CM PRESS # 493

PLANNING COMMISSION TO DISCUSS THE WESTSIDE PLANS AT ITS 5/23 STUDY SESSION
Link

The CM PRESS has been urging the City Council and the Planning Commission to dust off the Westside plans that many of us worked on and to see if they can start being more aggressive in implementing them.

This discussion sounds like it may be a good first step. 

What the Commissioners do after this step is even more important.  

For example, one good thing the Commissioners could do is make a strong recommendation to the City Council to hold its own or a joint City Council/Planning Commission meeting on implementing these plans. 

A significant part of these plans involves revitalizing W. 19th Street and making it a destination location. 

However, one of the problems with W. 19th Street is that many of the lots are too shallow to accommodate new development even if lots are assembled.

Maybe the City Council and the Planning Commission will have some ideas on how to get around this problem.
#                    #                       #
HISPANIC GANG FIGHT ON WESTSIDE--TWO STABBED--TWO ARRESTED
Link

Unless the City Council gets serious about fixing the Westside, we're going to see more gang crime and we're going to see the crime spread all over the city.

Here's what to do to fix the Westside:  Hire more cops.  Drain the friggin' swamp.  What does that mean?  It means buy slum buildings, tear them down, and put in pocket parks.  It also means stop feeding the charities that are acting as magnets for a down scale population.

Let's start competing for upwardly mobile residents by improving the Westside.
#                              #                         #
[UPDATE ON AZ STORY:  Cash pouring in to build fence.  HERE'S WHERE YOU CAN DONATE.]
-----------------------------
AZ FED UP WITH DO NOTHING FEDS IS GOING TO BUILD ITS OWN BORDER FENCE USING ON LINE DONATIONS AND PRISON LABOR
Link
#                     #                      #
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING TONIGHT
Link to agenda.

What's important on the agenda is what isn't there--applications for trendy restaurants on the Westside.

There's an application for a new restaurant called Greenleaf that wants to go in on E. 17th Street and which is going through the hoops because of perceived parking problems.

Now, why aren't we seeing any trendy restaurants going in on W. 19th Street?

When will the Planning Commission and the City Council do what is necessary to open up W. 19th Street for proper development?

ASIDE:
The Planning Commission still has some deadwood on it.  We need five activist members on that body.  We don't need people on the Planning Commission who are either party hacks or who just want to collect their checks and have a resume enhancement by being on the Commission.
#                   #                     #
Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.