Huber Ridge Area

Actually, this website last month logged over 16,800 hits and over 15,000 the month before and as of today, the 3rd of May we've already logged over 1000 hits.  We have averaged over 10,000 hits a month for quite some time now.  Of those, the Discussion section alone logs a minimum of 3000 hits of those totals each month. 

 

So, certainly someone is finding the website and Discussion boards, but certainly not everyone is posting or motivated to respond.  Additionally, we have a very lively Facebook page called Huber Ridge Area Association which is a closed group with 195 members as of today's count.  

 

Carolyn Cordray

I grew up on Lima Dr. (1962-1979) then spent many years in Colorado.  One thing I used to do in my community is have my Cub Scout Packs, and all the Packs in the District have a Litter Pick up Day....it was impressive to see the young men cleaning up and making a difference!  ;)

 

It is certainly disheartening to see neglected properties in the neighborhood, especially on the main drags of Paris, Buenos Aires, and Dempsey.  While some residents simply do not care, many do but are struggling to pay necessary bills and simply cannot afford landscaping, painting/repairs, and driveway and sidewalk repairs.  Mortgage/rent, utilities, and groceries are priorities.  However, many things can be done to improve properties that are free or very inexpensive, such as washing windows, picking up trash, pulling weeds, and putting away toys and bikes when finished with them.  Perhaps, though, some residents may be in ill health and may not even be able to do what some consider simple. My personal peeve is when windows are covered with something other than proper window treatments (I've seen bed sheets and blankets, flags, banners, paper, and wood).  I believe in neighbors helping neighbors, but I accept that not everyone is amenable to that for whatever reason (embarrassemnt, pride, privacy?) and there will always be those that always take and never give.  What to do? Well, here are some suggestions:

 

- Get to know your neighbors! Talk to your neighbor to find out if they need help before tattling to Code Enforcement. If you don't feel comfortable, consider a nicely worded (anonymous?) letter explaining the codes and the community standards in a friendly and helpful way and your willingness to help if you can.  Then, if you don't see results within a reasonable time frame, call Code Enforcement.

- Let the community know via this page or the Facebook page that you are available to help out neighbors in need with maintenance (fence repairs, cleaning, debris removal, landscaping/trimming, painting, etc.).  If you have leftover paint, fencing, plants, window treatments, or any building materials that could be used to help someone improve their home/property, offer it up here or on the HRAA Facebook page.

- Keep reporting the rental properties that are grossly neglected.  

- Stay involved, if not by participating in community events, by keeping up with this page and/or the HRAA Facebook page as well as Blendon Twp. 

- Finally, regarding the properties that barely pass code and may still be eye sores by your standards, you may just have to accept that some people do not have the same standards of living as others. After all, Huber Ridge is not Bexley or Upper Arlington and never will be. 

 

Thank you. 

 

 

 

 

Dear Neighbor, You have given good suggestions and have good ideas. I have one issue with your post and it is your last paragraph. For properties that are eye sores, by my standards, would be those that are eyesores by most. This is why we have code enforcement. The key to code enforcement is enforcement. As long as I live here I do not want to accept what I have heard in the past, not by you, because I do not know who you are, but by others who have had positions of authority. No one is expecting us to be Bexley or Upper Arlington. What I expect from any community is a clean, safe, caring community. We have had to rely on Franklin County to enforce codes over the years. We have had to rely on those in authority to help with this process. For many years things were overlooked or not dealt with for whatever reasons, possibly time, possibly priority. also, not all know codes or what is expected. education was lacking. Education has to be continual. I have seen great changes, positive changes, in the last few years with our current trustees leading. I hope and pray they will keep up the good work. Meanwhile, we are Huber Ridge area residents, and we need to do our part to better the community. We will never be those communities only because our houses are quite different in construction. But we can adhere to high standards, and I certainly hope all will. The highest standard we can adhere to is cariing for one another, as you have already said. Thank you, for caring. Pam Clegg, neighbor