Fri 21 Aug, 2009
Overheard in a Driveway
Filed under: Development, General, Planning and Zoning FictionTags: Neighbor, Planning Literature, Real Estate, Stories
Community planning tends to be an odd mix of science and technical know-how with art and creativity. Unfortunately, the art and creativity side can too often be lost under a sea of legalities, zoning administration, and other more mundane, day-to-day tasks. This is especially evident in the area of planning literature, where the vast majority of articles deal primarily with the technical side of planning.
We at Building Place are pleased to make better use of the right side of our brains by publishing another in our “planning fiction” series of short stories or vignettes…
The author of the following piece, Rodney C. Nanney, AICP, has long enjoyed writing short stories, and the characters that inhabit the planning field have provided him with fertile new literary ground to develop (so to speak):
Author’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance between the characters and any real individuals is coincidental.
Overheard… …in a Driveway
“Did you hear? The house on the corner sold to another one of those families.”
“Really? You know, the same sort of people moved into that house across the street from me last week too!”
“I saw that. The whole neighborhood’s going over to them!”
“I agree. One of them moved in at the end of the block just after we moved here. It was awful. They don’t do anything to discipline their kids you know. They let them run wild!”
“Really?”
“Sure. One time I forgot and left my daughter’s stroller outside by my house…and their son set it on fire! I couldn’t believe it! I watched him run back to their house. When Jennie and I tried to talk to his parents, they just looked at us as if we were crazy. ‘Our son?’ they asked, as if it was impossible….”
“What did you do then?”
“What could I do? They’re moving in all over, you know. I never see anyone but folks like them with the real estate brokers when they come around these days. It’s as if someone drew a line and said, ‘Here will be the new neighborhood for you people!’”
“Isn’t there something we can do? Call the city!…they have to do something!”
“…and say what? ‘Hi. I’m a taxpayer and I’m concerned about all these kinds of families moving into my neighborhood and I want you to get some good ol’ folks that look like me in here!’ I would look like a nut and a bigot besides!”
“Isn’t there anything we can do?”
“I spoke with a couple of the realtors who’ve been calling me incessantly, asking me if I want to sell my house. I actually asked them why they only bring those kind of people here. All of them said that there’s nothing they can do…the neighborhood’s turning over and they’re ‘simply responding to the market.’ I suspect it’s more like they’re pushing and shoving the market our way. The realtors are probably thinking that it’s better to send them here than to where they all live!”
“You know, they’re not all bad.”
“Sure, the guy across the street is nice enough…and quiet too. The problem isn’t really with one or two of them. It’s when they take over everything. I have a friend who still lives in an neighborhood that’s almost entirely turned over to them. Apparently they keep a live goat in their back yard! What a nightmare.
“Where do they think they are - a farm? This is America, not their old country! What are you going to do?”
“Well, I hate to leave. I’ve really loved living here, but it’s too risky now to stay. Demand for these houses here is OK right now, but if everyone starts selling off, prices are going to fall through the floor. I’m sorry, but I can’t afford to take the chance. ”
“Have you started looking yet?”
“ I’ve already called for an appraisal on our place. We’re looking at a house west of here in a nice stable neighborhood, good schools, you know. We went by last Saturday and talked with some of the neighbors. It seems like a good area for us.”
“Just when you think you’re secure…. Nice house. Nice neighbors. Then somebody makes a decision somewhere that changes everything! Who makes these decisions? Who’s in charge?”
“I don’t know. Nobody, I guess.”