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Health & Fitness

7-Eleven not "Heaven" for this La Mesa Neighborhood

Citing crime, loitering, littering, defecating and urinating, a La Mesa neighborhood fights to stop a 7-Eleven from opening in their neighborhood.

Citing robberies, fighting, drinking, defecating, urinating, littering and loitering, a band of La Mesa neighbors near Spring and Gateside are aiming to stop a 7-Eleven from opening in their neighborhood.

Since the nearby 7-Eleven on Palm Ave. closed a few months ago (robbed three times this year), their neighborhood has improved. Now another store wants to open a few yards away and the local populace are not taking it sitting down.

This Tuesday, September 4th, Police Chief Aceves will meet the neighbors at a home near the proposed site of the new 7-Eleven to hear their objections.

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I’ve seen Chief Aceves interact with the residents of La Mesa and know his desire to protect our community is genuine. I hope he and the city listen to the people near Spring and Palm, their complaints are not exaggerated. 

One of the most blighted pockets of La Mesa is the 7-Eleven on University Ave at Park. There is so much litter in front and to the side of the store, I call it our own Detroit. (see attached photos) 

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Some of the "customers" of this 7-Eleven became a big headache for the embroidery business owner next door. Repeatedly, vagrants drank booze, defecated and urinated behind his building.

He sometimes paid them to clean up after themselves; sometimes he called the police. He discovered managing the problem near impossible, so he gated the alley behind his building to stop the space from serving as a toilet.

I’ve walked into the University Ave 7-Eleven many times over the years and have asked employees, managers, owners why they don’t clean the litter in front of their store and parking lot and on the sidewalks and lot next door. They just shrug. One man blamed the customers. 

7-Elevens may be convenient but their suburban locations devalue neighborhoods. There's a reason no one wants to live next door to a 7-Eleven. Google 7-Eleven and “armed” and “robbery” come right after “locations.”

La Mesa can fight crime and improve our city's image by limiting businesses like this. Do we want to be a town of multiple 7-Elevens like El Cajon (18), National City (10), Escondido (10), Spring Valley (6) or do we want to be a little more neighborhood friendly, exclusive and higher quality?

I am pro-business but the businesses have to be a good fit with the community. This neighborhood and 7-Eleven are not a good fit.

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