Middletown: A field of Dreams?

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   Just was reading the urinal online and came across an article entitled:
How Middletown will attack its housing value slump over the next two decades

IT is an enlightening article - if you need enlightening about how our city is being run into the ground by the visions of sugar plums dancing in the heads of our elected leaders.

First - let me take offense that we have a housing value problem.  Friends, it's a free market.  If the homes in Middletown were picked up and planted in Liberty Township - they'd easily double in price.  I'm thinking of jacking mine up and moving it as we speak....

Second - Our city is not a field of dreams.  Kevin Costner heard voices telling him "if you build it - they will come" and indeed it worked out for him - but this is not a Hollywood movie.  Middletown is a living, breathing animal that has been stifled for decades by its leadership to the point that we've become known as 'business resistant'.    That is unless you want to locate your bar, distillery, soap shop or candy bar in the 4 most precious blocks of land ever known to man....

Third - the value of housing is the value of housing.  You can't compare any of our neighbors to Middletown - none of our neighbors are saddled with 100 years of relying upon one single solitary business to keep it alive.  They were able to build right on I-75 with everything new - while this city shunned the interstate and spent the next 30 years chasing it.  They built all new - and took advantage of white flight (not my term - but it's true) and we were on the back end of that one too.

Fourth - We had a chance to build so many of the things our neighbors have - but we've made it difficult to do business in Middletown.  We gave away projects to our neighbors to fulfill some stupid 'plan' that had a snowballs chance in heck of ever working to begin with.  Those 'amenities' as one of our councilpersons stated on their website once upon a time (which they used to describe the ENTIRE EAST END) are what drives property values.  Furthermore

Five - Few people WANT to live in Middletown. I live here because it's where I was put when my parents moved up here as a teenager...and this ol' house lost a ton of value in the 00's and I can't afford to even sell my house now.  I live in a city with a horrific school system (we spent MILLIONS building a high school that is nothing more than a giant lounge area - if you don't know what I'm talking about, go see it for yourself....) and don't even get me started on the special education department - worst I've ever dealt with and I've dealt with several bad departments.  The schools are reason #1 - and if that doesn't get fixed - you better hope all these new homes are being built in the LEBANON or FRANKLIN schools areas...

Six - I keep hearing about how there are all these jobs in Middletown - and I even took a list from the city manager many moons ago - called all those places only to be told there were no 'active' job listings....I think our leaders believe that Middletown is just a bedroom community - but they fail to see the error in that kind of thinking.  Sure - Monroe was a sleepy little bedroom community - but it had to take on some serious industrial to actually fill the city coffers and make it what it is today.  

Seven - Who is clamoring to buy $150k+ homes in Middletown?  Show of hands.......    *crickets*     Maybe the reason Ryan homes stopped building was because the market didn't support the kind of homes they (both Ryan and Adkins) want them to build?  It might have something to do with their cookie-cutter homes not being the greatest of quality too....I dunno.

Eight - Reduce rental stock?  Really?  The article says that's a goal - but then they want to rehab Oakland - with RENTAL units!

Nine - Increase owner-occupied housing?  Not a chance - until those schools get better and this city gets down to business.

Ten -  Developing a stock of next-level housing with three or more bedrooms beyond starter housing - seriously?  Go through Renaissance and see how that's going - see how many are up for sale - see what pricing is doing.....yeah - we need more of that.

Eleven - Compliance with property maintenance codes - especially now that you don't get due process - I'm sure it will line the city coffers for continued misspending.

Twelve -"Adkins showed a 1961 map of substandard conditions of dilapidated or deteriorating housing in Middletown. About 55 years later, trouble areas remain the same. He said for more than 50 years, “we’ve identified problems but have never resolved them.”“We have to fix it or destroy it,” Adkins said."
I guess we better get to destroying then - this plan doesn't solve anything - in fact it creates MORE problems than it could ever solve.
Bob

