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The view from the corner of 15 th Street and Santa Fe in the neighborhood
of North Wichita is not picturesque. Its not even an eyesore. Its
worse than that. On this street corner, community residents gaze
upon an open lot of rusted steel, metal, and rotting materials overrun
with snakes and rats.
øThat junk pile has
been there since the day the land owner bought that land years ago.
Having huge piles of rusted junk, and who knows what, is ridiculous!
Its dangerous and a health hazard for the entire neighborhood,
especially the children,Ó said Amy Leslie, North Chapter leader
and neighborhood resident.
But it is what looms
in the distance beyond the lot that has been targeted by local residents
as a threat to their families and their community.
The portion of Wichita,
KS where the lot is located is also along the industrial corridor.
The alley behind the junkyard marks the dividing line between industrial
and residential zones. Neighborhood residents have complained about
continual problems with certain businesses in the industrial zone
including destruction of private property and pollution.
Members of Sunflower
Community Actions North Wichita Chapter knew this issue was complicated
as they recognized the industrys powerful connections with Wichitas
policy makers and the complexity of the areas zoning.
Apex Engineering, an
aircraft manufacturing plant, was targeted as the primary culprit
for disrupting the lives of residents. The presses and dyes the
factory uses to manufacture aircraft parts are so intense they vibrate
nearby homes in the area. Residents have reported cracked walls,
damaged foundation, and have had numerous instances of pictures,
plates, and other wall hangings fall off the wall.
øThroughout the past
three years that Apex has been in this neighborhood, the vibration
from their machines has warped the ceiling in my house, put cracks
in all the walls, and caused cracks in the windows. They are ignoring
the effects their machines have on our homes,Ó said Cynthia Anaya,
a North Chapter member and neighborhood resident.
On July 26, the North
Wichita Chapter of Sunflower Community Action held a public meeting
to address this dangerous junkyard as well as the negative impact
of local factories. The owner of the junk lot, the CEO of Apex,
and the Superintendent of Central Inspection were all invited to
the meeting. The owner of the junkyard and Apexs CEO never showed
up.
After the meeting,
neighborhood residents and Sunflowers North Witchitas leaders
took four carloads of people and went directly to the landowners
home to let him know how much he was missed at the meeting. Chapter
leaders flyered his neighbors homes to share just how different
his home and neighborhood looked compared to the land he owns across
town. A letter stating specific demands was left at his house as
well. Local media cameras and reporters were there for the entire
site visit.
Chapter leaders never
received a response from the owner about the letter they delivered.
A few of the items in the junkyard were soon removed and øPrivate
Property, No TrespassingÓ signs were put up. However, because much
of the rusted junk remains, leaders went straight to the health
department. According to the health department officials, the only
option is to force the owner to clean up the high weeds and trash,
not the rusted junk.
Sunflowers leadership
has vowed to continue fighting until the lot is cleaned up noting
a similar case in the past where the city eventually forced the
clean up of a local junkyard.
The morning after the
public meeting, the CEO of Apex Engineering also received a North
Wichita Chapter site visit. When he arrived at work early that morning
he came face to face with an office full of angry residents. After
fumbling through excuses for his absence at the meeting, he agreed
to schedule a time for a negotiating meeting the following week.
In response to Sunflowers
public meeting and continual pressure, the City of Wichitas Superintendent
of Central Inspection has put together a team, including members
of the police and health departments, to investigate the situation
with Apex.
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