From Buena Park Neighbors:
"The Center for Economic Research and Social Change, d.b.a. Haymarket Books, seeks a variance for the property located at 800 W. Buena Avenue in the form of a special use permit to establish a community center in an existing 3 story building in a RS-1 Residential Single-Unit (Detached House) District.Haymarket would like to have a community room for the public in the mansion at Clarendon and Buena, and has requested a special use permit to do so. More info is here.
A meeting to further discuss this proposal will be held Tues., July 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Pride Films & Plays located at 4139 N. Broadway.
Only votes from residents living within 250 feet of the proposed development will be counted to decide on this. Voting will be available by paper ballots at the meeting or online.
In addition paper ballots will also be available at the Ward Office. Voting will start at the meeting on July 11 and all votes will be due by 5pm on Tuesday, July 18. Click here for more information."
I have a suggestion for Haymarket. Muzzle some of your more twerkeratrical supporters tomorrow. Some of the local Uptown folks supporting you are likely to annoy the people who can vote on this.
ReplyDeleteName calling and screaming ain't gonna help your case with the folks who live within 250 feet of this property.
I personally would vote for the zoning change simply on common sense and free speech grounds. The planned use is certainly less disruptive to the neighbors than the current use as a school. Voting it down because some neighbors don't like Haymarket's politics is problematic at best.
Some of the opponents may couch it in terms, paging Orwell, to make it sound like their opposition is based on something besides Haymarket's politics, but like Trump canceling a new FBI HQ I suspect there's something else at play.
Now I don't like Haymarket's politics. I order Howard Zinn books on Ebay, rip out the pages, and use it as toilet paper, but if you believe in freedom of speech and if you believe that in America it's not dead yet a "yes" vote is the right vote.
Amusing thing here is some of the people supporting Haymarket's position would march against a book publisher from the right asking for the same change. "Oh my God, we can't allow those right wingers in Uptown. Uptown is for progressives. Oh, how do I look. Does my hair look good, Oh a camera.....everyone chant.......1, 2, 3, 4 we don't want your Fascist publisher no more. 5,6,7,8 stick your hate by your prostate.....9,10,11,12......etc etc etc
Seriously, Haymarket keep your supporters in check tomorrow, talk to the neighbors both at the meeting and at other opportunities and good luck.
May Freedom Ring!
Ding Dong. Ding Dong.
I made this comment in another thread the other day. Before posting it I would like to point out that I've since learned that Haymarket received a grant to buy the house from a charitable foundation.
ReplyDeleteHere we go:
I don't claim to know whether your history and the motivation of the property owner is correct as described.
Here is what I suspect/think.
1. Some rich guy gave Haymarket a bequest of a whole lotta money. Maybe there was a stipulation it be used to buy a headquarters. Maybe I'm wrong and they saved the cash through book sales. I just don't know.
2. I do know that they don't seem to have thought this whole purchase out very well. It really seems like a bushel of Euros and Hundred Dollar bills fell in their lap and they decided "Hey Kids, let's buy a mansion. Let's call it Marxist Mansion. Yea Team Marxist. Let's have a meeting room and maybe a garden with Trotsky roses that die violently every season."
3. In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. Dwight D. Eisenhower
4. See number three.
5. Now I find the ideas of lefties owning a mansion as their HQ amusing. I also find it a bit hypocritical, but hey we're all hypocrites in one way or another. I mean what 15k square feet for less than 20 employees? Even with the Mao Library/Reading Room and the Fidel Tea Room that seems excessive.
6. Again once you factor in the maintenance costs of Marxist Manor/Mansion it doesn't seem like a good business move. Strikes me as being akin to Baker and Nosh overextending and putting their very good and successful business out of business.
7. I just did a google search on office space needs and 4000 square feet would likely be more then enough space for them. If they buy this it wouldn't surprise me if they regret it a few years down the road as costs go up. I mean since their business seems largely to be publishing shouldn't they concentrate on publishing and not property maintenance?
8. I looked at the property taxes on that property a few weeks back. I think it was around 16k a year or so. Seems like the property is paying SFH rates which is much lower than a commercial rate.
9. Do you see where I'm going here? If they're going to use it as an office shouldn't it be taxed as commercial property which would double the rate? Can you dig it? Do you feel the vibe?
10. To me that would be the best of all worlds. I'd get to be amused by having the leftist horde doing business out of Honecker Hacienda and they'd be paying roughly twice the property taxes.
11. I also believe having 20 or so employees there is better for the hood than having one rich family with say 5-6 people and their overburdened undocumented nanny. Those 20 folks will be dining and spending cash among the coffee houses and shops near La Casa Castro.
12. Now I'm not on Haymarket's board, but if I were I'd counsel them to be careful what they ask for. I really think they'd be better off buying/renting around 4000 sq ft of office space somewhere.
13. In any case I suspect they will win the vote and I hope they're good neighbors. Shovel your snow. Maintain your landscaping and try not to scare your millionaire neighbors. No dressing up as Stalin for Halloween and going trick or treating. Ok?