Do you remember the Roland Hansen Commentary Boycott Kroger that I published here back on October 16, 2009?
Well, once again, Kroger operations in Toledo, Ohio has put neighborhood interests last. This time it is in the geographical area of the Secor and Monroe intersection.
Take a read/see at the online petition of Say NO, Again, to Kroger’s Proposal to Demolish the SND Provincial Center in W. Toledo.
Despite the recommendations of the professional planning staff of and the Toledo Plan Commission itself, and totally disregarding the opinion and advice of former three term Toledo Strong Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, with the exception of City Council persons Sandy Spang and Peter Ujvagi, Toledo City Council has VOTED AGAINST NEIGHBORHOOD interests!
My interests in preserving, protecting, and saneful neighborhood community development has not been of the casual kind. During my many years of volunteer community service, I served on the Housing Rehabilitation Committee and the Neighborhood Preservation Committee of the West Toledo Area Citizens Association, and on the Neighborhood Planners Screening Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee of the Toledo Central Citizens Participation Forum. I also came up with the idea of creating a public interest community improvement 501c nonprofit organization, Citizens League Of West Toledo, Inc. (aka CLOWT), and served as its President for 12 years.
It was in those capacities that I met a fellow by the name of Mike Young, a knowledgeable, outstanding, proficient, professional city planner.
That being stated, I wish to share the following comments concerning the Toledo Kroger Fiasco that are on Facebook:
Michael John Young
Wednesay, March 22 at 12:40pm ·
TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL APPROVES ZONE CHANGE FOR KROGER'S
If anyone still wonders why I left a terrific career in Toledo to start over in San Diego, please peel back all the intrigue and creepy alliances in this one action.
I was a union Steward for AFL-CIO Local 2058, but I'm disappointed (and not surprised) that Council caved in to the construction trades.
I was raised Catholic (St. Johns Jesuit '69), but I'm disappointed (and not surprised) that Council caved in to the Diocese and the Sister of Notre Dame.
I was head of Long Range Planning in Toledo for 15 years, but I'm disappointed (and not surprised) that when it came time for Council to display courage and planning discipline... they failed.
The Anderson's store will soon be available, and likely Sears, then Elder- Beerman, meanwhile all across Toledo the landscape is littered with vacant retail properties. Former Ontario Stores, Handy Andys, Bargain Citys, Foodtowns, and... ironically... Krogers' gather graffiti and litter, awaiting a role in a shrinking marketplace further saturated by this latest short-sighted Councilmanic act of stupidity.
Meanwhile nearby cities who treasure city planning and act like adults - Columbus, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Ann Arbor, and even Perrysburg, Maumee, and Sylvania, stand as examples of wise decisions and advanced thinking.
A city without standards can not retain quality employers or attract new businesses because investors simply MUST have the assurance that the property they own cannot be stripped of value by a City Council that will approve a zone change for anyone, anywhere, at any time.
A city without pride soon becomes a city without purpose.
This Notre Dame rezoning for Krogers, perhaps like none other, is only the most recent civic action that vividly proves that Toledo needs enlightened new, mature, disciplined leadership.
Desperately.
And to those who think Kroger's would leave had they been denied this zone change: Please.
I mean... please.
Kroger's wasn't going to leave. They were not going to abandon the lucrative Monroe/Central/Secor demographic (among the best in the region). If they had been denied this zone change they would have chosen the Sears site at Westgate, the Anderson's store on Talmadge, or other available properties on Secor near Central.
They aren't an NFL team that can move anywhere and succeed. They're a grocer, and they are competing with other grocers in Toledo.
The Notre Dame property was "Plan A".
They had a "Plan B".
And it wasn't abandoning this part of Toledo.
Roland Louis Hansen
Friday, March 24 at 8:36am ·
Mike says it like it is! And, much of what he says is what I have been saying!
Rather than heed the sound professional advice of the Toledo Plan Commission, the majority of Toledo City Council decided that the corporate interests of Kroger are more important than the interests of the Citizens of Toledo.
Kudos to Peter Ujvagi and Sandy Spang for having the wisdom and political fortitude to have voted against this slap in the face to neighborhood residents.
With the exception of Ujvagi and Spang, the members of Toledo City Council have sold their souls to the company store and have voted against neighborhood residents.
SHAME ON TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL!
Judy Rosenberg Hansen shared Michael John Young's post.Apparently, in the City of Toledo, Ohio, the majority of members on TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL BELIEVES THE CORPORATE GREED OF KROGER TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THE DESIRES, NEEDS, OVERALL GOOD, AND INTERESTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITIZENS IN THE COMMUNITY.
Friday, March 24 at 9:40am ·
OMG, Roland Louis Hansen had just a few days ago told me about Michael and why he left Toledo! And now I read this and so should YOU!
1 comment:
No amount of money is worth the damage that will be done by this move. Shame on you all for this vote, because of this, you’ll never see my vote again! This is just part of what I wrote about over on my Commentary. Roland explained it fully here and Michael John Young gave us a look into this town, what was, what is and what it will never be!
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