This is the letter I sent to the various City of San Diego agencies asking for help on June 11th, 2007. CCDC finally contacted me yesterday hours before the news cameras showed up. The Mayors office has failed to respond. If you have any suggestions or comments I would love to hear your opinion.
Thank you for taking time to read my blog.
Jennifer
My name is Jennifer Inga; I am a women Business owner in downtown San Diego. My store is called The District and is located at 1020 8 th Ave, San Diego, 92101. The District is a high end women's & men's clothing boutique.
The purpose of this letter is to discuss the environment surrounding my business. I signed my lease in December of 2005 full of promise and hope. The building located directly across the street, on the east side of 8 th Avenue was occupied and the businesses were doing fairly well. In March of 2006 the owner of the building evicted all of the tenants leaving the building vacant. It has been empty ever since, this would not be as troublesome if it did not attract the homeless, drug addicts and drug dealers in large quantities. I have called the police on multiple occasions for drug dealing in front of my store and for people doing drugs feet from my front door. They have gone from being semi-secretive to outright brazen.
I have also spoken with the undercover police in the neighborhood giving the descriptions and any info I may have. Starting a business in a developing area is tough and I knew there would be challenges along the way. However, it was my understanding that this was to be a developing area with the property that covers the south side of 8 th Avenue, all of the north side of Broadway and the northwest side of 9 th Avenue was to be turned into a high rise residential tower.
It feels as if it is far from progressing but regressing. It directly affects my business. I had a women call my store and say she was too afraid to walk in once she parked her car because two large men were dealing drugs next to the store. Last week a man was passed out drunk in the middle of the side walk and he had urinated on himself. This environment is progressively becoming more saturated by this type of behavior and no one wants to shop under these conditions.
I worry about my staff, customers and my own safety on a daily basis. My store is my livelihood and I have is invested not only my financial resources but time and hard work into my business. I am trying my best to stay afloat, but unfortunately my efforts may not be enough to overcome my environment. The City has Inadvertently created a human waste dump by having blocks of vacant buildings, sheltering the homeless & the drug dealers. I am pleading for more resources to control this growing problem for myself, other business owners and the region in general. It can never meet its greatest potential if this unlawful and dangerous activity is not controlled.
cc: Councilmember Kevin Faulconer, Mayor Jerry Sanders, Centre City Development Corporation: Fredic Mass, Robert A. McNeely, Kim John Kilkenny, Wayne Raffesberger, Jennifer LeSar, Janice Brown, Teddy Cruz, Chief Of Police: William M Lansdowne, Downtown San Diego Partnership, Clean & Safe Operations unit
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