Chumpocracy, Gladstone Edition

The packet [warning 23mb pdf] for the 6/26 council-manager workshop contains the individual councilperson markups and comments to the Gladstone Master Plan. As Mr. Hjelle's offering is toward the end of the giant pdf and in image rather than text form, I thought I would supply the text for our consideration:

Density range from 600 to 650.

No buildings to exceed 3 stories and they must be set back in plan, not on Frost or English.

Roundabout must be larger than English. Whoever designed the English St. roundabout failed in its size. European roundabouts (which everyone compares it to) are very wide and open. I would be happy to take anyone on a fire truck ride to prove my point.
Sorry.

SAVANNA

Should be cleaned up with a trail to connect the existing network. In the future, more could be done but the idea of having a "cleaned up" accessible natural area surrounded by neighborhoods was a common theme last fall while door knocking. Mother nature does a good job as custodian as long as we stop trying to actively manage or destroy it.

TIF

Tourist Cabins. I will not support any TIF for this project. A builder/developer should not need any enticements to build on lakeshore that is 10 minutes from downtown. This is not negotiable for me.

I can agree to use TIF if there is a clear and convincing need in the remainder of the Gladstone project. TIF has a limited place.


CULVERT/BEEBO [sic, is BEBO, which apparently is a product name, not a descriptive noun]

Given human nature, "jaywalking" is a fact of life. It was not apart[sic] of the original plan and I would like to see half of the savings go into upgraded streetscape and the other half used to reduce the overall bill. Unless there are plans to use pedestrian fenceing[sic] to "herd" people towards the tunnel, people will avoid it and simply cross where they want. Plus, a crosswalk that is substantial in scope will slow down traffic between the roundabouts.

BUSINESSES

I would like to see that businesses have a chance to leave OR stay. If they stay, renovation loans should be available to help and if they leave, the city should be prepared to buy land to help with consolidation of parcels for attracting developers.

OVERALL

Keep densities to the 650 mark or below. If the plan would have been "feasible" at 500, then 650 will give more comfort and more funds for improvements (streetscapes). Use the savings from the BEEBO to lower the overall cost and provide more resources for enhancements. During the campaign, I doorknocked from East Shore to WBA and Frost to Larp. I had less than 15 people tell me they support the higher density, but I do realize that with density comes more enhancements. The overwhelming support was for a "cleanup" with moderate densities.

I really wanted to examine the view of human nature and the rule of law projected by Hjelle onto the rest of us in the BEEBO section, but cannot pass up the contradictions inherent in this:

In the future, more could be done but the idea of having a "cleaned up" accessible natural area surrounded by neighborhoods was a common theme last fall while door knocking. Mother nature does a good job as custodian as long as we stop trying to actively manage or destroy it.

Breathtaking.