tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post8304136325891813163..comments2023-12-24T05:26:48.861-05:00Comments on The Pittsburgh Comet: Planning Commission Surprises No OneBram Reichbaumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-33034966133385750822008-01-16T20:01:00.000-05:002008-01-16T20:01:00.000-05:00Good job on the mic BRAM.Good job on the mic BRAM.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-19093651740486509462008-01-16T18:51:00.000-05:002008-01-16T18:51:00.000-05:00GOOD POINT, anonymous.People. Start looking at th...GOOD POINT, anonymous.<BR/><BR/>People. Start looking at this as what can happen to Pittsburghers.<BR/><BR/>What happens to one Pittsburgh neighborhood can happen to any. Larimer is getting toyed around with right now. How long until Greenfield? Troy Hill? Carrick? Stanton Hieghts? Eliot?Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-36903490974956113082008-01-16T04:15:00.000-05:002008-01-16T04:15:00.000-05:00Is this the same Todd E. Reidbord of Walnut Capita...Is this the same Todd E. Reidbord of Walnut Capital that got the huge million dollars of TIF money for the Bakery Square project that is in Larimer, (advertised as East Liberty)using that community’s certificate of blight to obtain the money and then committed a mere $15,000.00 to spruce up Larimer Avenue and millions to re-do the Penn Circle? How could he vote against benefits for one distressed community and then ask/take from another distressed community – double standards here. <BR/><BR/>Also who is in control of the public millions that Walnut Capital got for the Above Ground (2nd story) hotel that is going to floating in air because it doesn’t qualify for TIFs if the hotel is attached to the ground project? <BR/><BR/>This isn’t a sign of disrespect, it’s a sign of ignorance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-79158968143651686442008-01-16T01:55:00.000-05:002008-01-16T01:55:00.000-05:00Alright. KDKA's Kevin Miller has an interview up w...Alright. KDKA's Kevin Miller has an interview up with Commission Chair Wrenna Watson. It is deeply weird.<BR/><BR/> kdkaradio.com<BR/><BR/> I'll just mention that she says it would have been illegal for the Planning Commission to delay the approval. She mentioned the necessity of adherence to the code.<BR/><BR/>Tim Stevens of B-PEP pointed out to Solicitor Specter a section of this code ... I believe he said "part two" ... but of course he did not have the conch.<BR/><BR/>Does anyone know this code, and what section such as that may have been relevant?Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-28582083237975074362008-01-15T16:35:00.001-05:002008-01-15T16:35:00.001-05:00I believe it was Watson and Ernsberger. I hope I a...I believe it was Watson and Ernsberger. I hope I am getting this right.<BR/><BR/>Ernsberger changed her yes vote to a no vote suddenly, emotionally, without explanation.<BR/><BR/>Watson held off on voting at all until she counted the others, and then she declared that yes, in that case, she will cast her vote with the community, and banged the gavel.<BR/><BR/>I don't know Garfinkel's story.Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-49212442948559570432008-01-15T16:25:00.000-05:002008-01-15T16:25:00.000-05:00Who were the two No votes who announced themselves...Who were the two No votes who announced themselves "well after passage was assured"? I wondered about that - I know the three Nos were Watson, Ernsberger and Garfinkel.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-58345211014184840922008-01-15T15:57:00.000-05:002008-01-15T15:57:00.000-05:00And can anyone confirm that news of the happy 1:30...And can anyone confirm that news of the happy 1:30 press conference was embargoed until 2:00 -- and that this is highly unorthodox?Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-70960568370639751002008-01-15T15:55:00.000-05:002008-01-15T15:55:00.000-05:00Oh by the way. Did I mention the microphones arou...Oh by the way. Did I mention the microphones around the Planning Commission's table were not working that day.<BR/><BR/>People were passing around a cordless instead.<BR/><BR/>During the discussion of whether or not to hear the extra 30 or so comments, the cordless mic was abruptly turned off, and the board fell into a heated whisper discussion. Still not sure whether or not that's kosher.Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-81453827534039185682008-01-15T12:33:00.000-05:002008-01-15T12:33:00.000-05:00If you ask me, putting up a front not to allow any...If you ask me, putting up a front not to allow any new speakers was a stunt. That way, when the people were FINALLY allowed to speak (after half an hour or more of arguing about it), they felt like they actually won something that day, like they changed something.