Folks, it's Friday, which means we mentally checked out about three hours ago. Hey, let's go to the inbox! The Curbed tipster that kicked off Williamsburg squatter mania is back with another update on one forlorn stretch of North 9th Street. It all started when he tracked down the contact information for the owner of 205 North 9th Street, a stalled lot that is supposed to yield a 7-story, 173-unit chunk of Karl Fischer brilliance, but has become a squatters' paradise. In an e-mail to the developer, he wrote:
I live near the abandoned lots on North 9th street that you own. These properties you own are a disgrace. I have to walk this street every day, stepping over bags of garbage, broken glass, nails, and dumped building materials. This condition has welcomed squatters into your property as well. I am getting a petition together against you, I have and will more aggressively call 311 and 911 on you to get more violations fined against you. Show respect and clean up the street and put up a wire fence rather than the wood that people can open and get inside. Do it. CLEAN IT UP! Wow, power to the people! Amazingly, the owner wrote back.
And here was his response, "We just sent some people to the site to check it out, and we found all sidewalks clean, if you have any further issues, please contact our office." Hmm, OK. This led our original Williamsburg Avenger to take pictures of the property and send them along to us, adding:
This street is a plague. This guy is shameful, owning this lot and having all this trash on it (and oil drums of god knows what too). It welcomes so many problems, so many smashed in windows on cars. All these lots should have to put up a chainlink fence you can't get into. Or better yet, perfect solution is eminent domain, make it a community garden or a park. Don't need a condo building. OK, I'm done ranting, maybe a post will help the street clean-up.Maybe. Also possible: A tipster's head getting left in our bed tonight, Godfather style.
· Reader Rant: Williamsburg's Squatters' Row Has Got to Go [Curbed]
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