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Officials take field trip
On Saturday, some Coatesville officials toured an FPL-owned power plant in Sayreville, N.J. (That's it to the right.) City Manager Harry Walker came away with this impression:“It’s essentially a closed book whether there any public safety issues with regard to the modern, gas-fired steam turbine and its effect on the surrounding community,” he said. “Now, the question for the city is: What is the highest and best use of its real estate?”
Labels: Flats, FPL Energy
posted by Daily Local at
8:48 AM
13 Comments:
Thanks Jon for posting this.
So I read Mr. Walkers quote...and I have to say on the surface it sounds nice. He's certainly learning to be more 'political' in what he says. Although I keep wondering - why is the solicitor who serves at the pleasure of the Council - always in the lime light. . . But I digress.
Mr. Walker was quoted as saying “It’s essentially a closed book whether there any public safety issues with regard to the modern, gas-fired steam turbine and its effect on the surrounding community,” I doubt the title of his closed book would match mine. Check out Florida Power and Light's EPA report at www.fpl.com/environment/tri/tri_report.shtml for yourselves.
And the other part of his quote about finding the best and highest use of the real estate is truly the critical issue - but again - I fear that he doesn't actually really "get it". It's all about SUSTAINABLE revitalization of the city. We keep hearing about millions here and millions there - but what happens 3 to 5 years out? Does the revenue dip to like 150k (which is something I recently heard bantered around). If that's the case - I'd rather see houses go in that space. Houses that would be in such quantity that you'd easily get 200k plus per year plus the associated monies into the school system and people looking to regularly spend their dollars here on a sustainable, on-going basis. That's the kind of controlled development this city needs.
I have a bad feeling that this is a done deal and they are just going through the motions to make it seem like they are exploring all the opportunities.
Also, does anyone know what is all the wiring they have been installing on poles on Route 82 and Manor Road, just south of the bypass? Is it related to the power plant?
Questions for 4th Ward:
If they built those houses there that you (and Robert McNeil) propose, who would buy them? What is it about Coatesville that would attract folks with enough money to purchase homes of sufficient value to generate any substantial property taxes? And what goods and services would these theoretical residents "regularly spend their dollars" on in Coatesville, maybe hip-hop clothing, cell-phones and fingernails?
I'm with you....I would love to see some nice townhouses built there (that was what revitalization was about) but, barring a major change in the make-up of Coatesville (yeah, that's code for a better class of people and less crime), I wouldn't buy one!
Harry knows that too. So maybe the best solution is a power plant or some other industrial use. They certainly need to do something quick before the $7 million loan from the RDA is due.
It is that short sightedness that keeps Coatesville forever in the gutter. Maybe if people would think ahead and see Coatesville for what it could be then maybe it would not be the place it is now. Build the houses or whatever and everything else will fall into place. But, some people like the last post would rather once again sell Coatesville short and give into the Environmental racism that these power companies choose to participate in. Why do you think they chose Coatesville????? Because the citizens are so down on themselves and their city that they will take any bone that any chump throws at them. WAKE UP.
The key to redeveloping the Flats is not just residential. It's mixed use. Office space, retail and dining centering on the river walk, and yes, some condos.
Walker and his council are doing this power plant thing solely to put an end to revitalization thinking. That has been the agenda since day one.
And I'm sure the taxpayers paid for that trip to see the power plant! Yes it sounds like Walker is already sold on the deal, just a matter of first pretending that they explored all possibilities.
That plant is in an open field (look at the picture)it is not in a downtown area. Why on earth would anyone want a ugly plant like that anywhere near their town, let alone right in the MIDDLE of their downtown. I say look long term; and, put "mixed use" on the Flats. A plant like that will kill the revitalization of Coatesville and all the good people of the City will lose out.
To:3/4/08 5:00PM
I believe the trip was paid by Florida Power & Light, not the taxpayers of the City
I would agree 100% with everyone who says "mixed use, residential, etc." instead of power plant would be what we want for Coatesville.
But, putting on my business-owner hat, I have to ask that if you were a developer in today's real estate market, commercial or residential, would you go out on a limb and invest millions into buying the land, cleaning up the ground and building all of these projects, unsold, on this piece of land in Coatesville? How many brand new, unsold housing units do you notice in Chester County? Why would they sell quicker in Coatesville than anywhere else? Other municipalities can offer tax incentives and funding to developers to lure them in. Coatesville does not have that ability. So why would I want to build there. A sense of civic responsibility, want, hope and "looking to the future" may drive you to the bank but, in the end, it's all about the money.
Mr. McNeil is offering what he believes to be a fair price but nowhere near enough to bail out the RDA loan. But Mr.McNeil also wants a buyback clause in the event the property is too polluted to cheaply clean up, something that he is rightly concerned about. I know his heart is in the right place but if Chetty can't pre-sell enough condos to get his Tower building out of the ground and the Famous Restaurant building developer now plans to rent his units because he knows they won't sell, even at bargain-basement prices, until or if and when the market improves, I would have to ask Mr. McNeil why he thinks he can succeed with his project.
This whole Coatesville revitalization project reminds me of our involvement in Iraq. Nearly everyone now believes we should never have invaded Iraq. If we weren't told that Saddam had WMD's and was involved in 9/11,if we knew it would cost $3 trillion dollars (and the meter is still running) we probably would not have done it. But, now that we are there, how can we get out and do the least damage? Same with Janssen and the golf course. Never should have gone there, spent the money, fought the lawsuits but....we did....now how do we get out with the least amount of damage to Coatesville's financial and civic future?
Simple by not being stupid you sell this site and any others to developers who have plans for other uses then just housing the last thing the city needs is more housing. Bring in the businesses how about start with a business park nice place to draw companies into town then layer in the retail stores then when all the ground work is completed you bring in the housing. Why is this the only town to stupid to understand basic economic facts. Housing will come back But without customers stores will not open and there is no reason for anybody even in a boom real estate market to purchase in the city. All you need is one Vanguard type company to move in and the base is set. swat all the rats out of town remodel those great brick homes that rot away with section 8 then the city is a go for years to come if the economy changes great company A fold hot new company C moves in versatility at its finest.
Sell the site to a developer for commercial use only. No housing. Then on the property put the following:
Grocery Store
Restaurants (not pizza places)
People will frequent both the grocery store and restaurants instead of driving to Downingtown/Exton. Coatesville's needs are so obvious, why can't anyone see them. These are basic things. Then scrap the condo plans and starting going after businesses to put in their place.
Ryan Smith
East Fallowfield
I agree with the previous two posters. I also live in East Fallowfield and would really like to see some retail/restaurants put on the flats site. Any businesses you could draw in would also be a good idea.
Did anyone else get and fill out the Coatesville survey which basically asked what you would like to see constructed in the city. It was on the East Fallowfield site a few months ago. What ever came of it?
To Anonymous poster March 4 at 1:37 PM: Who would buy them? Well - I guess it would depend on a couple of factors - the first being about the quality of the land itself - Isn't there some issue about that area having to be 'cleaned' of waste from prior industrial activity? And there will always be more buyers - people don't stop having babies and needing houses. Of course - depends on what happens with the economy as well.
I was thinking last night about something the City of Philadelphia is currently doing to attract residents by having a tax abatement on new home purchases for the period of one year. Again - I don't have any silver bullets - but I know a bad idea when I see one and a huge industrial plant - regardless of where it sits - just doesn't seem like a good solution for our residents or our neighbors. One power plant (Limerick) was already shot down by the community years back...again - if we always do what we always did we'll always get what we always got...why are we pursuing an idea that the town already shot down once before?
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