Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning January 2006 » Weeds are out of control in neighborhoods « Previous Next »
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Bvos
Member
Username: Bvos

Post Number: 1496
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 70.228.2.1
Posted on Thursday, June 08, 2006 - 11:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

No, this isn't a thread about hash...

This has been mentioned several times on many different threads, but it's an issue I think is big enough that it needs its own thread.

I'm sure everyone who lives, works and/or travels through the areas outside of the CBD have noticed that the city parks, empty lots, medians and boulevards have grass/weeds that are 3 feet or taller. Without even asking neighbors, it's obvious that no one from the city has cut the grass once the whole year.

What the hell is going on? The two parks that my wife and I take our kids to in Rosedale Park are unsafe because of the height of the grass. Who knows what or who is lurking in the grass (a real possibility at Stopel Park). I have no idea how the kids are able play baseball or football. Also as a result of the high grass the bugs are out of control making it very unpleasant to be in the park, even in the large paved areas like the playground, basketball courts, tennis courts, etc.

The medians and boulevards have grass so high it is brushing into cars and creating dangerous blind spots at intersections.

On the eastside, where I work, none of the empty lots have been mowed. There are dozens and dozens of fields with 3 ft.+ high grass right across the street and adjacent to schools, not to mention along the route that many school children walk by on their way to school. There could be dogs, stalkers, dead bodies and who knows what just feet from hundreds of kids.

This goes beyond neighbors getting out their own mower or weed wacker and mowing the empty lot or house next door. How in the hell is a neighborhood supposed to mow a park of several dozen acres? How is someone safely supposed to mow the grass between the service drive and a highway on-ramp? What homeowner even has the equipment to cut down a lot with 3 foot high weeds?

Cutting the grass at parks, cutting the grass on right-of-ways, this is a basic government service. What has happened? Cutting the grass on empty lots, while not a basic government service, is certainly a health and safety issue. I also recall KK making a bid deal when he was first elected on how he was going to cut the grass so efficiently. Things worked pretty well the past 4 years. What happened?
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Motorcitymayor2026
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Username: Motorcitymayor2026

Post Number: 915
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 24.231.189.137
Posted on Thursday, June 08, 2006 - 11:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wasnt Kwame's MAIN campaign platform his showcasing of his marvelous grass cutting plan??? I guess since election year is over, it is back to creating a jungle in the streets of detroit... What a horrible image it presents
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Eric_c
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Username: Eric_c

Post Number: 769
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 69.212.172.29
Posted on Thursday, June 08, 2006 - 11:36 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I want to know the same thing. What happened?
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Supersport
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Username: Supersport

Post Number: 10169
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.246.37.236
Posted on Thursday, June 08, 2006 - 11:57 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yep, I noticed the same thing. Mowing the parks on a 7 day rotation my ass! That only lasted until re-election I guess.
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Motorcitymayor2026
Member
Username: Motorcitymayor2026

Post Number: 916
Registered: 10-2005
Posted From: 24.231.189.137
Posted on Thursday, June 08, 2006 - 11:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

c'mon SS, it WAS a 10 day cycle... So yea, 7 day rotation your ass. :-)
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Mikem
Member
Username: Mikem

Post Number: 2597
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 68.43.15.105
Posted on Thursday, June 08, 2006 - 11:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The city needs a herd of goats. Non-union goats, of course.
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Jams
Member
Username: Jams

Post Number: 3437
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.212.125.176
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 12:14 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It could be a money making opportunity for the City. Let it grow all summer, cut, bale, and sell it as winter fodder to the few livestock farms that haven't been sold to developers for subdivisions.

And of course, there is a secondary market of those suburbanites that start their Halloween decorating in August.
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Focusonthed
Member
Username: Focusonthed

Post Number: 247
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 24.192.25.47
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 12:14 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Only minority-owned goats though.
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Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936

Post Number: 620
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 207.200.116.139
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 12:22 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hey, when I lived in Rosedale Park (Warwick), the city cut the center boulevard maybe twice a year. But me and my neighbors took turns and cut it every week. It always looked great.

Seemed like a simple answer to me.
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Rosedaleken
Member
Username: Rosedaleken

Post Number: 180
Registered: 06-2005
Posted From: 68.43.122.151
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 12:31 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ray, I know what you mean. My mom used to make me go mow some of the median in Outer Drive every now and then. People don't seem to do it as often anymore though.

Bvos, is the small park near the Community House out of control as well? I haven't been in a long time.
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Jams
Member
Username: Jams

Post Number: 3438
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 69.212.125.176
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 12:32 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Just goats? What kind of specieists inhabit this forum?

We have a ready made market for lamb in Greektown.
It could be, with a good advertising program, a new industry in the City , non-automotive related,
environmentally friendly (if we ignore sheep farts may add to global warming), with a bonus of selling sheared wool to Third-World Countries to make sweaters @$0.39 per to be sold in high-end retail (Sorry, not in Detroit) at $75-$100 each.
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Gildas
Member
Username: Gildas

Post Number: 691
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 147.240.236.9
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 7:56 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ray1936,

You are correct in that it does seem to be a simple answer, but only one facet of the bigger problem that the city faces. High taxes and shitty service. This is only one (of many) examples of why people are still leaving for the burbs. They want to get something for thier tax dollars.

