North Main’s Dirty Dozen Revisited

Eight months ago, I wrote about a dozen or so property locations on North Main which needed attention. I called them Baytown’s N. Main’s Dirty Dozen or so. Mayor Stephen DonCarlos agreed that it was time to give business and property owners a nudge to get their property in compliance with city ordinances and asked me to be patient, as city gears move slowly.

Channel Eleven News picked up on the story and contacted me wanting to run a feature. I respectfully declined their offer, telling them that Baytown’s problems were ours alone and we did not wish to make them something for other people to ridicule.

Eight months and 11 days later, I figure its time to take another look and see if something (anything) has changed. To my pleasant surprise, a lot has changed and some of it has made a big difference in the appearance of one of heaviest traveled roads in town.

Here are the photos...

Take a look at the posted pictures and information. As I stated eight months ago, my intention is not to place undue hardship on small business and even though one property owner told city council my article and web page had given their business “the kiss of death”, I see it has not made a bit of difference in the appearance of said business. Lawn care and damaged signs violate city ordinance and business owners should feel the need to comply as soon as possible.

Ask anyone in this town what they would change about Baytown and appearance is always in their top 5 requests, so this tool (web site) is to give everyone concerned an opportunity to view the various properties from the safety of their computer, instead of looking out of their car windows fighting traffic.

The above ground utility poles hurt North Main’s appearance and date it terribly, not to mention making utility service vulnerable to hurricane winds and death targets for distracted drivers.

As I drove along N. Main, I was impressed how some businesses took extra care to keep the outside appearance as clean and neat as possible, while the neighboring lot was overgrown and littered with trash. Along the street you will find empty vacant slabs of cement that is also overgrown and unkempt. I am particularly incensed by establishment which has high activity and customers, yet look rundown, unmowed and generally have maintenance issues.

Rather than push my opinion on as fact, I urge my fellow Baytonians to view the photographs and submit constructive comments and photographs for publication via email: admin@ourbaytown.com

Please sign your comments. As the old saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child and it will take a community to nurture this town back to a place where everyone will feel comfortable with its appearance.