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Century Remains Out Of Parking Dispute, Owner Hides From Media
May 21, 2013
A Century woman at odds with her neighbor’s business addressed the Century Town Council again Monday night, also taking aim at NorthEscambia.com as she tried to hide her face from the media’s cameras.
Gayle Aldridge, a resident of 9032 North Century Boulevard, approached the Century Town Council back on May 6 seeking help due to customers at a neighboring plant nursery parking on her property. Mayor Freddie McCall told her that her situation is a private property dispute, and that she needed to hire a lawyer.
During his regular report Monday night, McCall referred to a memorandum from town planner Debbie Nickles of Nickles Consulting Group. She concluded the town’s Land Development Code (LDC) does not apply to the M & D Nursery, owned by James and Danette Odom, because the business has been in continuous operation since April 1987, prior to the LDC’s implementation in 1991. The LDC specifically grandfathers businesses in operation as of April 29, 1991.
“It is my opinion that this is a civil matter between the two property owners which could be settle by both property owners conducting a property boundary survey,” Nickles wrote in her report, after concluding that the nursery is not required to provide parking spaces under the Land Development Code and that M & D Nursery is in compliance with existing zoning regulations.
McCall also said Town Attorney Matt Dannheisser had also concluded that the parking problems are not town business but a private dispute between landowners.
Following McCall’s presentation Monday night, Aldridge began to address the council. As she spoke, she continually turned away from the council and our NorthEscambia.com camera, hiding her face from our photographer and speaking with her back to council members. Aldridge called NorthEscambia.com’s publisher a “crook” , before turning away from the council and walking out of the council chambers, covering her face with paper apparently attempting to avoid being photographed.
Despite a postal address on North Century Boulevard, Aldridge’s property does not front on any roadway; it’s accessed from a driveway and easement from nearby Zion Street, behind the First Mt. Zion Church. The same driveway provides access to the nursery property, and Aldridge said the driveway and access to and from her property is often blocked by nursery customers.
Aldridge has called the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, but deputies have not become involved with her parking problems because they believe it’s a civil, rather than criminal, issue, McCall said.
At the May 6 Century council meeting, McCall said he has been called to the location several times, including once when he was told “to hurry up and get up there because there is going to be a fight or a killing”. Aldridge responded from the audience at that meeting, saying McCall’s statement was a lie.
According to Escambia County Property Appraiser records, the property at 9022 North Century Boulevard is owned by the Brenda Gayle Aldridge Life Estate, James O. Mathis, Jr., Laudie Mildred Higdon, Mary Evelyn Cozart, Peggy Jean McDonald, Jerry W. Mathis, Brenda Gayle Aldridge, Johnny Mathis and Kathy Simmons.
Pictured top: Gayle Aldridge of 9032 North Century Boulevard turns away from the Century Town Council Monday night in an apparent attempt to avoid being photographed. Pictured below: Aldridge continues to hide her face in an apparent attempt to avoid being photographed as she exits the council chambers Monday night. Pictured inset: Aldridge looks at the camera during a May 6 Century Council meeting. NorthEscambia.com photographs, click to enlarge.
Comments
41 Responses to “Century Remains Out Of Parking Dispute, Owner Hides From Media”
I have been going to Mrs. Odoms for years to buy flowers. I hadn’t ever seen any signs that say No Parking until this year. Why all of the sudden does it bother Gayle so bad? She’s a drama queen. Always wanting to stir the pot about something. Get a life!
the dog,
They’re BOTH land owners.
sort of
David with good neighbors
I think the TOC in some way should be responsible to help the land owners to keep people off of of there land be cause the land owner don’t always have the money to get a lawyer!!
I think I would be upset as well. Everytime you walk out of your house you don’t want people and cars lingering in your yard, at least I don’t. I’m not saying these customers do, but how many times have we seen and heard people in parking lots laughing, talking loud, and carrying on. It would get really annoying. I don’t know either of these people but that’s just my opinion.
if its her property and she is having issues she has a legal right to place a fence up and a no trespassing sign that then would solve the problem
From all that I have read here, it would seem that the Nursery owners would bear some responsibility to provide parking for their customers. Instead they are letting them park anywhere and blocking Gayle’s driveway and entrance to her home. Is her front yard not recognizable as a “front yard”? I would never block anyones entrance to their home- just common sense.
That’s Gayle for you…..DRAMA!
According to public records she had a restraining order against a David L Odom in 1998, same last name as the nursery owner, that was dismissed. This is sounding more like a personal/family type issue.
Keep raising Hell Lady and your stupid picture is gonna continue to get took!
>> But yet you show no photos of the nursery owners or their representatives?
The nursery owners have not spoken in a public meeting. And, to the best of my knowledge, no public funds have been spent at the request of the Odoms on this issue.
