Valley Drive East sure is gross anymore. Why doesn't the city have regulations against this? Don't get me wrong, I don't want anyone telling me what color I can paint my house, but this is a hazard and degrading to our city don't you think? Just a thought of mine.

Is that within the city limits?

Ya. Right next to underpass

Looks as though Mr. Shipley is cleaning out the old pawn shop.

You could complain to the city. There are city ordinances that regulate this kind of thing but I doubt it will accomplish anything.

It's been that way for some time.

Just curious, when was this picture taken? I 'thought' there had been some activity cleaning the area recently.

This gets complicated. The land is BNSF. The leaseholder has been in violation of his lease but who is responsible can be argued. The City has been working on it. Welcome to the legal system and people who can afford lawyers.

Welcome to the legal system and people who can afford lawyers.

Girl you have it right. There are alot of places here in Miles City that are like this. There are so many that my children (boy7, girl6) tell me.... "Mommy, can we have that? We will clean it up and it will be pretty!" So that is sad that there are little ones out there that want better for the dumps that others own!

This is just one example of the crap-hole broken-down, nasty buildings polluting Valley Drive East. Makes me sick to think this was once the prosperous business area of town. And that my grandpa won the contest to name it! Bet he is spinning in his grave........

I took this pic today actually. I know this is just one of the many disasters. It is sad to see it like this.

All that junk on Valley Drive needs to be ripped out and replaced with housing or warehouses or professional offices or something. It's just not the right part of town to have a business right now, too far from the interstate and not in a high traffic area. Cleaning it up would take some major $$$ though.

Or we can just rename it "Valley Dive". That stuff has needed to be removed for years and its just now being noticed? Really?

C'mon now, its not all that bad. Reynold's, Magnuson Tin Shop, Yellowstone Tavern....there are many fine and upstanding businesses located along Valley Drive.

The Clampett crapyard is not unique to Miles City. Every town has one. Usually its some tea party type who thinks he's above local ordinance and/or lease agreements. If you try to deal with such buttheads....think Ruby Ridge, Waco, Garfield County,...

Rob Shipley used to have a pawn shop in that building. I don't know if he still owns/ever did own the building or not. He may have rented the space. I am very curious as to what kind of treasure and memorabilia is on the inside. The old Carter oil and ENCO signs on the outside are pretty cool. There is probably enough stuff on the inside to furnish 10 cracker barrel restaurants.

Or we can just rename it "Valley Dive".

Maybe the City can sell the naming rights.

[This message has been edited by Richard Bonine, Jr. (4/18/2011)]

It still is Ship's pawn shop.

When the mayor & the city fathers had him clean up his yard, some of it overflowed to the pawn shop area.

Rob is / has been working on it as far as I can see.

He might appreciate some help.

Stop in and ask him what your could do.

Forgive me if I am wrong, but doesn't MC have a town arsonist? Growing up there, I remember that the arsonist was quite busy. Seems like this would be right up their alley. Just a thought. Bobby?

Good idea to offer to help! You find some treasures from what he won't want!

The sad thing is that Shipley's father ran several businesses in the Miles City area including both the service station across from the pool and the Exxon truck stop. I worked for the guy as a teenager and he would have never put up with this low life crap! Genetics must have jumped a generation.......

[This message has been edited by Montana1 (4/18/2011)]

Someone should call the American Pickers guys. They'd be all over that!!

Someone should call for a bulldozer and a dumptruck.

What really happened to Valley Drive was Interstate 94. Fifty years ago, some businessmen on Highway 10-12 were suing to try to prevent the three exits from being constructed right away. Most people thought they were silly. The Interstate was going to be great! More people! All of whom just kept driving by.

And then along came Wal Mart and killed Main Street. Whenever I come back to M C I cannot beleive how run down it is getting. Does no one take pride in there homes anymore? Don't get me wrong there are people who take good care of their homes but for every one of those there are 10 that are run down. I still would like to own one of the houses on Main like Etchamendys or Pettigrews or Stickneys or Samsels old home on Winchester. Some of them have been well kept and restored very well. Valley Drive is a DIVE. Time for a little Miles City style urban renewal

Unless the debris piled in front of the Valley Dr. E. property photographed above is removed by April 30th, the entire property is scheduled for demolition by BNSF, the legal owners of the parcel.

The City has been engaged in securing a remedy to this particular public nuisance since the debris began appearing last fall, following a District Court judgment requiring the current tenant to remove the same debris from his residential property on S. 4th St.

Drilling down through legal ownership, property management, and due process has taken longer than anyone had desired but a solution is finally at-hand.

BNSF has also been put on-notice with photographs of the other nuisance properties on Valley Dr. E. between Leighton Blvd. and E. Main St.

Please support our Keep Miles City Beautiful program!

Joe

Boom. There you go.

If that happens can I please have the ENCO sign?

[This message has been edited by Richard Bonine, Jr. (4/20/2011)]

dibs on the truck dolly!

Suckers!

Way to go Mr. Mayor!!! Can you please make sure it's cleaned up by Bucking Horse Sale?

Can't wait to see the clean up on Valley Drive, that is my view out my front door. Would love to see something done with the old Chubby's building either cleaned up with a new fun business or tore down for a parking lot for Stevens over flow parking for funerals.

Thanks Mayor for working so hard.
Just a suggestion but maybe we should as a community could/should volnteer to help clean up Valley Drive.

Mayor,

Can Miles City selling naming rights to any of these eye sores?

how do you lease that building I would clean it all up and fix it up I need a shop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Could make those signs look like a old gas station slash mechanics shop was there!

Getter done!

Thank you Mr. Mayor!!!!

Why in the world would he haul all that crap from his house over there instead of to the dump?

Mayor,

Can Miles City selling naming rights to any of these eye sores?

I purpose to change Valley Drive to Shape Street. After the location photographed above is cleaned up it will be....


Ship @ shape.

I see nothing has been picked up here and it's past April 30th - any news on the site being demolished? Mayor??

Maybe he ment April 2012?

Read his post again. He said that if the debris was not cleaned up by the 30th the property would be scheduled for demolition. He didn't say when the demolition would actually occur. I hope it will be soon.

Still a mess! How much longer can it take?

Should go through it and have a city auction. I'm sure there's something good in there....maybe?

Money raised could go towards paying someone to go cut his lawn.....or having it done.

[This message has been edited by ABE (6/17/2011)]

You really struggle with the concept of personal property rights, don't you.

...And you with the concept of abandoned property?

There is nothing "abandoned" about it... he is there about everyday.. I've seen him there a bunch of times when I drive by there on my way home.

BNSF and many lawyers are also involved. Time moves differently for them. Plus high water has distracted the city this spring.

I lived across from this mess for almost 11 years...pretty much still looks the same as the day I moved in back then.

So, why did you move in if you didn't like the view? lol

She didn't say she didn't like it.