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THE BIRMINGHAM BUZZ
"The cardinal sin, when we are looking for truth of fact
or wisdom of policy, is refusal to discuss, or action
which blocks discussion." -- Sidney Hook
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Buzz # 28 -- Sept. 3, 2002

Promoting intelligence and reason in city government. Our mission: To inform and involve all Birmingham citizens.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE at http://www.bhambuzz.org for:
-- Up-to-date news items
-- Resources such as the 2016 Plan and the proposed Ethics ordinance.
-- A calendar of important city events
-- A lively and intelligent discussion group

We want to hear from you! Please send questions, suggestions and feedback to info@bhambuzz.org
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In this edition:

1) Help the Buzz's fall subscription drive
2) Upscale retailer eyes Jacobson's
3) And the winner is ...
4) Quarton's carp are doomed
5) Duany to look at Shain Park expansion
6) Editorial: Let's allow a few more liquor licenses
7) Commission clears way for downtown lofts
8) Building height issue resurfaces as Plan Board tries to tie approvals to impact on 'light,' 'air'
9) City whacks fees to some for cutting grass
10) Editorial: Sane site plan rules needed
11) Editorial: Commission uses good judgment in acting on Planning Board recommendations
12) In other action...
13) Latest Quarton Lake park plan posted
14) City eyes tougher building approvals
15) Kroger plaza opening near
16) Editorial: City should seek balanced approach
17) To be removed, send email to info@bhambuzz.org
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1) Help the Buzz's fall subscription drive

Sept 3, 2002

Labor Day is behind us, most of us are back to work and school, and the Buzz needs your help! New subscribership was relatively flat over the summer, and it's time to give it a boost.

If you like the Buzz, help spread the word. Send a copy -- or just a link -- to all your Birmingham friends and neighbors.


Within a couple of months, we'll be just one year away from the next big city election, in which four commission seats will be open. It is essential that Birmingham residents are informed and prepared to vote intelligently in the next election.

Spread the Buzz today!


2) Upscale retailer eyes Jacobson's

Sept 1, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

Lord & Taylor is reportedly interested in one or both of Jacobson's department stores in Birmingham if the price is right.

Company officials would not reveal details of a possible deal, but Lord & Taylor has asked the city to pursue Jacobson's holdings in Birmingham, which will be auctioned off Sept. 18 by Chicago-based Hilco company.

Lord & Taylor wants the city to purchase Jacobson's property in exchange for a lease agreement with the city.

Even though many city officials have said the city needs an anchor department store, such a deal is unlikely because the city would have to spend millions to buy the land without benefit of a Downtown Development Authority.

A DDA captures tax revenue in specific zones that can then spent on dedicated projects. Typically, DDA's are formed in economically depressed areas.

Earlier this month, Dan Jacob, a broker with Southfield-based Signature Associates, said two other department stores, Parisian, an Alabama chain with 41 stores, and Von Maur, an Iowa-based retailer with 18 stores, were also interested in the property. Jacob said bids for both Birmingham Jacobson's locations are hovering around $15 million.

The buildings will go to the highest bidder.

Jacobson's defaulted on a line of credit of up to $100 million and is now bankrupt and its assets are being liquidated.

The Birmingham City Commission met in closed session Monday to discuss possible land acquisition. Neither members of the commission nor city staff would discuss the topic of the meeting.


3) And the winner is ...

Sept. 1, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

Carol Greenslade is no Susan Lucci.

The public relations executive and losing candidate in the 2001 Birmingham City Commission election was unceremoniously appointed to the Birmingham Area Cable Board Monday on her first try. Lucci, who plays Erica Kane on the ABC soap opera All My Children, was nominated 19 times before winning an Emmy in 1999.

Though none of the 2001 commission candidates have suffered snubs on par with Lucci, Greenslade's appointment ended a severe drought for those seeking some type of office in the city. Julie Plotnik has tried and was rebuffed four times and John Henke III tried nearly as many times before lamenting that he was the "Susan Lucci" of Birmingham politics.

Greenslade said she is earnestly interested in the activities of the board and did not intend to use it as a stepping stone to higher office. Plotnik, who still attends every commission meeting, said she came close to getting the nod when she applied for a spot on the traffic and safety board. When another application was found at the last second, Plotnik was passed over again.


4) Quarton's carp are doomed

Sept. 1, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

Carp in Quarton Lake better swim somewhere else or they'll be dead by mid-January. And it is likely the fish and murky water will return despite the $1.75 million dredging project approved by the Birmingham City Commission Monday.

