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Towering exaggerations
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Kaye Ferry
June 27, 2006
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As I predicted, the opposition has turned up the heat on Crossroads.
They're pushing the dialogue to something worthy of the Tonight Show monologue. But they keep at it with the hopes that somewhere, some one unsuspecting soul who has been living under a rock for the past two years just might, by some stretch of the imagination, actually believe their drivel.
Daily Editor Don Rogers wrote a commentary on Friday the 23rd, the title of which was "Arguments that don't stack up."
He outlined the fallacies that the "Friends of Vail Village" (aka, "Old Guard") have been attempting to foist on us. Boy oh boy was he right in his conclusions. He was wrong, however, in assuming there was ever any intent of providing logical, well-researched and documented facts.
No, I'm sorry to say, the whole point of their media blitz is to employ scare tactics. Chicken Little is on the horizon and the sky is falling. Say the outrageous and perhaps it will have some effect. What's that old saying about throwing ... at the wall and seeing what sticks? That's obviously the plan. Because what they're doing really stinks.
These paranoid notions of things that are "lurking in the shadows" are unfortunate, exasperating and manipulative. But what they mostly are is unfair to the community.
It's not bad enough that progress has been stalled. It's not bad enough that we'll have spent an extra year before turning the first shovel. And it's not bad enough that the process has cost the town upwards of $40,000 to satisfy this flex of muscle and ego.
What is worse is that they have deliberately set out to misrepresent the facts for the purpose of getting their way, even though the rest of us have spoken. At meetings, in letters and most explicitly, at the last election.
While we're at it, these "OG" - what are they guarding? A falling-down building? A view of the Frontage Road? A time that has changed? A world that has moved on? I'm not sure.
What I do know is they've insulted our intelligence. But even more, they have insulted us as human beings. Who are they to dictate who can vote? Because when they offended our seasonal workers, they offended everyone who has ever been a seasonal worker. Something a lot of us can relate to.
Through all of this, Crossroads owner Peter Knobel and his staff have kept their sense of humor. They've decided not to stoop to the level of debating the BS. They laugh at most of it and instead continue to diligently work toward giving the community a great complex.
If you want independent answers, they're available. Public Works can give you the traffic studies. I know, because I almost died of boredom listening to them. But more to the point, how will an increase in condos from the current 22 to 69 cause traffic jams? These new owners had better bring a lot of cars and plan on driving around all day.
Community Development can give you the correct heights. It's 87.6 feet high from the Frontage Road, 10.4 feet shorter than the Vail Plaza Hotel.
Everyone knows parking is being helped by Crossroads adding 103 more spaces than required.
The same with housing. Twice as much as required. And there's no town requirement that they be on site.
And how about the Lionshead parking structure? The town manager will be happy to tell you that it's just in the early stages of discussion. Hardly ready for the threatened skyscaper.
The same for West Vail. But how would the "OG" know? They haven't attended those meetings, either.
And as for those 550 signatures. The town clerk can tell you how many were valid. Some of the ads had over 30 percent of the signatures that weren't even registered voters.
Then there's the Roost, which is proceeding through the process with no requests for variances of any kind. So what now? Developers can't even follow current zoning without incurring the wrath of the "OG"?
But the best is the 12-lane highway that will lead to our economic demise and plummeting real-estate values.
Actually I did hear a better one. It was suggested last week by one of the petitioners that all buildings should be measured from sea level. The Planning and Enviromental Commission ought to love that. Not only will they get free lunch, they'll have to fly to California for their meetings.
So they're basing the hysteria on things that we might want, that we might need, that might work, that might pass public scrutiny, that might get approved. Kind of the coulda, shoulda, woulda mentality. Next they'll be having us plan a landing strip for Martians.
Yet they've forgotten. This is the real world. One where the customer's needs should take priority. One where the product is redefined to fit the demand. One where the voice of the majority prevails- regardless of how old they are or when they arrived.
As for you, don't forget to check your mail box. Today you should receive the latest mailing with the vital facts and overlays comparing the three new Frontage Road buildings. Review that and you won't have any questions left. If it's not there, call 479-6000.
Now here's what you need to do: Vote. Vote in large numbers. This is the beginning of a new generation calling the shots.
Vote early. It starts tomorrow at Town Hall and continues through July 7. Just go in, bring your ID, fill out the forms and VOTE YES FOR CROSSROADS. And if you get it done by June 30, regardless of how you vote, take your "I Voted" sticker over to Crossroads and pick up your free voter appreciation ticket for Hell's Belles, who are playing at 8150 on July 1.
Do your part: call them and write them. To contact the Town Council, call 479-1860, ext. 8, or e-mail towncouncil@vailgov.com. To contact Vail Resorts, call 476-5601 or e-mail vailinfo@vailresorts.com. For past columns, go to vaildaily.com and click on "Columnists" or search for keyword "ferry."
Kaye Ferry is a longtime observer of Vail government. She writes a weekly column for the Daily
Vail Valley Real Estate
Beaver Creek Real Esate
Eagle County Real Estate
Go to www.searchinvail.com if you are lookinng for a team of Realtors who want to make your deal happen!
