Downtown in Livonia?

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20120219/NEWS10/202190475/Downtown-Livonia-Council-committee-looks-idea?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CLivonia%7Cs

So the Livonia City Council is looking at the idea of constructing an artificial downtown core. The fact that these people don't have a clear idea of what a downtown means in the 21st century or where to build one is just another example of how clueless the city council remains on matters of city planning and the future of Livonia.

The primary question we have to asked is what kind of downtown are we talking about? Detroit, Ann Arbor, or Northville or Plymouth? Do we mean a 19th or 20th century downtown? Or are we talking about a 21st century downtown which is more of a city center than an urban center. with out a clear definition of what we want, then any discussion of the matter is a moot point.When I was running for office, I mention that the 5 & Farmington concept would be too difficult in that you'd have to displace far too many existing residents and business. Plus eminent domain has lost a lot of support over the decades since it has been abused by too many govt's. If one would be built, the logical location would be the Plymouth / Middlebelt intersection. The Ford Admin bldg could be reclaimed and repurposed, the Ford assembly and GM assembly plants could be demolished, Wonderland could be reworked into something more appropriate than what Schostak built, which is horrible by the way, then you would have to muscle out the businesses and the homeowners that are near that intersection but it would be less of a hassle than anywhere else. Then the part of Plymouth at Old Rosedale would become the Old Rosedale district of "downtown" and the newly fabricated 'downtown' would become "new town" or "new center".

While I was campaigning the example I used was National Harbor in Washington DC as well as Cherry Hill Village in Canton. Everyone loved my ideas, what they balked at is the price tag. For demolition of existing property that would need to be cleared, at least 30 million dollars. Another 10 million for abatement. Probably 5 to 10 million for compensation to land owners. Then you are looking at a minimum of 50 million dollars to reshape, redevelop and reconstruction the area in to this artificial downtown area. Now, considering that the banks are barely lending anyone money for construction projects and those that are no longer are lending in the amounts they used to, Livonia would have to raise taxes, use a back door tax mileage, or take out a loan that would require the city to raise at least 60 to 70% of the capital ourselves. So, my question is this, if there is enough support for an artificial downtown in Livonia, how are we going to raise the 100+ million dollars to build it. People in Livonia will support a back door tax for police and fire, who have shown that they don't know how to spend their budget properly, they let the city council approve a 10 year tax credit for WalMart that has them paying ZERO taxes for that time frame, and the city continues to be wasteful with the money they do get from the citizens and the federal govt.

Bottomline, I like the idea but I also know that with the current version of city govt, it would become corrupted and end up being a failure... a money pit that sucks us all down with it. Livonia missed their opportunity to build something like that when they gave Schostak a free pass to build something that was an energy pig, outmoded and out of style for the last 20 years. They proposed a cruddy redevelopment option that was out of date 12 years ago and the city just gobbled it up.

Primary Election Results

Our candidate is lementing his loss in the primary election.

It just goes to show that no matter how articulate, how well spoke, or how many good and logical ideas you have, people will still vote for empty platitudes.

Election totals broke down like this:

CITY COUNCIL

Toy 8,888
Pastor 6,631
Robinson 4,730
King 4,312
Kritzman 4,102
Nash 3,836
Schwartz 2,942
Neville 2,737
Matthews 1,538
McGrail 1,523
Martin 1,447
Tom Buck 741
Richard J. Smith 660

Thank you for the support that everyone showed me. In comparision to my first run 2 years ago, I have doubled my amount of votes. Unfortunately with a field of 13 candidates it was tough to get one of the 8 spots. I wish I had placed better for you the voters so that your support wasn't wasted. I feel that I have let all of you down. Just know that I'm already making plans for 2013 and hopefully I'll do better. Thanks again for your encouragement and support.

