The neighbor who tipped you off to the violation sounds like a pretty “colorful” character and one who may be the same who has attempted to stop several other projects on that particular block.

Yes, a violation is a violation, and if the crew “allegedly” did cut a gas line, that would be a reason for concern.

Yet, I find it interesting that this person never complained (for decades) about the previous owners and tenants of the property who all had criminal records, and who, on many occasions, had thrown filthy mattresses, refrigerators, old appliances, garbage and all kinds of s**t not only in the back yard, but also over the fence, leaving it rot in the “alley” which is actually Fulton Street–not an alley at all.

That situation was only remedied when neighbors on St Albans called the streets department to have the piles of garbage removed from behind their houses which back up to Catharine Street.

I’m quite happy to see the renovation of this property and can only hope that the new owners are true neighbors who are not so fearful as some others who see any change in the area as destroying “their” community.

how could you possibly know that this neighbor didn’t complain about previous nuisance neighbors?

They would never “snitch”.

I’ve lived on this very block for three years now, and honestly, we’ve seen about six or seven of the houses on this block get renovated beautifully. The turn-around there’s been in just the time I’ve been here has been amazing. There’s also the new park going in at the end of the block and the new Ultimo going in. None of these projects have been complained about like this property was.

This wasn’t just “anti-development stalwarts that stifle progress” as seen elsewhere (I’m looking at you, Kater St.). This was different. I love development (heck, I’m part of the group that gentrified the area!), but even though I didn’t know all of the specifics laid out in this article, this house-flipping seemed really weird and shady. I did notice the dump truck (that blocked parking availability for SO long!) and all of the “contractors” just looked like a bunch of college freshman. It was strange. It felt off.

And so yes, while the slow generational gravitational pull of bad economics, family, and property neglect led this block to have some bad neighbors and drug issues, that doesn’t mean we get to treat the block any ol’ way we choose. We have to be responsible with development. These people were not. They’ve been stopped.

It should be a testament to the character of these neighbors of mine that it took a gas line evacuation before they finally put their foot down. I know few other blocks that would have waited that long to act.