RTP-area local music and culture

[Sarah Freeman <sfree18 AT gmail.com>]

All,
     I've been utterly pleased to see this sort of conversation  
going on between folks over the past week.  However, it's slightly  
disheartening to see people, who obviously share a deep passion and  
love for their dear Durham, bicker over semantics and point fingers.   
Yes, ATC might be a corporate eyesore to many, but I think we can all  
admit that it's a step towards bringing people downtown.  A few  
wandering Duke students might venture over Ramseur to the innards of  
downtown (gasp!) or get lost trying to get to ATC and realize that  
there's a nice locally-owned coffee shop right in downtown (who  
knew?!).  Okay okay, so most of you would probably rather not run  
into Duke students on a daily basis, but that's my point... over the  
past week it's become evident that people want to see more life in  
downtown, yet they're not willing to welcome the very things (read:  
money, people, culture) that could spark some sort of renaissance.  I  
hate to be the be the bad guy, but the economist in me is cheering  
for the yuppies and the money that they're investing in downtown.  If  
you build it, they will come... and when that happens, Starbucks  
won't be the only one getting customers.  I love Durham the way it  
is, but not at the expense of turning off possible small private  
retail investors because of the lack of consumer traffic.

Cackalacky love, s.free


On Dec 11, 2005, at 6:41 PM, Caleb Southern wrote:

Rick Sawyer wrote:
> first of all, i know that you sit on the durham city board of zoning.

Correct. I am a member of the Durham Planning Commission.


Rick Sawyer wrote:
> i therefore find the fact that you cannot explain the zoning change
> proposed by commisioner reckhow without waving your arms to be...
> disheartening.

I posted the Herald-Sun article, and referred to the comments of Durham
Planning Director Frank Duke. He is certainly an expert on zoning  
issues. I
would also generally associate myself with the comments of County
Commissioner Lewis Cheek, as reported in the Herald.


Rick Sawyer wrote:
> finally, i checked the company you keep.  you sit on the board of  
> downtown
> durham, inc.,

Correct. DDI does some things that I agree with, and some others that  
I do
not. I joined this board in an attempt to influence the policy  
positions of
this organization from the inside. I am one of two downtown residents  
who
sit on this 41 member board. There are about three small business  
owners on
this board - only one of which is a retailer.

I could sit on the outside and express opinions about DDI when I  
disagree
with them, or I could sit on the board and try to influence the  
direction of
this organization from the inside.

On this particular issue, my views happen to be very different from many
others at DDI.


Rick Sawyer wrote:
> and it seemed as if your call to "ACTION" came, in part, directly  
> from that
> organization.

Dead wrong.

My call to action was a direct *REACTION* to positions long expressed by
some staff and some board members within DDI, advocating for additional
regulation of entertainment businesses. Similar comments from the  
Chair of
the Durham Board of County Commissioners reinforced this position.

There is another perspective on downtown zoning issues and  
entertainment. I
will likely be the only representative on the board of this organization
expressing this side of the issue - being to leave zoning ordinances  
the way
they are.

This issue is an example of one reason I chose to join this board -- to
express points of view that would otherwise not be represented.


Rick Sawyer wrote:
> i checked it out, and it [DDI] seems to me to be a collection of  
> banks and
> corporations, with a smattering of nonprofit types.  these are the  
> groups
> that brought us the american tobacco campus, a starbucks, and a  
> wonderful
> brown river that runs straight toward the heart of downtown.

Correct.

Would you rather someone like myself, with a different perspective  
than the
aforementioned, *NOT* be on the DDI board?


Rick Sawyer wrote:
> on what basis should i trust such a group? as rich (mostly) white
> men, they aren't responsible to me.  they are responsible to their
> shareholders.

The position I have taken on this zoning issue is unpopular with many at
DDI.


Rick Sawyer wrote:
> so, i'm supposed to swallow it when they pump out some theory about  
> our
> elected officials entering into cabal against downtown development?

Again, your understanding of the various positions and who is pushing  
them
is incorrect.

As I stated, the position coming from some at DDI and the positions  
reported
in the paper from Commissioner Reckhow (which she has since backed away
from) were generally consistent -- more zoning regulation that would  
further
restrict entertainment businesses in downtown Durham.

This is the issue of relevance and interest to this list.

The position I am advocating (in favor of the status quo zoning allowing
downtown entertainment, and against further regulation) is the exact
opposite of what is coming from some at DDI and originally reported  
as that
of Ellen Reckhow.


***

Rick,

It is bizarre that you continue to falsely characterize me as  
representing
some of the very positions that I oppose. What kind of strange  
conspiracy
theory world do you live in?




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