Bitter Editorial About All The Potential: Rob Middleton

[JaxJersey-licious]

^Charleston, WV

Here's pics from another stop I made in Charleston back in 2009:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-mar-elements-of-urbanism-charleston-wv

JACKSONVILLE!! - Like Charleston, West Virginia (without the presence of major retail)

Shit, I need to lie down or I'll vomit 

[Gunnar]

Can anyone speculate how Google Fiber will impact the core if they decide to build the infrastructure?

That could actually be seen as a positive - the ability to massively upgrade public utilities and infrastructure in the core. At least that would not inconvenience too many people (compared to other cities).

[Kay]

the problem is not lack simply a lack of leadership.  it is more the effects of consolidation.  too many issues for too many people to decide on.  its controlled chaos.

Excellent point.  Everything is too spread out--political leadership, neighborhoods--and so no one focuses enough on any one area to make it great.  It is incredibly frustrating.

[strider]

the problem is not lack simply a lack of leadership.  it is more the effects of consolidation.  too many issues for too many people to decide on.  its controlled chaos.

Excellent point.  Everything is too spread out--political leadership, neighborhoods--and so no one focuses enough on any one area to make it great.  It is incredibly frustrating.

Democracy is frustrating though.  As is city and community building.  Depriving the historic neighborhoods of access to infrastructure money isn't the answer to 'how do we make this less frustrating?' though.

If we had a functional council and a decent mayor it would work fairly well.

Good and solid leadership makes the tough calls and we have not had a Mayor or City Council that is willing to do that for quite some time.  The HRO would have been one of those leadership moments and yet it is another bad call and the easy way out...meaning the way the political money men want it to go...the way the powerful churches want it to go. In the case of a vibrant Urban Core and DT?  The same applies.  It will take strong leadership to convince the public it is what is best for the future of all of Jacksonville.  Consolidation is the excuse not the real reason we are failing in the urban core.  It is predominately more about the who than the what, just like the HRO.

[vicupstate]

the problem is not lack simply a lack of leadership.  it is more the effects of consolidation.  too many issues for too many people to decide on.  its controlled chaos.

Excellent point.  Everything is too spread out--political leadership, neighborhoods--and so no one focuses enough on any one area to make it great.  It is incredibly frustrating.

Democracy is frustrating though.  As is city and community building.  Depriving the historic neighborhoods of access to infrastructure money isn't the answer to 'how do we make this less frustrating?' though.

If we had a functional council and a decent mayor it would work fairly well.

Good and solid leadership makes the tough calls and we have not had a Mayor or City Council that is willing to do that for quite some time.  The HRO would have been one of those leadership moments and yet it is another bad call and the easy way out...meaning the way the political money men want it to go...the way the powerful churches want it to go. In the case of a vibrant Urban Core and DT?  The same applies.  It will take strong leadership to convince the public it is what is best for the future of all of Jacksonville.  Consolidation is the excuse not the real reason we are failing in the urban core.  It is predominately more about the who than the what, just like the HRO.

Very true and well stated.

[Know Growth]

We need a cure,or better yet, a credible description.............

Music.

Recurring Bonobo

Better Yet! :

"Gentle Dissolve"
Thievery Corporation

Middleton may have missed some additional key elements of  Missed Potential.Entry Level.Missed Potential.Universal.

[escaped_to_LA]

You have done well, young Jedi.

I arrived at your conclusions in 2000, moved to LA and never looked back.  Well, ok, I do look back... to laugh and confirm my original hypothesis.

Like you, it always infuriated me and I wish it weren't so, but alas - it is.  I always hope good ol' Cowford will prove me wrong, but it never does.

[johnnyliar]

You have done well, young Jedi.

I arrived at your conclusions in 2000, moved to LA and never looked back.  Well, ok, I do look back... to laugh and confirm my original hypothesis.

Like you, it always infuriated me and I wish it weren't so, but alas - it is.  I always hope good ol' Cowford will prove me wrong, but it never does.

[Tacachale]

You have done well, young Jedi.

