Discussion from the Azar newsletter

Since I have received so many good comments, I will save my in-depth article on the Kenny project for another time. I urge you to sign the petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Kennys/. I also urge you to attend Wednesday at city council at 10am. Take a look at this website (http://www.rsmeans.com/estimator/qce/qce_result.asp?prname=&project=27&gsf=50000&zip=29205&Calculate.x=15&Calculate.y=18&specialUser=) and enter the numbers to see what a parking garage in this area of no more than 50,000 square feet costs.

Some of the comments have the name included as by request of the sender, or because they have been e-blasted to many throughout the community, and I was one of the named recipients. 

There is quite a lot here to read, and more that I have to send. Take your time and read it at your leisure. I will wait a 2-3 days before I send more on Kenny’s.

The Shandon Neighborhood Council just voted to ask city council to examine more options more agreeable to business and neighbors alike before voting to approve the contract.

Joe, I haven't sorted thoroughly through the numbers on City Parking Garage bonds John Spade kindly supplied me today, at Anne Sinclair's request,  but bonds floated for the several parking facilities in 2005, plus "Senior Lien Bonds" (leftover obligations?) total $51,627,708.00.  The payment schedule runs out to 2037 and the total payback is $99,006.304.00.  That's almost double the borrowed amount, which is normal.  91.8% in this case, I believe. 

The money proposed for the city's participation in the 5 Points parking garage is said to be $5.8 million and it's already in hand - parked somewhere at interest I suppose. 

$5.8 million x 91.8% = $11.1 million for payback on the borrowing. 

I'm not a CPA and don't know the nuances of floating municpal bonds, and I must review this assumption of mine.....but the old rule used to be you paid back about double what you borrowed on school and other local bonds.  So $11 million is close to tradition.

I'll get back to you on this, but somewhere along the line citizens should hear what the PAYBACK number is on the 5 Points proposal.  John Spade says no taxpayer dollars are pledged for these bonds, but I'll have to check on that, too.  I think ANY local government must pledge its taxing authority  - at least in the fine print - whenever it borrows money.  I wouldn't buy a municipal bond without such assurance.  Would you?  There are too many "what ifs" between now and 2037.   ~JW

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Joe, I have combed through the numbers on the 2005 bonds the city floated for various parking garage projects.  Although the individual projects are not listed separately extrapolating from the schedule shows the payback on a $5.8 million share of the total issue will be $10.4 million. That's right in the ballpark for borrowing of this kind. 

   You may recall in the debates about school bond issues neither the board nor the media would mention the total payback.  But a rough estimate could be determined by doubling the principal.  In the case of the 5 points parking garage I think citizens ought at least once to hear what the cost will be. 

   John Spade indicates that no tax dollars are pledged to secure the bonds.  The City's Parking Fund will pay it.  However, in the event of some unexpected event such as gas rationing and a sharp slump in parking revenues I think it's likely the city's power to tax to meet its obligations could be called upon.    ~Wrisley 

  …………………………………….

Joe, I don't know why opponents of the controversial Five Points Parking Garage fail to mention the total COST of the project.  Only this morning John Baynes, writing in the State, mentioned the $5.8 million cost and said it would run to $29,000.00 per space.  That's way low.  He forgot the cost of borrowing the money.  The bond and payback will run to $10.4 million and that works out to $52,000.00 per space! 

The money was borrowed with bonds floated for municipal parking garages in 2005.  As Anne Sinclair correctly said "we have the money in the bank."  But it has to be paid back - - with interest, which we calculated from the schedule that lists the principal and interest for the total bond issue.

John David Spade points out that no tax dollars are committed for the payback of these bonds.  The revenues from the city's parking projects are expected to handle it.  That's a rosy scenario, but some thought must be given to the possibility of a snag in the economy caused by gasolie shortages or whatever, and if revenues fall short there is surely a provision in the fine print of those bonds that calls for taxpayers to pitch in.  You can be sure the city will not say, "Sorry, ya''ll. We ran into a shortfall and won't be able to make good on some of these bonds." 

Heads up, taxpayers!      ~John Wrisley

 ……….

joe: it is shocking to see the actual physical impact this structure will have on 5points. very effective graphic that needs to be broadcast to all.

  …………………….

Joe,

Regardless of when or with whom a contract is signed, the public's leverage should be maintained.  No one expects for contractual parties to get sideways, but it happens.  For this reason, the city should retain the air-rights payment until the project is completed.

