It's Not Just Parking

More thoughts on downtown incentives and parking in Downtowners Park (sometimes called panhandlers park)

Cara Michelle wrote:
I’m not a fan of incentives,. . . . . And I don’t think anyone offered incentives to Simmone (owner of M’Coul’s and Green Burro) or the other business owners in that area. If they add parking, Simmone better get some of it,
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It’s not just a few parking spaces. It is the idea that now that downtown is a good place to do business, why should an investor even have to ask for incentives. There were no incentives when most of us invested in property downtown or opened businesses there.

Why should the new guy get special parking privileges that no other business gets. Why should he be allowed to buy city property for a fraction of it's worth? What kind of scam is this? The whole thing stinks.

Why destroy one small park when the city spent so much to help build another park downtown that is privately owned by a non-taxpaying, so-called non-profit group.

I can’t understand how citizens can believe the web of lies that Robbie Perkins spews about no investment in downtown in years. Why is a new building a better investment for downtown than a rehab of an historic building in an historic district?

Simon Richy has improved the corner of Elm and McGee streets much more than this johnny-come-lately can ever do. And he hardly gets a thank you. Many others have invested in the area, also.

It's a Start

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I was thrilled that the City of Greensboro has finally decided to make a real effort to reduce the power consumption of our facilities. I know that a little progress was made with updates to the Coliseum a few years ago and other minor adjustments to other buildings. The Mayor's Climate Control Agreement was accepted, with reservations, by Greensboro City Council after extensive lobbying by environment-friendly groups several years ago.

If this new contract to retrofit the City Municipal Building and other facilities works as advertised, it will be well worth the investment, even if it takes 13 years to pay for itself. As an added bonus, Pepco Energy Services, the company hired to do the job promises to use lots of local labor.

More information is available in a News Release posted on the city web site. Maybe Greensboro is really trying to be GREEN in some ways.

I only wish that we could keep more of our tree canopy in Greensboro and all over Guilford County by passing and enforcing laws against most clear-cutting of old, beautiful trees for new construction.

What about Waste-to-Energy?

A renewable fuel source - Can be produced locally or regionally - Can be done with minimum damage to the environment - Can eliminate up to 90 percent of trash going into landfills - Does not require strip mining beautiful mountain areas - Does not require long distance hauling of household garbage or crude oils - Does not produce dangerous nuclear waste - does not require huge ocean polluting oil tankers - does not require expansive pipe lines, etc, etc,

Off Again, On Again

I have kept my blogging to a minimum for a while. I have tried to be content with reading other blogs and commenting occasionally. But, I can't stand it any longer.

I will reactivate this little comment space and I hope to add to the Greensboro on-line conversation.

See ya soon,
diane

Who Objects

Am I the only one who noticed that City Council Members who objected to the Zoning Protest Petition at the Jan. meeting are closely connected to the development, building or real estate industry?