Reader Mail: Open Letter to Supervisors on City Center Project
Submitted by admin on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 4:23pm
I support reasonable efforts to redevelop the downtown area or our city, and feel that it can be done with just a little help from the city/taxpayers.
But the present concept is excessive, not well considered and unnecessary. Further, consideration of increasing property taxes to fund this effort is irresponsible. Folks in this town are having a difficult time making ends meet.
There is absolutely no justification for building a new library. The present library is more than sufficient for our needs.
A downtown parking structure should have been completed long ago. However, a fair deal would be for the Nugget to donate ALL of their land presently used for parking, for the city to build the parking structure, and in return, give the Nugget perpetual exclusive use of a portion of the parking facility for valet use. The affected streets in that area should be abandoned, and the property advertised as a proposed downtown development with no strings attached. The sole criteria should be, will it be economically feasible, and the risk will be taken by the developer.
I am also disturbed that the Ormsby House has lain dormant for lo these many years. What are your department heads doing to resolve the problems? Have they brought any proposed solutions to the Board of Supervisors that my require new ordinances or modifications thereof? Perhaps they are not the right people and need to be replaced. What actions have you, as a board, taken to resolve this problem?
It's pretty disheartening to see such poor management of this once beautiful but rapidly decaying city!
Sincerely,
John Vettel
