if you could get rid of just one thing....

[Jenny78]

Having Read through most of the forum threads there seems to be a lot of anger at various issues, being everything from Police on the beat, Crime, Downtown renewal, Loud Music, the councilers, tax increases...ect ect.... but if you had your way what would be the one thing you'd vanquish from the city of Meriden, what would you throw into the trash can of oblivion.....

personally i would go for the downtown area to replace it with something more modern and vibrant.... but what about you?????

[Happy]

I think Meriden needs to lose its negative image. Yes, there are problems, poverty and big challenges. However, it does have a base of good, hard working people and great central location in the state. In another forum, Jenny78 had some good suggestions for downtown. I loved the ideas of a market with vendors, etc.,the culture ideas, more police presence and transporation. What Meriden needs is more investors downtown. A few people have invested in some buildings and are trying to start new businesses. Some of the old buildings are being torn down. I know that much more is needed.However, things will only change if more investors like Ross Guilini (sp?). He's built some loft apartments, worked on the new restaurant PiesOn and more. Maybe the city could give incentives or low interest rate loans for others to start new ventures. I believe that there is great potential and strong opportunities.

[jma]

The one thing I would love to ban from Meriden completely would be absentee landlords. Most are slumlords that sit back, collect rent directly from the state, and couldn't care less about their property. These homes affect the entire neighborhood.

[BillCarson436]

Hello...

I woud ban completely the appropriation of any taxpayer dollars from
going into " downtown re-development " .

Why... like building sand castles on the edge of the ocean, no matter
how grand... how strong...how appealing to the eye's of people passing
by.... it's all gone with the next tide.. All the plans and all the dreams
of making Meriden an Oaisis in the blighted land... have...and will fail.

Now, it's NOT being negative....it's being HONEST.

You can NOT take one section of Meriden ( one street ) and make it
a magnet for people when it's surrounded by what we have in town.

Meriden has it's good sections (good being defined as well kept, clean
and safe ) and it's not so good sections. The good...slowly dwindling.
When you take a street like Bee street... quiet, well kept and wake up
to find every other mailbox destroyed by kids... then you have to ask
yourself why do I pay incredibly high taxes for this !!!!!


I took a ride through downtown Meriden last night. I did not see people
walking the streets...sitting outside in Cafe's.... filling restaurants.

I saw people hanging out of Apartment windows.... kids looking the part
of gang mambers young girls dressed like ******s.... and I was not
impressed.

No... every tax dollar you take from me and used down there...is a waste.
Just give us more Police protection on the outskirts of Meriden. That use
of my taxes is justified.

Perhaps that open space where the Meriden Mall use to be... should be
GIVEN to Mr Orsini... for his Auto Empire... and even that would be an
improvement downtown... although Mr. Orsini would most likely NOT
want to set up shop down there. Even if it were tax free and at no cost.

[Happy]

I do understand your frustration. It has been many, many years of trying to improve downtown. However, I don't think that you can give up on it, especially if you own property, rent, own a business or work in Meriden. If you just give up, then it effects your own investments. I will continue to hope that there is some way to bring about change in this city. I don't have the answers but hope that someone or group comes up with a way to improve the area. Again, there is lots of potential with the central location, train station and good people. I hope I don't annoy you with my optimism. Very often I agree with you and enjoy reading what you have to say. Thanks.

[john12774]

The one thing I would love to ban from Meriden completely would be absentee landlords. Most are slumlords that sit back, collect rent directly from the state, and couldn't care less about their property. These homes affect the entire neighborhood.


I second this....

[john12774]

Meriden should move the courthouse somwehere else. That is number 1.

The last thing I need to see everyday drving home from work and passing by tyhe courthouse are Meriden (and surrounding towns') finest petty criminals walking around, along with the homeless.

You see teh homeless walking around aimlessly carrying thier belongings each day. What investor wants to come to an area that is not attractive? I beileve in having a shelter, but it should be where teh Dept. of Health is located.

Downtown needs an investor to "take a chance"...Marianann always said he wanted a Chili's or 99 Restaurant their, but knew they wouldn't come becuase of the plights. Why can't Meriden take a blueprint of what Middletown did to its Main Street??? In a matter of 3 years, the street lit up and it BUSTLING with business! Why can't we copy that?

[jma]

The City blew it downtown when they moved the courthouse/police complex there. It should have been at the old Jefferson school.

