Smart Growth to DDR: Definitely not interested
I got a call from Ukiah Smart Growth spokeswoman Judy Pruden last week explaining that she was out of town when I called her and that's why her phone message machine was off. She says when she is in town the machine is always on. Anyway, Sioux, the lady from Fair and Powerful Communications, the firm organizing the upcoming forums on the plans of Development Diversified Realty for a huge mall at the old Masonite property, can forget trying to get Ukiah Smart Growth interested in their plans. According to Judy, Smart Growth Ukiah isn't interested in anything DDR has in mind. According to Judy: "Sioux whining and crying about us not wanting to meet with them and so forth is just a crock. I don't know what her problem is. She is not listening when we tell them we don't want that area rezoned. They are ignoring the community will."
Well, they may be ignoring Ukiah Smart Growth's wishes but I think it's a little premature to say that what Smart Growth Ukiah wants is "the community will."
A reader emailed me last week to see if we were planning to attend all three of DDR's sessions and I said we would certainly be at the first one but I didn't know if we had the reporter resources to be at all three. I assumed they would be three identical sessions timed for day, night and weekend to give a variety of options to people who want to go. She said she thought that DDR would be incorporating public views at each session and the next would show additional changes. I doubt that, but I will find out.
Comments
Judy Pruden wins the prize for the biggest/loudest/most annoying person in local government. If you ever get the chance to watch a planning commission meeting, she seems to chime in on EVERYTHING. No wonder downtown and the surrounding area looks like crap. She probably still has avocado colored kitchen appliances.
Posted by: Bill | February 20, 2008 11:04 PM
You wrote, "I think it's a little premature to say that what Smart Growth Ukiah wants is "the community will.".
Indeed. You often hear advocacy groups claim they represent the will of the community. Part of the reason for it is simply political tactics, but I think many who say such things actually believe it.
The thing is, most of us hang around people who feel like we do on issues, for the most part. So, since most of the people they hang around feel the same way, they figure that must be representative of the community at large.
Not necessarily true, unless you're fortunate enough to hang with the right group.
Posted by: Fred Mangels | February 21, 2008 07:42 AM