For the record, spring arrived yesterday, March 20. The signs were all there, the changing of the clocks, warmer days, and a crocus or two making their way out of hibernation. Winter is officially over, but we in New England know that while Old Man Winter might have been given his walking papers, he is known to make a late call. Easter Day snowstorms are uncommon, but not unusual.
With the coming of spring comes the traditional time of year when property owners put away shovels, salt buckets, and look to spruce up the property. It is Spring Cleaning time. Time to give the home, inside and outside, a good once-over and make things look bright and shiny after a cold, wet winter.
As we say every year at this time, keeping the city clean starts with the individual, not the city. Each homeowner – each business owner – has the responsibility of keeping their premises clean. The city will do what the city is responsible for maintaining, but the property owner must try to make his home and business presentable. If everyone does his part, neighborhoods benefit, property values rise, and everyone has a good feeling about where they live and work.
For many years various areas of the city have been hit with “blight.” Blight is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as, “An agent or action that harms or ruins the value or success of something.” With the proliferation of absentee ownership in the city, and properties being brought up only for their rental value, there is a definite uptick in properties having their value harmed or ruined.
When rental properties are seen only as cash cows with rental agencies taking control the result can be inconsistent and downright detrimental to a neighborhood. But the problem is not only that of absentee owners. There are many property owners who are not keeping up their part of the social contract as it regards home upkeep.
~~ If you allow cars to be parked on front lawns rather than driveways or curbs, you are part of the problem;
~~ If your home needs a new stoop, stairs, or porch, you are part of the problem;
~~ If your lawns are overgrown or weed-infested, you are part of the problem;
~~ If your house paint is peeling, or windows and shutters are in a bad state of repair, you are part of the problem;
~~ If your business front is dilapidated and has not seen a paint brush in decades, you are part of the problem.
You get the idea.
Keeping West Haven a pleasant place to live is the responsibility of each resident, renter, or owner. Winter with its wet weather, salt and sand, can now be swept and taken away.
Let us all do our part and make the city in each borough, district, or street attractive and clean.