Invasion of My Family's Privacy from Dumpster Area by Dennis Carroll March 31, 2008

From: "Dennis Carroll"
To: "Glenn Eugster"
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 3:33:21 PM
Subject: Invasion of My Family's Privacy from Dumpster Area

Hi Glenn,

You asked me to put in writing my increasing concern about the invasion of my family's privacy from the almost daily occurrence of strangers standing on their trucks and on the dumpster when loading and off-loading trash. My main concern involves the direct view that strangers have of my family from on top of their trucks and the trash dumpster. They are able to look over the fence and directly down into my kitchen only 50 to 75 feet from where they are standing. A few days ago, four total strangers were atop the dumpster and staring at my 14-year-old daughter, who was wearing shorts and a T-shirt in our kitchen. They weren't working, they weren't shifting trash, they were just staring into our kitchen at my daughter. In the past two weeks, my 15-year-old son, who has been doing work in our back yard, has also commented that he felt angry at strangers staring at him from the top of the dumpter. Following Mr. Blakeley's revelation that some of these people are "work-release" prisoners makes the problem flat-out intimidating. If Mr. Blakeley or any Alexandria City official would like a daily parade of strangers, some of whom might be convicts, staring into their kitchen and back yard at their own children, then their insensitivity is extraordinary.

The problem also has an intimidating effect on my family in our study and our master bedroom. Once again, the people on the trucks and the dumpster are able to look straight across our fence into our upstairs rooms. Because these people are strangers rather than neighbors whom I trust, I have gotten into the habit of closing my study blinds even when I'm simply working at my desk. In brief, I'm feeling increasingly uncomfortable in my home because of the invasion of my family's privacy by strangers. Mr. Blakeley obviously feels that the simplest solution to his problems is to maintain an industrial-level dump site, but his solution creates more problems than he realizes for city residents such as my family.

In closing, let me add that my MAIN reason for moving from our previous house in Fairfax, where we had lived for 20 years, was to get away from its location on a busy street corner that diminished my family's privacy and safety. I cannot tell you how appalled I am to find that, after purchasing an expensive home and taking many steps to improve it, I'm confronted by a new situation that presents an even more direct invasion of my family's privacy and safety. As the summer approaches, there will be a constant flood of strangers on the dumpsters, and my family's privacy will be increasingly threatened. The net effect of this situation is that my wife and I have begun to consider moving once again and have been looking at other houses, where our right to privacy will be respected. It is intolerable to have strangers, who may be convicts, staring at my children from the top of a huge dumpster 50 to 75 feet away.

Glenn, please feel free to forward my letter to any city official who would understand the unplesantness of this situation and take steps to correct it. The solution is to remove the dumpster(s) and no longer use the area as an industrial park in an area where residents are raising children. Thanks again for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Dennis Carroll