Anyone interested in true SPR community meeting?

[fsu813]

"...was to improve Springfield, protect its history, and encourage economic growth."

- people have different ideas on how to best accomplish this.

people can have different opinions without all the drama, ya know. jeepers.

"I was at the meeting when he announced his plans..."

- i agree. just trying to be accurate. FYI - he's been coming to SAMBA meetings for the past few months. Those that have attended knew MANY more details far ahead of time than others.

"...then why did SPAR back multiple exceptions and variances ..."

- as discussed many times before: SPR isn't lacking auto-related services. SPR was, and still is, lacking mixed-use, condos, restauarnts, etc.

That's pretty much why, i'd guess.

[Springfield Girl]

Time wont tell. SPAR has already shot itself in the foot.

Silas may be the bigger man and let you guys back in the door. However, If I were him, I am not sure I would.

As it sits, he got support from other community business owners and local residents who did what SPAR should have, and helped guide him to making some crucial changes to help him get his business open.

Against him every step of the way, and not even so much as willing to hear his plan, and offer some suggestions that might make it more community friendly?. SPAR.

There may have been other names on your list, but the only people who showed up to speak against him (which takes a special kind of motivation) was SPAR.

Congrats on neutralizing yourselves so completely.

+1,000,000

No possible way to say that any better than you did.

At my table last night - the gentleman stated " but the car wash designed is not historically appropriate!!"

My response, "Well that's where SPAR can help him and Content Design with the proposed improvements.  Why hasn't SPAR worked with Silas?"  

I got no answer.

You will never make a carwash that was built in the 50's and has suffered through many bad additions look historic and I think it would be ridiculous to try. I Think Jason did a great job on the design and his vision is the most appropriate for the site in my opinion. Next step is HPC so they will be the ones with the imput. There are several architects on the commission and they are more qualified than we are.

[ChriswUfGator]

Seriously - how long is this going to go on?  Let the man wash some cars.  Heck, if he does good work, I'll come over from Riverside (all of four miles).

Yeah me too.

I'm getting sick of Charles & George's, it's like $30 to get a mediocre carwash.

[ChriswUfGator]

You will never make a carwash that was built in the 50's and has suffered through many bad additions look historic and I think it would be ridiculous to try. I Think Jason did a great job on the design and his vision is the most appropriate for the site in my opinion. Next step is HPC so they will be the ones with the imput.

So just for the record...

Since SPAR did a 180 after being defeated, and is now trying to claim they support the project, then nobody is going to try and stall or meddle with the HPC process, right? That wouldn't be very supportive, now would it?

[BenDayHoe]

Seriously - how long is this going to go on?  Let the man wash some cars.  Heck, if he does good work, I'll come over from Riverside (all of four miles).

Yeah me too.

I'm getting sick of Charles & George's, it's like $30 to get a mediocre carwash.

According to a CPA who took the time to do an analysis, it will only cost you $8.00 bucks. I was glad to see the chairman call him out on that.

[fsu813]

"Since SPAR did a 180 after being defeated, and is now trying to claim they support the project, then nobody is going to try and stall or meddle with the HPC process, right?"

- have you always purposely made stuff up, or is this just a recent thing? "Spar" hasn't commented at all, how could they do a "180". Goodness. You don't have to out & out lie about things, ya know. Take a cue from your forum friends and at least have a shred of truth in your comments.

"According to a CPA who took the time to do an analysis, it will only cost you $8.00 bucks. I was glad to see the chairman call him out on that. "

- this may have been difficult to understand for those who weren't there. The CPA just guessed as to what a typical carwash would cost. He used the $8 amount. An obscene number of cars would have to go through to break even in 15 years, with that math. Then some on the commission and supporters discussed how a carwash costs more like $20-25 these days, so the CPA's projections were way off. Finally, the chairman looked inside the materials and found that Mr. Jones was planning on only charging $6 per wash. He joked that he guessed he needed to find a new carwash to use then, as he's been getting ripped off. So that would make he CPA's projection quite generous. Of course, it didn't include upgrades and items sold in the store, which will have some affect i'm sure.

[Springfield Girl]

No, Mr. Jones stated the car wash is going to cost about 5.95. I still don't support the carwash as an individual living two blocks from it. No one can "stall" the HPC process. The staff will look at the drawings, make reccomendations to the commission and it will go from there. We all defer to the architects on the board for projects like this. Don't worry, I won't be be touching this one with a 10 ft pole. It's done now and we'll get to see if the decision was good or bad soon enough.

[ChriswUfGator]

"Since SPAR did a 180 after being defeated, and is now trying to claim they support the project, then nobody is going to try and stall or meddle with the HPC process, right?"

