Tuesday, January 25, 2005

More of the same!!!

Contributed by: Anonymous
My initial reaction to the proposed new riverfront condo/water park project was:

Isn't the Pioneer property already doing this?

Don't we have a large luxury building on Main St. that isnt even close to capacity?

Do we need 80 additional slips on the river?

Is there a big need for additional retail space on the river?

It seems like Oshkosh is heading down the same road traveled as in the past, spend first ask question later. Is it in our best interest to buy into two separate projects that are very similar in nature. I am all for developing downtown, and support it when it makes sense. I just cant see using public funds for something that could end up a HUGE albatross. Why not scale down and start slowly? The ampitheater is a lot to chew off to start.

I believe we can have a balance of development and keeping our infrastructure updated. My street is so bad that my terrace is slowly receding to nothing, and my driveway apron is mud or water 70% of the time. This certainly won't help my property value when I try to sell.

I would be interested to hear some feedback from council candidates on their feelings on the new condo/waterpark proposal.

Jim B.

P.S Can I take my kids to the water park for a fee or annual pass or do I have to stay at the complex?

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More of the same!!!
Authored by: admin on Tuesday, January 25 2005 @ 10:16 PM MST
Hi Jim,

Thanks for sending us your comments and as a common council candidate, I, for one, will be happy to respond.

At first blush any kind of economic development that can add to the tax base and stimulate our economy with jobs, tourism dollars or the like, sounds like a good idea. But that's only at first blush.

We know far too little about this $62 million project to say whether we should proceed or not. Nor do we have any idea what kind of concessions the developer will want the city to make. So we can't say if it's in our best interest or not to do the project. It's just far too early.

While I am certainly interested in hearing more of what the developer wants, I am also quite interested to hear what they plan to bring to the table, instead of just what they want to take from the city as part of the bargaining process.

Let's hope that the current city council does NOT put this on a fast track like they did the amphitheater. It's time to start doing some real homework and some due diligence instead of swallowing another story from developers, the Chamber of Commerce and our Community Development Director Jackson Kinney, hook, line and sinker.

And while we're waiting to hear more of the details on this project, let's thank our lucky stars that Stew Rieckman at the Oshkosh Northwestern isn't running the city or controlling our pocketbook. He's already put his "stamp of approval" on this project and he doesn't know any more details than anyone else. That is carelessness and a complete and utter lack of responsibility.

Mr. Rieckman and others like him may call people who give pause to projects like this "cobblestoners," but I'd rather be a cobblestoner than have rocks in my head.

Cheryl Hentz
Candidate for Oshkosh Common Council
Please be sure to go to the polls and vote Feb. 15 !

More of the same!!!
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, January 27 2005 @ 11:23 AM MST
I agree with Cheryl, but I propose going one step further. Let us rebuild all bldgs we have torn down and re-establish all the businesses we had. To those coming back to Oshkosh after many years, it will look like they never left. I think the city should return to it's former look, and replicte everything as it used to be late 1970's/early 1980's. Rebuild the foundry. Rebuild the 100 block. Reopen Park Plaza. Move the fairgrounds back to Murdock and Jackson. Re-establish Nordheim. The glory days must return.

More of the same!!!
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, January 27 2005 @ 11:24 AM MST
I agree with Cheryl, but I propose going one step further. Let us rebuild all bldgs we have torn down and re-establish all the businesses we had. To those coming back to Oshkosh after many years, it will look like they never left. I think the city should return to it's former look, and replicte everything as it used to be late 1970's/early 1980's. Rebuild the foundry. Rebuild the 100 block. Reopen Park Plaza. Move the fairgrounds back to Murdock and Jackson. Re-establish Nordheim. The glory days must return.