Thursday, June 07, 2007

Architect leads campaign to change commission decision on Shain ramp

By John McTaggart

Bill Finnicum is so charged up about the Shain Park ramp issue that he's leading a letter-writing campaign to change the commission's mind. He was glad to see the banner headline in this morning's Eccentric: "Clash looming over Shain Park entrance," and he'd like to see others join the parade of residents sending letters and emails to the City Commission.

Planning Board Chairman Robin Boyle, Community House President and CEO Shelley Roberts and members of the Parks & Recreation Board are just the most recent influential people to urge the commission to reconsider its February decision to put the parking ramp on Bates Street, instead of on Henrietta, where they think it belongs. They join the city's Planning Board, Architectural Review Committee and other boards that have voted to urge the commission to place the ramp on Henrietta.

Finnicum, who owns a Victorian home on Townsend, adjacent to Shain Park, says, "“I think what’s happened here is the City Commission has chosen the convenience of limousines over the safety of pedestrians.”

The commission made its decision after an appeal from the Townsend Hotel, which said a ramp on Henrietta would get in the way of its own parking ramp, and of the VIP limousines and buses that park on Henrietta. He said that no pedestrian study had been done, and that a traffic study used by the commission was flawed.

Finnicum is hoping that his letters, along with the letters of others, will sway at least two votes on the commission when the issue comes up on Monday.

“It seems like such a no-brainer to me, to choose safety,” Finnicum says.

“They say that moving the ramp now is simply too costly a proposition. I say, and I am an architect, and several other architects agree, that it’s not. It’s just a matter of having the ramp go from east-to-west, or west-to-east. Nothing about the garage or park would change.”

“Currently, there are six ways in and out of the lot at Shain Park. They’re proposing to add to the capacity of parking, and change the number of ways in and out to one. ... That’s going to create a traffic mess, and it’s going to be very dangerous for pedestrians on Bates, very dangerous. In my opinion, this is easy to see.”

“This ramp just shouldn’t be there. It’s that simple.”

Finnicum is asking residents to call, write or email City Commissioners on the issue. He is also urging interested residents to show up at the commission meeting on Monday at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall.

for city officials' contact information.

Finnicum can be reached at (248) 851-5022 or at