"The carp will probably come back because they are in the ecosystem," said Margie Kuhn, an engineer with Hubbell Roth & Clark. "And there is no guarantee that 20 years from now, carp won't be the dominant species of fish in the lake."

The last time the city dredged the lake was 1972. It killed the carp then, too, but the plodding scavengers made their way up the Rouge River back into the lake.

Kuhn said other fish, turtles and amphibious wildlife will likely perish during the dredging process.

Birmingham resident Nidia Foley said she is prepared for the mess that comes with dredging but wanted results.

"Will we have to do this work every 30 years?" asked Foley. "I heard all the horror stories from the '70s. I want to be assured that the bottom of the lake will be improved."

Kuhn said the city will improve the lake bottom with the objective of extending the number of years between dredgings by using sediment traps and working to identify and reduce sediment from upstream sources.

But unless land-use practices change in the area, the sediment will probably return over time, said Kuhn.

Other residents wanted to know if draining the lake will provide breeding grounds for mosquitos carrying the West Nile Virus -- a potentially fatal illness mosquitoes can pass to humans.

Bill Stone, another consultant with HRC, said studies have shown that the species that carries the virus lives in backyards and not marshes.

"The work we are doing is not going to increase the type of mosquito that carries the virus," said Stone. "Hopefully, the marsh we create will be deep enough to eliminate breeding."

Another problem residents wanted to know about was the expected stench that will rise from the shore as weeds and muck are dragged from the lake and hauled away.

Kuhn said the cold weather should help ease, but eliminating the odors is impossible.

A tentative schedule for the project is as follows:

* Draining the lake -- two weeks in October.
* Dredging the lake bed -- the months of November and December.
* Kill carp -- three days in January.
* Refill lake -- later in January.
* Shore stabilization -- March to May.
* Stock fish -- one week in April or May.
* Restore banks of lake -- one week in May.

The city's share of the cost is 52 percent, or $919,000, and grants will pay for the rest. The city's funding will come from the parks and recreation bonds that voters approved last fall.


5) Duany to look at Shain Park expansion

Sept. 1, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

Noted urban planner Adres Duany has been hired to take a second look at expanding Birmingham's Shain Park.

On Monday, the Birmingham City Commission voted 5-2 to spend $10,000 to have Duany's firm design an expansion based on his recommendations in the Downtown Birmingham 2016 Plan.

"There is a provision in the contract for a Duany visit," said Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus. "But we aren't sure if that will be necessary at this point."

In 1997, the city spent some $260,000 on a set of plans that fizzled, but Duany wasn't involved. Back then, some city officials said the design firm of Schervish Vogel/Luckenbach Ziegelman went overboard with its concept for the park.

The Schervish Vogel plan called for an estimated $18 million in improvements including an acoustic band shell on what is now parking lot No. 7 across from The Community House.

Users of the parking lot -- many of whom frequent The Community House -- demanded replacement spaces, and a $9 million parking structure was included in the design. The plan was eventually scrapped in 2000 as being too ambitious and too costly.

At a meeting in June, Birmingham City Commissioner Dante Lanzetta Jr. raised the idea of going back to Duany's basic plan. The city asked for Duany's opinion and finally received a "yes" on Aug. 22.

Markus has said the city could maintain parking and expand the park by installing underground parking. But the majority of the commission has been less than supportive of spending $30,000 to $38,000 per space for an underground lot.

Duany's original Shain Park concept added parking on Merrill Street and around the perimeter of the park. Lot No. 7 has 142 spaces and the city isn't sure how many spaces could be accommodated within Duany's plan. Visit http://www.bhambuzz.org/images/Shain_0001.jpg to see Duany's original concept drawing.

A legal hassle could erupt if the city decides to expand the park into what is now Lot No. 7.

Birmingham City Assessor Sherry Lee said in May 2001 that private property owners paid 40 percent of the $369,000 cost of the lot so the spaces would have to be replaced. If the city expands the park and chooses not to replace the parking spaces, it would have to compensate the tax payers for the loss of parking, said Lee.

Birmingham City Attorney Tim Currier later said the city wouldn't have to compensate businesses or replace the spaces. He cited a legal case that allowed the city of Dearborn to sell part of a parking lot that had been created through a special assessment district.

According to a memo from Duany's Miami-based firm, a first draft will be submitted Oct. 1 with a final plan expected by the end of October. If Duany visits Birmingham, it will cost an additional $3,500 per day plus expenses.


