Dear Editor:
Frozen and busted water line
On Feb. 10, I was driving north on State Road 37 when I noticed what, upon first glance, appeared to be melting snow or ice running off of the former RAM Restaurant & Brewery near 126th Street. It only took me a moment to realize that the water I was seeing was actually a frozen and busted water pipe in the ceiling of the building.
I quickly redirected myself to the parking lot of the building and attempted to identify and contact the property owner to notify them of the problem.
Who is the responsible party?
The real estate sign that advertises the building for sale has a name and phone number listed on it, so I tried dialing the number to reach the agent listed on the sign. However, the automated system told me that there was no one by that name in the directory.
Next, I redialed the corporate number to listen for additional options and instead chose their emergency property maintenance hotline. The lady who answered asked for a property address, which I provided. We spent 15 minutes trying to identify the address in her system, but with no luck. She eventually said that there was nothing she could do because she couldn’t even find the property by name or address in her system.
So who is currently responsible for this property in case of an emergency?
Without any other place to turn, I called the non-emergency number for the Fishers Fire Department Station 91. They were courteous and quick to respond. Upon arrival they quickly gained access to the building.
Thank you Fishers Fire Department for your quick a professional response!
What is the cost of letting buildings sit vacant?
In my experience today, I witnessed three different costs attributed to this mishap, which could have been avoided if the building was occupied and utilized:
- Hundreds of gallons of city water running onto the ground.
- Significant water damage repair now needed on the property.
- Fire protection costs to shutoff the water.
- Other costs?
Focus on redevelopment of existing facilities
As mayor, I will emphasize and encourage private investment of money (as opposed to public spending) towards redevelopment, re-purposing and utilization of existing properties. While it can be exciting to rally behind the rapid growth and expansion of a city hyper-focused on new development, the growing cost to taxpayers is consistently increasing and could soon culminate in a sharp increase if we don’t find ways to be more resourceful in the future.
Let’s work together to develop a more sustainable Fishers that not only continues to attract more jobs and enterprise all around the city, but positions itself for a stable and prosperous future for all residents.
Logan Day
Candidate for Mayor of Fishers