- have you always purposely made stuff up, or is this just a recent thing? "Spar" hasn't commented at all, how could they do a "180". Goodness. You don't have to out & out lie about things, ya know. Take a cue from your forum friends and at least have a shred of truth in your comments.

This isn't a SPAR member?

Congrats to Mr. Jones on the approval of the carwash exception.

Since SPAR is a corporation, not a person, I kinda logically figured that it spoke through its members and leadership. Obviously I was mistaken. My sincere apologies.

I guess we can no longer say "SPAR did..." anything, ever, then.

[Springfield Girl]

Nope, I was a resident long before I was a board member and do have thoughts and opinions of my own. The only person who can speak for the organization is the pres. or ex. director. Everyone who knows me knows I am outspoken and I didn't give up my right to have an opinion as a resident when I became a board member. Same thing with HPC.
I congratulated Mr. Jones on his win. I still don't agree with the decision but he won and that's that. More than ever I wish him the best because like I said before his failure becomes the neighborhoods failure and there will be no reward in that.

[fsu813]

"I guess we can no longer say "SPAR did..." anything, ever, then."

- perhaps there was a twinkle of realization in there somewhere.....but then it faded. Individuals can't speak for SPAR. They don't all have the same point of view, despite what your handler has been telling you. When a official action or opinion is had, it's discussed at one of the various public meetings or in it's newsletter.

[ChriswUfGator]

I still don't support the carwash as an idividual living two blocks from it.

Well that certainly clears up what you meant by "congratulations to Mr. Jones" then doesn't it?

No one can "stall" the HPC process.

Oh sure they can, if certain groups decided to pick up the phone and start cooking up a bunch of objections to everything in the proposal. SPAR has lost a lot of credibility lately, but I'm sure it still has enough of a shred left to at least get a return phone call from some Historic Preservation Commission members. I'd really hate to see that happen after all the backroom nonsense that has gone on already.

The staff will look at the drawings, make reccomendations to the commission and it will go from there. We all defer to the architects on the board for projects like this. Don't worry, I won't be be touching this one with a 10 ft pole. It's done now and we'll get to see if the decision was good or bad soon enough.

Well good, that's great news. That's the way it's supposed to work; with things being evaluated on their merits instead of hysteria and bogus code complaints. If the place opens up and winds up being a flop, then it will close. Simple as that.

You certainly wouldn't be any worse off than you were before, it'll just go back to being the empty building it is now. The only one who stands to lose anything in all this is Mr. Jones, and he's willing to take the risk on the neighborhood. It will be interesting, and I hope he succeeds. We really could use a good carwash around here, all the other ones are way overpriced and don't do a great job.

[ChriswUfGator]

"I guess we can no longer say "SPAR did..." anything, ever, then."

- perhaps there was a twinkle of realization in there somewhere.....but then it faded. Individuals can't speak for SPAR. They don't all have the same point of view, despite what your handler has been telling you. When a official action or opinion is had, it's discussed at one of the various public meetings or in it's newsletter.

That's an awfully bifurcated and strict definition there.

So then what should I call it when an organization doesn't act "officially" but is nevertheless doing something? Or when a group of people takes action that isn't officially on behalf of the entity, but the only connection between that group of people and their actions is that same entity? And what should you call it when these actions coincide or follow the entity's positions on things? Seems like there's a lot of gray you're leaving out, no?

I guess we all need to get together and spring for a set of two hats for you guys, one "SPAR" and one "NON-SPAR", so we know which capacity you're acting in when you do something. This is like before Madoff pled guilty, they always had to be careful to say on the news "alleged swindler Bernard Madoff...".

So I guess from here on out, I will start saying "A group of SPAR members, SPAR directors, and/or SPAR officials, based on information obtained from other SPAR members, or obtained at a SPAR meeting at the SPAR building, but yet not acting officially on behalf of SPAR, did XYZ today...". LOL

[fsujax]

As a side note, I just drove past there after eating lunch at 3rd and Main and noticed how all the palm trees were butchered and hacked to nothing, I guess so one can easily see the car wash from Main St.

[nvrenuf]

So I guess from here on out, I will start saying "A group of SPAR members, SPAR directors, and/or SPAR officials, based on information obtained from other SPAR members, or obtained at a SPAR meeting at the SPAR building, but yet not acting officially on behalf of SPAR, did XYZ today...".

Since you plan to be an attorney, you should consider it practice.

[CS Foltz]

Being off of Main Street may be a blessing................I wonder what the variance is regarding signage to direct some? I know Historic Bill Boards would be out of the question & I hope Mr Jones took this into consideration!