Marty Jewel makes me cringe – listening to him speak is worse than listening to a Presidental address. When will the incompetence, the corruption and the racism of his tenure end? Marty’s that is…..

What’s with these high-density, gigantic rental monsters being built in city residential areas lately?

Soft home-owner’s market? Strong renter’s market?

What happens when the rental market goes soft? Can have a much more negative impact on an area that a few foreclosed homes.

The plan is for a 300 unit rental property with commercial space on the ground floor, and the minimum amount of parking required by code.

This will certainly make life in Westover Hills interesting.

Love the council meeting:

Sloooow start with the negatories. “Is this the best you’ve got,” mumbles the developer while twirling his imaginary mustache.

Way to go Spring Hill, break out the “long time resident.” 1958. Bet she remembers the trolley cars and segregated neighborhoods! Oh, let’s remind Council of “The Good Old Days.”

Oh snap, skeet all over Pantele, Mr. Certified! Keep it up. It always goes over well with Mr. Combover. Do you think he may have “perception” problems?

Oh yeah- bonus irony points for use old person’s use of “myopic.”

Make sure your speakers can remember their addresses. It always helps.

An aside: My light bulb on the front porch burned out. I’ve had it for years. It was a good light bulb. I really don’t want to change it. But I do need light on the front porch. Should I change it? I don’t think so. It was too good of a light bulb to just throw away. My neighbor agrees.

Did young angry dude just compare Spring Hill to Mt Vernon? WTF dude!? Hyperbole much?

“Passionate citizens”…. heehee

Aside: I remember when all you whippersnappers wouldn’t go any where near the river for fear of getting typhoid or worse. And I’m not that old.

One brought up streetcars! Kudos!

Here come the pros….

“I like it. Can we go home now. CSI Miami is on at ten”

Oooops, low income housing maven. “Economic and social fabric,” “revitalization;” “non-profit;” put a pillow over her mouth…..

Finch… isn’t that a bird? Traffic congestion? She lives on Floyd Ave? And she’s a bird. Stone the witch!

Let’s advertise our realty company’s listings. Good show! Way to sneak that in.

Oh snap, Bald Black Man is watching you!

Floyd- lives on Grace. He’s obviously one of “them.”

Wow, Donnie is tired. And just absolutely precious! And “PLEASED!” That’s it. Game over, it’ll pass for certain now. Damn I wish I had his physique!

Baker? Didn’t he work for the city a while back? In planning? He does bring up a point concerning parking: Where would I park my 1966 International Scout pickup? And could the blocks under the axles hurt the pavement?

Council:
Marty: He just called all of you in the opposition, racists. Oh snap! (It’s there, just in code.) I like his cadence. Not all preachy, more like Wilder’s snide condescension.

Conner: “Fantastic project!”

Graziano: She’s walking a tightrope here. Remember though, she brought you the farmer’s market to southside because you’re too lazy to grow greens in your back yards. Give her a break. She’s trying. Really hard.

Robinson: Accept your fate. The BORG has arrived. You will be assimilated! Or move to Brandermill. She is concerned about the “massiveness” of the building. Prepare for condemnation of surrounding properties. She went to London, where Black people speak the Queen’s English. Scary place mate! Her “conflictedness” wins out cus she’s not sure what’s in it for her.

Bald White Dude: Great reversal of the “gateway” concept. Doesn’t Pantele own some of those apartment complexes along Chamberlynne that Bald White Dude’s criticizing? Supports Borg.

Used Car Salesman White Dude with Glasses: Says Nothing of any import. Supports.

Pantele: Remember when………… I was on your side? I like green space. And herbage! But I’d rather have a strip club on site, so I’m in opposition.

Oh, she tried to fix the vote? How hard is it to count nine votes? Dayum, I want her job.

Looks like a new development is moving in!

Some suggestions:

1) Spring Hill Parking Permits; Just like the Fan, only better (perhaps with a “shoot on sight” ordinance for “those people” without a permit.

2.) Spring Hill Bumper Stickers “By Invitation Only”

3.) Understand that the “Master Plan” of any city is flexible. If you’ve got something to bring in extra tax money for the powers that be to spend, you could make any Master Plan learn Yoga overnight.

4.)Get some chickens and a goat or two and really make your neighborhood less dense. While you’re at it get a few piggies too- cus they really stink up the joint, but Ooooooh do they taste so good. Bacon! Start an abattoir in your basement and claim it’s your religion.