6) Editorial: Let's allow a few more liquor licenses

August 30, 2002

Elie's Cafe. Salvatore Scallopine. Pita Cafe. Ronin Sushi Bar. Peking West. Cosi. Kettles 'n Krepes. Sy Thai. Side Street Bar-B-Q. Magic Thai. Tokyo Sushi. Maple Street Cafe'.

What do they all have in common?

Better to ask: What do they all lack in common?

To frequent Birmingham diners, the answer is simple. They all lack liquor licenses.

Whatever the future holds for traditional retailers in Birmingham (and given the victory of Somerset over Jacobson's, that future is far from clear), one thing is certain: Birmingham's future as an entertainment venue is bright.

Whether conservative residents who cringe at the crowds downtown like it or not, movie theatres, restaurants and bars contribute greatly to the city's vitality -- and its tax base. But it's hard enought to succeed in the restaurant business if you have a liquor license. Without one, you're at a disadvantage.

The number of licenses in Birmingham is limited by its population. Such a limitaton doesn't make sense for a town like ours whose attraction to visitors is so out of proportion to its size.

That's why the suggestion of Elie Mondalek, owner of Elie's Cafe, is so appealing. Mondalek surprised many last Monday night when he informed the City Commission that, with their blessing, a Class C license could be purchased elsewhere in Oakland County and transferred into Birmingham.

City Commissioner Donald Carney seemed to embrace the idea, or at least its simplicity, when compared with earlier suggestions that the city seek so-called "resort" licensing.

Mondalek's is an excellent idea, and the City Attorney ought to research it immediately and bring his findings to the Commission. A decision to allow a few more liquor licenses in town, with appropriate controls, could help assure the success of our budding entertainment industry, and help replace the tax revenue lost from Jacobson's closure.

The Presidents Council and its matron, Dorothy Conrad, have been pushing for more beer and wine licenses, but haven't offered any solid suggestions about how to get them. At Monday's meeting, Conrad spoke in opposition to Class C licensing, presumably because it would allow the demon liquor. We fail to see the difference between a bottle of Bud and a gin and tonic. We think Conrad is living in the past, and trust the city and the open market to continue to impose sufficient controls on the sale of alcohol in Birmingham.


7) Commission clears way for downtown lofts

August 29, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

The carrot of higher profits is now dangling before developers' eyes, but only time will determine if affordable lofts will come to downtown Birmingham.

"If the market won't accept it, it won't go, but there is no risk," said Bob Gibbs, an urban planner. "You can cut the cost of an apartment in half, but I also think you should cut the onsite parking requirement for new construction."

Gibbs, one of the authors of the Birmingham Downtown 2016 Plan, was referring to a unanimous decision of the Birmingham City Commission Monday that is intended to bring affordable housing to the city.

Until Monday, the city required two parking spaces for every residential address downtown. The new rules eliminate parking requirements for lofts in 29 historic buildings downtown. Lofts can now be added to second or third stories of any historic building without providing parking spaces for residents.

Notable buildings that could replace upper-story offices with living space include the Briggs and Wabeek buildings on Maple.

Gibbs said the 2016 Plan, a city planning document that envisions what Birmingham could be like in 20 years from when it was drafted in 1996, encouraged more people living downtown. Gibbs said the city should get rid of all required parking for all residential projects including new construction. Parking is an issue because the price for land is steep downtown and developers often build expensive units to recoup costs.

Recent condominium projects have included underground parking at $35,000 per space.

More than one building full of $1 million condos remains vacant downtown, and members of the Birmingham Planning Board said easing parking requirements should encourage developers to offer cheaper space.

City Commissioner Rackeline Hoff wanted to know where people would park.

City Planner Jim Sabo said about 4 percent of spaces in the city's parking structures are vacant at any given time. City Commissioner Seth Chafetz said parking won't be an issue because residents will need parking spaces in the evening when those who work in the city are gone.

The commission and planning board will discuss eliminating further parking requirements at a 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9, joint meeting at the Department of Public Works building at 851 S. Eton.


8) Building height issue resurfaces as Plan Board tries to tie approvals to impact on 'light,' 'air'

August 29, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

The debate over five-story buildings in downtown Birmingham was renewed Monday.

"If the intent is to clarify the ordinance, this doesn't do it at all," said Clinton Baller, a city resident. "It takes bad language and replaces it with more bad language."

