I always snicker when I read that J. B. Reilly's latest proposal has to go in front of this commission or that committee. None of those appointed puppies have ever turned down one of Reilly's NIZ projects. Shown above is the frame and plywood construction of the Strata Flats building #1. Many years ago when I built a very small four unit building in center city, I was told it had to be all masonry to meet fire codes.
The other day Matt Tuerk praised Reilly's City Center Development Company's completion of the Lanta Terminal. The terminal was reconfigured so that City Center itself could build yet another apartment complex. The compliment bothered me, because Matt may be Allentown's next mayor. Councilperson Candida Affa followed suit with a comment that City Center gets it done right and fast. Our public officials and the people that they appoint are supposed to scrutinize development and construction in our city. It is inappropriate for them to hold preconceived ideas that someone always does the job correctly.
Candida Affa was Ed Pawlowski's biggest fan on council, and the last member to concede that he violated the city's trust. City Center construction may indeed do good work, but taking that for granted is not good policy.
This post is not meant to imply that plywood plaza shown above does not meet current codes. However, in this era of public/private partnerships, it is not in the public's interest to make assumptions that everything will done properly.
photo of Plywood Plaza aka Strata Flats
As Matt may be Allentown's next mayor we might want to recall that until Afflerbach came to office Allentown was bless with competent men who tried to serve the city and its residents best interests. The last three mayors however have instead served either their own interests, the special interests, or both. if anyone wonders whose interests Matt will be serving look who is funding Matt Teurk's campaign? It's not average residents, the list includes many of the same people and special interests who were donating to Ed. With this in mind does anyone think the best interests of the city and its residents will be his priority? He is the NIZ's candidate and the candidate of the big money that is backing him.
ReplyDeleteI wrestled with accepting the above comment by Scott Armstrong. Although Scott avoided any mention of Democrat vs Republican, the intention of the comment is rather transparent. This blogpost deals with the integrity of oversight by city hall. As a lifelong Allentonian, I know that neither party has a monopoly on abuses.
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