The article:
Stephen Karp will be in town to meet with anxious citizens at a public forum Thursday, March 13, Mayor John Moak confirmed Thursday.
Ever since New England Development, Karp’s real estate development company, bought up most of the waterfront/downtown properties two years ago, Karp has been a no-show in the city. He also has consistently refused to speak to the media about his development plans for Newburyport.
Moak said in his inaugural address in early January that the fears around development of Waterfront West had to be quelled. Planning Director Nancy Colbert and Moak have apparently convinced Karp he needs to come to Newburyport.
“We think it’s a good idea,” said Colbert. “I think it will be a good night.”
Colbert said during the forum the city will introduce the New England Development team and both sides will talk about the planning process. There will be no discussion of specifics but Colbert said, “I would expect them to talk about considerations they’re thinking about for their property.”
The location of the forum has yet to be determined due to the expected large number of attendees, Moak said, but Colbert said they are looking at the auditorium at Rupert A. Nock Middle School. The time is also yet to be determined.
From my quick reading of this I can't tell whether or not the presentation will allow for audience questions. God, I hope so or else this might not sit well with the general populace.
The structure of the hearing sounds a bit limited to me, and I still think Karp needs to mingle a bit with the masses including the unscrubbed folks like myself who have no financial or political stake in the actual outcome.
But I give Karp credit for coming as well as Moak and Colbert kudos if they truly convinced him to come up here.
March 13 is a Thursday night so I'll be home watching Survivor. But tell me how things go. I'm kidding. I wouldn't miss this for the world. (Survivor is usually bumped to Wednesday by the NCAA tournament anyway.)
If there is no opportunity for questions, we'll take some more here as we did a way back.
I'll print out a copy of the blog and mail them to his office before the meeting.
Nice bit of detail by the Current.
8 comments:
Fantastic! We will be there...along with the rest of the town.
I sense this could go one of two ways: either it will be a boisterous, verbal crowd; or, you'll be able to hear a pin drop.
I "get" that they won't/can't talk specifics but frankly, I don't think the audience will be too pleased if all we get are vague ideas of what they may or may not do.
Should be VERY interesting! I'll bring the popcorn.
I hope you're right. Wouldn't it stink if 50 people show up?
Yes, it would stink.
The only way I could envision that happening is if people are completely in the dark about the event. And, if it's "conveniently" scheduled for, say, a Wednesday at 2pm.
I'm crossing my fingers for a big, fiesty turnout.
It wouldn't be a weekday afternoon, as schools are in session.
I'm told it'll be a 7 to 9 show time.
This is a start, but only a start.
I hope folks go out of their way to be welcoming.
Seriously all the negativity so far is mostly fear of the unknown and can set the wrong tone for working together.
We shouldn't let that fear send the wrong signal. If a possibly benign source of betterment in NBPT is visiting, let's treat him graciously and well.
We should ask clear to the point questions, but they shouldn't belie hostility towards Steve Karp as a person!
Well said.
Agreed. What I mean by "fiesty" is that we show Mr. Karp that we are passionate about the town and what goes on here.
I think that can certainly be communicated respectfully, and I hope it is.
Post a Comment