Instead of throwing all of the stones, I will get to sit in the dunk tank for a change.
As many of you know, there is now a "gorilla" on the planning commission. The mayor has given me the opportunity to serve the city in this capacity and instead of throwing all of the stones, I will get to sit in the dunk tank for a change. I am extremely honored by the invitation and will do everything in my power to be an integral piece in holding our city to a higher standard.
Because of this appointment, there are going to be a few things changing a little bit. This forum will still be used for personal opinions on the happening of our city. I will write many of them, some of the other "gorillas" will write more, and I invite you to write as well. Those items that you would like to convey in a post format can be emailed to me at Gorilla_In_The_Corner@yahoo.com and I would be happy to post them as topics for discussion. Most importantly, the views and opinions expressed on this website are personal in nature and do not reflect the official view of The City of Spring Hill.
Much more to come. Enjoy!
-Michael Glass
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Opportunity
Posted by Gorilla in the Corner at 12:47 PM
Labels: Miscellaneous, Planning Commission
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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is a series of personal opinions and is not meant to reflect an official position by the City of Spring Hill.
34 comments:
Good to have you back.
Glad to see that you have decided to continue with the blog!
Wait, you are supposed to be taken seriously now?
You slam private citizens all over this board (BY NAME), endorse specific developers and lawyers (BY NAME) but complain about others (BY NAME), encourage everyone to take your view of entire groups of people and subdivisions, fall all over Duda and Leverette on every thing... then get rewarded for brownnosing online by being put on the planning committee.
But Leverette calls you a level thinker and open minded? Seriously?
You seem to think nobody should bother to stand up against government since your buddies went in there, and now that you get to be with them you stick a little 'oh, it's just my opinion, not the city's opinion' on the front page and that's supposed to make it all better. Do you really think people are too stupid to be able to see through that?
So let me get this all straight--it's your opinion, and you now are PART of the government, but your opinions aren't endorsed by the government. But the mayor endorsed YOU... so I guess he endorsed you but not your brain? How does that work exactly?
Is anyone, ANYONE, really supposed to take you seriously? All anybody needs to do it page back a little and see what a biased whiner you've been to everyone who disagrees with you. That's a nice way to demonstrate what the mayor thinks of as 'sound and unbiased'.
As for your 'blog'.... whatever. You have just made yourself totally irrelevent. The half dozen people who still wander around you and say 'Oooh...I just love what you write' will say that no matter what you write.
The rest of the city sees exactly what kind of integrity you lack. It's also clear what kind of integrity Leverette lacks by putting you up there.
Bottom line--you have made yourself irrelevent, you are a flaccid, useless, self-promoting, brown-nose wannabe-politician, and you will be a walking liability for the city for as long as you are there.
Once I read your stuff thinking you might have a few points here and there. Now I see through it. You're no player after all, just part of the game. Have fun playing around with your little friends.
Thank you for the words of encouragement. Glad you are still reading.
Anonymous 10 April, 2008 15:41,
You are absolutely ridiculous! There is absolutely no excuse for your kind of trolling ass behavior. That could be one of the most childish poorly written posts I have EVER seen on ANY message board. Not to mention a blatant personal attack. I'm no Gorilla apologist and don't always agree with what he says, but I will always post with some sort of self pride. Now take your pansy ass opinions somewhere else and please don't come back.
What's that saying ?
Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer....
Looks like Leverette is a Genius to me !!!!
Even though I don't agree with Michael on all issues, I certainly do not find him to be without integrity. I have spoken with him several times during the hospital debates, and although we were on opposite ends of the issues, he was very kind and was willing to agree with several reasonable statements regarding the importance of a TRULY full service hospital. I am appalled that you would make an attack on Michael, but would not post your name or some indicator of your identity. You are correct that Michael and Duda have some of the same positions, which is a good thing. I, for one, find it to be great that he is involved with Spring Hill in a formal role, as I think he possesses a wealth of ideas that can improve the city. As well, he has a working BS detector and hopefully can and will call good ole Danny on some of his ridiculous statements and maybe he can teach him when to sit down and shut up so he doesnt continue to make Spring Hill look like we are a bunch of rednecks.
I for one say GREAT and THANK YOU to Michael. I have two young children and understand how difficult this will be for him, but I know he will do a great job.
If you want to attack someone, focus on someone who deserves it, look at the DA of the day, month, and year, Good Ole Danny. CA
Thanks CA for the kind words. I would not worry too much about those comments from anon @ 15:41. She is pretty upset at me for a stance I took on the Belshire development a few weeks ago (not that my opinion meant much). Luckily for her, I am willing to look at the facts and not get too bent out of shape over comments.
She??? Are you a mind reader or something???
