Teh One Who Knocks
06-02-2017, 10:55 AM
By Mark Young - The Bradenton Herald
http://i.imgur.com/pRwvl4j.jpg
Bradenton
City officials on Wednesday sent conflicting messages to a local property owner who has an issue with a naked homeless woman using a dumpster enclosure as her personal restroom.
Officials differed on the details, but did agree on one thing: It’s the property owner’s fault.
The property in question, 1401 Eighth Ave. W., is owned by Jay Taylor, of Old Florida Investments, and occupied by an insurance company and a law firm. Taylor reported to various city officials of an ongoing homeless problem culminating with one of the lawyers seeing a naked woman using the bathroom while he was throwing out the trash.
Taylor tore down the larger enclosure and built a smaller one, but the problem wasn’t resolved because the city won’t put the dumpster back in the enclosure and when he complained, he was cited by code enforcement. Taylor said the city essentially “created a hotel” for the homeless to sleep and use the restroom.
Planning and Community Development Director Catherine Hartley said Taylor was cited because he didn’t file for a permit to replace the enclosure.
“They took out the old enclosure and installed a new one without a building permit,” Hartley said. “The code enforcement remedy would have been to get the permit and they still can. The homeless remedy would be to put a gate on the enclosure.”
Hartley said this is a “self created” problem for Taylor. Public Works Director Jim McLellan agrees but presented a separate argument, saying Taylor’s enclosure “doesn’t comply with city standards. It’s too tight for our truck to pick it up without doing major damage to the fence they installed.”
Vice Mayor Patrick Roff said this has been a nine-month issue without resolution. He said staff arguments are valid, but everyone is missing the bigger picture.
“You guys don’t live in the homeless community like I do in Ward 3, and if they can find a nook or cranny, they will find it,” Roff said. “They have been using this bin area for all kinds of necessary human activities. We can over-complicate this if you want, but this is nine months of trying to fix this, and at least it’s finally before the council, and I’m just looking for suggestions.”
Taylor just wants the enclosure gone and would rather use trash bins, but Hartley said they typically require enclosures as well on commercial properties. She doesn’t believe switching would rectify the issue, but she said she will begin a code review process with the council to determine, what if anything, can be done.
“It’s certainly something worth reviewing,” said Councilman Bemis Smith. “It’s a public safety issue, it’s a cost issue, and it’s a public visibility issue. More than likely, we are doing it right, but maybe there is something there we can tweak.”
http://i.imgur.com/pRwvl4j.jpg
Bradenton
City officials on Wednesday sent conflicting messages to a local property owner who has an issue with a naked homeless woman using a dumpster enclosure as her personal restroom.
Officials differed on the details, but did agree on one thing: It’s the property owner’s fault.
The property in question, 1401 Eighth Ave. W., is owned by Jay Taylor, of Old Florida Investments, and occupied by an insurance company and a law firm. Taylor reported to various city officials of an ongoing homeless problem culminating with one of the lawyers seeing a naked woman using the bathroom while he was throwing out the trash.
Taylor tore down the larger enclosure and built a smaller one, but the problem wasn’t resolved because the city won’t put the dumpster back in the enclosure and when he complained, he was cited by code enforcement. Taylor said the city essentially “created a hotel” for the homeless to sleep and use the restroom.
Planning and Community Development Director Catherine Hartley said Taylor was cited because he didn’t file for a permit to replace the enclosure.
“They took out the old enclosure and installed a new one without a building permit,” Hartley said. “The code enforcement remedy would have been to get the permit and they still can. The homeless remedy would be to put a gate on the enclosure.”
Hartley said this is a “self created” problem for Taylor. Public Works Director Jim McLellan agrees but presented a separate argument, saying Taylor’s enclosure “doesn’t comply with city standards. It’s too tight for our truck to pick it up without doing major damage to the fence they installed.”
Vice Mayor Patrick Roff said this has been a nine-month issue without resolution. He said staff arguments are valid, but everyone is missing the bigger picture.
“You guys don’t live in the homeless community like I do in Ward 3, and if they can find a nook or cranny, they will find it,” Roff said. “They have been using this bin area for all kinds of necessary human activities. We can over-complicate this if you want, but this is nine months of trying to fix this, and at least it’s finally before the council, and I’m just looking for suggestions.”
Taylor just wants the enclosure gone and would rather use trash bins, but Hartley said they typically require enclosures as well on commercial properties. She doesn’t believe switching would rectify the issue, but she said she will begin a code review process with the council to determine, what if anything, can be done.
“It’s certainly something worth reviewing,” said Councilman Bemis Smith. “It’s a public safety issue, it’s a cost issue, and it’s a public visibility issue. More than likely, we are doing it right, but maybe there is something there we can tweak.”