Oh, The Things You'll Find in Agendas

In scanning the Common Council agenda for their first meeting of 2018, on January 2, some interesting items will be considered.  Of course, there's the investigation of the Office of the Mayor and the General Counsel, mentioned in another post.  But there's more.

Another Parking Lot for Wesleyan On Williams Street in the Village District

In draft resolution D, the Council will be asked to consider a trade.  The city will grant Wesleyan University a 10-year lease on the property which formerly housed Forest City Cleaners, in exchange for Wesleyan's remediation of the former dry cleaners' site.  Wesleyan plans to use the site for parking.  Despite the fact that the development will remove a eyesore and an environmental hazard, some obvious questions come to mind. 

Why does Wesleyan need another parking lot when it already has two on Williams Street (Red and Black Cafe, in the rear of Public Safety), and when they have an unused parking lot a block away on College Street? 

Why would the city allow another parking lot in what it considers the Downtown Village District? 

Why would Wesleyan want another parking lot on a street it once touted as a gateway street between the city and the university? 

What has the Planning and Zoning Commission said about the demolition and construction of the parking lot?

What has the Complete Street Commission said? 

What is the economic value to the city in the trade (cost of remediation vs. value of lease)? 

Will the trade remove the property from the city's tax roll because Wesleyan has non-profit status?

Sure hope someone asks these questions before the deal is struck.

A New Planning and Zoning Commissioner

Draft resolution A calls for the appointment of alternate Planning and Zoning Commissioner Tyrell Brown as a full member of the P&Z after the vacancy left by the death of Corinne Dorsey.  Tyrell will be a minority party (Republican) member of the commission, if appointed.

Start-Up Money for the New Middle School

The Common Council will also consider the expenditure of $4 million in fees for architectural and project planning for the "Woodrow Wilson Middle School" project in draft resolution L.