Saturday, November 10, 2012

Half-Way to Oblivion . . .

Oneida Square halfway house proposal upsets residents

A Frankfort woman who works with paroled women wants to open a halfway house near Oneida Square. Some neighbors are outraged by the plan, claiming it will drag down property values and bring criminals to a residential neighborhood. . . . 
Luther must receive a special-use permit from the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals
This proposal comes just a week after someone else proposed a 51 unit apartment complex for people with behavioral problems.  Utica residents -- barely able to make ends meet for the the City while simultaneously subsidizing suburban growth through water and sewer services and a network of county highways -- are being asked , again, to accept more of society's problems in their midst.

If Utica leaders are serious about turning the City around economically, they are going to have to say no to such projects. Utica will not be regarded as a place to live or do business until City leaders start paying attention to the sensibilities, needs, and pocketbooks of those paying Utica's bills. 

3 comments:

Rena said...

You took the words right out of my mouth, I agree!

dave said...

Frankly, I wouldn't want a halfway house in my neighborhood either. But the next time I get out of jail, I'm going to have to worry about meeting my parole conditions by getting a job and keeping an apartment. I won't have any money for a car and my job prospects are slim. Being on a bus line would help a lot. Affordable housing? Maybe if I can fit into group housing where efficiencies of living are multiplied. When I was deputy assistant for re-insertion to the Governor, I did the math and it turns out what I need to restart my life is a place that ain't gonna happen in New Hartford and shouldn't happen in Frankfurt. So that leaves Utica, which is convenient because that's where my PO is. I get it that people don't want me in their neighborhood. They think I'll sell their kids drugs or maybe they're worried I'll decrease their home value. But it's possible the economy hast already done that and my moving in with a few roomates probably won't knock the Oneida Square area of the city much farther down the list of desirable "destinations." I could be wrong.

Buzzer said...

Dave is right.
The only thing that's unfortunate about the house is if it lowers the number of taxpayers because it becomes a non-profit. Otherwise I think it's a good thing.

I know that "certain people" opposed the Rutger home being used by the Rescue Mission. That was a huge mistake... the people boarded there would be able to take care of the property better than one family could. It's not like the Rescue Mission would take in and keep people that they can't handle.

And like Dave said...How much worse could Utica get, anyway? The Utica metro area is the 9th saddest city in America. What... it'll slide into 8th place? Boo hoo. Just like how we "didn't get hit hard during the depression" it would be the same here... another halfway house? Didn't notice. Pass the Utica Club.