On the agenda yesterday was a resolution about a Committee to Study the "reasonableness of de-annexing areas".
Here's one citizens' take in her own words...
It is with a heavy heart that I must report that Memphis City Council not only denied us direct representation on the newly formed DeAnnexation Committee; but that I found Councilman Conrad's response to my asking him, why he won't "award" us two seats on the committee most disturbing. He replied, "I can't have someone that has been fighting for de-annexation on the committee." REALLY! So, my follow-up question was, you are letting those who have been actively opposed to de-annexation on the committee. So, how is that fair? He response was to turn his back and walk away stating he agrees to disagree with the fairness. I wish I had that conversation on tape.
During the discussion, the most disturbing response come from the lips of Councilman Brown. He stated that he felt that there was no reason to have this committee, because the city already owned us and that we bought property knowing that they owned us. I wish that I could have called out, "Dude, have you ever read Chapter 1101? No city owns the reserved areas. Not to mention, there wasn't any disclosure statements in my real-estate packet when we came to town for our buying weekend. How asinine?
Patricia Possel
Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclination, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. John Adams
Well Kommisar Conrad...what we have here is a one-sided study by the side that is against de-annexation so what's to study? Gee I wonder how this study will turn out?
The fact is...Kemp Conrad...you can't have a "reasonable" study about the "reasonableness of De-annexing areas" if your study includes ONLY those opposed to it...thanks for the taxation without representation!!!
There were some citizens from the affected area that wanted to be included in the study. Two citizens...that's all they were requesting. Seems "reasonable" enough...though the Kommisars didn't think so...
I am currently awaiting the video for yesterdays meeting to go up in the archives so you can see footage of security removing a 90 year woman from the meeting. She was upset that despite the majority of citizens who live in the neighborhood where a developer wants to erect a 9 story tower(Parkside at Shelby Farms) right across the street from Shelby Farms Park being fervently against, the council voted for approval because ...they know better than the citizens who live in that neighborhood what's good for their neighborhood.
This tower, which will be high end apartments and ground floor retail, is supposedly the future of development all over the country. Mixed use development combines commercial and residential use to create a utopia of walkable and bikable communities that rely less on their personal vehicles and more on public transportation. Works great in China, Paris, Manhattan....not so great in Portland, Minneapolis, and San Francisco.
The claim that there is a demand for this kind of development is a bunch of poppycock spewed from the mouths of people who are opportunistically taking advantage of federal grants which are being handed out like candy with the idea that if they build it...you will come. The reality of this kind of development in suburban areas has not lived up to the hype.
John Cumberlich who owns a Brokerage Firm in the Bay Area says he is visited often by exasperated multi-family developers about problems regarding this kind of development.
"Pick just about any Bay Area city and you will easily identify any number of RRMU projects that have been proposed, entitled and/or developed over the past ten years. And with rare exception, these projects suffer the same ills…relatively high vacancy rates, substantially below market rents, poor credit tenancies and a high turnover rate of the brokerage firms that try, with little success, to lease what is un-leasable."
Memphis would be wise to look at the outcomes in other cities. It foretells a disaster. Shelby Farms Park is one of the good things about Memphis and Shelby County. If they build this, traffic, crime and lower property values will turn this park from Shelby Farms to Cabrini Farms. Just like the previous three cities listed, high vacancy rates will bring in section 8 vouchers.
I will post the video of the Kommisars Security removing the senior citizen upset with her leaders for disregarding the peoples concerns about development in their backyards. For now this is what you get on Memphis City Councils website when looking for the video in the archives which should already be up. Earlier it had most recent council meeting date as April 18th. The meeting was yesterday the 19th. How convenient. Technical difficulties? Scroll down to the bottom where it says Archived videos. I'm sure they will get right on this....well seems they have made progress. They taken down the April 18th link and now the most recent meeting is April 5th. Keep up the good work Memphis!
http://www.memphistn.gov/Government/CityCouncil/ArchivesofMeetings.aspx