No Zoning About Parked Cars/Boats/Trailers? (Lexington, London: middle-class, houses)

[BuckeyeBelle]

I just drove through a neighborhood here in Lexington I haven't driven through in 15 years. (Not sure what it is called, some streets were Pimlico Parkway and Gainesway)

It seemed largely well-maintained, but it seemed like every couple of blocks there was one or two houses with lots of clunker cars, a boat, etc. not just in the driveway but on the yard. I felt sorry for the folks who were keeping up their properties that others were bringing down the look and value of the area.

We moved to Lexington recently from a city where this was not allowed. No parking on grass, and no non-running cars left sitting. I am sure that in the really economically opressed areas of that city, the rules were not enforced as tightly as they were in our middle-class neighborhood, but the fact that so many of the houses in the area I drove through today were so neatly kept and nice in general made me wonder whether there is a zoning problem or something in Lexington that keeps neighbors who don't want a bunch of junked-up properties on their street from getting anything done about it?

[Irishtom29]

Kentucky is a conservative state where people believe in capitalism and the Free Market. That means that how you use your property is your own business.

The Free Market, conservative solution for you is to buy the offending properties and then do what YOU want with them.

I lived in a subdivision in Lexington that had a covenant that controlled such things, when some people in the neighborhood parked boats and such in the driveway I complained to the association and the association got the people in line. People knew about the restrictions and were free to buy or not. But government wasn't involved, nor should it be.

[InLondon]

Most neighborhoods in Lexington are not like this. Many have HOA's. Ohio has it's fair share of bad neighborhoods too. I'm assuming that's where you're from....

[BuckeyeBelle]

I didn't move here from Ohio, but from a large city on the east coast with plenty of "bad neighborhoods" and obviously in those neighborhoods things are more run down than in neighborhoods where people have the money to make repairs, etc.

I was just surprised since most of Lexington seems so much nicer and cleaner than that city, that there aren't similar ordinances about things like cars parked on grass and non-running cars. It doesn't cost money to park on the street instead of on the grass, so it isn't limited to people with more means and isn't really imposing a burden on homeowners to have a rule like that.

[timelesschild]

That neighborhood over there kinda has that culture. It suits some, and bothers others.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by InLondon

Ohio has it's fair share of bad neighborhoods too. I'm assuming that's where you're from....

You're very defensive.

[InLondon]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

You're very defensive.

I have to be to some Northerners, sorry just how I am.

[stx12499]

Cars in yards is just....redneck. There is no nice way to put it. I have seen it all over KY, but mostly in rural areas. Only place in Lex I have seen it are a few areas north and nw of DT. Where are we talking about?

[InLondon]

Originally Posted by stx12499

Cars in yards is just....redneck. There is no nice way to put it. I have seen it all over KY, but mostly in rural areas. Only place in Lex I have seen it are a few areas north and nw of DT. Where are we talking about?

You mean in every state right? Because this goes on everywhere people. Even in Northern states....

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by InLondon

You mean in every state right? Because this goes on everywhere people. Even in Northern states....

You're very defensive. Are you a person or a program that reacts to certain prompts?