December 19, 2010

X-mas Wish List

  1. A Philadelphia type plan that target 30 commecial parcels of lands/abandoned buildings is adopted that gives the developer the Hanover treatment (lock in of assessed value for 10 years, waiving of all permitting and sewer/water connection fees).
  2. City reviews all city owned parcels sold via the RFP process the 5 years to ensure that all the corresponding LDA (Land Disposition Agreement) are in compliance.
  3. No more densely constructed 100% low-mod income housing projects.
  4. Massport get JetBlue to fly two flights (one in AM and one in PM) to their hub in NYC.
  5. Charter change that removes district councilors leaving 11 at large councilors.
  6. A strong Chamber of Commerce.

6 comments:

Steve Foley said...

If you're gonna dream, why not wish for Obama to require that all Obamacare be purchased through Advantage?

That seems about as likely to happen.

Jahn said...

Hey there Bill, you got a real short memory. That is just the tip of the iceberg as far what THe Hand It Over Theartre rec'd from.

There to be at leaast 10M$ in out right money giveaways to The Hand Over Theatre.

Who needs the Philly Plan when you can get The Hand It Over Theaetre treatement. Comm. property owners need the front door treatment......a direct reduction in the amts of taxes they pay.......this Philly Plan is just a back door approach that clogs up the works even more with add'l "classes" of commercial property and further does nothing for the comm. taxpayer who's been paying the freight in for decades and who get no special treatemnt.

The argument can even be made that any reduction in comm. taxes for newly build or newly rehabbed comm. property just ends up raising the tax for the other comm. property owners. The slack has to be picked up somewhere. Squeeze the water balloon at one end then the other end gets stuffed full of more water.

Please put the Philly Plan in a Yellow Worc. trashbag and place it curbside. I think the pick up Pleasant St is on Wednesday. :)

Thanx

Bill Randell said...

Jahn

You are right we need to hit this head by getting away from the lowest residential rate every year and close the gap between the two. That is more of the long range goal.

In the short term a slight reductionin the commerical tax rate is not going to entice commercial development of the properties that I had in mind. We need to aggressively target these fallow buildings and parcels for commercial development.

If we don't either a low income housing synidcate or a non-profit (typically a church) are the only ones buying these. which further erodes the the commerical base.

It is two probged attack. Philly PLan now and the closing of the gap each year.

Bill

Jahn said...

BIll, how can we trust the CC to close the gap every year for the next 5 or 10 or 15 years. under your scenario. If they do agree to close the gap and in fact do close it, then Comm. dev'ers will see & that start building...IF BUILDING COMM PROPERTY IS VIABLE. Philly Plan not needed then??

One year they throw comm. property owners a bone than the following year they sock it right back to them. Zero consistency as to how they do things.

I mean they cant even set a tax rate on time every year as they are req'd to do by a certain deadline......dittos for a city budget, too..........and we think they'll start gradually reducing the comm rate over time.... Sorry, I disagree. I mean the EAW is lookign for 3% a year for the next 3 year contract. Do really think the CC would commit to reducing comm. rates when 1,900 teachers and theur union thugs show up every tuesday witht their hockey sticks & basketballs? Probably even bring along their students too as props........afterall it is really for children...... right?

David Z. said...

Bill,

While I would love to see JetBlue land at Worcester Airport, one morning and one afternoon flight will not work. Back when we had Delta airlines flying to Atlanta, IIRC they only had one morning flight and one in the evening. If you were a businessman flying to Atlanta for a business meeting and the a.m. flight was cancelled at Worcester Airport, you would have no other option to make your meeting. Eventually the market for the Atlanta flights trended down because at the very least you had other choices on still making it to Atlanta from Logan.

IMHO, whatever commercial airline Massport eventually entices to start up service at the airport, there needs to be a minimum of 5 flights daily; 2 in the early morning, a mid-day flight, and two in the evening. This would give people using the airport the ability to make alternate arrangements when needed.

Bill Randell said...

Dave:

Agree 100%!

I don't think we are even close to getting the busines travler back to ORH.

I would target the leisure traveler to fly out of ORH to JetBlue hub in New York and then connect direct.

Bill