Sincerely,
Reed (Swearingen)

  ……………………………

Joe,

Here are two websites on planning you may find interesting as far as Five Points and other areas are concerned.

One shows the ancient planing practices used in Pompeii and reused throughout history.

The other is Pattern Language. This is the Bible of overall planning as far as I'm concerned. This book covers planing

from a region to a bedroom. When you go to this website and click on the Pattern Language address you will get a directory page,

which is a pain, but all the patterns are there. 

I work on green and sustainable land and homes projects and I can assure you that the proposed building in Five Points does 

not fit the character or culture of the neighborhood.

Good luck,

http://www.tndwest.com/pompeii.html

http://architecture.myninjaplease.com/?p=2615

  …………………..

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Mary Anne Richard < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it >
To: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sent: Thursday, May 1, 2008 6:03:03 PM
Subject: 1001 Harden Street

Merritt,

Thank you for taking the time out to discuss the after hours parking issues at our Shopping Center, Marketplace on Harden Street.

While we realize that parking is very limited in the Five Points area, the use of our parking lot by local bars and other establishments in the area is strictly prohibited.  The shopping center is private property and is intended for the use of our customers and employees of the center.

We want to keep a clean and attractive center but the after hours parking has added extra work by our grounds maintenance contractor to keep up with the beer bottles, cans and other trash that has been left behind.  We would also like to avoid any problems that may occur on site after people have been drinking.  

As a good will gesture, we will not tow any vehicles this weekend.  However, effective May 12th towing will be enforced again.  We urge businesses to notify their customers not to park in our lot.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions that you may have.

Once again, I greatly appreciate your help.

Mary Anne Richard

Property Manager

(704) 319-4934

(704) 365-1171 fax

  …………………………………..

I can truthfully say in all the times I saw Belinda speak, she never mentioned the garage. Cameron only did so towards the end, when he realized that would gain him some extra votes.

The building will be built with or without a garage, so let's all move on.

I received several email from you recently, some mentioning the city's purchase of an over-priced building and several about the 5 Pts development/garage.

I don't know if there's anything to this, but...

Note that the developer is named as Washington Square LLC.

Ron Swinson of CB Richard Ellis takes credit for reno of 90,000 sf building downtown subsequently sold to the City of Columbia.

This sounds like the Washington Square building.

Stan Harpe is also at CB Richard Ellis

HR Developers (Harpe and Swinson) offices are, or were, and Washington Square

Harpe and Swinson are developers of the 5 Pts Kenny's lot

Harpe is now or previously on the USC Development Foundation Board  (check Adesso), Chairman of the Planning Commission, Columbia Development Corp

Don Tomlin, the real estate guy (and brother in law of Brian Boyer), helped start and remains involved with the USC technology incubator.

USC rented the Laurel St building from the city.

The city bought Washington Square in which to move the Laurel St offices.  The city allowed Wash Sq tenants to break leases and move without penalty.

Tomlin helped Wash Sq tenants find other offices.

None of the above is a secret and I assume can be verified in approx 5 minutes surfing the web.  There may be nothing to the connections, but anyone who is interested and has more than 5 minutes to spend could probably dig up any dirt. 

I have no idea where the Wash Sq tenants went, but it could be interesting to find out and who got the leasing commission if not Tomlin.

.

  …………………………..

John Spade says in 2005 that parking structures are usually not economically efficient if they provide less than 250 spaces".

Included on the FUTURE FIVE CD given out by the City

Interview 1 - John Spade - Parking

On December 15, 2005 at 4:00 PM a meeting was held at the office of Quackenbush Architects + Planners to discuss the Five Points “FutureFive” Redevelopment and Master Plan project:

John Spade – City of Columbia

Sandra Smith – City of Columbia

Dennis Hiltner - Five Points Board of Directors

Doug Quackenbush – Quackenbush Architects + Planners

Cleve Walker - Quackenbush Architects + Planners

1. John Spade stated a Parking Study was commissioned by the City of Columbia in 2002 and that it could be a valuable asset to our planning efforts. Mr. Spade noted that the study includes a portion devoted specifically to Five Points. Mr. Spade agreed to make the study available to Q A+P.

2. Mr. Spade recommended we consider Information Kiosks to Five Points in order to provide information focal points and a level of connectivity that “make people feel close to everything.”

3. The notion of ‘smart cards’ and token machines were suggested as a way to simplify the process in which meters are used. Mr. Hiltner voiced a concern that people might be more inclined to feed the meter for extended periods of time. Mr. Spade responded that there can be limits of how much time is purchased at one time. He added that the previous increase in cost to 75 cents for one hour has already helped this problem. Furthermore, it was noted that ‘smart cards’ would eliminate the effort necessary to remove all the coins from each meter.

