Encroachment - Linda Riley - East Wayne Street Neighborhood Association

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4w F�ILED w , , " 2,,,,) OCT 701% 00FPUU1',�'(,�W,nt Against Itty Bitty Library at Proposed Locatija&...w,�n 80AI 0 1 UNDA M. MAfWP'aRPJon and Debra Gaul. We live directly across fre... Ltic alAff2le park. Our address is 1204 Wayne Street North. We live along the curved section on the east side of the park. We purchased our home in March 2009. Part of the reason we bought our particular home was the wonderful, serene, and natural view of the park. When the Itty Bitty Library first appeared, we viewed it as an eyesore - as we live directly across the street so it hindered our beautiful view. It was far from aesthetically pleasing, as it was an old newspaper box painted chocolate brown. After a conversation with the neighbor responsible for placing the library box in front of our home, along with others who made their dislike known, the box was removed. We are here, as we have learned the box may be reinstalled in a different location of the park. In addition to the unsightliness of the box, we have other reasons why the box should not be placed in the park: 1. No one asked the residents of the homes neighboring the park for their opinion. 2. Wayne Street is often used as a cut, -through between Jefferson and Eddy by cars that often travel above the speed limit. The park is close to the entrance to Wayne Street from Eddy which makes for a dangerous area for pedestrians to be. There are no crosswalks or sidewalks in the park area. The location selected is approximately 150 feet from Eddy Street. 3. The park is not well lit, as the lights at the three points of the park are dimmer than most street lights, and the park area is dark at night. The street joining North and South Wayne has been known to be a parking area for youth, as well as an area where stolen property has been found. 4. Because of the darkness, it would also make the box vulnerable to vandalism. 5. One of our biggest concerns is that the box could be used for illegal activity, i.e. a drop for illegal drugs/money for dropped drugs. Again, because of the area being dark, it makes for an ideal rendezvous spot, 6. We question who will be responsible for the maintenance of the box. 7. There are three libraries within a 2-mile radius of Wayne Street - Main Branch downtown and two smaller branches on Mishawaka