I think "she" is appropriate, no man would call another man 'flaccid'- unless he was gay, and even then it would be rare. ;)
As a father with a little one, I appreciate Michael for serving the town in this capacity. On the other hand, I know that he has been a strong supporter of opening a quiet street (Amacher Drive) to an apartment complex. Maybe if he lived on Amacher Drive with his child/children he wouldn't be so gung ho about the apartments. Like they always say...Not in my backyard and since it isn't his backyard then it doesn't bother him. Maybe he'll do the right thing and figure out a way to build the apartments without connecting them to a neighborhood. Again, nothing against Michael. He is taking time away from his wife and family to help the city, and as a father I know how precious time is...
There was a chance to have this not open up to the neighborhood (at least until the other parallel access road was opened up). The citizens in that area chose not to accept that offer.
I'm afraid you aren't correct in the assumption that we were offered the Belshire package without the connection to Amacher. That card was played from day one, and since Vice Mayor Johnson asked the police and fire chief to comment on the necessity of the connection for proper safety control it was always going to be a part of the plan. I understand that you feel we screwed ourselves by asking the city to not allow the PUD originally proposed but I could care less what you call it, it is an apartment complex shoved into an (alleged) "B-4" loophole.
I hope you have the guts to do what's right for Spring Hill in your new role.
I recall that the board was prepared to require a temporary berm to block Amacher to Saint George until Ms. Hawkes and others said that option was not acceptable because the city could "come in the middle of the night and tear it down".
I don't believe Michael knows all of the facts if he believes that Shannon Glen turned down an opportunity to not be connected to a high density apartment complex. I imagine that Shannon Glen wouldn't have put up much of a fight about the apartments if Amacher wasn't going to be opened up to the complex. Personally, I wouldn't mind a short cut to Lowes but I wouldn't want the shortcut to go by an apartment complex. Maybe Michael, with his extensive urban planning classes in college, can come up with some compromise. Allow the developer to build an office complex/restaurants and open the road, or, build an apartment complex and don't open the road. Maybe that would make everyone happy!
Temporary berm? Please don't insult the intelligence of the citizens of Spring Hill. The berm would have been in place until the apartments were completed. At that point, the developer would tell the Mayor and board to remove it and the would say, "sure, whatever you need to make Spring Hill better." The developer did a smashing job of building a "right turn only" lane out of the Belshire development onto 31. I see people every day turning left because the right turn lane doesn't force someone to turn right.
Key word on the berm....temporary.
Sooo.. the rest of Spring Hill has to get behind you on Main Street when you go to Lowes because you in your great wisdon don't want the road that has always been planned to connect to Lowes?
If Amaker does not connect, what will you say when Wilks is connected to the hundreds of houses in Autumn Ridge and completed choked down?
I can't believe how selfish you all have become about this.
This seems rather obvious to me.
You know what? I'm done here. Comments like selfish are uncalled for. You try and put yourself in my shoes before you spout off your anonymous misspelled comments. Think what you want, the road was originally intended to connect to Shane Drive and I have the drawings to prove it. It's laughable how people can think that an apartment complex is good for downtown, and somehow it's my fault for not wanting it there or not wanting our neighborhood to become a pass-through for the project.
Whatever......enjoy your anonymous opinion, you're entitled to it.
Quick facts:
Nope, no offer of a roadblock, temporary or otherwise, at least not to me or anyone else I ever spoke to in Shannon Glen.
Mr. Duda mentioned a temporary roadblock in passing at one meeting (along with a dozen other things that COULD happen with PUDs.) Nope. No offer there. Pretty sure he wouldn't be the one to represent the developer and extend an offer anyway.
As to the board being prepared to require a 'temporary berm'...seems to me that the only ones who would know what the board was 'prepared' to do would be those on the board.
There are big differences in opinion on how the city should be run. No biggie--that's what elections are for. No offense taken or received here, just would prefer that if someone remembers me, they know the facts.
I imagine anyone close enough to the board to know what they were thinking that night would have access to my number. I'm happy to chat if you need any further clarification.
Megan Hawkes
Shannon Glen
Nope, no offer of a roadblock, temporary or otherwise, at least not to me or anyone else I ever spoke to in Shannon Glen.
You sure about that?
Wed Oct 10, 2007 11:53 pm on Yahoo.com (my other favorite site, before it went private and I got booted off)
To the Honorable Mayor, Vice-Mayor and Aldermen,
...A temporary block to the end of Amacher would only be that--temporary. We know that as soon as this dies down, we'll come home one day to find the temporary block unceremoniously and quietly removed. This, too, is entirely unacceptable...
...We do not want anything other than single family homes attached to our development...
Sincerely,
Jennifer Megan Hawkes
Oh, I haven't been to a BOMA in over a year. Watch 'em on Charter each month, though. I distinctly remember an offer from Mr. Graham to block the road. That was right before the "No, we don't want anything other than nothing".
ahh shucks, I just found another one...
Wed Oct 10, 2007 1:38 am
Hey friends-
I spoke with two of our aldermen today...Here's the deal though--the board understands we don't want Amacher to go through, and some voiced clearly against having the apartments altogether, but we weren't clear on the primary message. Do we want Amacher not to go through, or do we not want apartments?
