I bought my house 6 years ago
I fell in love with the wood and the brick
And the off street parking sold it quick
With no more worries about the car being stuck in the snow
Six years later I find
R&R wants to put a parking lot
right up next to my parking spot
I didn't think that was too kind
The neighbors fought to keep their space
While R&R and Nick Alfero say
It's the cities fault, they want too many trees in that place
We get mayor involved and he says no way!
So they go back to the drawing board
And move the fence line back 7 feet
Or so I thought, but my temperature has SOARED
As I wake up in the morning to see, the fence line in it's original seat
As you can see by the picture above
R&R and Nick Alfero has shown me NO LOVE
I can't possibly move my suv
Because their is a big fence and a truck
smack dab in front of it,can't you see
and all I can say is what the f***
I contact b2 and the mayor
and was reassured the dump truck would be gone by today
but it still hasn't gone anywhere
so I'm left scratching my head and wanting to say...
Something, but thank goodness for my headache
else someone's life would be at stake
So all I get to do is release my stress
Through the neighbors of easton blog
Maybe tomorrow I'll slash some dump truck tires to relieve my distress
Because R&R and Nick Alfero have no compassion for their neighbors of easton, what a bunch of hogs!
LeFemme
Posts
15 comments:
Yea--poetry! I love this new element to the blog. Maybe I'll get around to posting a poem one of these days.
The dump truck issue sounds maddening! Can you literally not get your car out at all, or is it just incredibly tight and awkward? You should call the EPD and complain that someone's been parked in the spot over 72 hours--they'll come and chalk the tires, and if it's there 72 hours more, they'll tow it at the owner's expense. I know you want it gone sooner than that, but just in case, you could get the ball rolling now...
At first it was just a little tight but now I literally cannot get my car out the spot..at least without having to move my boyfriends car out of the way to get my car out of it's spot. It's like I have tandem parking now.
The thing that gets me so mad is that they have other options but neither Nick Alfero nor the mayor (or the planning people) tell them to back it up 7 ft or move it over 7 ft.
Here is the email I got...but not sure if it was just an appeasement or what because the dump truck is STILL there!
From: Planning Dept - Becky Bradley [mailto:bbradley@easton-pa.gov]
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 11:25 AM
To: Gary Bertsch; Frazier, Nikkita
Cc: dreynolds@easton-pa.gov; spanto@easton-pa.gov
Subject: RE: Update @ R&R
Their tearing down the freezer building right now --- I'm hopefully they
will be done with the demolition by tomorrow. Anyway, there's 2 trucks
that they are putting construction debris in; 1 along Pine and the other
along the western private alley. I've asked that these be moved off
site over the weekend if they are not done with the work for ease of
movement by the neighbors. Diane Reynolds will go over there tomorrow
in the am and pm to make sure everything is going smoothly because the
work is occurring so closely to the roads and alleys.
R&R and Nick Alfero have no concern about their neighbors and I'm not even sure if the city cares too much either...b/c instead of going there and saying oh they're removing debris (no duh) she should have told him to move the truck 7 feet so that the home owners can get there cars in and out of their parking spots!!!
Sal Panto
The situation is temporary and the planned that I spoke to you about was approved by the Planning Commission. The amended plan places the fence line 7 feet into their property to give you and the neighbors plenty of room, more than before, when the construction was completed. I was at the site on Thursday and so was Ms. Bradley.
We will monitor the demolition but rest assured the final product is exactly as the Planning Commission approved when I appeared before them to remove the trees and move the fence 7 feet onto their porperty.
I also spoke directly to Nick Alfereo and he too assured me that R&R will be placing the fence where we agreed.
Unfortunately, demolition must occur first. I will drive by again today to see if demolition is complete.
Of course demo is a part of the process and I was fine with the truck being there on Monday when I could with a bit of fanagling get my car in and out of the spot. But Wedneday rolls around and they move the truck UP to the original white line. It would be one thing if it was there for a day but it's Saturday and its still in the same spot. Plus if you look at the angle of the truck they should be able to move it backwards 5 feet and I'm positive both my car and the neighbor would both be able to get our cars in and out without a problem....we're talking about moving it 5 feet.
The problem is no compromise. Why should I be expected to compromise temporarily for the demo when they should be will and able to compromise temporarily by moving the dump truck 5 feet back or over so that I can at least get my car in and out. I do know how to drive and how to get my car in and out of tight spots. This isn't just a tight spot, it's an impossible spot!
Becky Bradley's and the mayor's responses to Nikkita make no sense at all. This is precisely the sort of spin that the City employs to respond to resident concerns with on a regular basis that drives me nuts. It's pure, willful obfuscation. Both are pretending that the question is "when will the construction be complete" or "where will the fence be placed" when she is clearly asking them to tell R&R and Nick Alfero to MOVE THE TRUCK back 5-7 feet until they are finished with construction. This blatant disregard for residents on both the part of R&R and the City is inexcusable--especially when moving the truck is such a quick and easy thing to do-- and the City's response is, as usual, disingenuous and ineffective. SHE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE HER CAR TODAY--not tomorrow, not by the end of the weekend--NOW.
I don't care if anyone visited the site. I don't care if anyone called anyone, the City has done nothing about this if they have not TOLD Nick Alfero to MOVE the truck and seen to it that he has complied. Who do these people think they are, arbitrarily blocking in a working mother and taxpayer so that she can't move her car?
The whole R&R project from beginning to end has been a complete fiasco as far as I'm concerned. I'm speaking about this from an architectural and civic design standpoint. I had planned on writing about this long ago as a response to one of the blog posts about the proposed liquor store in the 1100 block of Northampton Street. My computer deleted the comment before it was done (I have a lot of problems with computers).
