I can't exactly say I was happy to read the Katie Farrell's article this morning about the Towle condo projects going up for sale, but I was slightly encouraged.
This project is a perfect symbol of the go-go attitude that existed prior to the crash landing of the economy last year.
The empty shells standing atop the torn up grounds of what previously had been a pleasant looking landscape presents the only stark reminder of what happened to the global economy last September. To be sure, we all know people who have lost their jobs and suffered under these economic times, but this area has largely been free from the incompleted housing tracks found in other parts of the country.
But that's what we have at the bottom of Oakland and Tyng Streets.
I don't know enough about the project to comment on its legitimacy, so this isn't a knock on the principals involved. I, like a lot of people, raised my eyebrows at the mention of million dollar units being built along the river. But part of me, the greedy part I suppose, thought, Well, power to them. My boat will rise with the tide and I'll see an increased value on my house. I'd say they were merely functioning as they were expected and encouraged to function during the times.
Unfortunately, we now found ourselves here. Just as I don't blame the principals involved, I don't weep for them either. I'm sure they'll make out okay. I also don't fault the city on the supposed delays for the project. Again, without knowing the details, I can't speak specifically. But as Mayor Moak says, the review process is a two-way street. In my experience, developers cause more problems than they create and slow their own projects down. Also, statutes give government boards very specific time frames for project review. Unnecessary delays can lead to an automatic approval.
But I would like to know one thing. Is there some sort of bond in place to finish the work or at least cover up the work at Cashman Park? The very well-intentioned plan to relocate the large barn, now sitting in the Towle Parking lot, to Cashman has left us with a complete mess as well as fewer parking spaces.
It's bad enough we've got a monument to overreaching sitting behind the Towle building. Can we at least do something about Cashman Park?
18 comments:
at a NYSA meeting last winter the mayor said that despite what might happen to the condo project, they were obligated to move the new field house to its location at cashman park, and he said i WOULD be done.... obviously it hasn't, and i hope the city makes sure it gets done before they skip town.
I think this is a great location for a new senior center. The city can buy the project, scale a back to include the new senior center, and we don't have to worry about a debt exclusion.
A neighbor of ours went to a Planning Board meeting a few months ago, where the developer said they were going to move the house in just a few weeks and clean up the site. What happened? Does anybody at City Hall follow this?
ed cameron is too busy building his senior center, and shanely too busy running for mayor...maybe an at large councilor could help?
Actually,it's more of a planning board issue.
I know Cameron is a friend of yours, but this is definitely something a ward councilor should help with. Look at the work another ward councilor is doing on the landfill, which is in his ward. Cameron was cheering for Towle when they broke ground, has he forgotten about it now?
Anon,
On several occasions last Fall and Winter, I worked through the Mayor, Planning Director, Building Inspector to push First Republic to 'button up' the site---fix the fallen down fences, tack down the flapping Tyvek---while First Republic were trying to put together the lending they needed to put the project back on course.
I will be suggesting to the Mayor that a public meeting of some sort be held to clarify the City's position in resolving this situation.
Thank you,
Ed Cameron
Tyng,
Yes, Ed is a friend of mine, but to be honest I don't have much of an appetite for the anonymous potshots people like to take at councilors.
Is it really fair to expect every councilor to be on top of every complaint before it's even brought up?
Did anonymous send Ed or James Shanley and email about Cashman that they haven't responded to? I doubt it. Instead, I'm sure he or she just like crack wise about the supposed ineffectiveness of others while not showing much initiative themselves.
Ed is a friend and neighbor. But he's also been responsive to any and all complaints I've posted up here. I don't always agree with his positions, but at least he's paying attention.
James Shanley also contributes.
So perhaps I am a bit defensive. But I don't like cheap shots even. I do, however, give them a platform here. Perhaps this makes me a hypocrite, so be it.
Thanks for commenting and assigning yourself a name,
Tom
p.s. Coincidentally, I found your comment and Ed's in the moderation que at the same time. So Ed apparently agrees with you.
Tyng,
When was I "cheering for Towle when they broke ground"? That was a done deal -- for good or ill -- by the time I was in office.
The creation of $1M townhouses on prime waterfront (granted with a few 'affordables' and some public access improvements)isn't something that causes me to jump for joy.
And as I said in the post which crossed yours, I am interested in a public meeting on this.
Ed
tom, that is their job. stop making excuses for them...they've know all along that the barn was to be moved, and if they've done anything about it, they should feel free to inform their constituents. we don't elect people so that we can do their job for them, we elect them to do the job for us.
ed, why do we need a public meeting? isn't their an agreement between the city and FR? can't we simply enforce that agreement? i'm not sure what a public meeting will provide?
Careful anon1, you're doing Ed's job for him.
Remember, we elected him to do his job for us.
Wait, that's not how it goes....
Anon1,
The reason to have a meeting is to make sure the City is doing everything possible to get this resolved.
The Towle zoning overlay was created in 2005. A special permit was granted in Dec 2007, five months after the application. The Chapter 91 license from DEP came through in 2008.
First Republic had impeccable timing, unfortunately for them and us.
In this economy, I'm concerned that it's just going to sit there with all the visual allure of the Crow Lane landfill minus the smell.
Another meeting? They already promised the city they would do certain things, like clean up the site and move the barn. Do you need to have another public meeting to just make them do it? I live off Turkey Hill Road, but if I were a neigbor of the site I would expect my councilor would go to City Hall and get to the bottom of it, not hold another meeting. As another poster said, that's what councilors are expected to do.
And we wonder why no one else is running for council. Who wouldn't want to represent so many rays of sunshine?
the problem is, we apparently aren't being represented...
and i still don't see the point of the meeting regarding the barn. it was agreed upon. have the city solicitor "remind" First Republic of their obligation. no meeting necessary.
Tom--
I am the person from the West End who wrote the post from "Anonymous 3." Your subsequent answer, sarcastically calling me and others "rays of sunshine," was insulting. I was simply giving my opinion, and did not insult anyone. You may have disagreed with our opinions regarding the councilors, but taking a shot at us was unnecessary. I feel like I was at somebody's party and the host asked my opinion, then mocked me for having one. I moved to town about five years ago, started reading your blog a few months ago, and this was my first posting. It will be my last. I don't plan to read the blog anymore. I remember that you're running for charter commission. A bit of advice: remember, you're asking to represent us "rays of sunshine."
I'm a neighbor of Towle in Ward 4, and I'm another of Mr. Cameron's consitutents who feels that he has totally dropped the ball on the Towle development. Since the project first opened (main bldg), First Republic has repeatedly ignored or pushed off commitments that are important to the city/neighborhood (parking/traffic, waterfront access, etc.). Basically, they already had a bad reputation in the city. Therefore, a good ward 4 councilor should have been on their back (along with the planning dept), making sure commitments were honored. I'm sorry, Tom, but I don't think it's a constitutent's responsibility to "email" a councilor about big issues. Sure, if you want a pot hole filled, then by all means email or call your councilor. But for the big picture issues, a ward councilor needs to be proactive, not reactive. And please, don't do your usual defense of Cameron by bringing up how proactive he's been on the charter or sr. center -they're not ward 4 issues and, to be honest, with all the other issues facing this city, I think far too much time and ink have been devoted to them.
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