Tom Ault
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
We live in a world of ever-changing landscape. A factory is built, small homes left in ruin in its wake; once cabins by the water where fishermen dreamt, now multi-family apartments on the waterfront where the enjoyment has changed from fishing to extreme water sports. This is America, the ever-changing, but not always better changing country we live in.
I have no idea who Steven Lightner of Marketing Specialists Inc. is nor do I know where he lives. What I do know is that his attempt to place four rental units at the Shermans Hollow entrance to the West Point development of lovely residential duplexes will not enhance the integrity of that community.
The West Point Homeowners Association has insisted that every duplex owner maintains their property in accordance with certain specifications. Since its inception it has been a place to live and enjoy the benefits of home ownership for many retired, semi-retired and soon to be retired folks. This is, for many, their last investment in a home and it was made knowing that maintenance would be a guideline and consequently the home values would remain steady with the economy. To date it has done just that!
Once rental units are introduced to the area, the pride of ownership will diminish.
Most of us rented in our early adult lives until we could afford to buy. Some of us maintained the places we rented as though we owned them, but several did not. Those that did not assumed it was someone else’s responsibility to maintain and all they had to do was pay the rent.
I handled several rental units for owners a few years back. I also handled the maintenance for those rental units. Even though careful screening was done, there were problems with lawns not being mowed, trash not picked up on the lots, screens and door looks damaged and sometimes eliminated, and a multitude of other problems which could barely be kept up with.
I think rental units are great, but not by sacrificing a community of caring homeowners just because a developer sees an empty lot!