S. Ellen Jones neighborhood making strides
I am president of the S. Ellen Jones Neighborhood Association. On Wednesday, I was pleased to read the article, “New Albany making play for housing rehab money,” by Daniel Suddeath and learning the New Albany Redevelopment Commission had approved funding for grant-writing proposals. I have been discussing this potential grant opportunity with city officials since early December.
The bewildering part of the article was a statement made by Dan Coffey, a member of the city council and redevelopment commission. He stated “Redevelopment has spent a lot of money in the S. Ellen Jones neighborhood and it’s progressively gotten worse.”
This is a curiously vague statement. I’m not sure how much money “a lot” is, nor am I sure what has gotten “progressively worse.” I do know the redevelopment commission spends money in many neighborhoods and that many of those neighborhoods, including SEJ, face complex challenges ...
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Of course, Ted steers the right course: Answer allegations with hard facts, and permit the hard facts to rebut the councilman's self-aggrandizing foolishness.
If Coffey had any genuine interest in improving the city, he would not resort to granstanding insinuations that serve little purpose beyond reinforcing "us in the west end" against "them people on the east side" stereotypes. He also would not be sitting as a member of the redevelopment commission, but that's an entirely different lamentation. The residents of Coffeystan will come to understand in time that their primary obstacle to a better quality of life is their own Wizard.
I received the following e-mail, also from Ted, this morning. It is a valuable glimpse at what his neighborhood association is seeking to do, and actually is achieving, despite the foot-dragging recalcitrance of Coffey and his east side acolyte, Steve "Transfer Station Panacea" Price, who in the past served the S. Ellen Jones association (more specifically, his own rental property self-interest) by day, while simultaneously demeaning most of the neighborhood's goals twice monthly in the council chamber.
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S. Ellen Jones Neighborhood Association Meeting Notice
Tuesday - February 17th - 6:30 p.m.
S. Ellen Jones Elementary School, 600 East 11th Street, in the cafeteria
Agenda topics to include (but not limited to):
1. Graffiti action planning - largely a problem we can address, by swift removal. Request removal assistance or report an instance by completing the web form at http://www.sellenjones.org/.
2. Neighborhood Stabilization Program - grant application status and next steps.
3. Review of current projects: Select this link to view known 2009 Projects
If you have additional agenda topics to include, please forward to me.
GUEST SPEAKER(s): Not Confirmed - City Officials to discuss Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
Having spent a fair amount of time working with the SEJ Neighborhood group I too had to question the "what" and "how much" of CM Cofey's statement in the Tribune article.
ReplyDeleteI suppose as is often the case, I missed that memo.
As a councilman, Mr. Coffey represents his district. That’s how the system is set up.
ReplyDeleteAs a redevelopment commission member, Mr. Coffey is expected to represent the interests of the city as a whole, not a single district.
How many times have we seen Mr. Coffey misuse his seat on the redevelopment commission by putting his interests and those of the west end above the interests of the wider city?
He opposed the Spring Street Hill bond issue until he was promised sidewalks for the west end. Half of the money from this bond issue went to fund the Greenway. He has systematically opposed the proposed west end redevelopment project though this project will transform the outside’s view of New Albany and will bring much additional tax revenue to the city. Now he has slandered one neighborhood just to pander to his district’s voters.
Mr. Coffey is what he is. I am very disappointed that our city council members allow Mr. Coffey to seat himself on redevelopment commission.
What redevelopment credentials does Mr. Coffey possess? Can anyone name one? What redevelopment program has he ever sought?
As commission member or council member, has he ever voted in favor of one redevelopment project?
He opposed the YMCA, the anchor for downtown redevelopment.
He has insulted, lectured and scarred away outside redevelopers who have looked at investing in our city.
It is a shame that the council allows him to infect our redevelopment commission.