Olbrich Park Plan: Money worshippers won, again.
Quality planning and mutual interest lost.
Despite dozens of eloquent speakers who testified as to the
importance of the park to a multiplicity of users, the Parks
Commission voted 3-2 for the staff plan which sets out to squash many
uses in favor of one use.
Pedestrian connectivity--lost
Contiguity of natural areas--lost
Cleaner Starkweather through minimized pavement--lost
2 premium ball diamonds--lost
& on & on....
The president of the Board of Parks Commissioners declared all those
testifying in favor of the more comprehensive, mutual interest plan
as holding a "narrow view" and needing to "broaden your perspective."
Yes, those are quotes. Exact quotes.
Yup. It's official: We're just little rednecks in need of a little
cultural uplift from our betters.
Even more disappointing than the actual votes were the individuals
and organizations who aggressively undercut the work of dedicated
folks in the neighborhood, either by action or omission:
-Commonwealth Development (the developers proposing the Arts
Incubator) failed to support the neighborhood's plan (which, btw,
strongly supported the Arts Incubator), and instead, spoke in favor
of the city's plan which provides for oceanic levels of parking. We
now know just how, ahem, "sustainable" this arts incubator will be.
-Dick Wagner--OBS's flak--took the straw man tack in his description
of the efforts of hard working--volunteering--neighbors. It didn't
matter to Mr. Wagner that almost to a person, everyone supporting the
Neighbor's Plan over the city's plan complimented OBS's efforts,
almost in worshipful tones. It didn't matter to him that most even
supported the expansion envisioned by the Neighbors' Plan. It didn't
matter to him that the Neighbor's Plan compensated Olbrich acre for
acre for their purchase of the Garver site. It didn't matter to him
that OBS would be spared the expense of demolishing and remediating
the Garver Building. It didn't matter to him that the Neighbor's Plan
obviated the dilemma posed by the railroad bisecting the property.
Nope, that just wasn't enough for Mr. Wagner. He still felt the
victim. He whinged & whined that "we [OBS] are getting kicked in the
shins." When it comes to rich people, there is no pleasing them.
Enough is never enough. And they are always quick to play the class
warfare card when the non-rich squeak upon getting squashed. Always.
Did you see in the paper today that the government's largesse of cash
showered upon the banks, the cash saving their hind-ends, is
provoking indignation from the Masters of the Universe on Wall
Street? They are whining about the strings attached. Break out the
violins folks. Yet another whiney rich person. One can never do
enough for them. They are soooooo precious.
-Dog Park proponents were playing Sweden circa 1942. Even though this
agenda item would never have happened, and the dog park would never
have even appeared on the city's plans had it not been for the
efforts of those who stood shoulder-to-shoulder to bring together a
comprehensive plan for all users, they never even acknowledged those
efforts in their testimony. They allowed themselves to be
co-opted--picked off--by staff, thus undermining those who worked for
the comprehensive, win-win plan for all users. They never so much as
uttered a word of support for the Neighbor's Plan. In fact, they
actively subverted it by speaking out for a dog park siting in the
North Plat, the area that many, many people have fought so hard to
keep in a more natural state. Brutus would have been proud!
So much for the disappointments.
On a much, much brighter note, it was great to see so many passionate
folks out speaking so eloquently in their own way, from the heart,
and in complete solidarity with other users of the park. They far
outnumbered the Quislings. For the most part, we do have a great
community here, and people really do look out for one another. Heck
we even had a good turnout of folks from the far northside and the
far westside turning out to defend the better Olbrich plan.
Both Alders whose districts encompass the park, Alds. Marsha Rummel
and Larry Palm listened to their constituents, thought through the
neighbors proposals and spoke out in favor of the neighbor's more
inclusive plan. They should be thanked. (If either of you read this:
I thank you!)
And Betty Chewing, portrayed by staff as the 2nd Coming of Darth
Vader, provided outstanding vision, thoughtfulness, creativity and
leadership in bringing together two neighborhoods and a multiplicity
of park users. She stuck her neck out on this one. We owe her a major
thanks. She is in a dwindling minority of green idealists on the
commission.
Like much of the rest of the political currents in the city, things
are lurching rightward on the Parks Commission.
The only way things will change is if we start pushing back politically.
-Mike
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