Dennis Lieb attended Tuesday night's Easton Parking Authority (EPA) meeting, and has the only first-hand account: "At tonight's parking authority meeting, representatives of Rizzetto Construction and Tim Haas (garage architect) informed the EPA that project cost is now $29 million!!!"This is about double the original estimate of 2005, and contingencies (like a sinkhole-prone site) could drive it up even more. They also told EPA that very few local firms can now get bonding for projects over $20 million (something they avoided saying at the January historic review public meeting), that concrete has increased 400% in a year, that steel framing and pilings, rebar, concrete and architectural precast panels are being re-priced on a week-to-week basis and the soonest they can get deliveries is at least 12 months out. I knew all this would happen two years ago when the same people told the LANTA board virtually the same thing at a meeting in Mayor Mitman's conference room, but no one listened to me.
"After this delightful news, EPA's solicitor read a letter received today from Concord Finance - the group providing the bridge loan of $5 million to get this thing started while additional revenue is sought. Concord has concluded that the rising funding gap (now at least $15 million) means that EPA will not be able to cover debt service for the loan out of projected parking revenue as they had previously promised. Concord will not be providing financing.
"After hearing all of this, EPA voted unanimously to once again reject all bids for the project.
"Strike two.
"They then went into closed executive session for 45 minutes to discuss the lawsuit filed by Riverkeeper Network. I'm sure they were trying to come up with a response to the November 30th hearing on the injunction to stop the project. (The public will receive a press release possibly tomorrow informing them that a federal judge has set a hearing date of 11/30/07 to address the motion by Riverkeeper Network for an injunction. The judge has not addressed any of the EPA's three motions for a dismissal.)
"EPA is in a very bad position, having spent lots of money to get nowhere. They tried to pass the buck to Rizzetto for not informing them sooner of the cost overruns but Rizzetto's honchos would have none of it and got pretty feisty, challenging Ferrone directly, telling him that they have been advising EPA since at least March that the project was well over the $23 million mark. They were not going to be EPA's scapegoat and things got pretty testy.
"So, right now we have no garage project in the form that Arcadia desires to have and we will have to see what EPA has up it's sleeve next. They didn't cancel the project...just rejected the bids. Whats next? Who knows, but we are going to court and will see what happens then.
"PS...No press showed up for this meeting. We called all the papers and Ed Seiger of the E-T eventually showed up to take some notes and interrogate the players after the meeting."
the parking authority and bureaucrats in allentown were smarter with their project, buying the land from the Morning Call, granting MC free parking and insuring little scrutiny; we now have a virtual empty parking deck for an imaginary art district, double parking meter rates and dying merchants on hamilton st; looks like the citizens and taxpayers of easton lucked out
ReplyDeleteMike!
ReplyDeleteEaston has two things that
Allentown lacks: 1) A large group of citizens who love their city but are unafraid to question it; and 2) The Delaware Riverkeeper Newtwork.
I've also noticed that Easton tends to welcome different opinions, no matter where they are from. A-town, on the other hand, rejects every opinion offered by a nonresident.
In Allentown, criticism of a policy or governmental action is perceived as treason. I'm surprised no one has strung you or Hilliard up.
Folks reject non-residents here along with those not born in city limits often.
ReplyDeleteLuckily the ones who matter do not.
Having active residents like Dennis Lieb is what really makes Easton work.
Lieb has battled this project for sometime. Much of it fell on deaf ears.
If 69 WFMZ had a pair and did the proper coverage that could possibly rock the boat of the developers. More in Easton would show up and make noise.
Sadly its the "fringe" that reads the papers that is most active.
But thats a national problem with 74% of Americans only getting their news from TV. (Whom worries more of advertisers and the next ad break than giving the full story.)
Heck WFMZ has the worst news writers. I mean is it proper to call Police. "Cops" and show suspects and call them "this guy"???
j spike, here in allentown, wfmz often covers controversies the morning call omits, they also seem to show third party candidates and minority opinions more respect. perhaps they consider allentown more their beat, or we are both reacting to personal experiences.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, I don't really care if they build it or not. I don't see what the big deal is and strange as it may seem, I think I am the only one from Easton here posting about it.