I arrived at your conclusions in 2000, moved to LA and never looked back.  Well, ok, I do look back... to laugh and confirm my original hypothesis.

Like you, it always infuriated me and I wish it weren't so, but alas - it is.  I always hope good ol' Cowford will prove me wrong, but it never does.

They need a "cool story, bro" emoji.

[Ocklawaha]

I think there is a larger point missed in all of this regardless of our size and sparkle. Jacksonville is the beach where the waters of ultra-modern plastic urbanism washes on the sands of rural America, the boundless Timucuan Preserve, the flora and fauna of the Okefenokee and the heritage of the Old South meets. Once we figure this out and embrace it, we are in a position unlike any other city large or small.

I agree that downtown needs a bath and some vision for the future, the whole consolidated city does. Witness something as simple as the everyday freeway overpass where cities large and small take advantage and emboss carved animals, floral and geometric patterns and many highlight the same with color lighting. We on the other hand seem to ignore these little details. I was amazed yesterday whilst driving through the back side of Deltona, literally in the middle of BFE from Satsuma to Osteen and discovered since incorporation they have broad new sidewalks, street lighting, furnishings, bike trails. If we can just get a grip on the simple basic things, Jacksonville would start turning the corner.

[jaxjags]

I seem to always regress to my same comment on this, but to do the things Deltona did takes not just a "vision" but tax dollars. And as I have mentioned before no one in JAX  has the political will to raise taxes on the second lowest taxed city (local taxes) in the US.

[Vista1877]

Jacksonville has a beautiful setting on the St. John's river. Unfortunately, the setting has not been well incorporated into a master plan for the city. The city needs to hire a planner to develop a master plan for the core city, with Union Street as the northern boundary, west to the convention center, east to the river beyond the stadium and south to the river. Also, it is essential the city pass the HRO, a city this size has no excuse not to do so, it is an embarrassment.

First thing to do is turn the former courthouse, city hall and jail sires into a riverfront park from Bay street to the river. Then the city needs another program like better Jacksonville to stimulate redevelopment in the core. The lack of private developers is an indication the city needs to step in and help with financially sensible projects.

The adversity to tax increases has hurt the city, cities which thrive have higher taxes which stimulates private development. There needs to be a better balance of taxes vs: city services. Infrastructure improvements are essential all over the city, roads, sewers, bike lanes, sidewalks, landscaping are not free.

It is evident the city lacks proper zoning, landscaped setbacks, underground electric, phone and cable utilities,a sign ordinance which requires the phase in of eye level signage etc.

St. Johns county has done a fairly good job with this as has Fleming Island in Clay County and certain parks of Old OP. The new Brooklyn development and improvement in San Marco, Avondale and Five Points shopping districts has been a real boost to JAX. The newer development in Duval county has also done a decent job of enforcing CC&R's and zoning.

However, Jacksonville is a conservative, evangelical city which creates an obstacle to many of these improvements because citizens fiercely guard their property rights. All they are doing is keeping the city from achieving its potential.

Jacksonville has lagged the state in sensible development much to its detriment. Jacksonville is the Bakersfield, Ca. of Florida.

BTW, I did not see the Governor and Mayor greet the President today at Cecil Industrial Park, that was very childish of them. Just because they are Republicans who probably opposed the economic stimulus program should not preclude them from respecting the office of the President. If the White House requested they not greet the President then they are childish.

[Tacachale]

Jax had a pretty good master plan. We just didn't follow it.

[vicupstate]

Jax had a pretty good master plan. We just didn't follow it.

The only master plan I am aware of was essentially a guidelines document regarding signage, streetscaping and such.  It did not address 'what should go where' and in what order capital projects should be done, etc.  If I am missing something wrong let me know.     

[Tacachale]

Jax had a pretty good master plan. We just didn't follow it.

The only master plan I am aware of was essentially a guidelines document regarding signage, streetscaping and such.  It did not address 'what should go where' and in what order capital projects should be done, etc.  If I am missing something wrong let me know.     

I meant the Downtown master plan: http://www.coj.net/departments/office-of-economic-development/docs/downtown-development/1--jacksonville-master-plansmall-copy.aspx