Director of City Planning, Mike Cooper at Democratic Forum, 6/26/15

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Image: Sioux Falls Rotary Club

Mike started out his presentation with talking about all the major development and big building permits handed out this year in Sioux Falls. He mentioned that the Southside Walmart is ‘permitted’. I found it to be interesting he would say that since they are still in ‘litigation’ over the conditional use permit. So when the Q & A started I asked him about the WM ‘permit’ in reference to the trial/hearings. He seemed to defend that the permits that have already been given are legal and binding. (He worded it a different way, but you get the gist).

I also asked him about how the property taxes would work at the Banks project being proposed Downtown. He said the proposed $12 million from the city to build the parking ramp would be coming from the parking fees and reserves (which is understandable) but then he said that they have not worked out the details of how the property taxes would work with a mixed public/private partnership with the building (which tells me they developers will probably be asking for a TIF).

Another audience member asked about what was going on with the 26th and Southeastern project (viaduct over the tracks). He paused before answering the question and said that it is on ‘Hold’ for more ‘Studies’. Which surprised me, because I remember Shannon Austin from the planning/street department talk about the project on ‘City Scene’ that it was full steam ahead. Seems the mayor may have been shifting money around again on the streets. Cooper said it would be a multi-million dollar project.

Mike also said that the city planning office was working with the Sweetman Family to develop a large partial of land east of 229 on Benson Road.

Paratransit and public transportation were brought up towards the end of the Q & A. Melanie Bliss, a long-time advocate for the poor and disadvantaged stood up and chided Cooper about the city cutting paratransit. Also a long time rider of paratransit (25 years) complained about the rate increase.

It was probably smart of Cooper to say nothing in response since we all know who proposed these changes and it wasn’t this ‘Mike’.

 

Posted in: Planning Commission, Sioux Falls

Ironic Johnny unopposed, but still a tool

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While Johnny will be breezing into his next term as our Jr. Se’NO’tor;

It’s official. Sen. John Thune will run unopposed this year.

Mark St. Pierre of Pine Ridge had sought to challenge Thune as an independent. He turned in petitions before the Tuesday deadline, but Kea Warne, the state’s elections supervisor, reports that St. Pierre fell short of the 3,356 signatures he needed to qualify for the ballot. He was apparently short by more than 400, Warne said.

Lester Benson, a guy who was in the office last week saying he had enough labor support to make the ballot, apparently also fell short in his quest. Last time I saw him, Benson was off to a bowling alley to collect signatures.

The rumor on the street is that God intervened and made sure John was unopposed. In a recent interview, God said;

“Washington just isn’t full enough of contradictory, lying, hypocritical, self-serving politicians – Washington needs more John Thunes.”

Posted in: Thune

If we build it, they will come (with their Coleman stoves)

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Sy read the Gargoyle Leader’s sports section on Sunday and sent me this comment about the event Center;

“There is a small but vocal faction that still wants to see an events center built downtown, but their prospects are bleak. In addition to logistical issues – facility space, parking, traffic flow – the downtown concept is seen as a deal-breaker because it’s enormously unpopular among the general public. – Stu Whitney

You know what else is enormously unpopular with the general public, Stu Whiney and his constant stream of negative piss he calls sports journalism.   When has the general public weighed in on the issue of Event Center location?   The size a paid consultant is recommending would easily fit at that Cherapa site and there’s more access points in and out than there would be at the Arena site.   Parking?  Again, we’ve paid people to look at this and they have said there is plenty of existing parking within reasonable walking distance, and that wouldn’t include any more added by replacing the River ramp or what comes in next to the facility itself.   

 

Another enormously unpopular idea is moving Howard Wood field and adding an additional $10 million or so to rebuild it out on basically useless ground tucked in between the Airport and the Benson Road exit.   The School Board wants to spend $5 million to renovate it, so that option was obviously not their first choice.   

 

We could build the 12K seat Events Center downtown for $100 million, match the School Board’s $5 million and upgrade Howard Wood.  Put $15 million apiece into additional parking at or around the downtown site, and into renovating the Convention Center to incorporate the Arena and add sellable floor space.   Total price tag = $135 million which is $15 mil less than the new budget number.    You’d end up with 3 first class facilities, with two sets of naming rights to sell, that would suit the City’s needs for the next 50 years. The projects could be staggered in a way that you are using one while you are constructing the others so you would minimize lost Event revenue.   Plus, this is the only plan that would draw in another 400 or so new hotel rooms which will help solve that problem at the same time. 

 

Again, the best plan is the one that will offer the best payback on the investment.   All the others floating around right now will short change us for a generation. 

 

 

 

Posted in: Event Center, Sioux Falls

And you thought FolkArts’ toons were bad . . .

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This is quite possibly the worst I have seen in a very long time. I have often accused conservative editorial cartoonist Lisa Benson of drawing Obama to look like a monkey, but this takes it one step further. In defense of the cartoonist, he could have well meant that a bunch of chimps wrote the stimulus bill (which is kinda funny), but very bad timing considering comparing black people to chimps is very offensive and the fact the chimp that was shot ripped a lady’s face off. Literally.

I wish conservative editorial cartoonists would just go away, and stay away. They suck.

Posted in: anger, Cartoon

SF Developer finally speaks

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Now that the vote is over.

As the Argus Leader points out, Mr. Lloyd is developing in the area where some new roads will be built, the same guy who contributed to Jamison’s, Litz’s and Brown’s campaigns this year. Even throwing a fundraiser for Brown at his house.

To the north, on Benson Road, the city plans a $2.8 million arterial from Interstate 29 to Career Avenue. Eventually, it will extend west past Marion Road.Craig Lloyd, who has developed office and commercial buildings on the south side of Benson Road, says there are 3,000 to 4,000 people already employed in the area. Another call center is going in next year, and the two-lane road can’t handle the traffic.

He also believes that growth reduces property taxes. Property taxes NEVER go down, they only rise, and continue to rise in Sioux Falls, one more reason why people are buying houses in Tea, Harrisburg and Baltic instead of Sioux Falls.

Developers and members of the city’s building community spent more than a year putting the package together and getting it through the political process. Lloyd, who marshaled about two-dozen supporters for last week’s council meeting, said it would be a mistake to assume that developers and builders supported the increases out of self-interest.

New roads will open more areas to development, Lloyd said. But that growth helps lower the property tax burden for all residents. Without growth, Lloyd said, the burden will increase for residents.

Then he goes on to say how he deserves to be heard. Yet he never approached the podium even once during Monday night’s meeting. But he got former city planner Steve Metli to go up and vouch for him. 

Lloyd said he’s tired of the implication that he and other supporters of the package were up against “the citizens of Sioux Falls.” “Last time I checked, I’m a citizen,” he said. “I pay taxes. I support the community. Am I a second-rate citizen?”

No, you are not – but we are.

Posted in: Developers, SF City Council, Sioux Falls, Taxes ⋅ Tagged: , ,