Conciliation and compromise are the order of the day
A couple of Standard-Examiner news items worthy of note:
1) Scott Schwebke reports on last night's RDA meeting, in which prospective River Project developer Steve Peterson, a principal with Millrock Capital, asked for concessions regarding the size and construction schedule for "apartments." Tellingly, they're not even bothering to refer to them as "condominiums" any longer :
Sadly, it appears that tiny tenement-style residential rental units may now set the River Project tone.
2) After several stinging broadsides by the Standard-Examiner (and others), it appears that Chief Greiner may be adopting a more conciliatory attitude toward the Council's proposal to place a pharmaceutical drop-box within the Ogden City Public Safety Building lobby:
Yeah, Chief Greiner devotes considerable column space toward explaining why the lock box concept is a non-starter; but in the end he seems to suggest "[c]oncerns can be worked out," no?
Update 5/11/11 9:51 a.m.: Per Dan S... "Rudi, you missed at least two great articles in the Trib":
Yesiree, folks. There's plenty to chat about this mornin'.
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12 comments:
Rudi, you missed at least two great articles in the Trib:
Ogden Council agrees on streetcar up 25th Street
Utah’s big political donors have friends in high places
So in addition to the intense density this slumlord developer has already asked for, for the river property - - now they want ... wait .... wait.... MORE DENSITY!
Big surprise. City council, stall this guy, until the corrupt Godfrey administration is out of office and we can start again. This project is too important to rush through here at the end of Godfrey.
Let the rats leave, then see what the new mayor thinks.
it is interesting that Greiner
Regarding the River Project story, what the hell does it mean for the "minimum" apartment size to be an "average" of 850 square feet?
Note that 'twas public input that obtained the cc vote for the streetcar to go up 25th. Public input matters - at least with the cc.
Can't say the same for the mayor or the guvner.
Grin. Good catch.
I think the Chief makes a pretty sensible position statement here. I
don't know if his sources say what he says they do, but if they do it
only makes sense for him and the council to move thoughtfully on the
subject.
I was actually rather encouraged to read that the
Chief could put together a coherent and well written piece on any
subject. The only exposure I ever had to the man personally lasted an hour or so
at a public function where he made a complete fool of himself in front of a big room full of people.
I leaned over to the fellow next to me and asked - "Who is the obnoxious bozo over there with the big offensive mouth", and was very surprised to have him tell me it was the Chief of Police!
Perhaps Greiner is not the boring nit wit l that I thought he was based on
that event.
After all the years, and all the expense, and all the hastle, and all the grand dreams the Mayor has pumped up the public's butt about how wonderful and game changing the River Project is going to be, it is hard to imagine that the Mayor would weazle out and let the RDA board actually approve of turning the river area into an instant slum which in a few years will look like the big ugly blue monstrosity at 48th and Washington.
Are they really going to roll over for the first trick that comes down the road flashing a little cash and a huge promise of millions to come?
You wrote: "
Was not the original purpose of the reclamation/upgrade of the river and surrounding settings to upgrade the area from that of a struggling/depressed area into a more affluent mixed use neighborhood with boutique shops and niche restaurants? To transform the area into a place where the residents by virtue of their proximity to the downtown would dine and shop in the downtown area as well as within this mixed use area. Was not the original intent to, so to speak to “upgrade” the area? Is that not the exact intent of a redevelopment area or RDA?"
Yup.
Eight hundred square feet is a small apartment any way you look at it. That is about the size of the average one bedroom in most modern buildings. If they are talking about 800 feet being the "average" size of unit in this proposal, then there will obviously be units that are even smaller than that if there is to be any that are larger. In any event, building a bunch of small apartments in the area will pretty much put the stamp on what the whole development will end up being. An area of small apartments will not be particularly attractive for any future builders to put larger more expensive units into, thus the die will be cast for the whole area to become an apartment ghetto with absent owners. Being surrounded by a larger low income and high crime area, it is not difficult to see what will become of the project in a few short years. The only saving grace would be if the rumor of the Mormon Church building a large campus for BYU near the Temple is true. Then the River Apartment ghetto would become a student housing complex which would certainly be a good thing for inner Ogden.
Eight hundred square feet is a small apartment any way you look at it.
That is about the size of the average one bedroom in most modern
buildings. If they are talking about 800 feet being the "average" size
of unit in this proposal, then there will obviously be units that are
even smaller than that if there is to be any that are larger. In any
event, building a bunch of small apartments in the area will pretty much
put the stamp on what the whole development will end up being. An area
of small apartments will not be particularly attractive for any future
builders to put larger more expensive units into, thus the die will be
cast for the whole area to become an apartment ghetto with absent
owners. Being surrounded by a larger low income and high crime area, it
is not difficult to see what will become of the project in a few short
years. The only saving grace would be if the rumor of the Mormon
Church building a large campus for BYU near the Temple is true. Then
the River Apartment ghetto would become a student housing complex which
would certainly be a good thing for inner Ogden.
Maybe Jeske was right. 850 sq. ft. will attract an element that can afford 850 sq ft. A place of that miniscule size sure as hell won't get me off the hill with my much larger home surrounded by green grass, fencing and good neighbors. If this is the way that these new developers want to "pencil out" the River Project Development, let them build next to the Jordan River or some other place in SLC.
I am wondering, however, what I'm doing commenting on yesterday's news when there should be so much written on that huge giant, Walmart, that opens next week. Soemone at WCF better get with it and stay current.
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