Ms. Aldridge, however, chose to speak at two public meetingd and hundreds of taxpayer dollars have been spent by the city and the county as the result of her complaints.
Why would you not respect her wishes not to be photographed? But insisted on badgered her. She is not a criminal. But yet you show no photos of the nursery owners or their representatives?
Like Ms Aldridge said, the police will not get involved and the county will do nothing. So it seems that this has been an on going problem for years.
It’s not her fault, nor the businesses fault. The problem seems to lay with the road planners and customers who can clearly see they are parking in someones front yard.
One last compromise from both sides, “NO PARKING” during the hours of –:–am and –:–pm.” Or customers parking taped off at an agreed distance.
Only lawyers are going to win anything out of this. Money is to hard to come by now-a-days to be wasting.
By the way out of curiosity….who is paying the property tax?
REALLY?!?! Did she really waste a town meeting on a civil issue… Does this lady have anything better to do? If the police can’t help you and tell you it is a civil issue and you have already been turned away from a town meeting for the same issue, WHY RETURN WITH THE SAME ISSUE! From what I can gather she can’t, so unless you want to take the Odom’s to court or put a fence up, please keep your petty drama out of the way of tax payers money! I myself would like to see my tax money go to a “issue” more deserving than this lady and her issues she is just now having a problem with (I can see why everyone says DRAMA)!
One solution if the county had the money to improve the road would to be take the easement by imminent domain and improve the road. Then the argument would be settled but she would lose not only the property for the road but also for the right of way which customers would be allowed to park on legally.
The business has been there since 1987, they’ve had a shared easement all of this time and she is just now complaining? It wasn’t a problem for 26 years and now she’s screaming? Something doesn’t add up.
Sniper….May I ask……where are you gonna park??
I think I’ll go by there on my way home and buy some plants… It’ll save me a trip to Lowe’s and maybe I’ll get to see what the fuss is all about.
Mark,
A fence adds value and thus taxes to your property.
A ditch does not.
Pay for either once, pay for the other forever.
Really Jeeperman? You say they shouldn’t be forced to erect a fence, so your solution is to dig a ditch?
Tell me, what is the difference?
You people miss the point entirely.
There may and apparently does exist a right-of-way or easement (they are not the same) to get from the public road to the various properties. The same does not allow parking on any property not covered by such.
Furthermore, nobody should be forced to hire a lawyer and go to court to settle this matter. Nor should they be forced to erect a fence.
The line is the line and all others are to stay off if so directed by posted signs.
End of story.
Anyone trespasses, gets the law called on them.
And the law is then obligated to up hold the law, not pass it off to make money for lawyers and tie up the courts.
Dig a trench surrounding where parking is not allowed.
People get stuck, let them call and pay to get pulled out.
I have been doing business with Danette for many years. Best plants, lowest prices. I have never parked on this ladies lawn. Danette’s regular customers know better. There are angry signs everywhere. Danette is a caring, giving member of the community. Recently she teamed with Century United Methodist Church, and provided flowers for a beautification project at Century Care Center. Leave Danette alone, she is a productive American. She pays taxes.
The simple solution…..Gayle, Put a fence across your front yard…..Problem solved!
Poor planning is a tradition in Escambia County. Always has been.
This lady, not that I know her, is having to deal with a problem 24/7/365 that should not exist in the first place. She didn’t create the problem and no one is helping her with it and the business obviously doesn’t care about being a good neighbor.
NorthEscambia.com why antagonize this woman? No doubt at a public meeting you have a right to photograph her, but is it really necessary? She probably feels that since the city and NorthEscambia.Com aren’t taking her side, that you guys are against her, not that you are though. Your coverage on this has been good, up until the unnecessary photo’s.
Now it just seems like a form of bullying. Just sayin’
Umm… Dennis if you read
Despite a postal address on North Century Boulevard, Aldridge’s property does not front on any roadway; it’s accessed from a driveway and easement from nearby Zion Street, behind the First Mt. Zion Church. The same driveway provides access to the nursery property, and Aldridge said the driveway and access to and from her property is often blocked by nursery customers.
its a right of way/ road access easement debate its civil not something that the ECSO should be wasting there time with.
Why doesn’t she park her car to blocking people from getting to the nursery? It seems as though the nursery owners aren’t doing anything to help prevent their customers from doing it. Make it tougher for them to get customers into their business and see how they feel.
Regardless if the accompanying headline is good or bad, I would not care to have my face plastered in newspapers. I am not familiar with the location nor the people involved, but read several times that both parties share a easement driveway from Zion Street behind First Mt. Zion Church. Easy solution – let the customers use the Church’s parking lot. The nursery can provide carts to their customers for hauling their plant purchases to their cars.
