City meeting helps erase eyesore
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on October 27, 2005 1:53 PM
Gunshots, drug deals, dilapidated houses occupied by potentially dangerous people and plenty of fire ants.
Kornegay Street residents voiced these concerns Sept. 16 at the first of Goldsboro's city-sponsored neighborhood meetings.
The goal of the gatherings, which will continue in a number of neighborhoods over the next few months, is for residents and city officials to meet and to discuss not only city services, but the issues that residents see as critical to their neighborhoods and the future of the city, officials said.
News-Argus/Mitch Loeber
A dilapidated, white house on Kornegay Street was recently torn down, leaving this empty lot where what neighbors called an eyesore once stood.
The next neighborhood meeting will be tonight at 6 p.m. in the Maplewood subdivision. All neighbors are encouraged to attend.
Dilapidated rental housing dominated much of the dialogue on Kornegay Street. To the left of the podium, a rundown white house with shattered windows, rotten wood siding and broken bottles on the lawn, reminded some neighbors of the problem's severity.
"I tried not to look at that place," said Maura Johnston. "It just gave me a bad feeling."
Ms. Johnston has lived with a friend on Kornegay Street for more than a year. She said she remembers walking the block one morning a few weeks ago after returning from an out-of-town trip and seeing an empty lot where the dilapidated white house once stood.
"It's so nice to not to have to see that old house anymore," she said.
Ms. Johnston and other neighbors on Kornegay are beginning to see the city making good on its promises. More than a month ago, Mayor Al King assured the crowd that action and not just words would result from their meeting.
Councilman Bob Waller said he is pleased with preliminary efforts made by city staff in response to the concerns expressed by the neighbors on Kornegay Street.
"This is the first step," he said. "And its a positive step."
Waller also said neighbors throughout Goldsboro will see results, too, after their meetings to discuss not only problems in their neighborhoods, but their hopes for the future of their city.
Waller added that he is pleased to see that discussions about how to improve the quality of life in the city that have taken place over a number of years, are finally bearing fruit.
"I think we are on the right track," he said.
Officials hope residents will come ready to discuss the issues important to their neighborhood, and that they will be willing to learn from city staff.
Officials said they expect water quality and litter to be among the problems identified in Maplewood.