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Should City tell Gavers to "clean it up"?

Should City tell Gavers to "clean it up"?

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
July 16, 2011

Lake Avenue is a gateway road into downtown Woodstock. If you are heading to the Square from the east or the south, you'll be "greeted" by the junkyard at Kimball Avenue. Granted that Gavers has been a Woodstock business for many years, but it could be a better community member.

On July 5 a photo of the mashed "tractor" (left end of wrecked vehicles in top picture) was published. (Click on the image to enlarge it; then click on the Back button on your browser to come back here.) At that time it was still hooked to the tow truck. Now the trailer is gone, but the wrecked cab is still there. Looks to me like it's a total.

Last week I stopped by City Hall to see if any complaints had been registered about the mess at Gavers. The City maintains a file on each property address, and the most recent activity at Gavers was, according to the file, back in 1999.

The wrecked red pick-up has been stored at the front of the building for about two years. I know there has been City enforcement activity since then, because two other wrecked vehicles along the front of the building were removed. But none of that is documented. Documentation is necessary, so that effective enforcement will get the mess cleaned up.

With the growth of Woodstock, it's time for Gavers to store these junked vehicles elsewhere. Patrons of the Woodstock Recreation Center and the massage business across the street, along with the businesses on Kimball between Lake Avenue and the Metra tracks, shouldn't have to look at a junkyard any longer.

How about it, Woodstock? Can you work with Gavers to get the mess cleaned up in the next 60 days?