This article, originally published by Al Zucaro on BocaWatch.org, is preserved for historical purposes by Massive Impressions Online Marketing in Boca Raton.
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Publisher’s comment:
At this month’s City Council visioning session, there was a big push by CRA Chair/Councilman Scott Singer to move forward the idea of locating a parking structure west of the railroad tracks, east of the downtown library. Motivating this push is that downtown parking presents a problem needing a solution. His motivation falls under the rhetoric of ‘getting something done’. This week at the CRA meeting, the parking location was again discussed; brought to the attention of the public was that two city consultants have indicated the library site may not be an optimum location and a decision to locate there should be delayed.
When Dr. Kim Delaney, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, voiced this concern, CRA Chair Singer became irritated and argumentative. During the ensuing discussion, CRA member O’Rourke, who was not on the Council during the beginning debates on a parking solution, stated her concerns for this location. Again push back from CRA Chair Singer. What followed next was very interesting….CRA member Rodgers expressed his concern for the location followed by CRA member Weinroth. What resulted: a rare public retraction….a retraction that caused Chair Singer to lean over and converse with acting City Manager George Brown. The two privately exchange words and nods, only then to have Chair Singer suggest a two week delay to allow for a more formal presentation on the topic….
Really…How transparent! Has anyone ever heard of the ‘opinion de jour’?…
What I predict will happen in this two week hiatus is that the consultants will walk back their public remarks and present a moderated version mutually exclusive to their initial opinion. Just a prediction….Of course, we shall see what we shall see….
One other observation…Chair Singer may have been a ‘Jeopardy’ champion in the past but I suggest he never take a seat at the World Series of Poker….A poker face he has not!
Al Zucaro, Publisher
As I have stated in other forums putting a parking garage on the west side of the tracks where the new library is located is a bad idea. First there is supposed to be a train station there and City Hall layout is not set. No one will use a parking garage–shuttle or not–from that location. No one! The experts seem to concur. At $15,000 per space (the cost of a garage for developer assuming a lot of pricing power) making this kind of mistake would be disastrous. With ADA requirements a crossover would cost at least $30 Million. This is a desolate area at night and one only needs to look at Delray Beach’s two Downtown garages (direct short walking distance from Atlantic Avenue) to know this proposal is the wrong location. Finally there is no economy of scale building one off projects, the private sector might be able to help with a PPP and even not a large project such as City Hall brings pricing down on a macro basis.
Eminent domain is not verboten by law, only by choice.
I would never park there!!!
Tongue in cheek – Maybe the valets in downtown could be required to use this garage, be charged for the franchise, and then us taxpayers could have back all the parking that has been ceded to them. 🙂
Good point!