NOTE: This email is in response specifically to an email sent out today by Robert Patrick, Doraville City Council Member. If you are on this distribution, but DID NOT RECEIVE THE EMAIL I AM REFERENCING, please contact me directly, and I will forward it to you.
Robert, Robert, Robert.....
In my years of management, I've always been taught in an employee review to start off with something positive about the employee's performance BEFORE going into their negative performance issues. Sadly, in your case, I'll have to break that stride.
Before I point out the gross flaws in your Opportunity Zone thinking process, let me make a statement, FOR ALL CITIZENS OF DORAVILLE because I firmly believe that everyone of us believe, think, and feel this way....
- I do not believe there is one single citizen of Doraville that does not WANT to see development and growth and economic prosper for the city they live in.
- I believe every citizen of Doraville would like to shop at a Publix or a Kroger within their city limits.
- I believe every citizen of Doraville would welcome a Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden or a Marlow's Tavern to dine and invite their friends to.
- I believe every citizen of Doraville would like a gift shop, clothing store or shoe store that welcomes them and does not have bars on the windows with signs indicating their dollars ARE NOT WELCOMED in their store.
Your email gives the impression that the Citizens of Doraville want to hold back progress in their city. I'd encourage you to step down from your seat on the City Council and sit down among your constitutents in the Council Chambers and look back at the Council Bench. Imagine yourself still in your seat.
THERE IS THE PROBLEM AND WHAT IS HOLDING BACK THE CITY OF DORAVILLE. It's not the citizens, but the elected officials.
Now, let's look at your well-worded political propaganda about Opportunity Zones:
"I believe that Opportunity Zones throughout our City are a critical tool to help encourage economic revitalization, attract jobs and protect our property values. I also believe that every day we delay expanding the Opportunity Zones we are costing ourselves vital economic opportunities."
So as I understand your thinking, the City of Doraville can see no future without immediately enacting these Opportunity Zones. You ( You is directed at the ENTIRE City Council) feel you need another TOOL to get the job done. See the problem is, you already have tools that you've c learly demonstrated you can't even use.
Zoning laws and code enforcement that are overlooked are simply go unchecked. You enact moratoriums on something, and then that very thing appears within eyesight of the City Hall...and nothing is done about it.
Variances granted to businesses, but then no follow up is done for compliance
A Planning Department that certainly has misplaced any LCI studies, Comprehensive Land Use Plans or Visions for the city. Monday evening's cell tower application is a flashing neon sign example of this lack of understanding.
It's not hard to see why the public (who employs you by the way) is a bit weary of giving you another tool when you can't seem to use the ones you have.
"Norcross adopted very basic design “guidelines” way back in 1987 and were revised twice over the years and are currently embodied in the 2006 Design Standards. I have been pushing for Design Standards since September 2012. I am still ready to have the second public workshop and voting session to get Design Standards in place."
It's so obvious what's wrong with that statement, that everyone will totally miss it. 1987 and 2006. Ok, Norcross get's a gold star. But see, here in Doraville, we came up with a plan in 2006 and asked for architectural standards then. It's now 2013, and we still have nothing. Zippo. Zero. And the proposed standards are so weak, and "subject to interpretation." that they leave the door wide open to pretty much anything. You've been pushing Design Standards since 2012. But nothing...and what's being pushed is pathetic.
Give me (us) architectural guidelines that specifically list building materials, percentages that can be used AND WHERE they can be used, and then I know when Wellstar Health Systems comes to Doraville to open their corporate headquarters, I know what their building (new or remodeled) will look like, and it won't be subject to "legal and planning" interpretation because the guidelines will be simple. Black and White. Room for applicant to ask for a variance, sure. But not the other way around.
"No opportunity zones until the city manager is in place to guide the process.
My response:
Frankly, I’m not sure what this means. The Doraville residents have expressed their objectives in various planning documents including the LCI study and comprehensive plan adopted by the Council. Opportunity Zones are specifically mentioned in the 2010 LCI. The residents also express their will through elections. It seems reasonable to expect that the residents want their development plans implemented by the people they elected."
WOW! I mean a really BIG W-O-W!!! "It seems reasonable to expect that the residents WANT THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLANS IMPLEMENTED BY THE PEOPLE THEY ELECTED."
A City Council Member who was on council in 2006 when our first plans were laid out is now in charge of the city. Yet, in 6 PLUS years, we've yet to see ANY of that vision (a sidewalk just does not count) be developed. 6 PLUS years later and we still have not enforceable architectural standards, zoning violations run amuck, lack of financial accountability (although some baby steps have been taken in that direction) and a Downtown Business District that remains pretty much the same as it did in 2006. (Oh wait, we did get a new jail on prime development land next to a transit station....THAT was a step in the right direction.)
Really Robert? Is it that hard for YOU to comprehend the citizens lack of trust that given another tool, you will have the ability to manage it any better than the ones you currently have? Why do you think the citizens "expressed their objectives" when we voted to hire a City Manager to run our city like a business, and not a political favor machine? Because we believe the City Council, past and present, along with the Mayor, past and present, do not have the ability to run our city in an effective and efficient manner.
In closing, again, I'm not AGAINST Opportunity Zones. I'm against giving the City Council and our Planning Department another tool to mis-manage and "interpret" until you put tools in place that will safe guard the citizens and their city.
A vote by the City Council to approve these Opportunity Zones will be the most defiant act against the people that elected them I will have ever witnessed in my 18 years as a resident of this city.
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