Editorial - June 2002

Cleaning up Lincoln

June 28, 2002 - It is encouraging to see local officials finally putting their collective wisdom together to solve the problem of unsightly properties scattered throughout the community.

County and city officials held a meeting this week to discuss a joint effort to eliminate eyesores and nuisances in the area.

When local officials are advised of these “eyesores” they often seem to shrug their shoulders and offer a variety of explanations as to why nothing can be done. But for most citizens it’s hard to believe that our zoning ordinances allow the unsightly junk we see in the front yards of our neighborhoods If they do allow accumulations of junk and rusted car hulks, it’s time they were updated.

Maggie Dollar, Lincoln County’s Health Department Director, correctly observed during the meeting that many residents are frustrated at the inattention given these problems in the past.

Today there are signs of progress. Lincoln County has recently added a new position to its zoning office, and city officials have expressed an interest in better enforcement.

Our citizens are not overly concerned about rural properties in the countryside that are rarely visible to anyone except the property owner, so long as they doesn’t pose a safety or health hazard. They are concerned about dilapidated, decaying properties, abandoned sheds and trailers, and junk accumulations that stick out like a sore thumb right in the middle of residential neighborhoods and along the entrances to our city.

As we have said before, doing nothing should not be an option in a community that prides itself on the beauty and character of its environment.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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