Why not put up a gate, or a fence, as well as signs? Then prepare to go to court, take pictures of cars ignoring these items and blocking your driveway, or parking on your land, so that you have evidence of the problem. Also take these things and speak to the owner nicely and if he/she won’t help then go to court. Chances are if there is a problem and the pictures should prove it then you will get the police support you need to stop the problem. Yelling, screaming, and cussing people out is nothing but noise and will go no where.
I am confused about how this is a civil matter. Trespassing is a crime. So why isn’t this treated as trespassing. If the people are actually parking ON her property without her permission, and if she handles it correctly, it is trespassing. Then the LEOs MUST get involved.
Ths is the most crazyest crap ever , Mrs odom has the right to hane people come to her home , I was there last week and was Harassed by this women’s family, They sat in there yard and screamed and cussing us for parking in the edge of Mrs Odoms driveway.Mrs Adridge you need to get a life , You never had a problem before and now you start. well your not going to run Mrs Odoms Friends or Customers off.I personal will Help Mrs Odom get this straight, know matter what it takes. By know means will you and your Family threaten me and My Daughter for going there to buy some flowers.your m a Bully and Bullies have NO rights in this matter.
Has anyone noticed a trend here??? If there is not some kind of chaos with Mrs. Aldridge she will create some. I have witnessed her coming out in her yard, screaming and cursing at people who pull up at the nursery, even when they are not on her property, just to tell them not to get on it! You can look in her eyes in the picture above and see hate… I pray that the Odom’s find a solution to this problem without having to close their business.
How about a sign, “Parking, $10.00, Put money in box, all others will be towed”.
In place of roofing nails on the ground, post with a sign that vehicles will be towed. Then contact a wrecker service and have them standing by and have the vehicle towed. The owner of the vehicle should have to pay for the tow. (check with your lawyer on this). After a few vehicles are towed this should slow down the problem. Also ask the mayor and council how they would feel about someone they did not know parking in their yard and leaving their car. Hang in there Ms. Aldright.
Will I am one that park there sorry but did not know.I will not buy flowers at this place any longer as long it has no PARKING ,sorry your lost, when people stop going there at the flower shop maybe she would put in parking for them. Would like to see this towns people be more caring.
I have been there several times at this place. Never heard so much cursing in my life. These people are making themselves look like fools, instead of going to court, which is what they should have done in the first place.
Gayle, just put up signs that read ” DO NOT PARK BETWEEN THE SIGNS, YOUR BLOCKING MY DRIVEWAY, THANKS” PEOPLE ARE MORE RECEPTIVE TO SOMETHING THEY KNOW ABOUT IN A NICE WAY THAN SOMEONE DROPPING NAILS LIKE A CRAZY WOMAN.. BE REALISTIC.. MAKE A SIGN. SEE IF IT WORKS.
I have bn to this nursery and Mrs.Aldridge has signs posted everywhere. I, personally parked on the nursery’s land due to all the signs, but while there someone came up and parked in her yard and walked to the nursery…so, no matter what she has posted, people just don’t care enough to do the right thing.
O.M.G. GROW UP put a no tresspassing sign up and if they still park there just put roofing nails down on your property cause you have that right. And if they come on your property you have your rights to give them a flat tire. I bet once their customers start getting flat tires they will advise them to part out of your yard. It’s your property and you have the right to be you
>>As far as the North Escambia reporting staff I think it is down right hounding that you would go to such extent just to take a pitcher of a person that is sincere in getting help with this problem. Shame on NorthEscambia.com. as you are seemingly trying to make this all about you to get more publicity yourself.
That’s almost funny. You think you can go to public meeting and hide? Seriously? And Northescambia is going to get more publicity off Aldridge? Tens of thousands of people read it every day, NE is on Channel 3 every morning, I hear Northescambia on the radio all the time, the NE publisher was named by another newspaper as one of the most powerful people in Escambia County and somehow Gayle Aldridge is going to make it more popular? Fat chance.
Since the City and the Council and the County law enforcement officers do not want to get involved. If I were Mrs. Aldridge I would place a couple of signs in front of My property reading “Private parking only” and hope that people will obey them for me. As far as the North Escambia reporting staff I think it is down right hounding that you would go to such extent just to take a pitcher of a person that is sincere in getting help with this problem. Shame on NorthEscambia.com. as you are seemingly trying to make this all about you to get more publicity yourself. The Mathis family is well know in the Century area and all do good by their neighbors and friends and Mrs. Aldridge is no exception. Just give it a rest And roll with the political and Media punches. The old saying what goes round comes round–So sooner or later you will get your shot.
So the publisher of a free online news blog is a “crook” but a person who hides their identity like a terrorist is okay? Hmmmmmm.
Aldridge is right, pull up on my property uninvited and see what happens!!!
Seriously?
The Century council should not even give the time of day to someone hiding from them and from having their photo taken in a PUBLIC meeting. The Sunshine Law is all about open government, not acting like that.