Monday, January 14, 2008

this sucks dirty socks....

or something like it.

I'm sitting here, as pictures rattle on the walls, sun catchers fall off the windows, and there are huge noises outside, as the ground shakes.

No, it's not an earthquake. It's the backhoe, and bucket loader - 10 feet from my house - as they dig a hole in the ground. They've completely raped the landscape. There is no other word.

All in the name of progress. Progress which Manhattan, KS does NOT NEED right now. There is an influx of building going on, and there are houses that are not selling (this of course, does NOT mean that people have actually considered LOWERING the prices on houses). But what are they building outside my window? Well, 16 feet from my windows will be 3 small 1-bedroom cottages. So they're digging all the land out. And it's irritating. Because on a plot of land less than 1 acre in size, there will be 13 "living quarters". There's a house there...turned into a 2 family home - one 3 bedroom, one 2 bedroom. Between the house and our home will be the cottages (because they are part of the "development" they don't need to be 8 feet from the exisiting property, which would be the house they just remodeled). Between the cottages and the office space will be an additional 2 units. Then, in the front of the property, they will build 6 "loft" units - open space (otherwise known as studios)...3 up, 3 down. all on less than one acre of land. They've taken away what was a great area for the kids to play. We (all the tenants of our little circle) tried to protest this. We signed a petition which was denied due to "unacceptable signatures" - meaning, we're not the OWNERS. So we get screwed...we have to deal with all the construction. I know that if I had even an INKLING that they were going to do this, I would have found someplace else to live....but of course, it all came out only AFTER we signed our 2nd year lease.

I'll be posting pictures. They tore down an Osage Orange tree that provided us with wonderful morning shade in the summer time. There's nothing left.

9 comments:

Christy said...

Sounds like places for the college students to live in since they're bedrooms and loft apartments. Stinks they tore up so much beauty.

I LOVE Manhattan, it's a beautiful town. I hope they don't get so caught up in building newer homes that they destroy the beauty that's there. :(

Nestor Family said...

Sorry to hear the yucky news. It is so terrible to lose a tree, too. Take it easy.

Bobkat said...

What? You don't get a voice just becasue you don't own? It's still your home and that sucks! You have my sympathy, it sounds like an awful lot to put up with.

Sue said...

what a pain :( -- it is a very crowded area to begin with....if one neighbor has a few people over you can't get out of your own driveway :(

Charley Madden said...

Linda, so sorry that you are having to deal with that!!!! Ugh...we have alot of building going on here in our small town as well....more houses going up than you can count...you would think that the price of older homes would go down...but NO...and we aren't willing to go into debt that never ends to buy one...so...we'll stay in our little house for now. You asked about my camera...it is a canon 30 D....digital....LOVE IT!!!!

LoveMyTanker said...

All that I can say is that I am so sorry and YUCK!!! :(

It's OK to be WEIRD! said...

Oh, that is SO not fun. I always hate it when they tear up the land like that. A few houses down the street and on the other side of the street they torn down a house about a month ago - OH MY, what destruction not only to the house (which was of course the point) but to the large tree that stood in front of the yard and all the hedges at the back of the house. I broke my heart. Hopefully they'll do something nice when they are dong building the new house, but it was such a waste...

PS - Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'm so glad to hear that you're doing so well at one-year post-op! Each day is better and better for me overall, so I hope the same for me!

sage said...

I feel your pain and have empathy, for the past week they've been wrecking and old house turned into an office building that's right out side of my office window--it's hard to work with the track hoe digging and the beep, beep, beep of backing trucks--and it's becoming a parking lot, just what I want to see... Here from Michele's.

carmilevy said...

Sounds like city council - or whatever elected body is responsible for this kind of thing in your burg - has completely avoided its responsibility to ensure fair application of zoning laws.

[Forgive my voice. Blame my years as a beat reporter covering council meetings where Just This Issue was batted back and forth time and again. End digression.]

I cringe when I hear of cases like this. Those who approve the pillaging always seem to live so far away.

Michele agrees with me that this is a travesty.