SPAR revolt?

[CityLife]

I've owned a home in the neighborhood for a year and a half.

This thread has been online longer!

Online longer? Shoot it had been dead since October of 2009 until today

[Timkin]

I've owned a home in the neighborhood for a year and a half.

This thread has been online longer!

Online longer? Shoot it had been dead since October of 2009 until today

I cannot take credit for reviving this one

[ChriswUfGator]

Citylife, what a crock.  Your fairly poisonous comments and vapid exaggerations from when you were a SPAR employee pepper this very thread.

Do you live in the neighborhood at present?

I've owned a home in the neighborhood for a year and a half.

I had a couple dozen apartments in Springfield, but I never lived in them. So answer the question. Do you live in Springfield?

I've lived in my home in Springfield for a year and a half. If you guys lived here you would probably know that.

Actually reliable word has it you're from Orange Park and have a rental property in Springfield.

Furthermore, I know for a fact you didn't live here when I owned all my rentals and DeSpain & Company were trying to bankrupt me and calling Code Enforcement on me 10X a day, notwithstanding that the worst dumps in the neighborhood then, as now, are actually owned by the SPAR board members. I mean, it's one thing to be a dick, but at least avoid outright hypocrisy. And I was here then, you weren't, except aa SPAR's receptionist. Which hardly makes you an urban redevelopment expert. So I'm not sure where you get off telling others who owned property here for a decade before you showed up that they have no right to comment, simply because they don't live you, where you didn't live there either, and only bought a property in Sprinfield a year ago. It's ridiculous.

Anyway, I love how a SPAR employee is on here questioning the motives of people who don't like SPAR. If anyone has a conflict of interest in all this, it's clearly you, not us. I think everyone sees that. Seriously, a SPAR employee lecturing me on my lack of impartiality when I complain about SPAR? Seriously? Too funny.

Wow. Please tell me who that "reliable" person is so I can laugh in their face.

That is so wrong that I don't even have to defend it. Its pretty well known by several Springfield residents that I live in Springfield and have since December 2009. Ask FSUJax who has posted in this thread.

I grew up as a child in Mandarin, then OP, then Mandarin again. My mom bought a home in Avondale in 97 and I went between Avondale and Mandarin in high school. My wife and I also lived at the beach for several years after college and when I was in grad school in Tally. Anything else you want to know?

I'm actually not a SPAR employee and honestly am not thrilled with my experience there professionally. I was however, nowhere close to being a receptionist. Was Projects Manager when I left and was originally supposed to take Don Downing's job before things changed organizationally. I'm by no means a SPAR cheerleader, there are a few friends of mine in the neighborhood that can attest to that, but I'm also not one to harbor bitter feelings and resentment with me. Just not healthy in my opinion.

You are entitled to feel that way, so continue to do so if you like. But don't pretend like you know a damn thing about me, other than what is clearly false information.

So what exactly does a "Project Manager" at SPAR do? Does it happen to involve a lot of time on the phone and greeting visitors, perhaps? You know a "Sanitation Engineer" picks up my trash every Tuesday, but I really wouldn't advise asking him to build you a bridge.

And I'm curious, since we're already on the topic, SPAR may as well appoint a Surgeon General while it's at it. And how do I find out who's the head of SPAR's Strategic Air Command? Does SPAR have a Director of Biophysics by chance? And after this discussion with you, I can report my housekeeper was thrilled with her new promotion I just gave her to Director of Facilities Management. Of course she still has to scrub the toilet and doesn't get a raise, but hey it's all about the title right?

And as to this silly nonsense where you claim I have no right to any opinion about anything because I don't live in Springfield, the fact is that I was a landlord in Springfield when you were still in high school. There have been single years where I paid more property taxes in Springfield than you'll pay in a decade. You clearly picked up that infamous SPAR attitude during your time there, as shown by your having finally bought a single property in Springfield a year ago and then immediately dictating to the rest of us who were already here back when you were sitting in American History learning How a Bill Becomes Law on Schoolhouse Rock your edicts on who is allowed to have an opinion in Springfield.

And incidentally, while we're on the topic, I don't think you paid much attention in Social Studies when it came to these things we have called 'elections' considering you worked at SPAR when DeSpain unlawfully cancelled the elections two years in a row and instead unilaterally appointed all her friends to the Board in violation of the charter and bylaws. And of course, the real irony of all this is that I actually first read your post last night while sitting in a chair in Dare's living room and looking out the window at a view of the SPAR building. Yes, clearly, we have no right to comment, clearly we know nothing about Springfield.

