Neighbors, The famous “traffic study” highlighted in the May 20, false PCPC record, was the central item highlighted for the prepared unanimous approval of the Campus Inn. Of course, this was to be expected.
At the end of the "public hearing", both the new director, Greenberg, and Altman were ready with their “this is so hard speech.” Like before, the most important issues raised were completely ignored. The commission brought Farnham out after I explained that the PHC architectural committee, at the beginning of this pay to play process, had rejected the Campus Inn for numerous reasons! Farnham ignored this fact and the commission played the ostensible “questioning” of Farnham but completely failed to ask Farnham for an explanation of the architectural committee rejection. Farnham even claimed that the PHC commission approved the Campus Inn with advice from the architectural committee. What the PHC actually did last November was change its policy on the spot to ignore the rejection of its architects. The architects rejected this hotel for all the numerous reasons which were excluded from all public record of testimony. The commissioners voted to ignore them so that it could rubber stamp approval. The PCPC does not allow any mechanism to correct misinformation. At the end, the entire development gang and Farnham highlighted that the corner would become a ghetto without this hotel. While Esaul Sanchez watched and the entire Penn team, including the PCPC commissioners, made these claims (for the benefit of recordings) none of them corrected the misinformation. When SHCA was publicly cornered in Feb, many of you will remember that Mr. Sanchez of Penn Real Estate admitted that there was great interest in the historic mansion and that he had received 20 proposals from University programs. The false assertion that the corner would be a dilapidated corner for forever without this hotel became the most important bullshit of the day. I held up a hand written “20 proposals” but no correction of the misinformation was offered in testimony. The commission was well prepared with “this decision is so hard” statements to cover that the decision had been determined in advance. They wanted to “balance the needs of the community” but keep the corner from becoming a permanent ghetto. To watch this pay to play in action seems so pathetic. But a city and society that is too ignorant to understand the reasons for democratic processes is going to have a pathetic government. Our society deserves our government but the rest of the world and humanity does not deserve the consequences. Most sincerely, Glenn ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