[alwaysright]

The mantra for downtown is not "build it and they will come" it's "build it, neglect it and it will be torn down, eventually." The problem is- well, downtown is the problem.

[Jenny78]

Maybe some should do their research plus homeless people are still people. the rules at Shelter Now are in at 5pm if you want dinner and out by 6am monday through friday and saturday and sunday out by 7am. Now where are they to go? The library kicks them out and so does the mall so why not inhibit a place that has benches and is safe, where they won't be harassed. Maybe you should or we should demand Shelter Now to let them stay the whole day, they can help make beds and clean up.

My husband wrote the original thread the fair and kind hearted Brit, what I would get rid of is the people who think they are better than everyone else , that can't even see why people are hanging out where they are, you tell me what you would do with not having a choice of where to go. I've not been so down and out thank God but I won't treat someone like they are human waste.

[Happy]

Jenny and Husband, We need more kind hearted, thoughtful and kind people like you. With the economy getting worse, we will obviously see more homeless people. Thank you for your comments.
Happy

[tjohnl]

....how about we ADD something to Meriden? like a place to move the monuments from Broad Street and put them in a park like setting

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

Meriden should move the courthouse somwehere else. That is number 1.

The last thing I need to see everyday drving home from work and passing by tyhe courthouse are Meriden (and surrounding towns') finest petty criminals walking around, along with the homeless.

You see teh homeless walking around aimlessly carrying thier belongings each day. What investor wants to come to an area that is not attractive? I beileve in having a shelter, but it should be where teh Dept. of Health is located.

Downtown needs an investor to "take a chance"...Marianann always said he wanted a Chili's or 99 Restaurant their, but knew they wouldn't come becuase of the plights. Why can't Meriden take a blueprint of what Middletown did to its Main Street??? In a matter of 3 years, the street lit up and it BUSTLING with business! Why can't we copy that?


I agree with the court. What greater scence is there than driving by the courthouse and see some of New Haven County's finest residents milling about.

[jma]

Driving by is bad enough. Try going to one of the local restaurants between 1:00-2:00pm when the court breaks for lunch. I had the pleasure of sitting next to a young man who bragged about beating his recent drug arrest, and how he planned to retaliate against his child's mother for pressing assault charges against him. Charming!!

[BillCarson436]

Hello...

Thinking positive is ok...

Foxwoods is full of people that try to hit it big....

Lotto players as well...

we all hope the best for our children....

all expect to get to Heaven too.

I'm not annoyed with wishful thinkers.

Just wish the didn't increasde my taxes each year on a non-
realistic goal. That annoys me.



That was the point.

[whalers44]

Downtown buildings should be torn down and just leave it open space for now till somebody can come up with a plan on what we can put there. Meriden's image will never change and that is true. We have a bad rap for having crime, bad schools, high taxes. One of the first things newcomers look at that have kids is the school system. And Meridens system is rated low. Another area is the taxes and we are high, i keep hearing that we are 6th highest in connecticut. So, we have a long way to go and i, as well, am tired of my tax $$ going to downtown. We need to put our resources else where to improve our city. Coucilors have to stop looking out for themselves and start working for there areas.

[factsonly06450]

Another area is the taxes and we are high, i keep hearing that we are 6th highest in connecticut.

That is often repeated, but is not correct.

As of the 2007-08 fiscal year, 54 Connnecticut municipalities had an equal or higher mill rate, and 15 other municipalities were within one mill of Meriden's mill rate. Given that Meriden's mill rate remained the same for the 2008-09 fiscal year, the number of cities and towns with an equal or higher mill rate should be the same or higher.

Meriden's per capita local tax levy for the fiscal year ending 2006 , the last year for which that figure is available, was the 132nd lowest in the State.

[UNiRAC]

....how about we ADD something to Meriden? like a place to move the monuments from Broad Street and put them in a park like setting
TJ, why the broken record ? :mad:
Hopefully the Midstate Hospital [ it WAS to be the NEW Veterans Hospital in the late 90's ] will get rid of the MERIDEN movie theater on a PRIME location [ RT 66/I-91/RT 15] FOR A REPLACEMENT SATELITTE AMBULATORY FACILITY with building room and parking and sidewalks to spare.
You probably thought I was going to suggest blowing-up the OLD Veterans Hosp. on Cook Ave. :eek: I had prayed that that facility was taken over by the VA for our 20,000 disabled VETS. :mad:
Thanx Jenn & Hubby for the thread to vent. :cool:
ps: that that ??? I have a sentence with 5 consecutive AND's LoL wanna bet? kJJASFD KLLDLS %^ ■ ∩▌└╗ KDKS LK AND AND AND AND AND xxx. :eek:

[Falls Plain Resident]

I believe that the homeless shelter is a depressing mess with alcoholics, drug addicts, sex offenders, and lost souls wasting their time until they can get back inside the facility at 4:30. I was involved in trying to be of assistance to the residents for over a year and came out of it pretty disillusioned.

I do believe in being kind and charitable to the less fortunate, I also believe that to do the same thing over and over on a daily basis and to expect different results is INSANITY! And I am no conservative Republican, either! It was Reagan who emptied all of the mental hopsitals and forced people who are not able to care for themselves out onto our streets before anyone had a plan as to what to do with them to help them!(Ironic, isn't it?)

There needs to be some serious structure put in place so the people there can move ahead, not wallow in place.People need HELP, not co-dependence.

The addicts need to be in a program, the jobless need to be required to do an honest job-search on a daily basis, the mentally ill need to be in treatment.

Upstairs in that shelter are apartments where the people who want to make something of their lives can rent an inexpensive place of their own until they are able to be self-supporting. THAT is an idea that needs to be expanded.

Families should be connected with Social Services and be found accomodations outside of that place. It is just not suited for children. PERIOD.

The facility should be placed on a bus route but NOT downtown or next to the elderly/disabled housing complex! Between the police station, the courthouse, and the shelter, Meriden looks less hopeful than any other place around---and our tax dollars are being poured into trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear!

[alwaysright]

call the city planner and building inspecter to get the latest scoop on which downtown building is in big trouble NOW!!!! guess... it has an ugly back facing the train station and is not the eyesore that is see through.

find out why and ask what will be done- wanna bet nothing????
meanwhile read the pie in the sky promo for the arts district in todays RJ editorial page. I'm sure all 7 people had a great time at that one.

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

I believe that the homeless shelter is a depressing mess with alcoholics, drug addicts, sex offenders, and lost souls wasting their time until they can get back inside the facility at 4:30. I was involved in trying to be of assistance to the residents for over a year and came out of it pretty disillusioned.

I do believe in being kind and charitable to the less fortunate, I also believe that to do the same thing over and over on a daily basis and to expect different results is INSANITY! And I am no conservative Republican, either! It was Reagan who emptied all of the mental hopsitals and forced people who are not able to care for themselves out onto our streets before anyone had a plan as to what to do with them to help them!(Ironic, isn't it?)

There needs to be some serious structure put in place so the people there can move ahead, not wallow in place.People need HELP, not co-dependence.

The addicts need to be in a program, the jobless need to be required to do an honest job-search on a daily basis, the mentally ill need to be in treatment.

Upstairs in that shelter are apartments where the people who want to make something of their lives can rent an inexpensive place of their own until they are able to be self-supporting. THAT is an idea that needs to be expanded.

Families should be connected with Social Services and be found accomodations outside of that place. It is just not suited for children. PERIOD.

The facility should be placed on a bus route but NOT downtown or next to the elderly/disabled housing complex! Between the police station, the courthouse, and the shelter, Meriden looks less hopeful than any other place around---and our tax dollars are being poured into trying to make a silk purse from a sow's ear!

The other issue is that Meriden more than carries her burden from the surrounding communties. Those communities need to kick in their fair share. I would remove those type of social services agencies from downtown and not becuase of a bias but becuase of a need to adequately balance all competing interests. The social service agencies have a slight advantage in the balance and this is a legitimate issue that needs to be discussed in relation to downtown improvement, revitalization. Just ask Baltimore, when it dropped housing towers to improve the habor area.

[jma]

If you build it, they will come.

[Charles E. Peevyhouse]

If you build it, they will come.

just like the field of dreams.

[Ash2819]

1. Relocate the court house somewhere else.
2. Get rid of the vacant buildings to give more parking.
3. Put in more stores & restaurants to bring in more revenue.
4. Get rid of the Mills.
5. Either knock down or do something with the old Meriden-Wallingford Hospital.
6. What about the empty parking spaces at the mall? Maybe put in an Olive Garden or Red Robbin?