LCI Buzz Words Sure to Upset Even When Not Part of City's Plans
Affordable housings bonuses aren't part of Alpharetta's plans, but ARC supplied form includes them.
It was almost midnight before the Alpharetta Planning Commission got to the Downtown Livable Communities Initiative update, but Kyle Caswell was awake enough to realize the report required by the Atlanta Regional Commission contained some buzzwords that wouldn't please some city residents.
"This is always used as cannon fodder for the urbanization team," Caswell said at the Aug. 4 Planning Commission meeting.
Community Development Director Diana Wheeler said the ARC set up the forms, which included the terms.
The update is a checklist that the city must send to ARC so the city can remain eligible for future funding.
Potential projects aren't required, but must be identified, Wheeler said.
"We know that we must have a surface parking lot sometime in the future," she said.
The city might become home to Gwinnett Technical College's North Fulton campus, at which point a parking garage would be needed.
"We're not trying to open up a big ole can of worms here," Caswell said.
Some items, however, seemed to do just that, he said, including affordable housing bonuses and parking decks.
"Sometimes it seems contrary to what half the citizens want," Caswell said.
The report includes a planned and designed greenway trail connecting Wills Park with Milton Avenue, linking the park with downtown, improvements to Main Street including a median and crosswalks and the City Center project that will be on the November ballot.
The report covered the past five years of the LCI, and the next five years.
The Planning Commission approved sending the report to Alpharetta City Council.
GA Jim
5:56 pm on Sunday, August 7, 2011
The words that Kyle Caswell and Alpharetta City Council approve don't bother me nearly as much as the 15 story condo tower they forced on my neighhborhood.
No Name
11:46 pm on Monday, August 8, 2011
Agree. The words don't matter. The policy does. And right now the policy stinks!
Just Deb
6:11 am on Monday, August 8, 2011
"Potential projects aren't required, but must be identified, Wheeler said."
Not sure I believe that. This is a slippery slope in to urbanization and Agenda 21. Not to be trusted. If you have to identify a project to remain eligible, pretty soon those project will have to completed in order to retain eligibility. It's a hidden agenda and will be pushed by the likes of ARC.
Bob Pepalis
3:32 pm on Monday, August 8, 2011
At this point the forms are provided by ARC, and do have those terms in them. the city doesn't have to apply or accept grants from any source. Some council members in the past voted against every single federal stimulus program grant.
No Name
11:44 pm on Monday, August 8, 2011
Who has voted against federal stimulus EVERY time?
No Name
11:51 pm on Monday, August 8, 2011
You are exactly right. These policies have everything to do with Local Agenda 21. The question is WHY does everyone in our city keep pushing this ridiculous nonsense? Do we really have that many hard leftists in Alpharetta? Or is there corruption in terms of payoffs? Intimidation? It has to be at least one of those three things. None of those bode well.
Just Deb
4:41 am on Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Sometimes I think those in city government are not really aware of what is being pushed down on them. If you don't know what's going on, the words sound pretty and even harmless. If that's the case, that's a shame. If we can do our homework and find out where this stuff is coming from and how it's being shoved on to local governments, then those IN local government should do the same. Nothing should be taken at face value.
Mike
10:07 pm on Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Deb & "No Name":
I think you guys should post every "spooky" parallel between local policy and U.N. Agenda 21 for us all to review.
Just Deb
5:18 am on Wednesday, August 10, 2011
MIke, I think the word spooky would come out of quotes if you read the full documents from the UN. Then listen and understand the paper trail and it will lead you groups such as Urban Collage. Once you understand what is going on and how it's being pushed you will begin to see how the local communities are embracing this idea without knowing the true agenda.
When you have read the documentation then a dialogue can started. If you have difficulty in locating the documents you can find two of them, here: http://makingofahome.blogspot.com/2011/06/fascist-stealth-of-agenda-21.html
No Name
11:32 am on Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Mike,
Your use of the word spooky makes it seem like you believe it is some crazy conspiracy. No one is crazy enough to believe that there is some global conspiracy that includes every single person working in government. Likely, the local levels are operating completely unaware -- they are just implementing what they are told to do. Lenin would called them useful idiots. In GA, Comprehensive Plans are following the GA Dept of Community Affairs Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning. Ever wonder where those ideas came from? Ever wonder why every state has similar standards and procedures? How could that be if not top-down? Look at the HUD Consolidated Plan. Does it parallel the ideas in the state documents? Where did those ideas come from? Mike, do you think top-down governance is better than bottom-up? In what ways?
This articulate young man gives a high-level overview before his city council. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuyRx5mOUJY
Please also see this article, The Ideal Soviet Suburb. Draw your own parallels to Smart Growth and Sustainable Development policy.
http://www.design.upenn.edu/files/Panorama09_14_SovietSuburb_Scott.pdf
No Name
1:14 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
From the Cumming Patch
http://cumming.patch.com/blog_posts/tea-party-opposed-to-tsplost
Just Deb
1:19 pm on Thursday, August 18, 2011
Thank you No Name. That's a great article. I am so happy to see Agenda 21 in print. It's real and it's insidious. Thanks again for sharing the link.
Lee at rootsinalpharetta.com
9:45 am on Monday, August 8, 2011
Have we been labeled? "Urbanization Team"? I'm sure we could come up with a far more creative name than this!
Bob Pepalis
3:32 pm on Monday, August 8, 2011
Well, it was almost midnight and everyone left was tired.