Yes,
I saw several people recording. One person filming. There was a very large
crowd considering the bad weather. Seating filled most of the hall.
The Daily Pennsylvanian announced the meeting and I am hopeful they covered
the proceedings. The local paper, the UC Review was present. I don't know
if other reporters were present.
It will be impossible to deny the overwhelming opposition voiced last night.
Thanks for sharing the UCCC anecdote. I completely agree with the need to
record.
Glenn
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Ellingsworth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Glenn" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 9:26 AM
Subject: Re: [UC] Community rejects hotel
Were the proceedings recorded?
If not, everything can be denied.
Just sayin'.
John
[For those of you thinking, "why does he keep asking?" I like to
highlight the time that the UCCC held a meeting against the billboard
proposal several years ago, an unofficial vote was held resulting in one
vote in favor of the billboards - 100+ against - and our ethic'd out
Councilperson who attended still voted for the money'd interests. Because
of cases like this, all proceedings of this sort should be recorded and
made publicly available so there is no ambiguity on what transpired.]
Glenn wrote:
"I ask that everyone now consider where we are, for that is more
important at the moment then how we got here. The important point is
what we do with what we have learned. A healthy discussion and
debate can enrich a community as long as it is civil in tone and
respectful of differences of opinion. I'm confident that our
community is up to the task."
I think that the community showed Barry that we are up to the task
tonight. Our neighbors spoke overwhelmingly against the hotel project
this evening. Our neighbors made excellent challenges to the data,
misinformation, and process used by the developers. The zoning
committee saw that area residents are not the easily fooled wild
animals, we are so often portrayed as.
Our neighbors stood up for our community and those of you not at the
large assembly should know how well your neighbors; your fellow
citizens stood up for all of us tonight. But the huge question
remains, are the Spruce Hill Civic Association leaders able to
conduct themselves responsibly in this community?
The zoning committee was asked repeatedly to represent the wishes of
people in this community and immediately reject this hotel proposal.
But it would seem that the SHCA is going to stick to its guns.
The overwhelming rejection of the hotel by our neighbors tonight is
irrelevant. The usual process of the zoning committee will continue
unabated. The committee will proceed secretly from this point
forward. It is the decision of the anointed members of the SHCA to
decide whether the community supports or opposes the plan.
The community spoke out forcefully but with more civility than either
the developers or the SHCA deserved. But now, what are we going to do
about this continuous attempt to deny us a voice in our community;
this continuous attempt to defend secret unannounced meetings; this
process in which we must always catch deception while we are
condescendingly lectured on civility?
The defense of SHCA unannounced "public" meetings is absurd. One
neighbor asked the committee and SHCA to recuse itself from the ZBA
process if it is not capable of responding to the community. To allow
the Woodland Tr neighbors or others to present the opposition of this
community if SHCA cannot.
If the Spruce Hill Civic Association cannot conduct itself
responsibly, we must come together as a community, like we did
tonight to reject this outrage, and take the appropriate actions to
take the fate of our community away from this tiny SHCA gang.
Well done neighbors!
Glenn
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