Commissioners, residents react to deer stand at Augusta apartment complex
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – We’re starting to learn more about a deer stand at the Landings @ 237 apartments. Formerly known as ‘Fox Den.’
Friday, a banner with Commissioners Catherine Smith McKnight and John Clarke’s names on it was taken down. But the stand remains.
The security tower appears to have been spurred by public safety concerns. Here’s what McKnight, Clarke, and some people at the apartments had to say.
McKnight says to reduce crime, there has to be a change.
Those who call the Landings home say this change is going too far.
That change came Thursday. The owners of the complex brought in a mobile security unit with bright lights, cameras, and even a siren.
Those who live there say it’s an eyesore. They don’t want it and feel it’s an invasion of privacy.
“You know, what? It might be an eyesore to some, so to speak. But I don’t mind an eye sore that’s got cameras that can look 30 feet up in the air and can look all the way around,” she said.
“People that live over in those apartment complexes, they’re worried about their safety, and they fear letting their children go out to play,” she said.
McKnight says the new complex owner who bought the property in February took matters into his own hands.
“People are now letting their children go outside and play. A year ago, it’s like a war zone, a drug-infested war zone. Now they are getting rid of that,” said McKnight.
But Thursday the deer stand complete with a guy in a white truck with a gun and a dog came as a surprise and caused a community uproar when a sign appeared with McKnight and Clarke’s name on it.
Clarke said: “I was okay with it being up. I didn’t think anything was a problem with it. But evidently, other commissioners thought there was a problem.”
It was funded by the owner.
“There was no government funding with that, there was no fundraising for that. That is the owner of the facility. That is his organization’s private funding that did that,” said Clarke.
McKnight says she cares about the well-being of her constituents and she and Clarke are working with those in the…