5.) Try not to call people “liars” if they have a different interpretation of reality than you do.

6.) You will not “Save your neighborhood” by denying any project where “those people” can live and raise their children and grow old and have hopes and dreams about leaving the neighborhood and finding less nosy neighbors.

7a.) In six years, two months and thirteen days no one will be driving anyway. We will all teleport to our desired destinations. So your concerns about traffic are senseless and obviously not based in reality.

7b.) Or we will all drive Segways. So parking will be fine.

8.) You better bring those empty super cans in, I’ve got my eyes on you!

The answer is YES.

Instead of simply being curmudgeonly bystanders, some of us are participating. Most of you other comments aren’t worth reading.

Do you remember the Twinning Ceremony last year? When the Queen was here? The governor of Richmond, England came to Libby Hill to attend this ceremony.

I am not against progress, but I am against destruction. And with the economy the way it is now, there is no justification for building MORE high-rise condos that no one buys in this area. We have so many empty condos in this town. Stop already!

Before the Echo owner bought the site, it was the location for rusting cranes, debris and obsolete industrial equipment. Too bad he tore all that down before he applied for site plan approval.

Bystander:

You are misinformed. the Oakwood condo project is right up against many people’s back yards at the end of E. Broad Street on the 3500 block in Chimborazo Old & Historic District.

Do you need a hug?

If this were on Craigslist, I’d nominate your for the best of Craigslist. You hit it on the head.

In Church Hill, the neighbors want to block a project that is over almost 1/2 a mile away.

None of them has offered to pony up and buy the site from the developer either!

Definition of a do-gooder? That’s someone who will give you the shirt off of someone else’s back!

Crosland is a very well known developer with a reputation of doing good work. The developments they have done in the Charlotte area kick Richmond’s in the rear.

Without your own district councilperson’s support, you’ve got a tough battle. I will try to make it June 9th. I’ve also sent an email to lots of folks in my neck of the woods (Church Hill). We’re fighting a large project called the “Oakwood” up here. Can really sympathize.

1.) Do you own said land upon which this development shall be constructed? Do you own the streets? Do you own the air into which these buildings shall rise? Do you own the moon? If not, do penalties prohibit you from removing the purchase price from one of your many accounts spread around the world? Do you need more time to save up, or raise the cash?

2.) Have you determined with reason, that the “development” will be a detriment to your neighborhood. Or do you merely “feel” that this development is “bad;” A potential place for “those” people to hang out and have a roof over their head?

3.)Have you offered information and developmental suggestions to the council which would improve this development wherever it is built? Are they sane, rational, and competent suggestions that would add to the project or are the suggestions merely the lashing out of a two year old who doesn’t get their way?

4.) Do you like to complain about the drapes in your neighbor’s house?

5.) Do you casually, yet somehow emphatically suggest to your neighbor that her marigolds are “so eighties” and shun her at the block party when she refuses to dig them up and plant lilies?

6.) Do you have a webcam (with recorder) trained on your neighbor’s rear porch to record his recycling bins’ latest additions to rest assured he is complying with your mores?

7.) Do you allow your neighbor’s outside clotheslines yet find it necessary to trespass and fold his clothing when you feel they “should” be dry? And do you enjoy making him beg for his Hanes until the next day so that you might re-educate him?

8.) Can you comprehend that “historic” is a relative term, and that most people in this fairly young country would not think of your neighborhood as the Buckingham Palace Neighborhood, merely a declining neighborhood that’s been in decline for 50 years, and merely has received a stay of execution by upwardly mobile professionals to ignorant to ascertain a “money pit” when it beats them over the head with a new plumbing /electrical /roofing /foundation /siding /chimney /insulation /HVAC / kitchen / bathroom /bedroom / garage /flooring /soil /plaster retrofit?

9.) Do you understand that poop that is “historic” is merely “Historic Poop?”

10.) Shouldn’t you be tending your own garden, not your neighbor’s? Or did the Holiest of Holies plant a Gold Star on thine Arse, making you and your neighborhood Lord of all that exists within your sight?

While I’ve no vested interest in this at all, and support the energetic accumulation of verbosity attempting to deny “progress” and “change” -for it is a fundamental right of humanity to complain about something. But I can’t help thinking that this “fight” seems rather silly.

But Kudos, perhaps you’ve found the meaning of Life. Have fun banging your head against the wall. While you’ve been distracted, I have noticed that your lawn needs trimming and your supercan is still outside at 7:01 pm. I have reported you to the city. The fines will be in the mail.