Dear Editor:
Thank you, Susan Stark. Your July 29 letter to the editor recommending the Chamber check out Paducah, Ky., was absolutely correct. My husband and I have visited Paducah, Ky., at least three times, and we believe that Jefferson City could benefit from looking at their approach to revitalizing their older neighborhoods. We visited with Paducah's city staff and brought back a lot of helpful information about their approach to revitalizing their city. We provided that information to a city councilman, and city staff have a copy of it.
We believe Jefferson City has done a great job in our downtown. But Paducah has done a very impressive job in getting families to move to residential areas in the neighborhoods adjacent to their downtown. Their "Artist Relocation Program" brought many artist galleries to a blighted area that now is a vibrant district. Their Fountain Ave Neighborhood near their downtown is now a very desirable neighborhood for families willing to purchase older homes, renovate them and live in this attractive family friendly community.
Paducah passed high fines for owners of blighted buildings. As a result of these fines, owning an unmaintained eyesore is unaffordable. Another result of these fines was that Paducah then had revenue to implement other parts of their revitalization plan.
Other cities have taken a similar approach. We can do the same.
But instead the City of Jefferson allows owners of dilapidated buildings to ignore their responsibilities. The city boards up their properties and hopes the building owner will cooperate and pay a laughable fee for being on the abandoned property registry. This approach is not going to result in real progress.
Jefferson City needs to listen to those of us who are encouraging them to look at other communities that are doing what we aspire to do. We have accomplished some things, but we could do so much better. Paducah has developed ways to get people to buy older homes instead of watching their historic neighborhoods overcome by abandoned buildings with boarded up windows and doors, crime and poverty.
City Council, Chamber of Commerce: Pack your bags! Go to Paducah! Figure this out and get the job done.