would like to know why as well.  The pictures also show a broken park bench, a simple repair as well as broken concrete near planters, empty planters an unclean water fountain and water filled garbage cans with floating garbage.  All of this at the front door of City Hall.  Frankly, it's shameful.

I would like Kelly Boree to phone me directly to discuss the issue of a decaying city park that front's city hall.  I want to know who is responsible for daily clean up, emptying the trash cans, safety of electrical outlets, broken planters, empty planters, overgrown weeds and the neglect of the most simple repairs such as a coat of paint on a bike rack?  This is really a sorry situation and needs to be corrected a.s.a.p.  I would also like Ms. Boree to explain why so much of the fixed furniture was removed as opposed to simply being repaired.  Clearly had it been maintained as it should have been it would not have decayed to the degree that removal was even a consideration.

Here is the link.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-sep-deliberate-hemming-park-neglect-and-deamenitization

Looking forward to a call from Ms. Boree in the hope that we can straighten this issue out without further involvement of the city council and media.

Sincerely,

Diane Melendez
Avondale