Something different today, and hopefully a way to further illuminate the city planning process for those who cannot attend meetings on a regular basis.
This past Thursday, the Common Council voted to allow a development agreement with Mark Carstensen, the developer of Shoppes at Wyndham Village. There was, frankly, little or no doubt that the vote would be unanimous in favor of the development, but - - as in almost all steps of this troubled development - - that did not mean there wasn't a fair amount of acrimony.
A bit of background: Wyndham Ridge Homeowners (WRHA) spokesman Jaime Maliszewski spoke during the citizen's comment period about their concerns regarding exactly how many trees Mark Carstensen would plant, as well as when they would go in and how long they'd be cared for. After a bit of discussion about how adamantly Cartensen refused to have "tree language" put into the Development Agreement (the council and city engineer did not want another misunderstanding like the one at Fountains of Franklin), Mark Carstensen addressed the council.
I thought it would be instructive to offer actual audio from some of these meetings to convey in a much more immediate manner the interaction that occurs over the stretch of the process. In theory, you should be able to click the link below to hear MP3 audio, or right-click it to save it to your computer. Heck, put it on your iPod.
Mark Carstensen comments to Franklin Common Council (7:50).mp3
"I hear untruths, misfacts - - nobody calls me." Though Mr. Carstensen seems to be mainly addressing the issues brought up by Mr. Maliszewski related to his subdivision (issues which do not concern me or the community-at-large to any great extent), this is a good opportunity for me to note, for the record, that my calls and emails to Mr. Carstensen - - which began when the development was announced - - have all gone unanswered. (My only contact with Mr. Carstensen up to now has been when I sat next to him during the public comment period at the 9/6 Plan Commission meeting to mumble about the importance of a well thought-out site plan, etc.)
While this blog is occasionally critical of the specific points of execution in the Shoppes development, I'm personally rooting for it to succeed. If Mr. Carstensen or a member of his organization sees a statement here that is untrue, distorted, or just plain off the mark, I hope they'll take time to address their concerns directly to me via email or phone.
And I'll repeat in public the request I made many months ago (and to which I received no reply): I would appreciate a 45-minute-or-so conversation with Mark Carstensen regarding Shoppes at Wyndham Village specifically as well as the general challenges and rewards of being a developer in his hometown. It would be a great opportunity for him to set me straight.
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