Flash eyesore

By CASEY NEILL
SQUATTERS and graffiti vandals are taking over Tecoma’s vacated Flash Car Care.
Fed up traders and Belgrave police are calling on 1571 Burwood Highway’s owners to clean up and secure the site – or, better yet, make use of the prime position which has been vacant for more than five years.
“The whole place is just full of empty spray cans and graffiti,” Belgrave Sergeant Mick Hall said.
Police uncovered the problem after Tecoma’s shopping strip was bombarded with graffiti last month.
They found a missing girl and two boys squatting in the premises, although Sgt Hall said they were not responsible for the vandalism.
Police now regularly check the building on night patrols.
“We are watching it fairly closely,” Sgt Hall said.
“Unfortunately it’s not secure.
“It would be nice if it was properly secured by whoever owns it.”
He said the site’s rear was totally open and metal sheet exterior cladding was easy for trespassers to bypass.
Sgt Hall said there was no evidence of chroming or drug use.
“It’s possible but I didn’t see anything to indicate that,” he said.
Piccaninny Recycled owner Karen Rook said the site was “dreadfully run down”.
“It’s an eyesore,” she said.
Sandra V owner Sandra Vincent moved to the strip in October last year.
“We weren’t aware that squatters were there until we had the graffiti a few weeks ago,” she said.
“It’s been in that state for a good few years.
“It just brings down the look of Tecoma.”
Ms Vincent said a few new businesses followed her into the shopping strip.
“Before that there was quite a few empty shops,” she said.
“It was starting to look really nice.”
But the Flash Car Care site lets the whole town down, she said, as well as a vacant travel agent office on the main strip.
“No one works from there,” she said.
“I get a lot of people asking me what’s happening with it.”
Ms Vincent worries about what could happen to her store at night and wouldn’t feel safe walking near the site after sunset.
“I don’t know what’s happening at night,” she said.
“Why just leave it like that?
“Anything would be better than what it is now.”
Lyster Ward councillor Samantha Dunn said Yarra Ranges Council had no power to compel the site’s owners to tidy up.
“I wholeheartedly agree that the site is just unsightly,” she said.
“It has a real impact on general amenity.”
“We would hope that everyone plays a part in keeping the town not only safe but clean.
“I appeal to them to clean it up.”
Cr Dunn said the council could write to suggest the owner clean up their act and vowed to do so.
“Tecoma does battle with graffiti. This doesn’t help,” she said.
No proposals have been made for the site since the Liquor Licensing Board rejected plans for a Beer Wine Spirits (BWS) drive-through bottle shop on the site on 18 December 2008.