DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) – An apartment building in Decatur has not only become an eyesore but a source of concern for residents in the area.
One resident says she has seen the building deteriorate in recent years and now recent police activity has everyone worried about their safety.
The sign in front of the Galilean Apartments is falling apart. Garbage is everywhere, in every spot at the back of the building that Carridale Street resident Andrea Hoffmeier Wilson says is crumbling before her eyes.
According to a Decatur City code, all signs should be maintained and in good repair.
“As you can see just driving by and looking you will see that it’s dilapidated,” said Hoffmeier.
Hoffmeier told News 19 that the once proud section of the neighborhood has been deteriorating for far too long.
“It’s sending the wrong message to residents of this complex but also the entire neighborhood,” Hoffmeier explained.
Hoffmeier, a sustainable development professional, says the unkept conditions are part of a greater issue. Issues that she has presented to Decatur City Council and the District 4 leader Hunter Pepper.
“The small things still matter. When you see a broken window it sends a message to the community that we don’t care. It’s manifested in so many other ways; the broken-down sign and the trash all over the place.”
Last week, Decatur Police reported an arrest of two men after an alleged attempted rape and abduction of a woman on the property.
Juan Pas Ramirez, 23, and Nicolas Ramirez Cardona, 21, were charged with first-degree attempted rape following a police investigation at an apartment complex.
Councilman Pepper says it hasn’t been easy to get the building cleaned up.
“Unfortunately, we could only do so much. Private property owners have rights just like we have rights on our private property,” said Pepper. “That doesn’t mean that you should be able to affect everybody else that lives around you and that doesn’t mean that you should be able to have health hazards and safety hazards within the building.”
News 19 attempted to reach the property owner about the existing issues and have not heard back.