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buddhalite Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: May 11 2017 Location: Middletown Status: Offline Points: 499	Post Options Post Reply Quote buddhalite Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Middletown: A field of Dreams? Posted: Aug 25 2019 at 1:53pm
	Just was reading the urinal online and came across an article entitled: How Middletown will attack its housing value slump over the next two decades IT is an enlightening article - if you need enlightening about how our city is being run into the ground by the visions of sugar plums dancing in the heads of our elected leaders. First - let me take offense that we have a housing value problem. Friends, it's a free market. If the homes in Middletown were picked up and planted in Liberty Township - they'd easily double in price. I'm thinking of jacking mine up and moving it as we speak.... Second - Our city is not a field of dreams. Kevin Costner heard voices telling him "if you build it - they will come" and indeed it worked out for him - but this is not a Hollywood movie. Middletown is a living, breathing animal that has been stifled for decades by its leadership to the point that we've become known as 'business resistant'. That is unless you want to locate your bar, distillery, soap shop or candy bar in the 4 most precious blocks of land ever known to man.... Third - the value of housing is the value of housing. You can't compare any of our neighbors to Middletown - none of our neighbors are saddled with 100 years of relying upon one single solitary business to keep it alive. They were able to build right on I-75 with everything new - while this city shunned the interstate and spent the next 30 years chasing it. They built all new - and took advantage of white flight (not my term - but it's true) and we were on the back end of that one too. Fourth - We had a chance to build so many of the things our neighbors have - but we've made it difficult to do business in Middletown. We gave away projects to our neighbors to fulfill some stupid 'plan' that had a snowballs chance in heck of ever working to begin with. Those 'amenities' as one of our councilpersons stated on their website once upon a time (which they used to describe the ENTIRE EAST END) are what drives property values. Furthermore Five - Few people WANT to live in Middletown. I live here because it's where I was put when my parents moved up here as a teenager...and this ol' house lost a ton of value in the 00's and I can't afford to even sell my house now. I live in a city with a horrific school system (we spent MILLIONS building a high school that is nothing more than a giant lounge area - if you don't know what I'm talking about, go see it for yourself....) and don't even get me started on the special education department - worst I've ever dealt with and I've dealt with several bad departments. The schools are reason #1 - and if that doesn't get fixed - you better hope all these new homes are being built in the LEBANON or FRANKLIN schools areas... Six - I keep hearing about how there are all these jobs in Middletown - and I even took a list from the city manager many moons ago - called all those places only to be told there were no 'active' job listings....I think our leaders believe that Middletown is just a bedroom community - but they fail to see the error in that kind of thinking. Sure - Monroe was a sleepy little bedroom community - but it had to take on some serious industrial to actually fill the city coffers and make it what it is today. Seven - Who is clamoring to buy $150k+ homes in Middletown? Show of hands....... crickets Maybe the reason Ryan homes stopped building was because the market didn't support the kind of homes they (both Ryan and Adkins) want them to build? It might have something to do with their cookie-cutter homes not being the greatest of quality too....I dunno. Eight - Reduce rental stock? Really? The article says that's a goal - but then they want to rehab Oakland - with RENTAL units! Nine - Increase owner-occupied housing? Not a chance - until those schools get better and this city gets down to business. Ten - Developing a stock of next-level housing with three or more bedrooms beyond starter housing - seriously? Go through Renaissance and see how that's going - see how many are up for sale - see what pricing is doing.....yeah - we need more of that. Eleven - Compliance with property maintenance codes - especially now that you don't get due process - I'm sure it will line the city coffers for continued misspending. Twelve -"Adkins showed a 1961 map of substandard conditions of dilapidated or deteriorating housing in Middletown. About 55 years later, trouble areas remain the same. He said for more than 50 years, “we’ve identified problems but have never resolved them.”“We have to fix it or destroy it,” Adkins said." I guess we better get to destroying then - this plan doesn't solve anything - in fact it creates MORE problems than it could ever solve. Bob
	"Every government intervention [in the marketplace] creates unintended consequences, which lead to calls for further government interventions." -Ludwig van Mises

Mike_Presta Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: Apr 20 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3483	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike_Presta Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Aug 25 2019 at 4:25pm
	It's as predictable as daylight after dark: No matter what the question, the answer from Donham Plaza is to throw our hard-earned tax money DOWNTOWN!!!
	“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012

VietVet Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Council Joined: May 15 2008 Status: Offline Points: 7008	Post Options Post Reply Quote VietVet Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Aug 26 2019 at 1:47pm
	Gotta protect the interests of those who are important in this city Mike. The Mulligans matter as well as their S. Main St buddies. The MMF backers matter as well and their interests must be protected too. One Donham Plaza is working for the affluent in town while ignoring the rest of us. Been that way for decades. We do not offer anything they are interested in and don't have the money to do any influencing. After all, it is a yuck-it-up, back slapping, working class ignoring, back room dealing, boss hog kind of town we live in. That has also been true for decades.
	I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over.