As an advocate for the traditional park system, I have been campaigning against the Riparian Buffers for years. I think that people should be able to see the creek, at least around the Rose Garden in Cedar Park, and the Robin Hood section of Lehigh Parkway. Every park director since 2005 has disagreed with me. When I complained to current director Mandy Tolino about invasives in the weed wall, she replied that there were some natives mixed in. The city maintains that the buffer keeps the waterway cleaner.
Allentown has made an exception to their park policy in the Jordan Meadows. There, anything and everything goes, and goes into the creek. The growing homeless camp has a population of about a hundred people. The adjoining property owner, Nat Hyman, has noticed the contradiction, and made arrangements for a pending lawsuit. However, he is first giving the city another opportunity to address the homeless encampment, and has even offered to help fund a proper shelter.
Needless to say the encampment would not be tolerated along Cedar Creek by the Rose Garden. Last year one denizen and his tent got a quick boot.
related post at O'Hare's Ramblings
I noticed that for the ArtsQueat-sponsored concert at the UT amphitheater this month, the weed walls were completely cut down. From the large “buffer” near the Union Street Bridge and upstream almost to the Reading Road Bridge, the weeds were removed and things looked great.
ReplyDeleteIt would seem that the city knows the truth and the ArtsQuest crowd has more pull than “regular” taxpayers. So it really doesn’t surprise me that the homeless in the Rose Garden get removed, while other less-affluent areas get overrun.
Once again, City Hall has a different level of service for the wealthy. I guess that’s the “equity” our progressive masters in City Hall want to give us.
Thanks to Mr. Hyman for putting up his own money to fight the foolishness in city hall. If he wins in his case, it can be used as a template to solve the problem throughout the city.
ReplyDeleteThe homeless problem in the city is growing because of the failed policies put in place by small-minded politicians in City Hall. Instead of quickly getting homeless people the help they deserve, they are allowed to live in unsanitary, unsafe encampments. Others are preyed on by politically-favored non-profit groups looking more to make a quick buck off of the homeless than actually solving the problem.
It is incompetence disguised as compassion. Allentown’s elected officials are not serious people.
Not sure any more if any local elected officials are really serious about their obligation to lead and improve the lives of ALL residents rather than just a certain few.
DeleteThese days politicians seem to ignore problems that don’t directly affect themself. Instead, they choose to wait things out until someone else steps in to do the heavy lifting.
Allentown City is a mess, but no one’s supposed to notice. Well, those outside the mess surely do notice, and they avoid that place as much as possible.
Imagine how much better Allentown would be if Nat Hyman were Mayor. We can thank Ray O’Connell for his selfish write in campaign for that.
DeleteThe remarks about uncaring political leaders is way off base when it comes to Allentown’s young Mayor. Just last week Matt was handing out tee shirts to LGBTQ…people, Allentown residents and suburbinites alike, at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER, by definition a vibrant, inclusive space.
ReplyDeleteFair is fair, and the current administration’s culture puts an emphasis on inclusion.
That’s a great campaign activity, but to be a successful mayor you actually need to get things done.
DeleteWhere can I get one of those free tee shirts? City-owned property along the Jordan Creek is allowed to be a disgusting dumping ground but handing out free tee shirts more than makes up for it.
DeleteThis speaks to Matt Tuerk’s incompetence. Instead of dealing with a problem he pushes it into one corner. Nat Hyman is a smart business man who understands that this isn’t how you resolve a problem and , unlike most, he is willing to put his own money in to resolve the problem.
ReplyDeleteI can’t believe we have to put up with this Mayor for another 4 years. Allentown is doomed
ReplyDeleteFolks, our current "we must feed the people" city council has just put out the welcome mat to the regions homeless. Bill 16 will facilitate that influx. Soon one won't have to go to the Jordon Creek area to see the homeless. They will be in all but the the toniest neighborhoods of the city.
ReplyDeleteThey Will NOT be in the NIZ. Reilly will insure that won't happen. He has too much money invested in Hamilton Street to let it be turned into a tent city.
DeleteMy wife and I live on Jordan St. We have been in the same house for 30 years. The homeless problem here has grown 50 times worse in the last year. We are constantly picking up garbage, having things stolen from our porch and being accosted while walking in the neighborhood. We are planning on moving out of the neighborhood. We can thank Mayor Tuerk for this.
ReplyDeleteDon't move to West Park. Things could go from bad to worse here as well. I suggest Bethlehem, they manage to manage their city for the well being of the taxpayers.
DeleteMoving OUT of Allentown is probably your best option. However, you might not have the means, nor ability to do that. Lots of good people are unfortunately stuck in that tax dollar sinkhole.
DeleteIf you have younger, school-age kids at home it is important to either homeschool, or rent something in a far less urban place. Surely, before grade 4-5.
My wife passed away several years ago and is buired at Grandview Cemetary along with the rest of my family. I also retired at the end of 2024 and have no ties or emotional feelings to where I live now. It was just a place that I lived in while working.
DeleteI write about Allentown every day. I share with people all of the good things which Allentown had and some of its history that not a lot of people know about. I actually am amazed how many people tell me they never knew about the places or things or people I write about, which were common knowledge when I grew up in Allentown.
Just as all that is dissaparing, the elements that made Allentown such a fine city it was have also dissapeared. Today the city is a hollowed-out shell of what once was, with a potempkin village built in the center that pretends to be the heart of the city, which has no life in it at night or on the weekends... it is physically there, with no one in it.
No one cares about the parks, they;re weedy and unkempt, and the schools are fortresses guarded by the police...
Allentown was a great place to grow up and live in when I left for the Air Force over 50 years ago. It has changed significantly since then, and it has not been for the better. Really, the only reasons I visit now are to take a few photos for places I write about and visit the graves of my family
I have no intentions of ever moving back. I'd rather live in the Pennsylvania I'm still comfortable in, which still exists outside of Allentown.
You're all complaining about democrat policies while living in a democrat dominated city that will continue to elect only democrats. Conditions will have to get much worse and a competent, funded, organized alternative candidate will have to show up or this type of malfeasance will go on and on and on. As long as Allentown is under the control the state democrat party, bad government ain't gonna change, they've got what they want and that's all they want.
ReplyDeleteThis is also my point. Allentown is pretty far gone. It will take years, and several election cycles to straighten out. The current group by its actions is actually working to accommodate more people to rent here.
DeleteIf you can’t wait for something that’s a long time to come, there is only ONE best solution for you and your family.
MM: you are absolutely right, this would never be tolerated in the rose gardens. But in the low income Jordan Creek area, Tuerk thinks it is ok. This is absolute discrimination against minorities and the poor. The irony is that people think Mr. Hyman is attacking the homeless, when he is actually standing up for the low income minorities where he rebuilt their neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteI make a comment supporting our mayor and it doesn’t get posted?
ReplyDeleteWhy the need for censorship?
The comment at 6:04 AM was printed, several comments since were repetitive.
DeleteWell I see the homeless made to lehigh st
ReplyDeleteNew camp setup at 12 th Lehigh sts , it’s nice to see as you enter the city !!