<BR/><BR/>Scheduling so much business before the Arena issue was pretty low, too. The meeting didn't start until 4:40. Do you think they were trying to drain the numbers / energy out of the room?<BR/><BR/>Also -- doesn't the interminable Sidney Kaikai routine usually come beforehand, not afterwords?<BR/><BR/>Also also -- hello planning commission members who voted "with the community" -- you didn't have ANY follow-up questions for our City Solicitor??? You didn't say a WORD to move the discussion in the direction you voted for ... meekly, silently, after the die was cast?<BR/><BR/>I can appreciate the symbolic vote, or the protest vote, but I expect better performance next time during the hearing if you're really "with the community."Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-26645213329010035372008-01-15T12:19:00.000-05:002008-01-15T12:19:00.000-05:00I think I put it up on the Pittsburgh United Press...I think I put it up on the Pittsburgh United Press page too! Forever immortalized. I'm glad they allowed "extra" public comment, but this means that unfortunately their attempt to quell the public's voice was not mentioned in the press.<BR/><BR/>Their insistence that only people who had "signed the list" to speak last time was fallacious. There was no list to speak last time and as things broke up one of the commission even commented, "Oh, I guess we should have gotten a list of everyone waiting in line." The list they were using was the sign in sheet, which was full before the room was even half full and no new sheet was ever produced. There were people standing in line at the last meeting whose names were not on the so called list, AND the list did include a reporter (for rust belt radio) who signed in but not to speak, and the woman who signed in between me and another person--yet neither me nor the person after her were on the list to speak either.<BR/><BR/>I understand their desperation to shorten a 7 hour meeting, but it was too bad they tried to do it in such a manner.JenEnglandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04187324279024758768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-9284769441453196602008-01-15T12:08:00.000-05:002008-01-15T12:08:00.000-05:00A "Hill District Resident" at heart. Well Done Br...A "Hill District Resident" at heart. <BR/><BR/>Well Done Bram.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-15409153212591872722008-01-15T11:43:00.000-05:002008-01-15T11:43:00.000-05:00David Highfield, you snake! It's actually here:ht...David Highfield, you snake! It's actually here:<BR/>http://kdka.com/video/?id=35894@kdka.dayport.com<BR/>"Maybe the procedure should change."Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-81580160742414055842008-01-15T09:29:00.000-05:002008-01-15T09:29:00.000-05:00Found it online. Maybe someone should capture it....Found it online. Maybe someone should capture it.<BR/><BR/>http://kdka.com/video/?cid=9<BR/><BR/>Click on the "Master Plan Approved for New Hill District Arena" video which is currently the third one down on the left.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-13820907165051007662008-01-15T09:19:00.000-05:002008-01-15T09:19:00.000-05:00Bram, Do you happen to have bootleg footage of the...Bram, <BR/><BR/>Do you happen to have bootleg footage of the KDKA TV spot in which you were speaking yesterday?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-4303537545071948842008-01-14T23:57:00.000-05:002008-01-14T23:57:00.000-05:00Actually, Reidbord stayed and listened to the firs...Actually, Reidbord stayed and listened to the first batch of six or so comments. Then followed a long procedural discussion about whether or not there would be another batch of thirty or so new commenters.<BR/><BR/>Reidbord got up for precisely that amount of time, reentering when it was all over and Sidney KaiKai was ready to go. Maybe it was a protest.Bram Reichbaumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05620172942925293407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1588280325775325323.post-8347366840964675762008-01-14T22:11:00.000-05:002008-01-14T22:11:00.000-05:00Commission member and Walnut capitalist Todd Reidb...<I>Commission member and Walnut capitalist Todd Reidbord took off somewhere just before public comments began. He returned to his seat at the table just after the public was finished. We thought that was particularly special.</I><BR/><BR/>He must have been closing a deal, or doing something really important.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com