Neighbors support rezoning of mobile home park site
By Michele Linck Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, June 08, 2007
SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- Workers were still clearing out the Westwood USA Mobile Home Park site near South Sioux City this week even as its neighbors were vowing to show up in big numbers next Monday at City Hall. It would be a show of support, not a protest.
In fact, City Administrator Lance Hedquist said it was area property owners who approached the city to rezone the parcel.
More than 30 of them attended the May 29 public hearing after which the City Council voted 8-0 to change the zoning on the 13-acre property to single family dwelling status. No one spoke against it. The council is expected to vote the same way twice more -- next Monday and on June 25 -- making the change final.
The single-family designation would mean the property could never again become a trailer court.
Was to be `luxurious'
Todd Masters, who lives near the park at 409 Dixon Path, said the neighbors were galvanized when they found out the Planning and Zoning Board recommended not to change the zoning.
"We had nearly 100 percent of the neighbors (at City Hall)," he said. "That's nothing compared to what's going to show up the next time. All I want to say is, we've had enough."
Kevin Potts, whose property is at 435 Dixon Path and adjoins the Westwood property, said he was at the first meeting and will be at the next two if he can be.
"Back in '82, '84, it was supposed to be such a 'luxurious' place," said Potts, who paused from his yard work recently to talk about it. "The neighbor over here," he said nodding up to where Rick Luft used to live, "was fighting it because it wasn't being put in right. Exactly what they thought would happen did happen."
What did happen, in the end, anyway, is that the place became run down, police calls to addresses there became frequent and residents grew tired of paying for services they weren't getting. The city closed down the facility last spring after a decade or more of problems, and its residents had to move away.
That was after the owner, Leourieta Glass/Barney G. Inc., failed to pay a long-outstanding water bill (a familiar routine between her and the city), to get the garbage picked up, keep the weeds cut or do other maintenance required for people to remain living there.
Glass' former phone number is no longer in service, and no other contact information could be found for her. Barney G. Inc. is still a registered corporation in Nebraska, according to the Secretary of State's office.
'No racial deal'
It was the apparent end of a yearslong battle between Glass and the city. The trailer park residents were almost all Hispanic, and many were new immigrants, with little or no English. Glass sued the city several times, claiming it was discriminating against Westwood's residents, but the federal courts never agreed. She also sued various residents at times. This spring, a state Equal Opportunity Commission hearing judge found that Glass herself had discriminated against some Westwood residents.
While several people who attended the May 29 City Council meeting blamed the park's living conditions in part on its Hispanic population, Potts and others don't.
"It's no racial deal," Potts said. "It just never got taken care of. (The late) Barney and Rita Glass didn't help those people out with anything."
Verna Lange, who has lived at 439 Dixon Path for 43 years, agreed with Potts.
"To me," she said, "what they did to the people, letting the water get turned off -- to me, that was discrimination. They paid their (rent). The trailer park should never have gotten started there in the first place." She said Barney Glass once had sued her late husband, Larry Lange, and some other neighbors, claiming they discriminated against Westwood's residents, but "nothing came of it."
Trailer park again?
Potts said that after the residents vacated the property last summer, Glass went to several business owners in that area, asking them to clear out the trailers and junk in exchange for whatever they could salvage. All declined. He said Glass told them to leave the utilities stubs intact. Potts didn't know whether that meant she planned to sell the property as a mobile home park.
The neighbors are determined to not have that specter raised.
Who owns Westwood?
South Siouth City Administrator Lance Hedquist acknowledged that it is unusual, but legal, for a city to rezone property without a request from its owner; Westwood's owners is Leourieta Glass/Barney G Inc., of Valley, Neb.
He said the city had notified Glass by certified letter and uncertified mail, of the city's intent to change the zoning, but received no response. She also failed to appear or acknowledge a court hearing last December in which the city sought an injunction to keep more debris from being dumped at the Westwood site. A temporary injuction was granted, paving the way for the city to clear out the 40 or so dilapidated trailers, garbage and junk.
Now the city is paying $93,400 for the cleanup. It will place a lien on the property to recoup the expense and the remaining water bill. The city used Glass' utility deposit to pay down the roughly $5,000 water bill, leaving $1,582 outstanding.
Dakota County Treasurer Robert Giese said Tuesday the property taxes on the parcel are three years in arrears, 2003-05, and that taxes owed for the first half of 2006 became delinquent on May 1. He said Heartland Investors/US Bank bought the tax certificate on March 8 at a sheriff's sale.
By law, Glass has three years to buy back the tax certificates; Heartland may not do anything with the property during that time. If Glass does not buy the certificates by then, Heartland can foreclose on the property and sell it.
