Northwood Civic Association members like the idea of a Northwood Academy Charter School proposal to put up banners on neighborhood streets.
The notion was announced by the group’s president, Joe Krause, at the association’s Nov. 18 meeting in St. James Church on Castor Avenue, and was warmly received.
“Anything that makes the neighborhood look good,” one resident said.
In Northwood, real estate use is restricted to owner-occupied residences. Renting and businesses are not allowed, but violations of the neighborhood’s “Burk deed restriction” are discussed at just about every civic association meeting.
Nov. 18’s session was no exception.
Krause updated members on a property on the 5000 block of Oxford Avenue whose owner was renting apartments in violation of the deed restriction. The house was mentioned at the association’s October meeting, and Krause said he didn’t believe the owner had any rental licenses, which he reported, using the city’s 311 system.
He said the owner has been informed he has to get licenses to rent apartments, but Krause said he checked on his complaint and found the owner has not yet complied. He said that the owner could be fined $300 if he doesn’t comply within 30 days.
The deed restriction, which dates back to 1926, however, is another matter and it is not enforceable by the city, Krause had said at the October meeting. Neighbors have to take the owner to court to force him to stop renting apartments.
“We’re just trying to get him to do the right thing,” Krause said Nov. 18.
He added there have been reports that an illegal daycare center is operating on the same block and that, too, has been reported to the city.
Krause said the association is putting together a package of information about the deed restriction that will be sent to 1,100 homes.
Illegal parking and Simpson Playground, both neighborhood sore points, came up again on Nov. 18.
Some car sales business owners use neighborhood streets as their own lots to store vehicles. They’re parked bumper-to-bumper, Krause said, so police don’t notice they don’t have license plates. That doesn’t work all the time, he said, and added police recently ticketed many of those cars.
One resident said Simpson Recreation Center, 1010 Arrott St., needs about $600,000 in repairs to its building. Krause said he didn’t expect anything to be done at the rec center for at least a year.
Northwood Civic Association’s next meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Dec. 16, in the basement of St. James Church, Pratt Street and Castor Avenue. ••
