Residents living in Greenville’s third district want to see their neighborhoods kept clean and safe and are concerned with planning.

Nearly two hours’ worth of their concerns and questions were heard Wednesday night at Councilwoman Marion Blackburn’s first town hall meeting. The newly elected official staged the event early in her tenure so she could get a grasp on the issues and be prepared for the upcoming City Council planning retreat at the end of January.

She welcomed the approximately 50 attendees before turning the program over to city staff for presentations on trash and recycling, crime and code enforcement.

Greenville Police Department Lt. Susan Bass, the commander over most of District 3, delivered some good news to the citizens. Crime is down across the board in their area, with significant reductions in aggravated assaults and auto thefts. Violent crimes decreased by 39 percent from 2008 to 2009, and property crimes dropped 5 percent.

“I think we’ve had some significant success stories in this particular area,” Chief William Anderson said. He attributed that to good police work coupled with continued input from the community.

Several attendees asked that Bass forward weekly crime statistics to them so they can urge people in troubled areas to be vigilant.

A majority of the questions centered around beautification and code enforcement issues. Lt. Earl Phipps went over regulations and trouble areas — largely centered in the Tar River University Area Neighborhood (TRUNA) — ranging from abandoned vehicles to trash and debris legislation.

Other issues included ongoing disputes between nightclubs and neighborhoods. Girty Nichols conveyed her frustration with Faces nightclub and the noise it brings into Colonial Heights. The elderly woman said she can’t sleep, and it angered her that the Board of Adjustment withdrew its special-use permit but the operation continues. The city is in litigation with the club’s owners, which allows them to remain open. That case is scheduled for a hearing Tuesday.

Nichols asked that a police officer be stationed there while the business is open. Anderson said that wouldn’t be possible, but police check on the business several times each evening.

Ann Bellis later said that an ordinance requiring spacing between neighborhoods and bars would be a proactive way to reduce problems like with Faces and, previously, Unks in the TRUNA neighborhood. A couple of people spoke in favor of the separation ordinance for downtown bars coming before City Council tonight.

Cypress Glen resident Chip Pennington expressed concerns with city planning and the way traffic patterns have worsened since he moved to Greenville in the 1970s. Blackburn responded that she’s always been in favor of and will continue fighting for smart planning.

Public Works Director Wes Anderson said that the railroad connector track under way and the upcoming Stantonsburg Road-10th Street Connector project should go a long way toward improving the situation.

In the final moments of the meeting, residents told officials to not let East 10th Street develop commercially into a second Greenville Boulevard. Another man asked that city leaders keep those living in “no man’s land,” the extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) area right outside the city, in mind.

Contact Kathryn Kennedy at kkennedy@reflector.com or (252) 329-9566.