In any avent, it looks like I should take some time in my blog contributions to address the issues that have bothered me about R&R for a long time.
DRL
Just to be fair I'm posting my original email to Becky/Gary & the mayor...Hey I'm rhyming again :)
Hello Becky/Gary
I have a question about the demo portion of the reno. It was my understanding that the mayor approved moving the “line” back about 7 feet in order for the home owners to be able to get their cars in and out of their spots. If this is the case why is it that for the last 3 days R&R’s contractors have been moving their “temporary” fence closer and closer to the original line.
Today I started a car that I could not get out of the spot because they decided they were going to put their fence and dump truck as close to that original line as they could. Why haven’t they abided by the new regulations and who in the city is enforcing this regulation (by being at the site monitoring their activity).
I damaged my car trying to get it out of the spot, who am I supposed to give the repair bill to…. The city for not making sure R&R is following the rules? R&R? or their contractors? This needs to be corrected ASAP as I do have a job to go to in the morning and cannot afford to spend extra time trying to figure out how to get my car out of the driveway…..as it was already determined that I shouldn’t have a problem doing so with the reno.
Thanks!
___________________________________
I just didn't want you guys to see my post of B2's response but not see what I emailed.... to think I'm trying to hide something...or something :)
Sal Panto
Nikkita et. al. I just drove completely around the demolition site. There are two things that need to be clarified: 1. the trucks are parked completely on R&R property within the white line that was drawn where the original fence was going to be placed. 2. there are two vans parked behind the homes on 13th street. the first is fine and completely on their property. The second extends at least three feet into the alleyway because their deck causes the van to be placed there. To alleviate any problem the demolition company moved there temporary construction fence east so that cars could still pass. I had no problem and I drive an SUV.
Please remember for all of those who want to criticize R&R -- their approved plan had the Planning Commission placing tree and shrubs and a fence on the edge of their property. When I was called by Nick Alfero I met him and Ricky Rogers on site and I asked Rick that if I got the Planning commission to relax their original demand woul he be willing to move the fence 7 feet onto his property to give the residents more room. He graciously agreed. I placed the issue back on the agenda the following month and I appeared on behalf of the residents to ask for this waiver from their normal policy. Becky Bradley also spoke on behalf of the compromise. The Commission okayed the relocation. So you other bloggers who like to say that city hall doesnt react to help its residents please learn the facts first. If is wasn't for city hall's response to the residents request for assistance the fence would be located in an area that would be horrible for the residents.
Nikkita, I will also stop by on Monday to see how long they will be onsite.
This was a neighborhood business that needed to grow to stay competitive and worked with the city and the neighbors to come to a better solution.
As to Dennis' comments about thwe whole process I am not sure what he is talking abouyt but it is probably before my time -- and that is why I asked Dennis to serve on the Planning Commission. He is and will do a great job of pointing out potential alternatives.
We will continue to work until the issue is resolved.
Please don't get it twisted. I am very happy that the final product gets moved back 7 feet so that we get to keep our off street parking and property value.
. My problem is
1) I never received any type of warning or notification that demo would begin
2) They never once came to the neighbors (or at least me) to find out if there would be a problem with the dump truck being smack dab at the end of the lot.
You say that they moved the fence east. Was this today? and if so what time? When I left the spot this afternoon at 3, It didn't look too much different to me(except my better half moved a few of the poles over so that I could get my car out of the spot)
The main point is I shouldn't have had to go through all this if they were working with the residents, none of this drama would have taken place...we could have worked together for an amicable resolution. But instead they just plopped a big dump truck in front of parking spot and kept inching the fence over closer and closer to the line.
Oh,and you may be able to drive through the private alley (with a few of the resident's vehicles missing) but can you park in the parking spot??
Mayor Panto, will you call R&R and tell them to move the truck 5 feet, or not?
Do you really expect a resident to be okay with being blocked in for three days, knowing that THEN you'll check in and see how much LONGER it's going to be?
There is too much talk and not enough action from the City on this. Does R&R have some hold over the City that we don't know about that makes you uncomfortable telling them to move a truck?
Sal Panto
Please, for the last time, if it wasn't for Nikkita's call to me 6 months ago and listewning to her concerns their fence would be 7 fdeet closer to her property. I even convinced the Planning Commission to loosen their regs on greening.
And yes, I do plan to be there tomorrow to ascertain the extent of the demolition. But also know that the truck can't be moved any further, it is right up against the existing foundation. But you are right in the fact that the contractor should have had the courtesy to park someplace else for the weeekend if they weren't going to work. I agree.
Sal
They did end up moving the dump truck Monday afternoon until sometime today.
I'm pleased with the fact that the truck is over more and that I'm back to being able to maneuver in and out of the spot.
Thank you Mayor for having them move it over enough for me to get in and out of my parking spot. Hopefully they won't inch it back over once the smoke clears
I had to drive past this site this evening to see what the fuss was about; I had NO IDEA all that was going on back there! on the one hand I am glad that R&R figured a way to stay in business (I'm assuming they needed to expand and building across the alley was the ony way) and any project of this type of close proximity will lead to conflict.
It sounds like a resolution has been reached. now to just do something about the getty!
Nikkita is one of the lead resident proponents of the approved landscaping plan for the Getty. I hope to see it implemented soon. That corner is a gateway to both Easton and the West Ward, because of traffic coming off 22, so it needs to be a priority to change it from the eyesore that it is now, to something attractive.
Thanks for all your hard work on it, Nikkita--it will be a major improvement to the neighborhood once it goes into effect.
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