Baller and several other residents spoke out at Monday's Birmingham City Commission meeting on a proposed amendment that would give the city planning board subjective powers to approve five-story buildings based on whether they block the light and air of neighboring residential and historic districts.

The proposed language would also let the board decide whether a five-story building is appropriate given the height, mass and scale of adjacent structures on abutting properties.

Bob Gibbs, an urban planner with offices in the city, said the new standard would be too subjective and that any five-story building could block the sun or air from reaching area structures.

He said under a strict interpretation of the proposed ordinance the city could be "taking away development rights altogether."

Commissioner Seth Chafetz said he thought the new rules would allow more five-story buildings downtown, but his colleague, Rackeline Hoff, said just the opposite was true.

City Planner Jim Sabo tried to clarify the new language but said it was based on subjective factors that the planning board would have to interpret.

Last fall, hundreds of people packed The Community House for a four-hour public hearing on eliminating future five-story buildings entirely. The meeting location was changed when an overflow crowd showed up at city hall, and the commission eventually decided against amending the city ordinance.

That debate was heated with merchants vehemently opposed to the changes and developer Ted Fuller threatening a recall against some members of the commission. Historic preservationists said recent construction projects were too big for the city and didn't fit in with the historical character of downtown.

In the months that followed, the commission subsequently lowered maximum heights for four- and five-story buildings in the overlay zoning district. Developers said the move would kill quality projects.

This proposed language stops short of outlawing five-story buildings, but it would, if approved, give the planning board subjective powers to approve or deny any five-story building in the city's overlay zoning district.

Commissioner Russell Dixon asked for specific diagrams and visual aides to be prepared that would illustrate the impact of the new language. The matter will be a topic of discussion at a joint meeting between the commission and planning board at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the city's Department of Public Services building at 851 S. Eton.


9) City whacks fees to some for cutting grass

August 29, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

Jennifer Walker refused to pay the city $270 to cut her grass.

"While section 9.42 provides that the work will be done 'at the owner's expense,' it does not provide that owners will be charged 11 times the market rate," she said, in a letter to the city.

On Monday, the Birmingham City Commission heard a host of similar complaints from residents who had been charged the city's customary fee for cutting grass that is too tall.

Walker said her lawn wasn't more than 8-inches high so she was surprised when a worker showed up to cut it. She also said she called several lawn companies and got quotes ranging from $18 to $25 for the same work the city charged $270.

"I even called the attorney general about this," she said, asking whether the city fee could be in violation of usury laws.

City Attorney Tim Currier said that's how much the city pays its contractor and all costs are a direct pass-through to residents.

Bob Fox, assistant director of public services, said the city doesn't want to be in the grass-cutting business and people should get the hint and cut their grass in a timely manner.

Birmingham resident Charles White said medical problems and a broken mower made it difficult for him to cut the grass. He eventually enlisted the help of a neighbor, but the city still sent a crew to cut the grass and White later got a bill.

Members of the commission said they sympathized with the residents. Commissioner Rackeline Hoff suggested cutting the bills in half for all but one person, who was a repeat offender.

Commissioner Dante Lanzetta Jr. warned against cutting them a break and said the move would effectively set a new price for the service. He also said that taxpayers who do cut their grass would be subsidizing those who don't because the city would still have to pay the entire amount to the contractor. The majority of the commission sided with the residents and cut the bills in half.

The city's weed and grass ordinance kicks in May 1 and most complaints come from residents. The city posts a warning in the newspaper and gives offenders 10 days to comply, but after that, a crew of weedwhackers is dispatched and a hefty bill is mailed out by the city.

The same ordinance also prohibits someone from storing rank vegetation, dead grass, weeds or brush and outlaws poison ivy, ragweed or any other poisonous, noxious or unhealthy vegetation.

Birmingham charges $135 per half-hour for lawn-related services and typical fees range from $100 to more than $600. And anyone who fails to pay up is hit with a 10 percent penalty and the final amount is added to the annual city tax bill as a special assessment.

Last year, the city dolled out more than $31,000 in grass-cutting bills to residents.


10) Editorial: Sane site plan rules needed

August 29, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

Once again, Birmingham city government is looking at tightening its restrictions on buildings. And once again, we sound a note of warning.

This time, the city planning commission is looking at the site plan approval guidelines. Being proposed are some restrictions that defy logic and could open the city up to lawsuits.

The new guidelines specify that buildings should not block sunlight or the free flow of air to surrounding buildings.

