"ATL: Maria Saporta vs Kasim Reed/Tyler Perry re: Fort Mac. Who you got?"
We hit chapter 3 or 4 today with Maria's response to Kasim's (office) response to her prior articles about the TP "deal", and the further it goes the worse it seems for CoA. I have my opinions about TP as a businessman from historical precedent, so I'm going to steer clear from talking about what I think his intentions really are, but the entire process/deal is looking more and more typical of out-going ATL mayoral bullshit.
4. "you've been here longer than i've been back in the city" In response to Reply # 0
did this type of stuff happen with Shirley or is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named uniquely this egregious with it?
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
5. "lame duck ATL politics is a give-no-fucks cash grab" In response to Reply # 4
Think about it: there is essentially no chance to hold a higher state office (Governor or Senator), so your public reputation is basically worthless; you can make more money as a consultant than a state rep, so that's done. And you can set the groundwork for your post-office life by slicking your wallet and making friends, so fast track things like crazy and let the next chump worry about the consequences (Kasim unwinding Shirley's pension deal, Shirley dealing with the insanity of Campbell's "empowerment zone", Jackson selling anything and everything in the name of the Olympics, etc...). The next mayor is going to have so much horribly planned commercial development and zoning fuckups to deal with that is going to basically bankrupt the school system when the next bubble bursts (which will happen). Watch.
7. "can you speak more to the zoning / land use issues?" In response to Reply # 5
are you referring to the CoA/APS drama that's cast its shadow over Beltline development, or something else? is the Memorial Drive development moratorium issue associated with this?
what reforms / policy solutions would you suggest?
some background to my line of questioning: i earned my MPA specializing in Local Government Administration a few years ago, and now I'm working on a Master of Science in Real Estate. thus far it's been interesting to see developer and investor perspectives with regards to site selection, but i don't yet understand Atlanta's land use history well enough to have an informed opinion about it. i've done work with Avondale with regards to how their land use is affecting their ability to address quality of life issues for seniors, but Atlanta is no Avondale.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
8. "Basically, how zoning and master plans are being trashed" In response to Reply # 7
In the dash to build new high occupancy rental property and commercial development, all over the city and not just the East side, they are totally ignoring well-thought out and considered plans and neighborhood input to make money as quickly as possible before the next crash happens. And with the way SPLOST works to fund schools, when the apartment boom slams to a halt, certain areas are going to really suffer on lost property tax revenue as property managers scramble for reassessments on 30 and 40% occupied buildings. And it's going to happen because there is zero affordable housing being built currently, which chases people out of the city since nobody can afford to either live here or save up money to buy, especially against the speculators that are still dominating the real estate market. What hipster is going to be able to buy a $300K 2/1 when they are paying $1500 for 700 square feet on $50K a year with student debt? And then there is the whole aesthetic to these quick-builds and the long-term future for them that really seems scary. Memorial Corridor may be the first sign that City Hall are fighting back and finally ready to put the brakes on this thing, because it's getting out of control and is looking more and more haphazard and piecemeal.
9. "RE: Basically, how zoning and master plans are being trashed" In response to Reply # 8
Gotcha. Any general thoughts on the Memorial moratorium? It sounds like you're pro, but I know Archibong and Smith just submitted new legislation to rescind the previous ordinance. And based on what I saw at the GPNA meeting last night, it seems like those folks are on board the rescission. In Paces We Trust seems the general sentiment, despite the fact that I find Krog Street Market to be vapid and sterile.
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
------- "A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards. More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have." - TR
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