The New Year got off with a bang.
Plainfield's New Year started with a bang this morning.
Waking late (I stayed up to welcome the New Year), I thought I heard a snow plow grinding along the pavement of West 7th Street.
Instead, it turned out to be yet another accident directly across from my house. A VW with four 20-somethings had smashed into an SUV parked across the street.
By the time I got boots on and walked out to the front, a cop was already on the scene. Trying to get a snap with my cellphone, I heard an 'Oh, my God' and looked up to see a woman who lives in the Connolly apartment building and who has just come out to check out the fuss only to find out it was her SUV that had been hit.
(Having lived here 25 years, it was only after Connolly Properties took over the apartment buildings across the street and started charging resident for parking spaces that many began parking in the street, dangerously narrowing 7th Street in our block. So, thank you David Connolly, and a Happy New Year to you, too!)
Now feeling my first day of the New Year slipping behind schedule, I headed off to pick up the daily papers. Heading down Liberty Street, I discovered why the VW had probably slid into the SUV. Tapping the brakes as I approached the STOP sign near St. Mary's Church, I slid into the middle of the intersection -- black ice! Thank God no one was coming down 6th.
I usually return up Madison Avenue with my haul of 3 newspapers, but this morning I could see fire trucks enter Madison the wrong way from 4th Street and then stop, blocking the street, further up.
Hmmmm...
Looping around, I parked on West 6th and walked down the block to discover the house directly across the corner from the old Board of Ed headquarters, informally known as '504' billowing smoke.
The house was billowing smoke.
Pumping had not yet begun.
Firemen with axes were battering the front door. Smoke was billowing out of every opening, including under the roof.
I didn't see anyone looking like residents standing on the street, and thought that strange. However, after looping around again and being able to go past the house from the eastbound 5th Street side, it looked like it was boarded up.
A foreclosure?
Arson?
Arriving back at my driveway as dawn approached, I was in time to catch a couple of shots as the crash was being cleaned up by a tow truck driver.
The VW was now up on a flatbed.
Damage to the SUV was now clearly visible.
What a way to start the New Year of 2010 in Plainfield!
-- Dan Damon [follow]
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2 comments:
Per the Connelley properties...
ZONING RESOLUTION: NO GRANDFATHER CLAUSE : #xxxx.oox - Any rental property within the city limits that has more than 5 units must provide free of charge parking for at least 1 vehicle per unit
PROBLEM SOLVED....seriously..I am so annoyed that a simple solution like this can't be enacted. God knows, we as a city wouldn't want to offend someone like David Connelley. I mean, with all that extra money he has been collecting for the parking spaces look at what an incredible job he did maintaining those buildings...
Hi Dan,
I think the council should visit the parking issue with Connelly and the other property owners who are charging for parking at these locations. They were built with parking provided for the residents and should continue to provide parking. This should be part of zoning and should not be allowed to be changed by a lazy landlord who does not want to police the vehicles on his property and wants to make another buck of his tenants. 7th street is a prime example of both Connelly and the non Connelly property just past Grant where the road run thin due to on street parking. It should be illegal for the landlords to enforce this policy. The city needs to step up here.
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