Arlington Park Neighborhood Action Strategy - City of Sarasota

APPENDIX A — Satisfaction Survey (continued)the hospital, including loud car stereos and large trucks, emit noise both day and night.Children riding motorized scooters cause noise during the day, and many residentswere aggravated by such disturbances in this residential area.Code Compliance and Rental PropertiesBy a wide margin, improving the appearance of the neighborhood and greaterenforcement of City codes are improvements that residents would like to seeimplemented immediately. Forty-eight percent of residents consider the yards in theneighborhood to be in fair or poor condition. In the open response questions there arecomplaints of inoperable vehicles, large boats, temporary carports, and unattractiveproperties in general. The resident meetings revealed that the primary concern aboutunsightly properties is the fear they will affect property values.There is a general concern among homeowners about the number of renters. It isperceived that renters fail to maintain the properties, make noise, promote unsavorybehavior, fail to integrate into the community, and impact property values in general.According to residents, renters are the main source of code violations and unkemptproperties. Of particular concern are the Hillview Apartments, which were mentionednumerous times by survey respondents. Attracting crime, causing noise, and being ageneral eyesore, these apartments and some of their tenants are perceived as a threatto the neighborhood.CrimeNeighbors are not afraid to live in Arlington Park. Still, residents are concerned thatcrime could potentially have a large influence over the neighborhood. Rentalproperties are perceived as the harbinger of neighborhood decay, affecting the flight ofrespectable residents and attracting crime. Teenagers with nothing to do are also seenas a threat, congregating in the Park, doing drugs, vandalizing property, and causingmischief in general. The Park is seen as a potential threat, where unwanted personssuch as vagrants and youth may congregate at night to engage in criminal behaviorand cause trouble. According to survey results, 41% of residents would like to see anincreased police presence, both to patrol the neighborhood and to enforce speed limits.Fifty-two percent of residents believe that the lighting in the neighborhood is fair orpoor, with the concern that unlit areas have the potential to aid criminal activity.SummaryThe neighbors are generally concerned about safety and maintaining property values.Situated near many major roads and with vehicles speeding through the neighborhood,traffic is the largest perceived threat to safety. Fear of illegal activity is also mentioned;the perception of a low police presence and the absence of streetlights are seen as athreat. With the rising property values throughout the neighborhood, homeowners treattheir houses as an investment. They are concerned about unsightly appearances thatcould potentially affect property values, such as unkempt lawns, irresponsible renters,Arlington Park Neighborhood Action Strategy 39