Dark side for Greenville?

[carolinadude9409]

I was reading this article in the Greenville News and I couldn't believe what I was hearing: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs....EWS01/608240326

I never realized Greenville had a dark side and the problem was this bad. How come nobody from the city showed up for the meeting, except for Nancy Whitworth. Do they just not care about their own citizens? Here is an interesting quote from the article: One man said city officials have gotten "in over their heads" as streets become dirtier, noise becomes harder to control and graffiti shows up on downtown facades.

[erm1981]

I read the article and there are a lot of concerns it appears from business owners. Its kind of sad that no council members showed up for the meeting. I believe they do need to hire more people to help look over all the "new" stuff they keep building. More cops will definetly be needed in the future.

-Evan

[carolinadude9409]

I read the article and there are a lot of concerns it appears from business owners. Its kind of sad that no council members showed up for the meeting. I believe they do need to hire more people to help look over all the "new" stuff they keep building. More cops will definetly be needed in the future.

-Evan

I don't get this. I go downtown at least 3-4 times a week and have never had a problem with crime. Everytime I go down there, it seems like there are cops everywhere. I do agree though that there is a problem with the whole "i'm gonna tow your car away or stick a boot on it if you don't pay to park here."

[EDPro]

If 3 or more council members show up, that is considered a quorum and thus would require prior public notice. This was a workshop to look ahead and plan for the future. Unfortunately it sounds like it turned into something of a complaint-fest. As Dr. Nocks is quoted in the article, these are good problems to have. Problems most small to medium-sized cities would love to have.

[erm1981]

The city workers used to not have as much to do, but with the building of falls park on the reedy and the icar site they now have larger areas to keep up. Also Riverplace is going to be kept up by the city also. I see lots of cops in downtown greenville everytime im down there. They might need more in the outer lying areas but downtown always feels safe to me.

[goodbye]

Downtown is very safe in comparison to places in the Westside communities. There are idiots in every city who have absolutely no respect or care for authority and law. That makes me sick, but there is only so much any one person can do to correct it. It takes a collective effort by every law-abiding citizen to attack the bad guys and protect the integrity of the community as a whole. Just like downtown Greenville was reclaimed from the grave of crime, other parts of the city (Westside) can and should be reclaimed as well.

[tablrock]

i dunno know a little sleaze and grit is HOT

[carolinadude9409]

Downtown is very safe in comparison to places in the Westside communities. There are idiots in every city who have absolutely no respect or care for authority and law. That makes me sick, but there is only so much any one person can do to correct it. It takes a collective effort by every law-abiding citizen to attack the bad guys and protect the integrity of the community as a whole. Just like downtown Greenville was reclaimed from the grave of crime, other parts of the city (Westside) can and should be reclaimed as well.

I agree with everything you said, Skyliner. The Westside is starting to be reclaimed. Take for example the Kroc Center that is going to start construction soon, the Reedy River Corridor Master plan through that area, and the Pete Hollis gateway into downtown.

[Cap'n Prowler]

Well, just for the heck of it, I attended the meeteng last night (you can see my forehead in the pic). Besides a few residents complaints about noise, it was generally complaints from business owners, the highlights of which are well stated in the article. Many want to know exactly where the hospitality tax is going and don't want it all going to a specific part of town, and to have a voice in policy changes such as those having to do with alcohol sales. The parking/unloading issues sounded quite serious - there were some interesting stories. As for a stronger police presence, I agree that downtown seems pretty safe, but how many of you have stuck around at 2am - 3am when the crowds aren't there to deter the drunks and homeless?

[goodbye]

Well, just for the heck of it, I attended the meeteng last night (you can see my forehead in the pic). Besides a few residents complaints about noise, it was generally complaints from business owners, the highlights of which are well stated in the article. Many want to know exactly where the hospitality tax is going and don't want it all going to a specific part of town, and to have a voice in policy changes such as those having to do with alcohol sales. The parking/unloading issues sounded quite serious - there were some interesting stories. As for a stronger police presence, I agree that downtown seems pretty safe, but how many of you have stuck around at 2am - 3am when the crowds aren't there to deter the drunks and homeless?

I have, and know what you are speaking of. Something should be done to remove the homeless from the streets, IMO. It is much harder to sell your city to potential new residents when they bump into dirty, smelly homeless people on an otherwise incredibly beautiful Main Street.

[DT-Gville]

Had anyone seen where there have been some armed robberies downtown in the last couple of weeks?

Greenville News article on downtown robberies

Apparently, this is note-worthy because they are connected and downtown. The city robbery numbers are still about the same as 2005.

[vicupstate]

I think their concerns are overblown frankly. I don't venture DT after 12, because I am in bed by then, but as for the other hours of the day, there is NOT a preponderence of homeless people. I am DT on McBee in the early morning hours 2-3 days a week though. I will see men walking from the bus station towards Main Street, but they are few in number (many times none) and they go about their business without bothering me.

If these folks want to know what a REAL problem with homelessness DT is, they need to trek down 100 miles to Columbia. And that comment about cities sending their homeless to Greenville is the same one I heard about Columbia 12 years ago.

