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February 22, 2008
Is Downtown Chico about to become a Pigeon Haven?
As I was walking Downtown, the other day, I was hit on my shoulder with a white blob of something as I watched a Pigeon flying overhead. This had some meaning to me since I’ve had a number of business and property owners complain about the increasing number of Pigeons on their roofs and sidewalks. If you’re careful as you lookdown when walking on the sidewalks in Downtown, you’ll notice the white blobs scattered on many of the sidewalks.
It’s about time that the City and the Downtown business and property owners get together to develop a program to minimize the damage from the Pigeons and before they become a serious problem; similar to those that Downtown has had in the past.
Posted by Fred at 08:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 12, 2008
CITY COUNCIL IGNORING BUDGET CRISIS
Since the Council has stated publicly that the City has a budget crisis, how could they approve approximate $70,000 or more for two opinion surveys; one relating to the General Plan and a second concerning City Services etc.?
Without the $70,000 opinion surveys, they could have easily put together a representative group of Chicoans and secured relevant answers to the same questions asked in the expensive opinion surveys.
Now the Council has embarked on an update of the General Plan that is estimated to cost in excess of $1,000,000 for consulting services. With the slowdown in building activity, the City planning staff should be capable of updating the General Plan without using the expensive consulting services. Even when using consulting services, the planning staff is assigned, much of their time, following and helping the consultants.
The Council hasn’t yet come to grips with the seriousness of their budget crisis.
Posted by Fred at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 07, 2008
Architectural Review Gone Haywire--Downtown Transit Center
A new Downtown monstrosity is in the making on 2nd Street, between Salem Street and Normal Avenue. I believe the City calls it a Transit Center (many of the residents that have asked me about it have referred to it as the “thing”). How did it ever get through the Architectural Review Committee? It is completely incompatible with the surrounding buildings and takes-up some of the most valuable Downtown parking spaces, and I understand it cost in excess of $1,000,000. What happened to the usual required landscaping? Also it would be interesting to know what that glassed copula is sticking-up above the skeleton.
The “thing” has stood as a skeleton for sometime; but I assume the City staff responsible for the project will come-up with some excuse for the delay in completion; just another example of the delays in completing the City Plaza.
Isn’t it such a wonderful addition to the Downtown as well as a beautiful entrance to our University??
Everyone with the time should watch the 10 or more buses leave the “thing” without any passengers. And even during peak hours few passengers get off or on the buses.
This Transit Center, as in many other towns, will require costly additional and continuous policing; day and night.
Posted by Fred at 06:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack