Cabot officials recently evicted the tenants of a dilapidated apartment complex at 205 S. Linden St. that was unsafe for its residents and a nuisance to its neighbors.
The city made the right decision even if the timing may have appeared insensitive since the residents were ordered to vacate days before Thanksgiving.
The neglected apartment complex came to the attention of officials after neighbors complained in October that some of the residents often appeared to be intoxicated and that crime was increasing in the area. Inspections revealed exposed wiring, rotting walls, infestations and more.
The suspicion that the Linden Street tenants were committing crimes appears to be correct as three of those evicted were arrested for stripping copper from the complex, which was also vandalized while people were moved out: A water-heater valve was opened, flooding two apartments; paint was splattered on the outside of the buildings, among other petty damage caused by the defiant saboteurs.
The owner of the complex and its tenants did not take pride in the community or their property. We’d like to see Jacksonville improve or even shutter the multiple motels on Hwy. 161.