The temporary barrier is NOT a solution. It will be there until this blows over and the city thinks we're not paying attention. Then, without a question, and without anyone knowing ahead of time, it will come down.
The 'reduced' density (but still higher than single family) is NOT a solution....
...The board heard that we aren't happy. Let's unite and tell them WHAT we DON'T want. Let's tell them clearly and plainly.
Please tell your neighbors, please tell your friends--let's all come out Monday with one united appeal--no apartments. No high density until 31 is fixed. NO cut through to Amacher. The only logical choice is NO, on ALL of it. The only option is NONE of it...
Megan
Come to think of it Gorilla, you are right, she sure does look like Anonymous on 10 April, 2008 at 15:41. I sure am glad I saved all this stuff in my yahoo account.
Clearly, her comments to the BOMA, at that time, were when we actually BELIEVED that our City would listen to it's citizens and would do right by the people that elected them. We quickly found out how seriously mistaken we were. Again, the "offer" of a temporary berm was made in passing at one meeting-not even by the developer, but by an Alderman. Seriously, you honestly believe that the berm would have stayed? We didn't then, and we do not believe that now.
As for "Anonymous'" comments on Ms. Hawkes, if you are so factual, why not show who you are and we can all sit down with a cup of coffee and have a nice chat?
Anyway, good job of sucking us into this cesspool of nonesense, I for one, am with Kenny and will no longer subject myself to this site of untruths. You can spin it however you want. And PLEASE, continue to underestimate the intelligence of the residents of Shannon Glen, we are banking on it...
Susan Zemek
Shannon Glen
My only point being that the Gorilla on this one is right (believe you me, I do not agree with him often), alternative offers were discussed and a few in Shannon Glen, with their "NO, on ALL of it. The only option is NONE of it." attitude dictated the result.
Surely you can see that?
If anonymous believes that connecting Autumn Ridge (single family homes) to Wilkes is the same as connecting Amacher to an apartment complex then I want some of his happy juice. A neighborhood with homes connected to a neighborhood with homes is comparing apples to apples. Connecting a high density apartment complex with a single family home neighborhood is apples and oranges. Just doesn't make sense or "fit" with the neighborhood.
Everyone gets their feelings hurt so quickly around here. At that meeting, which I was at (and was booed) when the idea of blocking that street was raised, it was talked about keeping it blocked until the access road was complete that runs parallel to HWY 31 all the way to Publix. The developer was nodding his head in agreement. Shortly after that meeting, it was relayed that everyone from Shannon Glen needed to get together and decide exactly what their "unified pitch" would be. At that time, the residents of that area took other options off the table and went all in. Again, I have absolutely no problem with playing the game that way. Just be prepared for the results...good, bad, or other.
I saw an article in the Tennessean online this morning about a proposed apartment complex backing up to Haynes Crossing. There was a quote from the developer saying he wanted to be a good neighbor. I wonder why the developer of the proposed apartment complex hasn't been named? It appears that Michael knows the developer because he saw him nod his head at a meeting some months ago. I'm just wondering why one developer would be so open to a neighborhood and willing to work with them while another hides behind an attorney? Again, maybe Michael can act as a go-between and reach an agreement that everyone can live with?
Michael, Welcome to the tantrums that some of our fellow citizens throw when they do not get what they want. Luckily, you will be well prepared for your child's first tantrum. Just ignore it and they will eventually just stop. In the meantime you will have to listen to the nonsense threats, jabs, etc. It is always their way or the highway, or in this case, their way or the berm.
If you are going to be watching the citizens tantrums and compare them to a toddler tantrum, it doesn't even compare! As a father of a toddler who is cutting two year molars, be prepared for some serious tantrums and personality changes! If you can deal with that, you can deal with just about anything. After all, we all want the same thing... A safe place to raise our families.
Please call Mike at (615) 302-1176
for any planning commitee suggestions.
God help us all!
Just curious...how long have you lived in Spring Hill?
So, Michael Glass, as a planning commission member, can you shed any light on why the mayor has yet to waive the building fees for the new school ?
Mayor Levarette, feel free to give us your side. This is the perfect forum to inform the public. Let's hear it. We deserve the answers.
Anonymous, 24 August, 2008 21:18,
My guess would be no he can't shed any light since the Planning Commission has absolutely nothing to do with waiving building fees.
Some of you people need to educate yourselves about the city processes before trying to dig up dirt and smear our city representatives. You look like fools.
It was just a simple question. If asking a question makes me look like a fool, then what does your jumping to such a defensive response make you look like ?
I understand what the duties are of the various departments and committees. Although the planning commission does not waive fees, you would expect some interchange with the aldermen regarding this topic on new construction. The question was ask of Mr. Glass because of his involvement in the city politics and the administration of this site. I do not read any "smear" of city officials into this question, although this site is rich in attempts to "smear" others. This does not instill confidence in the administration of this city if a simple question is met with such hostility.
Paranoid ? Why not use this site to provide for an honest and open exchange of information regarding city topics instead of being so defensive and attacking others?
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