In Detroit you get nothing.
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Miss_cleo
Member
Username: Miss_cleo

Post Number: 236
Registered: 05-2005
Posted From: 69.47.85.139
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 8:18 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Good ole Detroit
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Adamjab19
Member
Username: Adamjab19

Post Number: 673
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 141.217.19.56
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 8:37 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yeah, the city neighborhoods look like shit. They were cutting the fields north of 8 mile this morning.
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Itsjeff
Member
Username: Itsjeff

Post Number: 6080
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 208.27.111.125
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 8:49 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I noticed a few lots in West Village are getting bad.

They're cutting the lots around Cass Corridor right now. If they don't get to West Village by next week, I'll rent a brush hog and maybe some of us can tackle the lots.

Villagers, let me know if you'd like to help.
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Swingline
Member
Username: Swingline

Post Number: 517
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 172.148.140.173
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 9:21 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The goats and sheep are great ideas but they will never happen. The grass cutting functions are reserved in various collective bargaining agreements for union employees, mostly found in Parks and Rec. Even though these employees may be occupied doing other work and nobody is available to cut the grass, you can bet your ass that unless the sheep and goats join the union, a grievance would be filed in a New York minute the second a goat started munching its first mouthful of grass. Grass cutting is a union job dammit. I'm surprised that those posters above who said they used to cut grass in medians never got arrested. They were contributing to the elimination of a union job.
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Gildas
Member
Username: Gildas

Post Number: 694
Registered: 12-2004
Posted From: 147.240.236.9
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 11:26 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"contributing to the elimination of a union job."

That makes me want to cut grass, where do I sign up?
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Ray1936
Member
Username: Ray1936

Post Number: 621
Registered: 01-2005
Posted From: 207.200.116.139
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 11:56 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


quote:

In Detroit you get nothing




I guess so, Gildas. That's a sad state of affairs.

This thread also reminded me that every spring, our block would take one weekend and all the neighbors would pitch in and plant flowers at the ends of the boulevard islands. It was a great time and a real community effort. And, whaddahell, it was fun that included a case or two of Bud.
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Nativegirl
Member
Username: Nativegirl

Post Number: 61
Registered: 01-2004
Posted From: 136.1.1.33
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 12:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I saw the Parks and Recs folks at the foot of Rouge Park this a.m. when I took a different route to work. They have a helluva job at the Rouge as at Outer Drive and Tireman the grass is damn near taller than my SUV. I could barely see over them to get onto Outer Drive the other day.
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Eastsidedog
Member
Username: Eastsidedog

Post Number: 497
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.47.224.8
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 12:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Itsjeff, I'll go in with you on the brush hog (how much? shoot me an email to discuss), there's a few lots on Baldwin that REALLY need cutting. I've spoken to folks who said they may be built on by the end of the summer but still, it looks like hell right now. Last year the city cut them a couple times. BTW, I have a regular mower and weed-wacker too.

BTW, Doesn't the WVA usually hire the local kids to cut the lots in WV?
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Bvos
Member
Username: Bvos

Post Number: 1500
Registered: 10-2003
Posted From: 70.228.2.1
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 1:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Rosedaleken,

North Rosedale Park and the Community House are privately owned by the North Rosedale Park Civic Association so the place is always kept nicely manicured. It's the city parks that are terrible.

The bolevards on residential streets are no problem. Most folks have kept those mowed on a rotating schedule of neighbors for several years now. It's the boulevards on the Lafayettes and Outer Drives that are out of control. Since traffic is so busy it's dangerous and difficult to get a residential lawn mower out there and up the 8 inch curb. By the time folks realize the city isn't going to be cutting the grass, it's too late since the grass is now higher and thicker than what residential lawn equipment can handle.

In neighborhoods on the eastside and in Brightmoor, there are so many empty lots that it simply isn't practical for neighbors to mow. It's a job that needs to be handled by commercial crews. Otherwise you'd be out there the whole week with your Toro.
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Eastsidedog
Member
Username: Eastsidedog

Post Number: 499
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.47.224.8
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 1:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


quote:

In neighborhoods on the eastside and in Brightmoor, there are so many empty lots that it simply isn't practical for neighbors to mow. It's a job that needs to be handled by commercial crews. Otherwise you'd be out there the whole week with your Toro.



Bvos, I knew I should have done something about lots by me but the city cut them last year, and I spoke to a developer who was talking about building on them. In the meantime they've gotten to be a ridiculous 5' tall and I can't cut them with my mulching mower.

I have to say though that once the wild flowers start growing the overgrown lots look rather pretty. Oh, and the pheasants love the lots too and often nest in them. When you mow those lots watch out for pheasant nests!
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Eastsidedog
Member
Username: Eastsidedog

Post Number: 500
Registered: 03-2006
Posted From: 12.47.224.8
Posted on Friday, June 09, 2006 - 1:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have to say that, although many of the boulevards and city parks are getting out of control, it's good to know that the BRAND NEW boulevard on Gratiot by Ford Field is nicely landscaped and manicured.

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