Washburn: Bring On Nov. 5

A recent Concord Monitor article, “Housing project preceded casino plan,” was a grim reminder of what’s wrong with the Green Street Puzzle Palace.

It should be clear now that Green Street should never, ever, not even sometimes, be allowed to lead the redevelopment of any property in Concord. After rejecting several plans for the former state building, the city created a TIF district and squandered $2.5 million. In addition to selling the building to Flatley for a paltry $350,000, included in the sale was a city parking lot that was a revenue source for the beleaguered city parking fund.

In terms of eye appeal, the new structure is an improvement over the previous eyesore.

The former mayor was proud of the fact that the completed project would be paying an estimated $275,000 in property taxes per year, but given it will need to retire the TIF district bonds and the city history of non-ending TIF districts, Concord residents will likely never see any tax benefit from this project. Rents for the Isabella Apartments are projected to be in the range of $2,800 a month plus utilities. Few friends in my circle can afford such rents, let alone have any desire to make payments. I do wish Flatley well with their project, but I have doubts about its success.

And then there is the casino plan.

Having served on the council for 10 years, two of my most enjoyable years was spent as the council representative on the Planning Board. At the time, the Planning Department was staffed by incredible members such as Randy Raimond, Doug Woodward, and others. My two years became the equivalent of a master's degree in community planning. I gained an understanding of the importance of the various components of the “master plan” and how it is dependent on Concord’s past, present, and future development.

Based upon a completed master plan, zoning regulations are developed. Not so in Concord these days. Green Street has already frivolously spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and several years attempting to update zoning laws without updating the master plan but I digress.

Concord has a puritanical streak and has rejected Keno wagering in the past, so now, if you want to play Keno, you go online with no revenue going to the city or vendor. With the Mayor proudly professing, “No one is more strongly against casino gambling in the city than I am,” he proceeded to proclaim at the Planning Board meetings that he was only doing his due diligence in delaying project approval. The hearings took on a circus-like atmosphere with only two characters missing: Aimee Semple McPherson and her tambourine, and Robert Preston in complete band costume proclaiming, “We have trouble, right here in River City.”

In an effort of full disclosure, I have never been to The Draft when it was an operating casino, and when the new one gets built, I probably won’t frequent it either, as it is not how I choose to be entertained.

The mayor went on to say that “We only have limited control over what a willing seller and a willing buyer decide to do in terms of a piece of property.” Thank heavens for that.

There are, however, many tools in the Concord City Council’s toolbox for those who are in good favor. They can create tax increment financing districts, Community Development Block Grants, spot zoning changes, approve overlay zoning to allow housing in areas previously restricted to commercial development and the most dangerous, hit water and sewer ratepayers with extension costs that should be born by developers as it did with the repurposing of the mall.

Much of the nonsense that goes on in Concord is because a high voter turnout at municipal elections is 15%. That means 85% of the voters have voted with their feet and chosen not to vote.

This has given political operatives the ability to elect candidates who, given a higher voter turnout, would not get elected. We will elect a new president, governor, and 2nd District Congressman this November. Owing to a three-year term, three school board members will be up for re-election, giving voters the opportunity to reflect on the middle school decision made by this rogue board. The voters may also have the opportunity to vote on amendments to the School Charter if the necessary signatures are obtained and they meet with state approvals.

I look forward to Nov. 5.