”
Red Phone, I read recently about home on Third Street the city
purchased for $587,500 to make room for nine parking spaces. That
comes to $65,277.77 for each space. That seems excessive at a time
when the city is having financial problems.
“Red Phone, I read recently about home on Third Street the city purchased for $587,500 to make room for nine parking spaces. That comes to $65,277.77 for each space. That seems excessive at a time when the city is having financial problems. I think the purchase should be reconsidered. Downtown development is important, but at that price for that many parking spaces it’ll take 100 years to recoup the money in tax revenue. Thank you.”
Dear Reconsider, Red Phone contacted Garrett Toy, Business Assistance and Housing Services director, who said the purchase is one small part of a bigger plan.
“The lot is a key component of the parking plan for downtown and the acquisition will allow the Agency to improve the parking lot by redesigning the circulation and adding spaces,” Toy said. “It should be noted that the removal of the home will probably add more than 10 total spaces to the parking lot because of improved circulation patterns in other areas of the lot.”
City staff is working on the redesign of the lot now, so a more accurate number is not immediately available.
“In addition, it is important to remember that when Third Street develops, the new businesses will need these spaces for their customers,” he added. “In the long run, the sales and property tax revenues generated from the Third Street development will far exceed this initial investment.”
Finally, keep in mind that the Redevelopment Agency is using bond proceeds for the acquisition and parking lot improvements. These funds are restricted for capital improvements and cannot be used for operating or maintenance expenses.
There you have it, good caller. Hope that helps.
New Wal-Mart will not be a supercenter
“Where will the Wal-Mart be and will it be a supercenter with food? The store close to us is just a regular one with limited food.”
Strong>Dear Wondering, the new Wal-Mart is going in the old Target store in the Cochrane Plaza shopping center on the south side of Cochrane Road. It will include a fully stocked grocery store in the 80,000-square-foot space, as well as non-grocery discount goods. The Wal-Mart Supercenter in Gilroy measures 220,000 square feet. The new Morgan Hill store should be open sometime in mid September. Hope that helps, good caller.
Wrong-way bicyclists are dangerous
“Red Phone, I’ve got a gripe. I see bicyclists riding the wrong way in the bike lane all the time. It doesn’t seem like a very healthy practice. This morning while riding my motorcycle to work, I was preparing to turn right from Depot Street onto Main Avenue. I look on both corners, no pedestrians ready to cross. I look left, no traffic coming so I start to pull out and I’m almost broadsided by a moron on a bicycle riding the wrong way in the bike lane. If he had hit me, we both would have been picking ourselves up off the street. I would have ended up with a damaged motorcycle because he was riding while stupid. Don’t they understand the rules of the road or basic survival skills? I see them out there on the wrong side of the road or up on the sidewalks all the time. Before someone gets seriously hurt, MHPD needs to ticket the wrong-way riders. They are dangerous and present a real road hazard.”
Dear Got a Gripe, Red Phone wholeheartedly agrees. Those riding bicycles need to obey the rules of the road just as motorcyclists and motorists.
Bicyclists need to be extra careful, because bicyclists have very little protection against a car or truck. And Red Phone is confident police will ticket those who disobey the rules of the road, regardless of whether they are riding or driving.
Please, share the road and drive and ride defensively. Saving a few minutes is not worth the risk.
