In May Central Neighborhood's board election caused a series
of unfortunate events, one of which was the loss of our
contract with MCDA for citizen participation. The house
Karen Forbes wanted to have on her street built by PRG was
not, therefore, open to citizen input.
Also, it was the mayor who directed MCDA to sell off their
huge number of vacant lots. Obviously, MCDA wants to sell
them for as much as the traffic will bare. A private
developer does not ask for subsidy, PRG does. Economically
speaking, MCDA seems to be moving into allowing the private
sector and the housing market take a role in moving the
revitalization of Central forward. Those of us who sat in
those hideously long housing meetings for years are now
seeing the fruits of our labor. We primed the pump with
generous subsidies to interest the market and the market is
responding.
The internecine warfare among Central residents which
created the situation which denies us citizen input was not
Herron's responsibility. Untangling the mess is not his
responsibility. It's up to the organization--the
neighborhood-- to straighten out it's situation so that the
contract is restored.
Too, Forbes cry that the modular home company made trailer
homes evokes a TV induced image of slatternly 'poor white
trash' unfairly. Neither the homes nor the people are
necessarily sub-standard. Central touts diversity all the
time, but more modest families for whom some of the new,
really nice modular homes are an investment they can afford
in the current housing market seem to be most unwelcome. In
Central it may not have come to the point where the
neighbors get to dictate what kind of house I build.
My return rant follows: I've watched as Central
neighborhood ran to the council member as though he were
daddy and would soothe all the owies and fix everything.
That's not the council members' job. His is to listen to
the cohesive voice of the whole neighborhood, work with all
parties, and contend with his fiduciary duties at the same
time. Were I in his shoes, I'd be mighty sick of hearing the
whining, the wheedling, the insults, the yelling and
screaming, and the nastiness which greets him when he's
asked to do the impossible.
As a council member Herron has done a pretty good job of
bringing resources into the ward--particularly into
Central. Central has fought him all the way. He wants new
housing on the 30 or so vacant lots to make the neighborhood
safer and return it's physical integrity lost through years
of red lining. By acting to lose it's contract with MCDA for
citizen input, Central created another problem for itself.
Herron can't step in and dig us out.
Wizard Marks, Central resident