As for the hospitality taxes, damn near all of it, or at least the majority of it, is going into DT and the West End. This tax is collected city-wide, and they better hope the businesses on Pleasantburg, Laurens and Haywood Roads don't start asking for their share.

I went to a similiar meeting to this when I first moved here (10 years ago), and someone complained about how Main Street gets all the city's money and attention, while West End goes without. Now, they are saying the opposite!

Instead of beotching about the city not spending money on North main, why don't these folks come to a resolution on Piazza Bergamo, so the city can spend to money it has already set aside for that.

The City Council memebers don't attend because these meetings only bring out the complainers that can't be satisfied.

[Cap'n Prowler]

I agree, vicupstate. Most of the complaints dragged on and only a few were of much concern. Despite how my previous post may have read, I couldn't really sympathize with very many of the speakers. I say we get a group together for the next one of these and bring up issues like recycling, enviromentally friendly development, bringing more entertainment downtown, etc.. Because, you know, discussing these things on a message board can only do so much. Plus there could be a UP meetup involved before or after.

[carolinadude9409]

More news about this and Nancy Whitworth is right about what she says in this article: http://www.wyff4.com/news/9728608/detail.html

[Greenville]

I read both of the linked articles, and after thinking about it I understand where these people are coming from. I am sure they have legitimate complaints that should be addressed. HOWEVER...

If anyone thinks downtown Greenville has a problem with vagrants/homeless people or dirty/littered streets, they need to get out more!

I am not saying that there aren't any panhandlers or trash on the streets, because there are both. But it is not very noticeable at all. How many times do you see panhandlers downtown? VERY rarely. More often than not, you simply don't see it downtown. I am sure you would see more of it if you ventured toward the Post Office and the westside, but the fact that it is mostly unnoticeable downtown in the high-traffic areas is a testament to the efforts of the city (and its residents).

As for parking, I am sure there have been issues with business owners being unfairly ticketed, booted, or towed. Hopefully the city can work on that. But without some sort of decal or permit, meter maids can't assume that someone is a business owner when they are parked illegally to "load" or "unload" their vehicle.

I hope there are no complaints by anyone in terms of parking for visitors. To have unmetered parking spaces throughout the city, plus plentiful parking buildings that are free on evenings and weekends, is a privilege that most cities our size do not offer. Again, if anyone has a problem with this (and I don't think they do), they need to get out more.

[krazeeboi]

From reading the article, it just seemed that this was a forum in which regular complaints regarding any burgeoning downtown were aired all at once, that's all.

[tablrock]

u know a city can become TOO sterile

[RestedTraveler]

From reading the article, it just seemed that this was a forum in which regular complaints regarding any burgeoning downtown were aired all at once, that's all.

That's all it was...and it's actually good (in my own view) to have a city that is bustling enough to cause such complaints to arise. Sobeit. It's growth, y'all.

[Cap'n Prowler]

Since I got on the mailing list from this meeting, I've gotten some communication from those who were present. One email from business owner Charlie Whitmire was as follows:

I saw a uniformed City police officer riding Main Street last night on

the bicyle!! And saw a lot of police both on foot and in cars

patrolling. Whatever the cause, that's a great improvement.

Coincidence, or proof that they're listening? Either way, it's good to hear. If it is a result of this meeting, it's especially good because there weren't months of bureaucratic nonsence involved.

[RestedTraveler]

Bicycle patrols is an idea that was presented here on U.P. months (if not years) ago, and I know it's been suggested to the City of Greenville at least once in the past two years. Uniformed patrolmen on bikes downtown were commonplace when I lived in Orlando. It's good to hear that they've been implemented here in Greenville now, too.

[goodbye]

Bicycle patrols is an idea that was presented here on U.P. months (if not years) ago, and I know it's been suggested to the City of Greenville at least once in the past two years. Uniformed patrolmen on bikes downtown were commonplace when I lived in Orlando. It's good to hear that they've been implemented here in Greenville now, too.

Police on bicycles have been implemented in downtown Greenville before - in fact, within the past few years. I have no idea why they disappeared though. Great to see them back again!

[RestedTraveler]

If we had patrols on horseback along Main Street between Stone Avenue and Pendleton, that'd be pretty cool (aside from the obvious mess), too.

[Spartan]

It sounds to me like people in Greenville want their downtown to be a suburb where the homeless dont usually venture. An unfortunate side effect of a growing city with a successful downtown is that it will attract homeless people. Columbia has a large shelter (well, multiple shelters) in teh same area of downtown, so there appears to be more than there probably is in reality. People need to wake up and realize that its just part of becoming a real city.

[RestedTraveler]

There are a couple of pretty big shelters very near downtown in Greenville as well.

I'm sure the city government realizes this, but the people who live and work downtown should realize it as well: part of urbanization and developing a city is development of its people as well. These homeless folks shouldn't necessarily be feared or loathed. They should be helped. Not necessarily financially, but perhaps given the opportunity to work or add other value to the community. I suppose this is a topic for a completely different thread, though. Like it or not, it's a problem faced by every municipality: how not to leave any of its citizens behind.

[krazeeboi]

^Very true. As I always say, I don't think any city can strive to become a bigger and better city without getting a little "dirty" in the process, if you know what I mean.