Friday, March 26, 2010

Is this what we want for downtown?

Have you been downtown lately, when its been nice?
If you have been and been in the area of Fourth and Locust streets, you probably have seen it at the vacant lot at Fourth and Locust streets.
It's the lot where a building was torn down maybe two years ago, in not longer now, turned into a vacant lot/parking lot.
Since the weather has turned nice, its been the scene of what many are calling an "outdoor yard sale or flea market" on an almost daily basis -- right in the heart od our downtown.
It has also been a problem the last few years when it came time for the Antique, Art and Craft Show, sponsored by the Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce as well. Seems the property owner of the lot is allowing yard sales on the property, the day of that event, making the vendors coming to Columbia for that big day in June unhappy campers. They are paying a fee to be there and those on the lot are not.
Is Columbia has a yard sale ordinance, it is not being enforced. Several years ago there was a proposal before council to limit the number of yard sales a property owner could have, but may not have been acted on.
But is this what we want people coming to town to see every day? Filling up a lot with let's call it what it is -- junk.
Okay, it could be the business that operates at 403 Locust St. moving items outside, but they shouldn't be allowed to do it every day.
Columbia Borough should step in and stop this or control this before it gets out of hand. It just doesn't give off a good impression of our town.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This needs to be investigated.... don't you have to have some kind of permit for having an open air market on a continuing basis ....c'mon let's clear this matter up.

Anonymous said...

I found this link through the Borough's website and its Code Book: Its Chapter 122....
http://www.ecode360.com/?custId=CO0213