4. Mr. Spade noted that the city has allocated funds (approx. $2,000,000) for parking in the Five Points area. Mr. Spade stated that the funds are not necessarily intended for satellite parking, but available for a variety of improvements related to parking. Money could be used to purchase property in Five Points and converted into new off-street parking solutions.

5. A discussion ensued about the area of Jungle Jim’s Bar and the China Garden Restaurant. The property that includes both businesses and a parking lot was noted as a good candidate for redevelopment and new surface parking. Mr. Quackenbush noted a concern to maintain a structure along the street to reinforce the commercial edge along Harden Street (to avoid the metaphor of “missing teeth in a smile”). It was suggested that this could accomplished with a thin row of storefront buildings with parking set behind them. Mr. Spade added that this is an attractive model for Five Points but that safety and security must be addressed.

6. Mr. Quackenbush asked Mr. Spade about the challenges to overcome to consider a parking structure for Five Points. Mr. Spade stated that the first step and major challenge is finding appropriate and available property. He added that there are two sites in Five Points that could potentially work with structured parking. The first site noted was the triangle shaped block inhabited by one surface parking lot, Yesterday’s Restaurant, two other smaller restaurants and Kenney’s Auto. A discussion ensued about the issues involved with the site that included where the entrance and exit could be located, how mixed-use programming could be utilized on the periphery, and how the structure could also address Blossom Street and the neighborhood beyond. The second site mentioned was the gas station on the corner of College Street and Harden Street. Like the first site, the main advantage is its central location and proximity to the rest of Five Points. This site was said to encompass the entire lot of the gas station and perhaps extend south behind some of the buildings on Harden and Greene Streets. A suggestion was made that it would be highly beneficial to have visible pedestrian access to Greene Street so that the structure could better address adjacent areas. Mr. Spade noted that parking structures are usually not economically efficient if they provide less than 250 spaces, and added that the parking study concluded that Five Points to only be short approximately 100 spaces.

7. The area of North Harden Street (East Side of street) was mentioned as a potential candidate for rezoning. The area (approx. 1 block deep) was noted to mainly consist of scattered commercial structures and some small residential that could be redeveloped into mixed-use structures that include parking as well as new residential.

8. Mr. Hiltner mentioned that we need specific ordinances established to comply with the individual streets and the various parking needs such as on-street parking, valet parking and surface lot parking. He added that there is nothing like this that currently exists. Mr. Hiltner went on to suggest that the width of the new sidewalks and the size of the new tree grates pose a challenge for outside seating and that this challenge should be considered as Future Five continues.

9. Mr. Spade suggested that buffer areas around the periphery of Five Points are well suited for employee parking due to the fact that these areas can potentially be provided at no/low cost and the fact that employees are more long term users than customers.

10. If the City does build a surface lot for more additional off-street parking (such as the China Garden Restaurant site), the question was asked if the City would expect to generate revenue to the degree that the parking would be less utilized by long term users. It was noted that this is difficult to determine at this point, but that the City may need to charge but potentially with substantial discounts. It was then added that one of the benefits of the parking meters is that they generate revenue for the city and perhaps could be counter balanced with the potential of free parking.

  ……………………………………

Joe:

There are certainly some good points on both sides of this issue.  However, I disagree with a number of assumptions by the anti-Kenny’s group:

• It is wrong for 5-points.  I don’t think so. 5-Points needs parking and more businesses.  Some have said we should be more like a little Georgetown (DC).  The last time was in Georgetown there were businesses and residences taller than 4 stories.
• Growth in 5-points can be had only North of Greene Street.  That is simply not true.  The area south of Greene has been and will continue to be more developed than the area North of Greene.  The area north of Greene truly needs a renovation.  With Lucy May and other substandard, closed, or condemned properties. 
• The area North of Greene is a better location for parking.  Yet the need is mostly South of Greene.
• A 6 story building would not be in keeping with 5-points architecture.  There already is a high rise apartment building on Greene Street.  The Kenny’s site sits in a valley.  It will hardly rise much above the surrounding neighborhoods.
• Clausen's is a better option:  I have not seen anything from the potential developers of Clausen’s parking.  Where is the pro-forma for their development plan?

The present Kenny’s site needs development to benefit all of 5-points.  As it is, it hurts you and all the merchants there.

