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MMH is changing the landscape for the better

For many years, the homes along a portion of Muskingum Drive–one of the entryways to our city–have been eyesores rather than a good representation of a beautiful community.

Parking lots are never particularly exciting additions. However, we think the one that will be put in by the Memorial Health System now that about a dozen of the houses have been torn down will be an improvement over what was there. It’s not a best-case scenario for the property in terms of aesthetics or benefit to the community, but it is a step up.

We do hope that as the lot goes in, those with Memorial do their best to make the site attractive while still functional. Some landscaping along the roadway could go a long way into restoring some charm to that stretch of Muskingum.

There have also been concerns that tearing down these houses will push residents to move outside city limits. We don’t know at this point whether that will come to pass. There are other homes available in the city. In the cases of those who sold homes that were in poor shape, the buyout from Memorial may provide a great opportunity to the homeowners.

As the landscape there changes, it is a sad moment for many who remember a more thriving neighborhood there, with well-maintained homes. But it was unlikely at this point that all of those homes were going to be rescued and rehabbed. We think the next steps taken by the Memorial Health System are the right ones for the city.

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