[danno]

Schoolhouse Rock and Strategic Air Command all in the same post.

I hereby delcare myself Lord Chancelor of Silver Street!

[ChriswUfGator]

That's a good idea, come to think about it!

I hereby crown myself (Napoleon style) Christopher, First Baron of Hubbard Street.

Stephen, since we're handing out titles SPAR-style, what's yours?

[Timkin]

Well ...at least none of you are calling yourselves Lord Valdevort

[ChriswUfGator]

Well ...at least none of you are calling yourselves Lord Valdevort

Rick Scott already took that one...





Or;

[Timkin]

Love em, Baron Christopher...Emperor of Springfield .hehe

[peestandingup]

SPAR sucks at their job. What do they do exactly?? I mean, cause it sure isn't preservation (obviously with the state of all the demos, fires, neglect, empty lots, etc). Have they ever actually SAVED a home?? Cause these days all their members seem to be about is promotion & blowing smoke up people's asses.

I'm honestly not trying to attack them, but WTF?? I guess I'm the type of guy who likes to see actual results & not a lot of hogwash. There's only so many buzzwords like "vibrant" & "re-emerged" you can use before you just start looking silly. Reality check time.

[ChriswUfGator]

SPAR sucks at their job. What do they do exactly?? I mean, cause it sure isn't preservation (obviously with the state of all the demos, fires, neglect, empty lots, etc). Have they ever actually SAVED a home?? Cause these days all their members seem to be about is promotion & blowing smoke up people's asses.

I'm honestly not trying to attack them, but WTF?? I guess I'm the type of guy who likes to see actual results & not a lot of hogwash. There's only so many buzzwords like "vibrant" & "re-emerged" you can use before you just start looking silly. Reality check time.

That's actually a really good question. SPAR is indeed the neighborhood's designated historic preservation group.

So, has SPAR ever actually saved a home that was going to be demolished?

[peestandingup]

SPAR sucks at their job. What do they do exactly?? I mean, cause it sure isn't preservation (obviously with the state of all the demos, fires, neglect, empty lots, etc). Have they ever actually SAVED a home?? Cause these days all their members seem to be about is promotion & blowing smoke up people's asses.

I'm honestly not trying to attack them, but WTF?? I guess I'm the type of guy who likes to see actual results & not a lot of hogwash. There's only so many buzzwords like "vibrant" & "re-emerged" you can use before you just start looking silly. Reality check time.

That's actually a really good question. SPAR is indeed the neighborhood's designated historic preservation group.

So, has SPAR ever actually saved a home that was going to be demolished?

Or even have a system in place that would prevent homes from getting to that point in the first place??

All questions that these guys need to be answering & held accountable for. Because if they're not doing any of those things or have a plan of action to start, then they need to just get to steppin'. Or call themselves something different with "preservation" nowhere in the title.

[macboots]

Schoolhouse Rock and Strategic Air Command all in the same post.

I hereby delcare myself Lord Chancelor of Silver Street!

If we are going to split up the neighborhood, then I hereby establish the Grand Duchy of Pearl and declare myself Magnus Dux of 4th St.

[danno]

Schoolhouse Rock and Strategic Air Command all in the same post.

I hereby delcare myself Lord Chancelor of Silver Street!

I am still declaring myself Lord Chancellor of Silver Street....   

[sheclown]

still shocking.  And Lisa Simon made sure the Louise was given a lifetime achievement award from the Preservation Commission didnt she?

well, this shows the tight connection to code enforcement.  "Kim" and "Elaine".  She is referring to Elaine Lancaster who was the supervisor at the time.

The one question which remains for me is WHY?  Why demolish historic structures.

Yes, this was 4 years ago.  Yes, some of the players are gone.  But yes, the policies are still affecting us to this day.

In fact, the infamous "formal track" for demolition, planned during this time, was justification for the demo of 253 East 2nd Street -- see Kim Scott's letter to her boss.  Essentially "HPC said we could......"

[strider]

And now, the office of General Counsel tells the HPC they can not question the decisions of Kimberly Scott.  A Masters in Public Administration can ignore the engineer's report, take a historic house down and no one can even officially ask "why"?

I think things might actually be worst today than four years ago. So much for thinking we made any progress.