Progress and growth means change.  5-points needs to grow from a kids bar and night-club scene, establish more businesses, residences, and a tax base to support all the things you want.

  ……………………………….

jsa-From a reader.

Councilman Rickenmann,

My concerns with the Kenny's project are focused on economic issues.  I think the city can invest  in the parking garage on the Claussen site with greater economic benefit to Five Points and the city  in the  long term than will the Kenny's site.  Those of us that parked in the lot when Kenny's was there know how difficult it was to exit the lot onto Devine or Blossom.  That will not be improved with the Kenny's site project but will result in  an increased problem.  The parking garage at Claussen's will have much better ingress and egress.  Overall parking in Five Points will be much improved  with appropriate signage on Blossom, Green St., Devine and Hardin such as is done in Charleston.  The parking garage in that location will be an incentive for the development of Hardin St. north of Green St. We would then see a real payback for the city's investment in the improvement of Hardin St.  The Kenny's site investment will not provide such an incentive for redevelopment. It is concieveable that it will inhibit such development activity.  The Claussen Garage construction will have minimal impact on other businesses in Five Points whereas the Kenny's site project will absolutely negatively impact businesses on Blossom, Saluda, Devine and Santee.  Why should those businesses be subjected to another assault after the economic hardships that they have so recently  been subjected to from city projects? The Kenny's project  is not only a poor business decision for the city, it is the wrong thing to do to currently productive small businesses.

I urge you to take a long range view of Five Points and support a project that will enhance and grow the Five Points Village and encourage small business development  by denying the proposed development at Kenny's and pursue the development of a parking garage on the Claussen's site.

……………………

Do not sign this petition about "preserving the character of Five Points" As merchants, it is in your best interest to be in support of progress. Also, the petition they keep quoting is incorrect. We are all in support of Five Points.

Merritt
 

Merritt McHaffie

Executive Director

Five Points Association

PO Box 5283

Columbia, SC 29250

(Office) 803-748-7373

(Cell) 803-446-8929

(Fax) 803-254-1456 (please be advised - my fax is down temporarily)

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

  …………………………

In response to the following from Joe Azar's newsletter:

jsa-Unfortunately for the members of the 5 Points Assoc., their voice will never be let heard by their assoc. leaders. Only the board (10 people) voted on the issue, with one abstaining. The board does not want a poll of the members, witnessed by the arrogant comments of some that we are elected to make these decisions for the membership. This board knows very well that they risk losing majority support for the project if they chose to poll the membership, and the non-member merchants would add an even greater NO voice as well. That petition was taken around by business owners, including me, to gauge the feeling of the area. I am sure that should we get all the owners, we would have more No votes than YES.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

I never saw this petition and have no idea who started it. I must say I feel it smacks of the same back door shenanigans of the
"neighborhood meeting" last week where only those who were opposed to the project and signed up to speak BEFORE the meeting were allowed to do so. A true petition would have been presented to each and every business owner in the 5 Pts area. Selecting only those that were known to be against the project does not make it very credible. I also wonder where in the world the dissenters expect the hundreds of area employees to park on any given day or night in 5 Pts (FYI: I did an informal count of the 700 Saluda Ave. block employees, excluding Wachovia, and came up with approximately 200.)  Many now park in the neighborhoods, clogging the streets and causing one way traffic. Others risk having their vehicle broken into (just ask some of those working the night shift at Harpers). Has anyone bothered to poll these people and ask where they park? Would they not rather have a safe & central place to park while working? (Instead of directly in front of my shop and feeding the meter every two hours during our busiest times?????..............)

I also wonder if the neighborhoods surrounding the west end of Main St. in Greenville fought the multi story projects that have been built there? On a recent visit, I saw a vibrant and crowded area  that once was shuttered and desolate. People now LIVE in that area and are out and about, both day and night.

Do those opposed realize that Harpe & Swinson can still choose to go with 6 stories even if the city backs out of the project? Do we want a city sanctioned garage or one that is privately contracted?

I have worked in 5 Points for the better part of the past  30 years and parking has always been an issue. We now have the chance to change this and only YOU can make the decision. Please vote yes and let's move on with this project.

