Maybe and then again Maybe NOT.

Tue, 03/27/2007 - 2:42pm
By: Letters to the ...

The Wilshire and surrounding neighborhoods are batting in the bottom of the 9th inning with two out and the bases loaded and just need three runs.

At the meeting I attended Wednesday night ... we got to see [City Council members] Cyndi Plunkett and Stuart Kourajian. They did not say much but I got the feeling that just maybe they were starting to understand what we are all about. You two no matter how you vote deserve our respect.

In the meeting it came out that the property had been approved by the planning commission to allow senior-citizen-type housing in a planned community and was going forth. The FAA stepped in and nixed the idea because they wanted to expand the airport. The city council then followed suit and voted it down.

Who cares what the FAA wants? This city does not always have to have a bigger and better airport. They don’t own the city, do they?

In the meeting it also came out that the owners of the property have not marketed the property for over 15 years. Why now? It is zoned for industrial use only. Is that really so bad? I think not.

Let’s look at Cooper Lighting, Cooper Wiring, Panasonic, Rennai, etc. They employ lots of people at very good wages (good for the city) and are a great tax base. The other thing to keep in mind is look at how well-maintained their landscaping and buildings are compared to the same people who maintain the Wilshire complex.

I would give theirs an A and the Wilshire shopping center a C at best. How much pinestraw is needed? Why are bushes 5 years old still just sticks, very few flowering trees and flowers? Where is the grass?

I am sure six years ago it looked great on paper but pull out the plans and let’s see what really has happened. I betcha it is not even close to reality.

Columbia properties may own or is going to own the property across the street. They say they will not do anything to hurt the current center as they manage or own it too.

I bet if you dig into the records [you will find] they do not own the Wilshire Center and that it was sold off two years ago after it was almost fully leased. I may or not be wrong on this but we all had to sign new documents around that time.

Their job, folks, is to lease space, then to sell it to a real estate investment trust. They don’t care if they rent to another nail salon, hair salon, pizza place, UPS store, Mexican restaurant, sports grill, etc., because their job is to fill the new center and sell it off and pocket millions.

Realigning Holly Grove with Rockaway: Huge mistake. Let’s save millions and millions and just put a traffic light where Rockaway Road is. It will solve all the current problems.

Mike Healy

Mike and C’s Family Sports Grill

Peachtree City, Ga.

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