Repulsive? Sort of like the status of our beach right about now1. Refurbish it. Get it spruced up. Maintain our building and maintain our property. Is this too much to ask? We never have asked for an entire re-make of our beach footprint. We have never asked for a brand new building to be built anywhere. We have never asked for a parking platform. And we have never asked for more green space. Green is something that obstructionists have added to the equation. People come to the beach to go to the beach, not look at the grass. Get it? (For anyone who does not understand that I am talking about GREEN in general, let me clear that up--I AM talking about green in general!)
Every now and then you encounter someone who says that Kreusler Park looks so much nicer than our beach, I don’t agree. Have you seen how crowded our beach has been all Season and every Season? We have one of the best natural beaches on the east coast of the country. Also, those people who go to Kreusler don’t have to walk up a dune to get to the beach. When parking is filled in our upper deck lot, those beachgoers drift over to Kreusler Park because they can park just a little bit closer than going in back of the dunes at LW Beach and hiking 600 feet back up to the beach. It's just closer to feed that meter.
2. We already have a park at our beach. We have GREEN. There is not one person I have ever spoken with who says we need more. I have never seen more than one or two people even sitting on a bench at the park other than on the boardwalk. Why? People go to our beach to—GO TO THE BEACH. What a novel idea! I do agree that we should beautify our beach now that we have $5 mil of bond money that we have been paying on for years that the County will relinquish to us for a Plan if we don’t get in our own way and screw it up like we always do. Michael Singer was to come up with ideas about beautification, not redesigning the beach, the loop road or pandering to those in love with "green"-- or perhaps I missed that part. And who in the heck wanted him here anyway? Did this contract go out on an RFP? Not cool.
3. We want to refurbish/restore our Casino building leaving it in the same location it has been for 87 years. No one has asked for a new building that will cost millions more. We actually have a few citizens and one that does not even live here (count them on one hand) that still promote Greater Bay and discount Straticon, saying there would not be oversight with Straticon, for reasons only known to them. Some people love to make things up. Obviously he/they have not researched Straticon's expertise in this area and have no knowledge of the matter. Straticon has already done a site plan, an engineering study and an elevation report at THEIR EXPENSE, unlike Greater Bay who never did anything but rack up legal fees. Its Rep who wandered around our City had pages of judgments against him and no background check was ever done by the City. This is not cool.4. We want our upper level parking to remain, not reduced by 2/3rds. Do you really need an explanation as to why? I guess so because a few people and one local blog are saying "green is great!" Right now we have lost income on parking. This is due to two things: parking systems malfunctioning from time to time but primarily it is due to less parking at our upper level. ¼ of it was used as a construction staging site for the last 2 years. When people cannot park close, they will drive by and go somewhere else or just not stop at all because they want convenient parking. Don't we all miss pulling in to the right, parking our cars, and just looking at the ocean for a spell, not even getting out of our car?
Michael Singer (I am sure with the blessing after his meetings with the Commission and a few of their chosen friends) has taken away all but 84 spaces and of these, 20 spaces are ADA accessible which will leave 64 parking spaces on the upper level. The drawing does not show where the handicapped spaces will be but it is logical to assume that it will be the upper level. Perhaps we should not assume anything because the Commission is not really thinking of the people here when it wants to reduce the upper level. Just think of all the people now who will be off to their doctor to get a handicapped sticker. I broke my toe and still can't walk right. Can I get one? Not cool.
Parking Revenue from 2006 to 2007 was down: (figures rounded up)
2006 parking fines: 185 thousand
2007 parking fines: 150 thousand
2006 Benny's: 50 thousand
2007 Benny's: 40 thousand
2006 parking decals: 14,842 thousand
2007 parking decals: 14,716 thousand
2006 parking meters: 462 thousand
2007 parking meters: 432 thousand
We are used to a mess up there for so long as well as reduced parking. This does not mean that we want this or like this or want to continue accepting this. How bizarre is that argument that they have taken parking away from us during the pier construction so therefore the people won’t miss it. Remember that Art Linkletter show--Kids say the Darndest Things? Going GREEN is now “cool” and reducing carbon is a responsible consideration. But this has nothing to do with convenient parking at our beach. Don’t tell people that they “should walk” because you have now decided to be "green" in place of all reason or caring. Environmentalism is also cool but there are some taking it to new extremes. With this artist's vision, we won't even be able to drive the loop and even see the ocean any longer as the road is set-back much farther. Singer and the Commission have us coming and going. This is just plain wrong. Not cool.
5. We want our decal parking to remain in effect. It is our beach. The residents here should have decal parking and we should be the priority as it is we, the taxpayers, who pick up this tab for our beach. Parking should be allowed for decal permits anywhere on the premises where parking is now currently allowed. You accomplish this by not using the County Bond money for parking areas.Now I ask, is that too much? Is that difficult to understand?
Commissioners—Michael Singer—all green people--all transplants who never or seldom go to the beach--and to all those who just love pretty drawings--Go up to the beach and ask the people who actually use the beach what their priorities are. Ask our tourists visiting LW Beach who come from all over the world. Ask the people who have been here for years about all that we have gone through to save our beach, not someone who just moved here one year ago or two years ago who has no clue, who seldom goes to the beach and certainly not some environmentalist. Ask Benny's. This is not about what five people and a few of their “green” friends feel is right for the people. This is not about global warming alarmists. Sure, the rendering is nice but not practicable or economically efficient. The City worries about making money at our beach and then takes away upper level parking. Not smart and certainly not cool. This is not about a drawing to make "greenies" feel better about themselves. Who can say they are against “green?” Let’s just not be stupid about it. If I wanted to see drawings I would go to the Norton. Not cool.
I challenge you to drive over to the beach today and just ask someone, anyone, why they went to the beach and you will get the following answers:
1. I came to the beach to swim or relax on the sand or sit at the boardwalk and look at the sea.
2. I came to go to a restaurant
You will NEVER get one person to say that they went to our beach to sit under a tree at the park and take in all the GREEN. Guaranty you!
The above photo is of Manalapan, a straight drive south on A1A. This beach is FREE. It is open to the public. No parking fees. It is a beautiful beach. Don't get a "visionary" here; he would just screw it up. And that would not be cool!