Speramus Meliora

Democracity.org voter's guide

We would like to thank Adam Kleven and Democracity.org for including our candidate in their voter's guide. Please feel free to check out their questions and Mr. McGrail's answers at the following links:

http://www.democracity.org/

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/DemocraCityorg/239998562696372

If anyone has any comments or questions, please feel free to email us at:

electmcgrail@yahoo.com

Thank you for your continued support.

Voters Guide for Livonia City Council

Attached below you will find a link to the Voters Guide for Livonia City Council. Feel free to review my comments and answers. Thank you for your support.

http://www.hometownlife.com/news/ss/councilgrid.pdf?odyssey=mod%7Cdnmiss%7Cumbrella%7C1

Livonia needs better fiscal accountability

I am just beside myself. I have been doing some research into the proposed 1.7 mils millage that the City of Livonia police and fire have been pushing that will be on the August ballot. They are claiming financial hardship and that they need more money otherwise the city's police department will suffer because of a budget shortfall. However they have never stated what the extra money will be used for or what they intend to buy. So that really concerned me.

Now I come to find that the PD spent early this year over 300, 000 dollars on renovating their firing range. Ordinarily this wouldn't upset me but I also found documents on line that show the police already renovated the same firing range 9 years ago to be state of the art to the tune of 381, 000 dollars. I don't think the LPD need more money, I think they need a financial advisor to tell them how and what to spend their money on. Unbelievable that in this economic climate they are spending money like there is no tomorrow.

LIvonia Observer endorses McGrail

Livonia voters will elect four City Council members this year.

They will choose four on their ballots out of 13 candidates during the primary election Aug. 2. They will then choose among the eight top vote-getters from the primary election during the general election Nov. 8. The top four vote-getters in that race will be elected. The top three finishers will serve four-year terms; the fourth will serve a two-year term.

While voters will only be able to choose four candidates in each election, we have recommended eight for the primary since that is the number that will advance to the general.

We think voters should choose candidates who are knowledgeable about the issues and legislative process, among other strengths.

That is why for the primary, we recommend former City Council candidate Lucas McGrail.

We've heard the criticisms: Livonia City Council is like musical chairs with the same few people getting elected over and over, many of them longtime politicians who have served at the state level as well.

We've heard the questions, and they're legitimate ones: Why doesn't the city have real “term limits”? How can the same old people be expected to solve the same old problems if they haven't already done so? Won't someone new bring a fresh perspective?

Fresh perspectives are helpful, but there is a steep learning curve for anyone new who gets elected. There's a lot to be said for knowledge, both of the issues and the process. We think that knowledge is critical during these times of tight budgets.

McGrail is a creative thinker with an architectural background who has had a sustained interest in serving on council. He ran for council two years ago and is a frequent lecturer on historical buildings at the senior center. He has ideas for revitalizing Livonia's older building stock.

For the entire article, use the link below:
http://www.hometownlife.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011107140453

Livonia Chamber of Commerce video

2011 Livonia City Council Candidates

In the Livonia primary election on Tuesday, August 2, 2011, voters will be asked to vote for up to four people among 13 candidates running for seats on the Livonia City Council. The top eight vote-getters in the primary election will advance to the general election on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. In the general election, the top three vote-getters will earn four-year terms on the Council. The fourth-place finisher will earn a two-year term on the Council.

The Livonia Chamber of Commerce asked Candidate McGrail to participate in a video recording in which he was given up to three-minutes to introduce himself and answer four specific questions prepared by the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee. This video clip is his response. The Livonia Chamber of Commerce does not make candidate endorsements.

Our candidate was asked to address the following questions:

1. What makes you uniquely qualified to serve on the Livonia City Council?
2. What is the biggest issue you are hearing within the business community, and how do you intend to address that issues
3. If the proposed public safety and senior center millages fail, what would you do to address the projected $6.2 million shortfall in the city’s 2012 fiscal year budget?
4. How can the city further enhance partnerships with school districts and other communities to consolidate programs and adjust to budget shortages?

Please click on the link to view his responses.
http://www.livonia.org/candidate_videos/lucasmcgrail.asp