Broken Window Theory
September 2, 2021
Broken Windows Theory: “The broken windows theory states that visible signs of disorder and misbehavior in an environment encourage further disorder and misbehavior, leading to serious crimes. The principle was developed to explain the decay of neighborhoods, but it is often applied to work and educational environments.”
The author of this letter’s name and phone no. has been deleted by WPB Watch for obvious reasons. Please view pictures (4) at the end as they tell the story.
To: The Honorable Keith James, Mayor, City of West Palm Beach
Re: Abandoned residence at 4719 Pinewood Avenue – Repeated calls and letters to the city have gone unanswered – We need your help
Dear Mayor James:
Over the last decade I’ve repeatedly written to City staff about the abandoned home located at 4719 Pinewood Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407. We need you help on this one and I am now writing you directly.
About two years ago, following a letter I wrote, the City came out and finally boarded the structure, removed all of the trash, mowed the lawn and cleared the house of intruders. The house also gained a City-issued “No Trespassing sign”, which is still displayed today on the front of the house.
We were told two years ago that the City police would regularly walk around the house each night from that point forward, until the City’s legal staff could take nuisance abatement action against the absentee landowner. A plan was in place.
But today the home continues to be abandoned and is still regularly occupied by vagrants. We see no progress. With the apparent stopping of nightly police patrols over a year ago, the vagrancy issue has predictably returned. About a month ago this illegal occupancy led to a fire around 3:00 AM.
Afterwards, I again wrote the City two weeks ago and asked staff to immediately re-board the partly burned structure. This exposed and abandoned house presents an extreme health and safety issue for our community. A single woman lives next door and she feels threatened by all the intruders that arrive each evening. In case you’re wondering, they were there last night.
This seemingly endless problem was already supposed to have been addressed by city staff and police. There was an action plan in place …and then it subsequently fell off the radar. Now that the house has partly burned, it will take even more investment to stabilize and redevelop.
This is not the way renewal of communities is supposed to happen. I know you know this. What you may not know is that City Hall has also contributed to the neglect. Neighbors I talk with along Pinewood Avenue feel ignored.
Please refer to the attached photographs taken this morning of the still-unsecured home. They tell the story beyond words.
My Questions:
1) When will the City act to re-board 4719 Pinewood Avenue, pick up the debris, mow the lawn, and take action against the absentee homeowner for gross neglect?
2) When will the City’s legal staff Use the Nuisance Abatement Ordinance to seize this home and resell it to a deserving family that will renovate it?
3) Can you investigate why the nightly police patrols stopped and why the Code Compliance Division staff has not ordered a City-boarding and clean up? This is their beat.
This property should have been redeveloped long ago. I’ve written so many letters. Unfortunately the City appears to have no comprehensive redevelopment strategy in place for Northwood Estates. This neighborhood seems to remain an overlooked and underserved community.
This house is the poster child of neglect. But City Hall still has a key role to play here. If the property owner had been forced to sell a decade ago (through the City’s Nuisance Abatement Ordinance), then another family would have already taken ownership, rebuilt the structure and would be living here today.
I urge you Mayor James, to take a special look at this individual problem, as well as the larger systemic issues facing Northwood Estates.
Please respond to me how we can make this right.
Sincerely,
Northwood Shores Neighborhood Association, NCON board member
Copy:
Faye Johnson, City Administrator, City of West Palm Beach
Armando Fana, Assistant City Administrator, City West Palm Beach
Marcus Laws, Homeless Coordinator, City of West Palm Beach
Chief Frank Adderley, Chief of Police, City West Palm Beach
Rick Morris, Deputy Chief of Police, City of West Palm Beach
Mitch Posner, Director of the Code Compliance Division, City of West Palm Beach
Mark Joyce, Code Compliance Division, City of West Palm Beach
Christopher Thompson, Code Officer, Code Compliance Division, City of West Palm Beach
Kelly Shoaf, City Commissioner, District 1, City of West Palm Beach
