Day: August 20, 2018

NBC News Chicago reports that nearly 60 people have been shot in Chicago over the weekend, with six of them dying from their injuries.  Four of the fatalities were teenagers.

In a video on the page, Chicago’s police Superintendent Eddie Johnson explains that it is usually the same small group of people who are responsible for most of the shootings.  He said they have three people of interest in custody who have been potentially involved with the shootings, and 83 illegally owned guns have been taken.

18 people were shot on Friday evening, 17 people were shot on Saturday, and another 18 were shot on Sunday.

In a statement Johnson said, “As long as we fail to create repercussions for carrying and using guns, or more importantly holding violent offenders accountable for their actions, we’re simply going to continue to have these discussions on Monday morning. … There is a small subset of people who [get] a slap on the wrist despite legislation we had passed last year for being a repeat gun offender and breaking the law.  … These shootings are not random, they are fueled by gang conflicts.  .. We continue to send the message that it is okay to commit these crimes.”

Almost 1,900 people have been shot in Chicago so far since the beginning of the year.

Hundreds of residents of an upscale community in Wichita, Kansas have signed a petition being opposed to the zoning of 15 acres adjacent to theirs which will contain 90 “tiny homes” which range in price from $75,000 to $100,000.

Residents are concerned about their properly values falling due to the addition of the development, and they are upset that the local zoning laws didn’t require the developers to notify them or require a hearing about what is being built due to the tiny homes already technically fitting the zoning specifications for the area.

Many of the residents are worried about what would happen if the development becomes a “failed concept” with it turning into cheap rental homes that would damage their property values.

The owners of the “MicroMansions” development has said that the neighborhood would have a homeowners association and covenants though.

The controversy has caused the Wichita County Commission to approve some building code changes related to tiny homes.

Editors Note: (updated March 8, 2020)—

I think the neighborhood would work fine being alongside the other ones as long as the homeowners association and covenants that the developers mentioned are very strict about the exterior appearances of the houses and yards.

It would be important for the owners of the houses in the new neighborhood to be required to sign agreements saying that they would not put anything in their yards such as above ground pools or swing sets, otherwise the neighborhood would take on an unsightly appearance that would be unfair to the residents of the original adjacent neighborhoods.  Perhaps the neighborhood could also have uniform natural landscaping throughout the development.

I don’t think such rules are important for all neighborhoods though of course, but I think it would work best in that case.