Seriously.

Well, any structure that extends up from the ground is likely to block some sunlight. And just what constitutes the free flow of air is debatable.

And therein lies a key issue of contention - ambiguity. In some cases, ambiguity deliberately is built into laws or regulations. Indeed, the U.S. Constitution is grounded in ambiguity so it would remain a flexible document.

Site plan regulations should not be flexible documents. People who are making often multi-million dollar investments in buildings are in no mood to debate how freely the air is flowing.

The point has been made that other towns have such language in their regulations. Regardless, that would not stop developers from suing the city if they feel they are being singled out by arbitrary restrictions.

The concept behind the restrictions, that every building should relate to its surroundings, is sound. But that can be achieved by working with developers - not against them.


11) Editorial: Commission uses good judgment in acting on Planning Board recommendations

August 28, 2002

The Birmingham City Commission made a couple of good decisions Monday night when it acted upon two recommendations from the Planning Board. One of the recommendations was good, and the Commission accepted it. The other recommendation was bad, and the Commission wisely rejected it.

Let's start with the good.

The Commission accepted a recommended change to the zoning ordinance that eliminates a requirement for on-site parking for certain downtown residential units. It affects any unit in the second or third story of an existing "landmark" building. Some 70 buildings in the Central Business District are affected.

The idea is to encourage more affordable housing downtown, and it is likely that rental units soon will begin to appear on the market as a result of the Commission's action. Occupants are expected to lease parking in the city's garages.

The next logical step, which the Commission did not take, but which it ought to take, is to extend this rule to all floors of all downtown buildings, including newly constructed ones.

Now the bad.

Attempting to "clarify" a poorly written section of the ordinance that dictates when the Planning Board can allow a fifth story, the Board recommended language that was no more clear, and just as poorly written.

Click here to read the suggested change for yourself.

One of the substantive proposed changes was to eliminate an architectural prescription regarding eaves and cornice lines and substitute it with a vague prescription regarding "light" and "air." This was a prelude to what many expect the Planning Board will recommend for residential neighborhoods.

The suggested language was so vague that Commissioners Rackeline Hoff and Seth Chafetz reached diametrically opposed conclusions about its meaning! The Commission wisely referred the matter to city staff -- notably not the Planning Board -- for further work.

By the way, the Commission took no action on the Planning Board vacancy created when Charles Tholen resigned several weeks ago. At an earlier meeting, Commissioner Donald Carney urged fellow commissioners not to accept Tholen's resignation in the hope that he would reconsider. He hasn't, and has been absent from Planning Board deliberations since his resignation.


12) In other action...

August 28, 2002

In other action Monday night, the Birmingham City Commission:

* Gave final approval to an addition to the First United Methodist Church. More than 100 parishioners turned out for this and other city meetings on the plan.

* Gave city staff the go-ahead to bid the Quarton Lake dredging.

* Agreed to hire Andres Duany to draw up a detailed plan for the expansion and improvement of Shain Park. Duany drew a concept plan for the park in his 1996 Downtown Birmingham 2016 Plan.

* Agreed to further discuss a proposal from Elie Mondalek, owner of Elie's Mediterranean Cuisine, on Pierce St., to allow the transfer of an out-of-town Class C liquor license into Birmingham. To the surprise of some on the Commission, state law would allow the transfer of Class C licenses from another community into Birmingham, provided that the transfers are approved by the City Commission.

Click here to read the complete agenda and packet from Monday night's meeting, or right-click the link to download the packet to your computer for faster, off-line viewing.


13) Latest Quarton Lake park plan posted

August 27, 2002

The Buzz has posted the latest plans for the park around Quarton Lake. The plans were drawn by city consultant Wade-Trim and were revised after public input. Visit http://www.bhambuzz.org/images/quarton2a.jpg to see the plan.


14) City eyes tougher building approvals

August 25, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

Future commercial development projects could be killed based on subjective opinions of the Birmingham Planning Board if proposed changes to a city ordinance are approved -- a situation that has at least one member of the board concerned

"While some or even many points are OK, the total appears to be of a most restrictive nature that could preclude almost any development being approved," said planning board member Bruce Thal, in a city memo.

Thal was commenting on a proposal to rewrite the city's current site plan approval guidelines. Sweeping changes are proposed that would make it illegal for new structures to block sunlight or air flow from reaching surrounding buildings.

