Categories : UncategorizedLeave a comment
Important Fulton Mall Dates Coming Up
Time is running out to help preserve the Fulton Mall.
Monday is the deadline to send comments to Caltrans for their report on the Fulton Mall project.
More important is February 27, when the council votes. Here is the item from the meeting agenda (large PDF) While speaking in person is important, make sure to also contact to council members directly by email.When a public comment at a meeting drags on for hours, as it will, people stop listening. Sending an email means more attention.You can send Caltrans comments until Feb 24 to Kirsten Helton, Department of Transportation, 855 M Street, Suite 200, Fresno, CA 93721.
So be brief, and use good point!
Remember to target your comments to the council members. For example, it’s probable that Brand and Brandau don’t care at all about park space, art, or history. So there’s no reason to send them a letter addressing those subjects. Instead, focus on the financial risk of the project to the city.
Brand has attempted to portray himself as “Mr. Money Guy” while Brandau governs as “Mr. Tea Party.” That means pointing out that the fed grant won’t cover all the costs, especially the overruns. This is even more true in an older area, where there are likely old pipes, wires, and gas lines under the mall that aren’t on any map. Whenever an old street gets dug up, the crews ALWAYS encounter these problems, resulting in lengthy delays. That means the city is on the hook for cash.
Or point out how flimsy the EIR and economic report are. A bad EIR means the city can and will be dragged through the court system. Aside from legal fees, lengthy delays mean forfeiting the fed grant.
For example, the EIR claims that there will be no traffic increase, and thus, no mitigation required.
The circular logic is astounding:
Project will create high economic impact -> more shoppers, more workers, more people