As per www.vaildaily.com
Towering exaggerations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get Commentary Feeds
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaye Ferry
June 27, 2006
Comments (2) Print Email
As I predicted, the opposition has turned up the heat on Crossroads.
They're pushing the dialogue to something worthy of the Tonight Show monologue. But they keep at it with the hopes that somewhere, some one unsuspecting soul who has been living under a rock for the past two years just might, by some stretch of the imagination, actually believe their drivel.
Daily Editor Don Rogers wrote a commentary on Friday the 23rd, the title of which was "Arguments that don't stack up."
He outlined the fallacies that the "Friends of Vail Village" (aka, "Old Guard") have been attempting to foist on us. Boy oh boy was he right in his conclusions. He was wrong, however, in assuming there was ever any intent of providing logical, well-researched and documented facts.
No, I'm sorry to say, the whole point of their media blitz is to employ scare tactics. Chicken Little is on the horizon and the sky is falling. Say the outrageous and perhaps it will have some effect. What's that old saying about throwing ... at the wall and seeing what sticks? That's obviously the plan. Because what they're doing really stinks.
These paranoid notions of things that are "lurking in the shadows" are unfortunate, exasperating and manipulative. But what they mostly are is unfair to the community.
It's not bad enough that progress has been stalled. It's not bad enough that we'll have spent an extra year before turning the first shovel. And it's not bad enough that the process has cost the town upwards of $40,000 to satisfy this flex of muscle and ego.
What is worse is that they have deliberately set out to misrepresent the facts for the purpose of getting their way, even though the rest of us have spoken. At meetings, in letters and most explicitly, at the last election.
While we're at it, these "OG" - what are they guarding? A falling-down building? A view of the Frontage Road? A time that has changed? A world that has moved on? I'm not sure.
What I do know is they've insulted our intelligence. But even more, they have insulted us as human beings. Who are they to dictate who can vote? Because when they offended our seasonal workers, they offended everyone who has ever been a seasonal worker. Something a lot of us can relate to.
Through all of this, Crossroads owner Peter Knobel and his staff have kept their sense of humor. They've decided not to stoop to the level of debating the BS. They laugh at most of it and instead continue to diligently work toward giving the community a great complex.
If you want independent answers, they're available. Public Works can give you the traffic studies. I know, because I almost died of boredom listening to them. But more to the point, how will an increase in condos from the current 22 to 69 cause traffic jams? These new owners had better bring a lot of cars and plan on driving around all day.
Community Development can give you the correct heights. It's 87.6 feet high from the Frontage Road, 10.4 feet shorter than the Vail Plaza Hotel.
Everyone knows parking is being helped by Crossroads adding 103 more spaces than required.
The same with housing. Twice as much as required. And there's no town requirement that they be on site.
And how about the Lionshead parking structure? The town manager will be happy to tell you that it's just in the early stages of discussion. Hardly ready for the threatened skyscaper.
The same for West Vail. But how would the "OG" know? They haven't attended those meetings, either.
And as for those 550 signatures. The town clerk can tell you how many were valid. Some of the ads had over 30 percent of the signatures that weren't even registered voters.
Then there's the Roost, which is proceeding through the process with no requests for variances of any kind. So what now? Developers can't even follow current zoning without incurring the wrath of the "OG"?
But the best is the 12-lane highway that will lead to our economic demise and plummeting real-estate values.
Actually I did hear a better one. It was suggested last week by one of the petitioners that all buildings should be measured from sea level. The Planning and Enviromental Commission ought to love that. Not only will they get free lunch, they'll have to fly to California for their meetings.
So they're basing the hysteria on things that we might want, that we might need, that might work, that might pass public scrutiny, that might get approved. Kind of the coulda, shoulda, woulda mentality. Next they'll be having us plan a landing strip for Martians.
Yet they've forgotten. This is the real world. One where the customer's needs should take priority. One where the product is redefined to fit the demand. One where the voice of the majority prevails- regardless of how old they are or when they arrived.
As for you, don't forget to check your mail box. Today you should receive the latest mailing with the vital facts and overlays comparing the three new Frontage Road buildings. Review that and you won't have any questions left. If it's not there, call 479-6000.
Now here's what you need to do: Vote. Vote in large numbers. This is the beginning of a new generation calling the shots.
Vote early. It starts tomorrow at Town Hall and continues through July 7. Just go in, bring your ID, fill out the forms and VOTE YES FOR CROSSROADS. And if you get it done by June 30, regardless of how you vote, take your "I Voted" sticker over to Crossroads and pick up your free voter appreciation ticket for Hell's Belles, who are playing at 8150 on July 1.
Do your part: call them and write them. To contact the Town Council, call 479-1860, ext. 8, or e-mail towncouncil@vailgov.com. To contact Vail Resorts, call 476-5601 or e-mail vailinfo@vailresorts.com. For past columns, go to vaildaily.com and click on "Columnists" or search for keyword "ferry."
Kaye Ferry is a longtime observer of Vail government. She writes a weekly column for the Daily
Vail Valley Real Estate
Beaver Creek Real Esate
Eagle County Real Estate
Go to www.searchinvail.com if you are lookinng for a team of Realtors who want to make your deal happen!
posted by Vail Local at 9:18 AM
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