Debbie McDaniel
Revente
737 Saluda Ave.
Sid & Nancy
743 Saluda Ave.
Columbia SC 29205
803.256.4116

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For me, the problem with the Kenny's Auto site is not so much a height or character issue, but a fiscal responsibility and open government issue. The city should not talk to one developer about a specific project before an RFP is announced. The city should not spend any more money on any project than it has to. If one parking facility cost less than the other and is comparable, than the city should choose the less expensive project period.
I my opinion, the city should not be spending money or time on a "wanted", not "needed", parking garage in 5 points. The city should focus on our failing water system, our growing gang problem, our police department vacancies, our essential services before it gets into bed, once again, with a unstable private/ public partnership, certainly without proper due diligence like the process has been with the Kenny's site.
The city council's ego towards the taxpayers of Columbia is beyond frustrating for those of us who have grown up here and plan to stay here. The City Council (minus Finlay) doesn't seem to want to stop the Kenny's Auto parking project. Why?
What else is going on that the citizens don't know about? Why is City Council (minus Finlay) so eager to have this project voted through with the overwhelming objection form the taxpayers. Why can't the City Council (minus Finlay) see the light and just do the right thing?
I say delay all parking projects in 5 points a couple of years until at least essential services and the police department are stable again.
That is what should happen. The city is not paying the interest accruing on the Kenny's site, the developers are. There really isn't a parking "need" in 5 points. It is a parking "want".

Well...I "want" fiscal responsibility, dang it.

  ………………….

I may be mistaken but it seems that not only is the city taxpayers paying for parking in the amount of $5.8 million dollars but we are also paying it with an advance payment of $1 million dollars and then "progress payments" per the completion percentage as the project moves along. The city is funding this project like a bank would in a construction loan. The only difference is that the city will not get paid back and the city will get 200 parking spaces that we will have to operate, maintain, secure, insure, etc.
There is no immediate "need" for parking in 5 Points right now, only a "want". This money should be spent elsewhere or at least saved for a rainy day when the city will actually need it. There 's a word that is not in the council's dictionary, SAVE. Save money, what?
We could save money instead of funding a developer's project and pocket. We should of (past tense) saved money instead of built "affordable" homes in Rosewood Hills and saturate the city's "affordable " housing market. The housing market is slowed. Why did the city ever think it was a good idea to get in the home building business anyway? Now, the city and it's taxpayers will be sitting on a large amount of homes that will not sell because of a slow market and extremely tight banking requirements for home buyers. Brilliant!

I am now sick to my stomach.

  ………………………

Good Morning Mayor Coble and members of City Council:

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak before Council today. 

My name is Tina Forsthoefel. Prior to my retirement I was a Research Assistant Professor in the biology department at USC.

As a biologist and as a citizen I am very concerned with the extent of environmental contamination at the former Kenny’s Auto Site, which only recently has been brought to public notice, although regrettably was know to DHEC since the fall of 2006. Others who share my concerns are Mr. Don Resnick, owner of Five Points Books, located immediately across the street from the site, an environmental toxicologist as well as numerous residents in the vicinity of Five Points.

We are very concerned about public health and safety because of the environmental conditions at 700 Saluda Avenue, as well as the surrounding properties. This site is at the convergence of two heavily traveled streets, Harden and Blossom. It is located in one of the most densely populated parts of the city. Within a half-mile radius of this retail and commercial district are university housing facilities as well as densely populated housing developments and neighborhoods. In fact the 5 Points area has the highest density of residential population in the City of Columbia.

The report of the Phase II environmental site assessment dated October 11, 2006, stated that benzene was present in the groundwater at levels that far exceeded DHEC’s acceptable limits. Benzene is a known cancer-causing agent and has been associated with leukemia and other serious, life-threatening blood disorders.  Other soil contaminants, including used heating oil, were present around an underground storage tank. In addition, there were two above ground storage tanks containing used oil and used antifreeze.  On December 5, 2006, Emerald, Inc. submitted a proposal, requested by DHEC, to confirm the presence of groundwater contamination, to assess the direction of the groundwater flow at the former Kenny’s Auto site and to determine the extent of on-site soil contamination.

Despite the reports of the environmental contamination at the former Kenny’s site in the fall of 2006, the City signed a Transaction Memo in March 7, 2007 to partner with a private developer to build a parking structure at this site. If City Council was unaware of the DHEC finding this is a shocking lack of communication. If Council was unaware of the DHEC finding and still chose to proceed, it would seem an inappropriate and imprudent course of action.  Further, despite the fact that the summary of the geotechnical report of the former Kenny’s site dated February 6, 2008 clearly states that there are unacceptable levels of benzene in the groundwater and that further work is necessary to determine the extent of on-site contamination and direction of flow of the groundwater, on March 5, 2008, the City voted yet again to proceed and is proceeding with a contract with the private developer.