Nicholas Lomako, senior vice president of Wade-Trim Assoc., the city's planning consultant, said such ordinances, though based on subjective standards, are legal and common in other communities.

"This is based on the concept that every building must relate well to its surroundings," said Lomako.

The new language is six pages long and a few key points state:

New buildings would have to fit in with the character, type and size of area structures.
The visual impact of a building would be measured by its relationship to other buildings and the rhythm of structures and open spaces on the street.
When large new buildings are constructed, they must be compatible with neighboring buildings even if that requires making the new structure "appear small."
Lomako has been asked to make the new guidelines more user friendly and report back to the planning board, which will likely vote on the proposal at a meeting in September.

The planning board makes recommendations to the Birmingham City Commission. The commission can modify the language, approve it as is, reject it or ask for further study.

Last year, the planning-board initiated major changes to zoning language that reduced height limits for new construction in the downtown overlay zoning district. The changes were approved by the city commission shortly after the 2001 city election, when a slate of candidates that promised to check development won.

At the time, Bob Gibbs, an urban planner who worked on the Downtown Birmingham 2016 Plan, said the changes "took the heart out of the 2016 Plan," and would lead to lower quality buildings downtown because developers who once spent extra money to build elaborate buildings under D-4 zoning in return for the added height would now opt to build under the less-stringent B-4 zoning, which doesn't require first-floor retail, glass storefronts or stone facades.

Planning Board Chairman Gary Kulak could not be reached for comment.


15) Kroger plaza opening near

August 25, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

By Larry Ruehlen

After more than a year of construction snafus, Jack Leone may soon toss his first gourmet pizza in the air.

"The developers have worked very hard to make this right and we are getting there," said Leone, on the progress of the Kroger's shopping plaza at 685 E Maple. "We hope to be open the week of Aug. 26."

The project fell more than a year behind schedule when Southfield-based First Commercial Realty & Development butted heads with the city of Birmingham over how the building was being constructed. City officials said the company wasn't following approved blueprints and slapped a stop-work order on the site. A review revealed changes to the parking lot, the height of the building, and the locations of doors and walls.

Warren Terrace, executive vice president of First Commercial, said the company has had to overcome its fair share of difficulties with the city but "things should start working better now."

Terrace also said he has signed leases with Q-doba, a Mexican take-out restaurant, and Bruce White Galleries, an art and framing shop. Q-doba and the gallery should be open in a month or so, said Terrace. He is also negotiating with possible tenants for the two to three remaining spaces.

Lou Dortch Jr., owner of several Q-doba franchise stores, said he opened a Royal Oak location in half the time it took to do so in Birmingham. The Royal Oak Q-doba took less time because it was a remodel of a current space, said Dortch, but the actions of First Commercial combined with the political climate in Birmingham didn't help matters.

"It's been a real nightmare," said Dortch. "When we open depends on the developer, and that has been the case for the past two years."


16) Editorial: City should seek balanced approach

August 22, 2002

From the Birmingham Eccentric

The heat of summer is a good time to take a cool look at the status of Birmingham.

Not much - comparatively speaking - is happening around town as a lot of folks have gone on vacation. The tree ordinance has withered, construction goes on and nobody has resigned from the city planing department in days. Campaigning has been going on at a furious pace, but those offices are at a different level of government and there will be a lull while last week's winners regroup for the big push to November. That doesn't mean that issues aren't still out there, and certainly there will be more heat generated in the city commission chambers in the months ahead.

What we want to stress is that whatever the issue, the city needs to take a more balanced perspective on all matters.

It's clear, there is a strong anti-development sentiment in this city. To a large degree, that's why the current city commission was elected.

But it's also clear that there is a large number of people who, at the least, don't oppose further building in the city.

As in most cases, the answer lies in between, on a common ground. To flatly take one side or the other is not appropriate or productive.

That should be the standard for all city operations. Ordinances as well should be weighed in balance. Their cost should be equated with their results. For example, there was a benefit to the tree ordinance but in balance to what harm it might have done in infringing on personal property rights, it was not a good proposal.

Some merchants have suffered because the road construction being done on South Old Woodward affected their businesses. But in balance, the entire neighborhood will benefit from the project when it is completed, so the work is appropriate.

Of course, that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvements in the way things are done, even when done in a balanced manner. The merchants, for example, could have had better notice of what to expect with the construction.

There are other examples as well, but regardless of the situation or issue, taking a balanced approach in determining what will be done and when will benefit everyone.


17) To be removed, send email to info@bhambuzz.org
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