Theonly new housing trend in Middletown is empty lots.

Howmany Middletonians are aware that nothing can be built on thelots where homes were razed?

Thatsounds outrageous, doesn’t it? And you probably think it isn’ttrue. Oh, but it is true.

Thereis no official ordinance that prohibits building on those lots. ButMr Adkins coaxed council into changing some building codes, such asset backs, that make it impossible to build on those lots withoutviolating the code. Why? And no exceptions or variance willbe made for those lots. Sneaky and underhanded, but not quiteillegal?!?! You know, he’s a lawyer and knows how to do thosethings. Council can fix this, but will they?

Therecould be new housing all over town on those empty lots andit could be local, even individual enterprise to fund it. Theresidents would get to decide for themselves what kind of housingthey want in their own neighborhood. The tax base broadens,neighborhood pride goes up and all it takes is removing the shackles.

Ourcity manager seems to think empty lots represent revitalization! It’s really just one more way that Middletown is kept fromrecovering or moving forward. Is this part of Mr Adkins five yearplan?

We havebeen throwing money away and gone backward for years. The city lostincome from real estate taxes and has to pay to keep empty lots mowedor give property away to the mowing contractor (who then discovers hehas been given a liability).

Inorder to receive grant money for half the cost of razing properties,the land had to be turned over to the land bank. Was the land turnedover? Was the grant money received or was that lost too? Did thetax payer shoulder all of the bill for razing properties?

Thecity coffers and the tax payers pockets are both empty

 The Planning Commission could(should) shelve their recent housingresearch into Amelia/Ryan Homes for future reference, and insteadcome up with some realistic plans for making Middletowncompetitive with surrounding communities that are outpacing us. Middletown needs fresh ideas from Planning that don’t involve thesame old housing (non)issues.

Planning could(should) recommend losing the numerous obnoxious,unnecessary planning and zoning ordinances that discourage newbusiness and industry, in favor of stream lining the process ofsetting up new businesses in Middletown. That could actually helpsolve our jobless condition and lack of tax base … then many otherproblems would just cease to be.

The Planning Commission, hopefully, will wake up to the fact thatthey have a voice and are not obligated to follow or repeat the citymanager’s rhetoric and needless micro-management with thesubsequent mistakes and problems that continue to hold us back. Andall the oppressive redundant bureaucracies, groups, committees andcommissions, etc., created at Mr Adkins’ suggestion, could (should)be abolished. If the The Planning Commission has nothing to offer asalternative to Mr Adkins’ plan(s) then of what use are they? Oh,forgot, you could be “decommissioned” and asked to resign fordisagreeing with Mr Adkins if you are not one of his bobble-heads.

Our current condition and problems will persist until Middletownshakes it’s bad reputation and becomes a desirable place to liveand work. Housing isn’t the problem, it’s a symptom. We needbusiness, industry, jobs and sensible government that will promoteachieving those goals. Stop clinging to useless past policieswhich are not working! Take us in a new direction that we can beproud to declare as good and positive.

Mr Adkins has said that tearing down 400+ homes would rid us ofblight and raise the value of the remaining real estate inMiddletown. It did neither! In some cases, truly blighted areaswere ignored while some nicer homes for possible rehab were razed inorder to reach a quota. He said in the recent ‘housing meetingsfor the public’, that his discussion wouldn’t involve tearingdown more housing. But that doesn’t mean it’s off his to do listand with probable intent to make the same a fore mentioned mistakes! Mr Adkins’ meetings did not succeed in explaining away mistakes andhe indicated that there would be no change of course. It will be hisway or no way. Now he wants to build more housing which will likelycost the city big bucks to achieve. So, Mr Adkins, neither one ofthese actions has significantly improved Middletown’s condition…tearing down or building new. All of the new home construction planshave been or will be in Warren Co. Franklin school district withlittle or no benefit to Middletown’s tax base!!!

The current set of plans and policies is in direct opposition tothe growth and improvement of Middletown. We are just marking time! When will our city government take some positive steps? It willrequire some backbone and willingness to consider alternative choicesand then make appropriate changes. To those who read this blog buthave remained silent … if you think we need positive change youneed to support positive change … express your opinion … vote …and take part in the proces

Planning Commission Members

PS My reply to Mr Adkins’ CityManager Blog on CityofMiddletown website, regarding “housingmeetings for the public” was edited out and never posted there (butwas posted on this forum). Critical or opposing remarks will not betolerated on his City Manager Blog.

PPS In response to dez’s “ifyou build it they will come” … If you subsidize it and /or giveit away or sell it for $1, they will come.

Imade this reply toDoug’s City ManagerBlog on the city’swebsite under 

HousingMeetings for the Public…

butI doubt that he will allow it to be posted

Whistler'sMom

August8, 2017 at 2:46 pm

Yourcomment is awaiting moderation.

Constantrepetition of most anything… even a lie, eventually gives it the“appearance” of credibility. Housing isn’t a problem, it’s asymptom! But your constant claim of a housing problem has the publicfooled into belief. Fix our real problems and housing issues willfix themselves with little or no city input or expense. Work on ourinfrastructure and amenities, improve academic rating of our schools,invite instead of discourage business and jobs… you can fill inmore.

