City Council March 3, 2015 Item 27, Resolution Authorizing an Urban Development Investment Forgivable Loan not to Exceed the Amount of $100,000.00 and a Loan of $275,000 to Comer-Khori, LLC
The spot sits right next to the Spring Garden Street entrance to the Downtown Greenway. Comer wants to put in two restaurants, a bakery, a private club and an event rental facility, among other concepts.
...She has the support of powerful city council members, including Yvonne Johnson, the mayor pro-temp who has a business just around the corner on Eugene Court.
Conflict of interest?
But Comer’s vision is so big that her plans have been stifled by a streetclosure request that has twice failed to win city approval. In order for Comer to open her doors to the throngs of people surely to come, she has to build a massive ramp to elevate customers to the doorway. The ramp would extend into South Edgeworth Street once completed, an impossibility that makes the street closure a must before she can close on a deal to purchase the property, which comes with a gravel lot across the street.
The street closure request hit a roadblock last month when the Greensboro Planning Board failed to sign off on the plan. Planning board members seemed uneasy with the project’s lack of a specific traffic plan and ultimately voted against recommending the street closure to city council. In a 6-2 vote, with board member Marc Isaacson recusing himself because he represents one of the parties in the development, the board sent the decision forward to city council.
Conflict of interest.
It was a procedural vote only, since the final decision rests with the city council. Comer seemed confident in her chances for approval at the next level. At the Nov. 18 city council meeting things seemed lined up, with eight speakers signed up to speak in favor of the street closure and Mayor Nancy Vaughan encouraging the group not to be redundant, advice council often gives when an issue seems destined for the fast track to success.
Nancy Hoffmann and Dawn Cheney?
Comer and her project manager, Jessie Lester of Stimel and Associates in Winston-Salem, got the message and kept their comments short and to the point...
...Dabney Sanders, project manager for the Downtown Greenway, spoke in glowing terms about what Comer’s investment would mean for that section of the city.
...Things seemed set to move on until veteran attorney Mike Fox of Tuggle Duggins appeared at the podium. Fox recently represented Roy Carroll on a request to close a portion of Lindsay Street for Bellemeade Village, a $50 million mixed-use project near New- Bridge Bank Park.
Fox appeared on behalf of Darren Dalton, owner of Custom Sheet Metal Works, a 44-year-old business located in a small building next to Comer’s target property. Fox said that Dalton was in favor of the request, on the condition that he receives an easement that allowed for delivery trucks to access a small loading dock on the front of his building.
Comer voiced concerns about the stipulation, and from there the request stalled. Comer said she wanted to grant Dalton the access he needed to operate his business, but that the current trucks he uses would be a problem for her new parking lot configuration.
...Matheny [friend of Comer] was unhappy that staff brought the request forward without an agreement among neighboring property owners sealed, or a city partnership worked out.
“She’s putting a $3.5 million investment downtown and she’s paying $400,000 for parking, which could be public. Why wouldn’t we consider doing a partnership like with did with Spice Cantina?” Matheny asked.
After several minutes of back and forth between Comer and Fox regarding their specific negotiations, Mayor Vaughan noted that the issue needed to be postponed.
...Vaughan directed staff to bring the issue back at the Dec. 2 meeting, but Matheny gave a word of warning to GDOT Director Adam Fisher.
“There has to be a meeting with Mr. Fisher, in the weeds with your staff and these two, to formalize a site plan that works,” Matheny said. “If we don’t have a site plan that works, there is no need to bring it up in two weeks.”
http://yesweekly.com/article-19107-iron-hen-owner-lee-comers-multiplex-on-hold.html
.
.
December 2, 2014;
26. ID 14-0693 Resolution closing a portion of South Edgeworth Street from its intersection with Spring Garden Street southward a distance of approximately 282 feet
Mayor Vaughan stated the item was postponed from the November 18th meeting of Council; that the public hearing was closed at that meeting; and added that there were two speakers to the item.
...Attorney Mike Fox, 100 North Greene Street responded that Ms. Comer was unable to be here but was still in support of the street closing...
...Moved by Councilmember Matheny, seconded by Councilmember Wilkins to close the public hearing. The motion carried by voice vote.
Moved by Councilmember Matheny, seconded by Councilmember Barber, to adopt the resolution. The motion carried on the following roll call vote:
Ayes, 8 - Nancy Vaughan, Yvonne J. Johnson, Marikay Abuzuaiter, Mike Barber, Sharon M.
Hightower, Nancy Hoffmann, Zack Matheny and Tony Wilkins
Nays, 1 - Jamal T. Fox
http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=85
.
.
Marty got a street, Roy got a street, and Lee got a street.
Marty and Roy got millions.
Bob Isner got his on Deep Roots and Arlington Street.
Sam Simpson is going to get a couple million on Tuesday night.
The Co-op gets shafted, after Don Vaughan made hundreds of thousands
from the City giving free methane to ITG/Cone Mills and Wilbur Ross.
Just like the former give aways to friends and contributors,
other less connected businesses down the street will suffer.
This is about picking who wins and loses in our local economy.
Redistrict away Trudy Wade.
.
.
December 7, Greensboro City Council Agenda Item #24: White Street Landfill and ITG's White Oak Plant, Amanda Lehmert, David Hoggard, CICO and Jobs
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/07/december-7-greensboro-city-council.html
Will Nancy Vaughan compound prior miscalculations on the White Street Landfill?
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/07/will-nancy-vaughan-compound-prior.html
League of Women Voters of the Piedmont Triad Candidate Questionnaire and Answers
7. What are your ideas for handling Greensboro waste disposal?
Some of Don and Nancy Vaughan's income has been directly associated with lost tax revenue from free White Street Landfill methane for Cone Mills.
Nancy should step down from the Waste Management and Recycling Task Force and should be investigated.
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/07/league-of-women-voters-of-piedmont.html
How much have the Vaughan's recieved from Cone Mills/Wilbur Ross for free methane from the City of Greensboro?
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/07/how-much-have-vaughans-recieved-from.html
News and Record Council candidate question; "What’s your plan for a long-term trash disposal solution?" with Nancy and Don Vaughan
Nancy Vaughan, the Waste Management and Recycling Task Force council liaison whose husband Don represents Cone Mills in a free White Street methane contract which has lost Greensboro millions, should step down from the task force.
...Some of the Vaughan's income is directly associated with lost revenue incurred by city taxpayers via the regulatory capture of our local government by Don and Nancy.
If Nancy is elected as mayor, I will consider it a continuation of an entrenched incumbent who has solidified an ongoing theft from Greensboro's citizens, which has cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
...That nothing has occurred via Nancy and Don Vaughan's interference is a fiduciary violation of Greensboro's taxpayers.
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/07/news-and-record-council-candidate.html
David Hoggard on Cone Mills/ITG Methane Gas Deal; December 6, 2004, with some Triad Watch from 2011
http://hartzman.blogspot.com/2014/07/david-hoggard-on-cone-millsitg-methane.html