In fact, City Administrator Lance Hedquist said it was area property owners who approached the city to rezone the parcel.
More than 30 of them attended the May 29 public hearing after which the City Council voted 8-0 to change the zoning on the 13-acre property to single family dwelling status. No one spoke against it. The council is expected to vote the same way twice more -- next Monday and on June 25 -- making the change final.
The single-family designation would mean the property could never again become a trailer court.
Was to be `luxurious'
Todd Masters, who lives near the park at 409 Dixon Path, said the neighbors were galvanized when they found out the Planning and Zoning Board recommended not to change the zoning.
"We had nearly 100 percent of the neighbors (at City Hall)," he said. "That's nothing compared to what's going to show up the next time. All I want to say is, we've had enough."
Kevin Potts, whose property is at 435 Dixon Path and adjoins the Westwood property, said he was at the first meeting and will be at the next two if he can be.
"Back in '82, '84, it was supposed to be such a 'luxurious' place," said Potts, who paused from his yard work recently to talk about it. "The neighbor over here," he said nodding up to where Rick Luft used to live, "was fighting it because it wasn't being put in right. Exactly what they thought would happen did happen."
What did happen, in the end, anyway, is that the place became run down, police calls to addresses there became frequent and residents grew tired of paying for services they weren't getting. The city closed down the facility last spring after a decade or more of problems, and its residents had to move away.
That was after the owner, Leourieta Glass/Barney G. Inc., failed to pay a long-outstanding water bill (a familiar routine between her and the city), to get the garbage picked up, keep the weeds cut or do other maintenance required for people to remain living there.
Glass' former phone number is no longer in service, and no other contact information could be found for her. Barney G. Inc. is still a registered corporation in Nebraska, according to the Secretary of State's office.
'No racial deal'
It was the apparent end of a yearslong battle between Glass and the city. The trailer park residents were almost all Hispanic, and many were new immigrants, with little or no English. Glass sued the city several times, claiming it was discriminating against Westwood's residents, but the federal courts never agreed. She also sued various residents at times. This spring, a state Equal Opportunity Commission hearing judge found that Glass herself had discriminated against some Westwood residents.
While several people who attended the May 29 City Council meeting blamed the park's living conditions in part on its Hispanic population, Potts and others don't.
"It's no racial deal," Potts said. "It just never got taken care of. (The late) Barney and Rita Glass didn't help those people out with anything."
Verna Lange, who has lived at 439 Dixon Path for 43 years, agreed with Potts.
"To me," she said, "what they did to the people, letting the water get turned off -- to me, that was discrimination. They paid their (rent). The trailer park should never have gotten started there in the first place." She said Barney Glass once had sued her late husband, Larry Lange, and some other neighbors, claiming they discriminated against Westwood's residents, but "nothing came of it."
Trailer park again?
Potts said that after the residents vacated the property last summer, Glass went to several business owners in that area, asking them to clear out the trailers and junk in exchange for whatever they could salvage. All declined. He said Glass told them to leave the utilities stubs intact. Potts didn't know whether that meant she planned to sell the property as a mobile home park.
The neighbors are determined to not have that specter raised.
Who owns Westwood?
South Siouth City Administrator Lance Hedquist acknowledged that it is unusual, but legal, for a city to rezone property without a request from its owner; Westwood's owners is Leourieta Glass/Barney G Inc., of Valley, Neb.
He said the city had notified Glass by certified letter and uncertified mail, of the city's intent to change the zoning, but received no response. She also failed to appear or acknowledge a court hearing last December in which the city sought an injunction to keep more debris from being dumped at the Westwood site. A temporary injuction was granted, paving the way for the city to clear out the 40 or so dilapidated trailers, garbage and junk.
Now the city is paying $93,400 for the cleanup. It will place a lien on the property to recoup the expense and the remaining water bill. The city used Glass' utility deposit to pay down the roughly $5,000 water bill, leaving $1,582 outstanding.
Dakota County Treasurer Robert Giese said Tuesday the property taxes on the parcel are three years in arrears, 2003-05, and that taxes owed for the first half of 2006 became delinquent on May 1. He said Heartland Investors/US Bank bought the tax certificate on March 8 at a sheriff's sale.
By law, Glass has three years to buy back the tax certificates; Heartland may not do anything with the property during that time. If Glass does not buy the certificates by then, Heartland can foreclose on the property and sell it.
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Kay wrote on Jun 8, 2007 10:34 PM:
Peeved citizen wrote on Jun 8, 2007 7:34 AM: