Mayor's & Assemblyman's mailer raises questions of fact

A reader sent PT the following observation on the recent mailing piece of Mayor Robinson-Briggs and Assemblyman Green which residents received over the holidays --

Dan:

I spent a few minutes over the holidays reading the piece that Mayor Robinson-Briggs and Assemblyman Green mailed to residents.

It is really quite a masterpiece of spin, and I wonder who actually wrote it as it seems there is no one at City Hall with this level of skill. At least the tone is straightforward and not gushy, and it is not filled with typos.

I'm not going to critique the piece, since I assume you will be taking a look at it at some point, but there is just one point I want to call to your attention.

On the back page, it notes that Assemblyman Green, singlehandedly evidently, 'corrected a law that inadvertently zoned the site to prohibit the construction of new business.' The photo makes it clear the reference is to the Park-Madison offices and retail project.

I am wondering if you could update us on the situation with the UCIA and the Park-Madison project? I remember you wrote last summer that a lot of things were unfinished. Are the outstanding issues still unresolved?

If so, the city is in an interesting position and could, if it wanted to, really put the squeeze on the UCIA to finish the uncompleted items. I am referring to the new projects that the UCIA wants to get under way. Though I don't expect the administration to call them to account, what are the chances the City Council could hold up these projects until the Park-Madison issues are resolved?

My fear is that if the UCIA is allowed to get away with doing only part of what was agreed to on Park-Madison, we will be looking at the same kind of performance going forward.

PT did indeed write about unfinished business with the Park-Madison project. You can find the pieces online at ("The Joy of UCIA (Park-Madison) - Some of the issues"), ("The Joy of UCIA (Park - Madison: The PILOT)"), ("The Joy of UCIA - 13 for the 13th") and a mention of the Certificate of Occupancy issue and tenant difficulties with building conditions ("The Joy of UCIA - The Certificate of Occupancy").

To date, the items are STILL UNFINISHED, to PT's knowledge. The most important items, in my humble opinion, are the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) which would be cash in the till, and the reconstruction of Park Avenue between Front and Second Streets. (This is important because the emergency repairs made several years ago were only DESIGNED TO BE TEMPORARY. Without a fix, we are looking at the possibilities of unexpected sinkholes and damage to vehicles and possible loss of life. A liability issue waiting to happen if there ever was one.)

The chances the City Council will hold a gun to the UCIA's head to get Park-Madison promises fulfilled? PT is not a gambling man.

And ONE CORRECTION on the mailer (for now): The statement of the case on what the issue was and what Assemblyman Green did to secure the ability to develop Park-Madison is FLAT-OUT WRONG.

During the administration of Mayor Harold Mitchell in the early 1990s, the parcel was inadvertently put on the state's roster of land that is not to be developed. It seems to have been a decision made by a relatively low-level employee which was not caught by higher ups, and only came to light when Mayor McWilliams and the UCIA were set to ink an agreement.

Assemblyman Green proposed a law, subsequently passed, which essentially made an exception of the Plainfield situation.

PT's correspondent is right -- I will be giving the mailing piece a look-over later.


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