Minutes 09/12/1972 - Laserfiche WebLink

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September 12, 1972 "I am a home owner and tax payer in the S00 Block of Douglas Avenue and I would like to tell you its not a decent street to live on fOr lack of attention on somebody's part. The'street has been torn up and they h~ve~worked on it off and on for months. ~Now the raw sewage has been going al/ over the street since yesterday (Sept.6) and that is the only placs the little childre have to Play. I~am quite sure you would have none of this mess in front ~f your homes and not only that, why~can't we have side walks and curbings. After all, we eo pay taxes for something. My house is the last one as it is a dead-end ~nd next to mine wherei§ a big field that needs cutting, it is full of rats - the grass gets cUt once a year, we cut our's once a week. ~an~th~c~ildren step in the field, they are out of sight and I have seeh littke b~ys 10 or 12 sm6king. I'm sure if the grass were cut the boys wouldn't be so bold. So, please get on the ball and see~what you can do as of right now. It is not sanitary to step out side. If you want more information I would be glad to talk with you. My phone No. is 399-3993." Mr. & Mrs. R~bert L. Howell, 2910 Woodrow Street "We hate to be complainers but we think something should be done about the sewage being dumped in the street at Woodrow and Douglas Avenue. The stink is so bad at times it is nauseating. We were promised curbing a~ono Douglas Avenue a long time ago but nothing has been done Also, the weeds are terrible on part of Douglas. It is dangerous for school children going to Port Norfolk school. We (and neibhors) cut our lawns every week and we think the owners of that property should be required to keep theirs cut. We as taxpayers sincerely hope you will see that we get some relief around here." Mrs. ~nne W. Faul~ner, 527 Douglas Avenue "I am the resident of 527 Douglas Avenue. During the past week of September 6, 7~&~8 my front yard has been covered with raw sewage pumped from the corner of the street. Our block is a disgrace to the entire neighborhood because we have tall weeds, rats, dumping (.by people from other streets), no curbs and gutters, and the street needs paving.terribly. We would appreciate,some action on these matters. Surely, if-you can renovate the poor sections of the city, you can keep up the average sections also." Mr. & Mrs. Richard W~yn~ White, 530 Douglas Avenue "I would like to bring to your attention the situation in the 500 block of Douglas Ave. On Sept. 6, 1972, raw sewage was pumped onto our street all day and all night. The smell was sickening, children played in it and we had to walk through it to get to our homes You could dee the sewage laying all over the side of the street. Our street is a disgrace to the neighborhood. We have complained for years to the Public Works Department and have had no satisfaction. We would like to have curbs, gutters and a paved street. Being tax payers, we are expecting something to be done to remedy this condition. Douglas Avsnue is a dead end street and there are weeds that grow so high that when a person walks through them they disappear. The field is never cut unlsss complaints are called in and then they are cut once a year. Children walk .through these wee~s to get to Port Norfolk School. The field is a hazard to our children and our neighborhood. We cut ou~ grass every week, why not these property owners. We also have rats because of these weeds. A man from the Health Department came out and looked over the situation and put rat poison in the field and nothing else has been done to remedy the situaticn. implore your consideration in all these matters and expect immediate action." Carl E. Walker g Mrs. Virginia B. Walker, 52.9 Douglas A~enue We "We are writing with reference to many bad situations facing the residents and home owners of the 500 block of Douglas Avenue, Portsmouth, Va. We bought our home at 529 Douglas Avenue in August, 1967. Since that time, we have been constantly plagued with rats, high weeds, and a poorly constructed street, of sorts. The records are for your viewing, and you will find that our property is valued in accordance with adjacent streets, yet we have no curbing, no storm drains and a questionable paved street. A thin coat of black tar and gravel-~s a good d~cription. Each year since 1967 we have complained about the high weeds at the end of the pavement. Some years we have been fortunate enough to get them out twice. Small school children on their way to Port Norfolk Elementary cannot be seen once t-]iey enter the field. These high weeds and open field breeds rats. They run plentiful across our lawns. In Awgust, 1972, the Health Department was called and their represntative admitted we had a problem. He supplier us with D-con (rat poison) and also distributed some of this poison him. self on the city property. Re~also informed us that the rat situation would continue as long as we had the high weeds and rate boroughs in the high weeds -- BUT that was another depart- ment. We can appreciate all the necessary procedures, but al/ of the above seems relatively un- important now, s~nce this week, September 5, 1972, the Public Works Department (sewage) pumpe~ sewage into the 500 block of Douglas Avenue, Portsmouth, Virginia. The work was being done on the corner of Woodrow Street and Douglas Avenue.