ReplyDeleteThe big deal is that it is a big deal. Plenty of Easton people oppose this, including Eastonians Dennis Lieb and Spike Rogan.
ReplyDeleteso what, thats just their opinion. It doesn't mean its the law of the land
ReplyDeletewasn't spike the guy Bernie was bashing last week?
ReplyDeleteI wasn't bashing Spike. I was teasing him. I happen to like Spike.
ReplyDeleteLieb gave a little more than mere opinions. He has actively followed this issue, attending many of the meetings. In fact, his account of the EPA meeting last week is better than what came from the MSM because they couldn't make it. He was there. You, on the other hand, only offer ill-informed opinions and often attack me or my readers.
Now I've been through this with you before, but let's be clear. I'm not going to tolerate any troll-like behavior from you.
Go bother someone else. I've got work to do.
Bernie.. I am not a troll. I simply said I don't care if they build it or not. I don't have a problem with the Riverwalk. last monday or so was the first I posted here in 7 weeks or so.
ReplyDeleteLanta in Allentown went along with the parking authority there to help finance a parking deck. the transfer station separated the Hamilton Street merchants from their traditional customer base. Easton may be lucky the call girl lanta is staying on the main street.
ReplyDeletei posted the comment above on penn-live in response to the express times editorial on saving riverwalk. the express times site itself does not appear to have a direct comment option?
Micheal Molovinsky said "Easton may be lucky the call girl lanta is staying on the main street." Don't you think that is a little offensive? I hope it was just a bad choise of words.
ReplyDeleteriver, in allentown not only did the ATC separate the merchants from their customer base, but it denies the bus riders of an affordable shopping venue. in both cases lanta was willing to go along with a parking authority to help finance a parking deck. during the heyday of our cities the department store owners would have never tolerated inconvenient public transportation. are those condo's at the eastonian(?) sold out? don't confuse big boy opportunists with progress
ReplyDeletehi Micheal, i am sorry. But the way you wrote that statement made a lot of people think you were refering to the Lanta riders. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI'm a new blogger, so please forgive if I break etiquette (but kindly let me know. -Thanks)
ReplyDeleteProjects like this (Riverwalk) need to be expressed as an objective and goal of a Vision. What is the Vision of Easton which leads to the need for this intermodal facility, and it's location where proposed? (I am looking for comments here).
Here are some of my suggestions:
-Emergent Historic Downtown (want to protect, but also grow with new, appropriate infill)
-A Sustainable (Green) Community
-Walkable
-Vibrant, Mixed Residential and Commercial Community
-A Community which supports and promotes new industries - Art, Services, Small Tech, Light Industrial....
OK, any friendly amendments/rewordings?
Next: OK, recognizing that parking is a component of transport needed to support residents and businesses - how do we integrate it while reinforcing our Vision?
My suggestion (watch out, it's not cheap!): Locate it where any European community would - right under Center Square. This location has the benefits of:
-Valuable airspace / sight lines / views not taken by parking. -Centrally located, and easy to find. Right on everyone's travel path.
-Could accommodate public parking. Let existing parking garage function as intermodal.
-Dumps people out in center of town.
-Allows the proposed condo project to be much shorter, which may alleviate the scale problems and shadows the proposed scheme would have created. (Does not solve flood plane issues; but those may not be as problematic in a wholly privately funded project.)
-Reinforces the goal of creating a transit oriented community - drive if you must, but then park and ride, or walk!
One last comment: Easton has never, to my knowledge, actually prepared a long range plan which addresses projected growth, and the various modes of transit required. This public parking facility may very much be needed, but I have never seen any report saying we need it now, or next year. That is not to say we should wait - "long range planning" is meant to be long range, and to adequately predict need based on real analysis of statistics. I would just like to see that it fits into an actual plan rather than it fits into the check we've been offered by the Feds. Look what happened to the south section of downtown last time that happened...
(End note: Center Square was never considered in the environmental assessment by LANTA: http://www.lantabus.com/notices/Easton%20Intermodal%20Transportation%20Center%20EA%2010-19-07.pdf)