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Listening to the Council Meeting from last night. Ward F Councilmember complained that posters against allowing land that is on Communipaw next to Berry Lane to be assigned to a developer for a 17 plus story building is disingenuous. I want to address that...
1. That’s rich from the guy who backed an astroturf group who dropped disgusting flyers with proven misinformation and co-opting of Black Lives Matter language against Liberty State Park being protected from privatization.
2. From my reading, while the land is currently privately owned, it was originally supposed to be purchased to be part of Berry Lane Park. But the city/JCRA did not make a good faith effort with the owner. Then w/o community input the land was slid out of the designated park area
3. He keeps saying a STEM recreation center will go there. While the developer is agreeing to have a building there (by his 17 story building right next to a park), there is according to the councilmember’s own meeting to promote this, there is no money from the city for programs
4. When asked by a resident at the meeting, he said “it takes a village” -so that’s the STEM program plan. While the councilmember voted no to move even 5 million away from the police budget into youth budget.
5. Bruce Alston (who was one of the hosts of the “community” meeting to make false accusations against Sam Pesin) called in to say this is good and the developer isn’t even asking for anything in return. That is not true, he’s asking for variances for his project.
6. The project is offering only 5% “affordable” units. Which are not really affordable. Not affordable to the ppl in our neighborhood who are being pushed out.
7. There are other more appropriate places in the neighborhood for a higher building with more truly affordable units that are not on top of a park (closer to the LSP light rail, or major roadway like Grand). That land should be purchased to be part of Berry Lane.