The City has a responsibility to its citizens to provide an environment that is free from hazardous materials that pose a serious health risk to the public. It cannot be perceived to have a cavalier attitude toward this problem.

We urge the City to initiate an immediate independent external assessment (or investigation) to determine the following:

1. the extent of contamination present at the former Kenny’s site;
2. the extent of contamination present in the surrounding areas;
3. the direction of groundwater flow and the extent of the ongoing contamination into the neighboring areas through the groundwater;
4. the impact of the contamination on overall health and public safety;
5. the potential liability to the City in connection with the proposed project; including the risk to workers, the surrounding merchants and residents, and the health of the public in general; and
6. the potential liability to the City in connection with the proposed project, including the construction and permanent presence of a six story building, the amount of clean-up costs, and other unknown factors.

Thank you for your attention and I hope that our request will be acted upon immediately.

  ……………………………

Joseph - As you and I discussed yesterday morning, I remain very concerned about the 6-story proposed site going in at Kenny's. You heard I am an attorney, and I am, but I'm a utility law specialist. If you are a telephone or power company, I'm your lawyer - but I am not a municipal law expert and I don't support taking legal action. What I do support is finding out all the facts that we can and then deciding what steps to take next.

Here are my thoughts on information that it would be very helpful to have:

1. When is the City Council taking action on the matter? It was announced at the Planning Commission meeting on Sept 10 after the vote to approve the PUD that City Council would have first reading on November 7. If you could confirm the actual date in October (as you heard) or November, that would be helpful.

2. What action has been taken by City Council on this matter in the past? On what dates? Have there been any votes taken in the past? If a document has been signed, it would be extremely helpful to have a copy of it.

3. What are the comparables for other covered parking structures in Columbia? This garage will cost over $28k per parking place ($6M for 217 spaces) with no underlying study showing that customers will actually use the structure. There is information that there is no covered parking in Columbia that approaches that amount. It would also be helpful if we could draw comparables from Charleston and Greenville. My guess is that that cost exceeds any project that they have as well.

Our neighborhood, in a vote 74 - 4, is overwhelmingly in opposition. As you know, Coles Lawton is our neighborhood president. Jim Thomas (799 2338) stated his objection for Wheeler Hill. Shandon President Jacquelyn Bartley (376 1260) was in opposition the first two hearings, but they endorsed the project at the Sept 10 meeting. University Hills (Jeff Caswell 799 2700) has endorsed the project from the beginning.

I hope that you are successful getting this info. Thanks.

  ……………………………………

Afew Items on the parking garage.
(1) I f a parking garage is to be built then it should be with the input of Five points merchants. Rcickenam and gergal should be contacted about ths idea. further more, it neeeds to be put in wiring that the parking garage is to be used only by five points merchants, employees, and customers. Ths does not need to become just another place for usc students and others who just want to park there and then hangout where ver they please. this is ithe surren situation wiht the bank .(Wachovia)
(2) with all of the commercials that Mayor coble has been making abut the smart card, someone needs to  ask just how much mney from the purchas eof these things is going towards the garage.
(3) As you know, I worked at claussens for seral years and am familiar with its history. ialso keep in contact with the city counci members. Claussesn innn is actually onthe natonal historic registery. it is deemed to be the last full service old fashioned bakery from its araof  originn eeither in the south eaast or the country. the story is old Mr. Clausses clsed is bakeries when he got  a patent for an improved version of the bread slicer, this  is the ey last of his bread factories to close  down As amatter offact Claussesn still as some of the original breadcaes that were used. Furthermore owner, hotel and restaurant owner Richard weidman wants to have  greater say in negotiating the conditions for using that spacce for parking. Begotiating power that Mayor coble refuses to allow Mr. Weiedman. In other  words its Bob coble's way or or no way at all.
(4)It needs to be specifiedin wring that a majority of the money generated from the propsed garae in 5 poitnsbe used to benefit  specifically the fivepoints area, with input from the 5 poitns merchants. t may also be a good idea to suggestthat part of th remaining money be sued to improve the transit system in this town. Particulalrly wiht gas prices.
 
(5) How will this garage be managed in regards to  events such as st. patrick's day. Again this goes to m first point, concerning misuse of the garage by those who do not work,live, or do buisness in five poitns.
 
Thanks for lettingme air my concerns.
 
Keith H. Seymour

   ………………………………………….

Here's the link to the Five Points Parking evaluation package:

I await your comments.

Joseph Azar

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