I would have liked to add a list of costly major mistakes the cityhas made every year or so and point out that the ‘50 year decision’that the Planning Commission is contemplating is likely going to makethe list and be a real ‘doozy.’ Warren Co.,Franklin SchoolDistrict will reap all the revenue from the school tax levies fromall of Middletown’s endeavors in Warren Co Those endeavorsinclude Sawyer Mill and The Renaissance. Poor ole’ Middletown willlive with this one for 45 years more than Doug’s 5 year plan(s).

Some of the previous major blunders are:

Trinity Place

Lake Mistake

Renaming & Moving our hospital to Warren Co,Franklin SchoolDistrict and demolishing the original hospital

Losing our major industries and jobs and losing that income tax base

Purchasing the Thatcher Estate

Building all new schools at the expense of academic excellence

Bringing in Section 8 which attracted indigents and drug addicts

Razing 400 properties (even though some could have been rehabbed) andlosing our property tax base

HOUSING ISN’T A PROBLEM, IT’S A SYMPTOM

As advertised on the City Manager’s blog, July 31, 2017, Mr Adkins’first “Housing Meeting for the Public” took place 8/3/2017. Itwas reported in the Saturday, August 5, 2017 Journal News article,“Middletown explains housing issues city faces” by EdRichter, with a subheading titled “Residents supportive of effortsto address ongoing challenges”. Again, staff writer, Ed Richter’sreporting presents an enhanced and slanted view of Mr Adkins specialinterests, exactly as Mr Adkins likes it.

The current “housing problem”, in Mr Adkinsopinion, is most undesirable. He keeps his dark and gloomydescription of Middletown’s supposed “housingproblem” prominently displayed and furiouslydiscussed because it serves the purpose of hiding the real problems. Of course, no mention is ever made of how or why this supposed“housing problem” evolved, because, Mr Adkins’overall policies as city manager have been a major cause of ourproblems which have AFFECTED housing. TheJournal News articles’ subheading goes on to say that “residentsare supportive of efforts to address ongoing challenges” whichplays up a positive for Adkins same old rhetoric about housing butfails to mention the well taken opposing view in the article.

The sole purpose of this and subsequent meetings seems apparent: Cover up the real problem (with the help of the Journal News) byconvincing the public that our housing situation is THE MAJOR PROBLEMthat Middletown faces. Nothingcould be further from the truth. Housing is not a problem at all,but is the result of Middletown’s real problem… a long list ofmismanagement with devastating results. We are the only areacommunity that has not made a significant recovery from therecession.

The Monday 8/7/17 Journal News announced thePlanning Commission will make a ‘50-year decision’ whichwill address the ((non existent) need forlarger family homes in Sawyer Mill which is in Franklin SchoolDistrict of Warren Co. (so about 80% of the propertytax goes to Franklin Schools). And the new RyanHomes being considered are of questionable quality for thefederally required specifications that were agreed to on the originalconstruction. Lowering the standards for new constructionmay cause current residents to lose property value and/or considermoving away! That’s certainly counter productive, as usual. Does the Planning Commission think that Ryan Homes will buildon speculation? If they expect Middletown to finance this endeavorwill city hall put us deeper in debt? Moodys will be downgrading usagain if this involves new bonds. Wecan’t even afford to pay our currentbills.

Anyway, we will not be attractive in the real estate market forold or new home buyers until we remedy the realproblems.

Here’s an abbreviated version of the long list of problems andreasons why no one wants to live here:

A short-sighted city hall caused the loss of our major contributorsto the tax base; such as AK Steel Corporate Offices andBlack-Clawson. They didn’t appreciate what they had until it wasgone. When the recession hit, many of our industries moved away orsuccumbed to Middletown’s ‘tax and spend like there’s notomorrow’ policies. No effort was made to prevent these losses. Instead of encouraging new business to move in, every possible roadblock imaginable was thrown in the way; things like stringent rulesfor facades, restricted parking location and restricted signage allresulted in prospective new business going some place where they wereactually welcomed.

Jobs disappeared and people moved away to a better job market, whichadversely affected income tax revenue and devastated property taxrevenue for schools, which necessitated an additional school taxlevy. Our schools’ academic rating dropped to one of the lowest inthe state because the city decided to spend the extra revenue tobuild new school houses instead of raise the quality of education.

Even though we pay the higher taxes, city coffers were nearly emptiedby frivolous spending and giveaways of property to a favored few inthe downtown area. That favored few had no money or expertise tofulfill their promise of rehabbing and/or establishing newbusinesses. So, many of the downtown properties (some of which arebought back giveaways by the city) have been left to rot and becomeblight right under city hall’s nose. Stinks, doesn’t it??

Section 8 housing was sought after as the answer to the city’snearly bankrupt condition, which invited in our current low income,indigent, and drug addict population, which resulted in more peopleexiting Middletown to escape the thievery and violence that ensued.

This brief list doesn’t tell all of the city’s problems! Butaddressing and solving at least some of our REALproblems will improve Middletown’s reputation whichwill improve our ability to attract a betterdemographic; and the new populace can THENdetermine what housing they need.

HOUSING ISN’T A PROBLEM, IT’S ASYMPTOM!!