Don’t give away needed parkland and open space
The city’s present supply of recreational and environmental open
space land is now under assault by three separate projects. Two are
worthy uses of small amounts of open space land -- the St. Mark’s
Church and senior housing in Bayview Landing. We support them.
However, the line has to be drawn and quickly to protect the
remainder of our dwindling supply. The proposed Regent Hotel takes
our precious recreational and environmental open space land for a
project that, for the reasons cited below, is questionable. For
example, in a recent Community Commentary in the Pilot, Steven
Sutherland classifies the area of the hotel as “one of the most
run-down parts of the city. It is filled with bars, tattoo parlors,
body piercing shops and rental units.”
Yet Sutherland would have us believe that he can build a “five
star” hotel that will attract affluent customers that will provide
high revenues to the city. That implies they will prefer the tattoo
parlors and body piercing shop access over the amenities of the many
fine hotels in the city that are in prime, not run allegedly down
neighborhoods. I don’t believe that.
The city previously preached a revenue bonanza by taking away open
space land for the Fletcher Jones Dealership. While it does provide
substantial revenue, the city’s anticipated revenues were reduced
because most cars are bought on lease, and Mercedes finances their
cars in New Jersey. So caution should be exercised when reviewing any
developer’s revenue claims.
Convincing proof that caution is needed is contained in the City
Council minutes of March 11, agenda item No. 21. At that meeting,
both Sutherland and I testified for the record. However, his recent
Community Commentary differs in several important respects from the
official minutes of the meeting. His article stated that Greenlight
had not taken a position on the Regent Resort. The official minutes
provide evidence that Greenlight then opposed the Regent Plan because
it would take away precious recreational and open space land.
Sutherland’s article then went on to say: “Residents should not be
surprised if Greenlight finds some reason to oppose the resort. This
future projection flies in the face of my testimony in his presence
on March 8 that we opposed this wanton taking of our recreational and
open space land.
Sutherland further stated “a vote of the residents will take place
in November of 2004, not because of Greenlight, but because the
leaders of this city agreed that residents should decide a project of
this importance.” However in my testimony on March 11, I pointed out we believe that the project would require a Greenlight vote. This is
because its square footage exceeds the Greenlight law’s limits.
The use of this initiative process instead of the “Greenlight”
City Charter law lets the City Council off the hook by bypassing a
public vote by them. How many of them would have dared to vote
against the wishes of the majority of the residents? Because of this
approach, we may never know. However, if the lawful process is
further disregarded, there are still judges who can decide the
legality of bypassing the Greenlight law.
Sutherland also takes Greenlight’s position on desirable
development types out of context. For example, one of the principal
reasons we previously opposed the Dunes Hotel and now the Regent
Hotel was that it would occupy a bay-front position. We think we can
and should add hotels inshore without turning the city into another
Miami Beach. His out-of-context statement of our position did not
mention that.
Given this number of documented misstatements in Sutherland’s
column, I personally will question all the statistics and claims he
is throwing at us. I suggest you do the same.
Our recreational and environmental open space and bay-front land
is too precious to waste on a questionable venture. That is why
Greenlight opposes the Regent Hotel.
* PHIL ARST is spokesman for the Greenlight Steering Committee.
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