No neighborhood streetlights in Highland Park.

**Danny** · August-26-11, 04:18 PM

Something happen in the ghettohoods of Highland Park. Detroit Edison took most of neighborhood streetlights away. How people are going to their homes and businesses in the dark? This could increase violent crime in Highland Park.

Any thoughts?

**Blueidone** · August-26-11, 04:27 PM

They did the same thing along Kercheval between Conner and Alter. Brand new affordable housing just built, with move in this week, and no streetlights! We later found out that part of this area is going to be one of the Hantz Farms.

I hate being a conspiracy theorist...however, seems a little odd that they would cut off the streetlights just as 24 new families are moving into the neighborhood, and a new multi-use office building with commercial offices/stores on the ground level and apartments upstairs is going to be occupied.

The story is that they cut them off because people are stealing the poles and wiring. Or is it really because they would like people to move out of the neighborhood east of Kercheval so Hantz can have more land for his farm??

**corktownyuppie** · August-26-11, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by Blueidone

They did the same thing along Kercheval between Conner and Alter. Brand new affordable housing just built, with move in this week, and no streetlights! We later found out that part of this area is going to be one of the Hantz Farms.

Curious...how do you know this is going to be one of the Hantz Farms? Is that definitive, public information?

**Blueidone** · August-26-11, 06:30 PM

The gentleman who owns the new housing spoke with a representative of Hantz Farms.

**corktownyuppie** · August-26-11, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Blueidone

The gentleman who owns the new housing spoke with a representative of Hantz Farms.

Oh I get it. I misunderstood. So the new housing building is adjacent to Hantz Farms. That makes more sense.

Well, if Hantz wants more land for his farm, he's gonna have to pay up the gentleman for it, and I doubt that broken street lights are gonna chase residents away. A brand new building with affordable rates combined with a beautiful view of farmland [[rather than blighted vacant homes)...sounds pretty nice.

**Blueidone** · August-26-11, 09:18 PM

I don't have a problem with them tearing down blighted vacant homes [[it took over a year and a multitude of letters and meetings to get one torn down that was in the new development area). I have a problem with forcing people to move from the only home they have or can afford by stopping city services in the area. And I particularly have a problem with forcing them out to basically hand the land over to someone for a commerical farming operation.

The owner of the new housing is happy about the farm being there, except that he wanted to building more affordable housing on one of the blocks, perhaps so that the people who live in the area they are trying to "turn off" can find affordable housing. Hopefully, a compromise can be reached.