This Sunday’s Coeur d’Alene Press editorial recommended the City delay completion of The Park at the Landings because of insufficient funds. If that happens, who’s left holding the bag?
Answer: The people who believed and trusted the City, the developer, and the real estate agents and then bought homes on the promised completion of The Park at the Landings. If the City postpones completion of the park, particularly if it is postponed indefinitely, the value of the homes in The Landings will be diminished.
The City, the developer, and the real estate agents all have an out: They will say they were acting in good faith when they represented the park’s completion date. But at the outset the City could have told the developer and realtors the park could not be advertised until after it had been completed. The City allowed them to use The Park at the Landings as a sales enhancement. Home buyers believed them. That leaves homeowners holding the bag.
the developer-insider complex like the military-industrial complex is very real. if you have inside connections you can get government to help you market. like idaho states departnent of commerce paying for mcdonalds to translate their adds into foreign languages. that way idaho potatoes sold by simplot get bought in lkarger quantities. nice work.
Comment by TheWiz — July 27, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
/Sarcasm On
In their wisdom, the Mayor and City Council decided it would be best to spend all that extra money on the Kroc Center, Library, Education Corridor, the LCDC, and other showcase projects. If the people at the Landings really appreciated Coeur d’Alene, they’d enjoy those things instead of griping about something mundane like a park.
/Sarcasm Off
Issue like this should be the bread-and-butter of local politics. But no. I suppose when you “dream big” and have “vision” then a promised park goes to the bottom of the list, along with sidewalks. Let’s hope the people of the Landings join us in putting 4 new faces on the City Council next year.
Comment by Dan — July 27, 2008 @ 4:36 pm
INSIDE CONNECTIONS THATS THE KEY
FOLLOW THE MONEY SAID A WISE MAN
Comment by TheWiz — July 27, 2008 @ 7:10 pm
Sad thing is, John Stone got his park at OUR expense!
Comment by concerned citizen — July 27, 2008 @ 9:35 pm
Let us hope that the recently mentioned vision of a sports complex in the URD will not be another vision item paid by taxes. Does anyone know if the proposed baseball facility could be considered a replacement for the Legion ballpark at Mc Euen Field? By the way, what is the status of the Mc Euen Field proposed enhancement plan?
Comment by Susie Snedaker — July 28, 2008 @ 7:58 am
Susie,
I see a parking garage going up on McEuen Field. I see a City Council that just recently artificially created a need for more parking by allowing new construction to provide fewer parking spaces than previously required. I see a City Council that will cite overflow parking at the Library (spaces being used by business, not library, patrons)as a reason. I see an LCDC commissioner whose property holdings inside the LCDC district will be enriched by that parking garage, a garage that will use LCDC (taxpayer) funds. It is said that he who controls the parking controls the wealth. Expand on that, “He who controls the officials who control the parking controls the wealth.”
Comment by Bill — July 28, 2008 @ 8:29 am
why don’t they dig down the entire current parking lot to the level of the lower boat parking lot all the way out to Front Street? THEN, build it back up one level therefore doubling the parking capacity or at least close to it.
Comment by concerned citizen — July 28, 2008 @ 10:33 am
Oh, come on Concerned Citizen! How can anyone who is connected make any money that way?
Comment by Dan — July 28, 2008 @ 10:45 am
Sorry Dan. Silly me. What was I thinking. I absolutely hate it when I make sense. 🙂
Comment by concerned citizen — July 28, 2008 @ 12:16 pm
A number of years ago the city adopted a fees in lieu of parking ordinance which permits certain types of new businesses to pay a fee rather than adhere to the adopted parking requirements in the zoning ordinance. I think that the fee was $1,000. It was paid by Mc Donalds and possibly one other business. I think that the ordinance is still in effect – no doubt with the same paltry fee.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — July 28, 2008 @ 1:56 pm
On another note – Will the city make residents at the Landings supply the labor for part of the landscaping installation? Sunshine Meadows and Canfield Park homeowners supplied some labor at their parks.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — July 28, 2008 @ 2:00 pm