Just when it looked like the Pier issue was pretty much settled
and I would have to search for something new and dumb to write about, Tampa Bay Times Staff writer Waveney Ann
Moore put up an article: No
clear answer on when Pier can come down.
And I was starting to worry about what to blog about.
It is starting to look like the Kriseman administration's
dedicated leader of the charge to demolish the Inverted Pyramid has once again
put his foot in his silver tongued mouth.
I was at the meeting when Karl Nurse asked Connors about the
permitting, First Connors said yes they had all the permits, and then he said they
didn't need an Army Corps of Engineers Permit to tear down the Inverted Pyramid
since it was above the water.
Didn't sound right to me; given that the Pier sets right in front
of the largest marina in Florida, the Vinoy basin and marina and the City's mooring
field.
That makes all of the water around the Pier and the Pier head
navigable water.
But everyone on Council was so anxious to get this deal done and
behind them no one followed up.
Quoting from Waveney's article: "Last week, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Nakeir Nobles told
the Tampa Bay Times that since
the Pier is over navigable waters, the agency must issue a demolition permit
for the entire structure — the approach, or bridge, the pyramid and the area
surrounding it. Further, she said, work cannot begin until an agreement
concerning historic preservation is finalized. The tentative timing for that is
this fall, she said."
For now they have pushed Tom Gibson, the City's Director of
engineering, out in front to try to explain what's going on. Gibson, whose
forte has never been explaining things to the press or the public, just seemed
to further confuse the whole issue.
Gibson, in true engineering fashion, demonstrated why the City
hires consultants as he blamed to whole mess on the consultant hired to get the
permit.
Then there is the whole historic preservation agreement which the
Corps says must be completed before demolition can begin. That could take
months.
In addition, has anyone checked with the Army Corps of Engineers
to see if they will need permits to moor those barges used to haul away debris?
By the way, has anybody checked with Glasbrenner to see what kind
and how big the cranes will be and with the FAA to see if they have any issues?
How much longer is City Council going to sit on the dais and
drink up everything Mike Connors tells them. They have been misled or lied to
so many times I would think they would finally figure out that this is a means
justifies the end game and the end game is to tear that Inverted Pyramid down.
With these kinds of shenanigans right out of the gate, it is hard
to imagine what will go on in the Pier Park design meetings and what stories
will be concocted to get Council to buy into what will be a "changing
design".
Nothing better than this permit debacle, could make the case for
the Waterfront Referendum and the
absolute need to put control of the waterfront in the hands of the public.
Every time you turn over a rock in this project it becomes
clearer you can't trust the administration, and City Council seems incapable or
unwilling to act properly, ask the right questions and get the documentation to
protect the City's most valuable asset.
E-mail Doc at mail
to:dr.gwebb@yahoo.com or send me
a Facebook (Gene Webb) Friend request. Please comment below, and be sure to
share on Facebook. See Doc's Photo Gallery at Bay
Post Photos.
No comments:
Post a Comment