Thursday, August 31, 2017

With potentially valuable redevelopment property at stake, Bob Hall and Jeff Gahan plot different paths to the same "go the hell away" outcome.


Remember the reader comment from a few weeks back, outlining Deaf Gahan's instructions for bag man David Duggins v.v. the latter's probable "stewardship" of the New Albany Housing Authority?

Duggins is getting a nearly 40% raise, not 30% which means that he is basically doubling his salary.

Oops. I meant this part:

Next thing to look for: Duggins will let maintenance slide and push the units into a state of total disrepair by neglect. Then they will have to be torn down. Some residents also expect that their now quiet and safe environment will suddenly be filled with problem tenants so that crime will increase, making the housing developments a broader negative public concern.

Different tactics in Charlestown, same overall aim. At least in Bob Hall's case, he's a Republican and doesn't pretend otherwise. Let's look first at the conclusion of Elizabeth's Beilman's report.

(Charlestown) officials have claimed the ordinance was designed to eliminate unsafe housing. Neace Ventures' redevelopment plan entails demolishing all homes in the neighborhood and building homes similar to those in Louisville's wealthy Norton Commons.

Whether it's New Albany or Charlestown -- Gahan or Hall -- there's potentially valuable property at stake, and absolutely zero ethical sensibility. Humans? Just do what you have to do to move them out, because luxury's on the way.

UPDATED: Charlestown officials, developers privately met on Pleasant Ridge redevelopment, documents show, by Elizabeth Beilman (Hanson's Cornucopia of Christianity)

Documents to be used as evidence in suit


CHARLESTOWN — Charlestown Mayor Bob Hall met in private and communicated via text message and email with developers to discuss redevelopment of Pleasant Ridge, documents supplied to media show.

An email between Neace Ventures developers as well as papers that appear to be notes taken from a meeting last summer suggest part of the plan entailed driving down property values in order to set lower prices for acquiring homes through eminent domain.

These notes, which are being attributed to Hampton taken during a meeting with Hall, state under a section labeled "plans" that "[boarded] up homes will lower values."

"If they talked to the mayor and got an impression that something might or might not happen, they're entitled to their impressions, their beliefs," city attorney Mike Gillenwater told the News and Tribune in a phone interview Wednesday. "You're talking about the note that [Neace Ventures agent] John Hampton took. Those are his impressions."

These documents — which include emails, text messages and meeting notes — were released by the Institute for Justice, which is party in a lawsuit against the city by residents of the Pleasant Ridge neighborhood. The documents were obtained during discovery portion of the lawsuit.

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