BCR's Daily Fishwrap Report for January 13, 2010

PC Concerned over Rolling Hills: The Planning Commission expressed some concerns over the City's petition to declare Rolling Hills and surrounding Southside area as blighted, a key milestone in preparing the site for possible tax credits supporting redevelopment. Failed Rolling Hills developers and neighboring strip center owners Larry and Denise Hester again raised the bugaboo of eminent domain, which the City hasn't ruled out for acquisition of property if needed; the Hesters also complained that they hadn't been included on the project's steering committee. Still, the PC voted 6-5 in favor of the blight declaration. (Herald-Sun, N&O)

City-County Operational Mergers a Maybe: With no traction still to the idea of merging City and County governments, an alternative idea of combining select functions to save money is still on the table. Vehicle maintenance, sewage processing and purchasing are three areas to be studied further by the city and county managers, who brought an early analysis before a joint City/County committee of elected officials on Tuesday. The managers had flagged some areas as too politically-charged to merge, a nod to realities that elected officials were surprised and apparently not thrilled to see factored in by the administrations. (Herald-Sun)

Early Attention on Downtown Post Office: While the downtown Post Office remains open with limited hours, the ongoing financial struggles of the USPS has drawn Downtown Durham Inc.'s attention, with the urban booster lobbying Congressman David Price on the need for such a facility, even if it maintained its current 2pm closing time. DDI and City Manager Tom Bonfield favored ongoing public use as a post office or other entity -- possibly as a site for a Durham history museum -- while speculating that eventual government sale to the private sector could always be possible. (Herald-Sun)

Duke Profits in Hotel Deal: The TBJ notes that the recent sale and privatization of publicly-traded Interstate Hotels and Resorts impacts Duke University's investment and endowment arms, which together hold 5% of the firm and are one of the seven largest institutional investors in the hotel management firm. (Triangle Business Journal)

Garmin Adds 40 Workers: The RTP area is picking up satellite/GPS navigation company Garmin, which like Blackberry manufacturer Research in Motion is bounding into the region to scoop of laid-off employees of Sony Ericsson and others with mobile technology expertise. 40 jobs for a start. (N&O)

DPS Mulls Changes in Grading: Changes to the grading policies in Durham Public Schools could add incentives for good attendance while taking away grade consequences for poor behavior, among other changes. (Herald-Sun)

More Non-Profit Collaboration Requested: Also on the joint City-County agenda was a discussion with the non-profit Durham's Partnership for Children over their request that 2010 be adopted the "Year of the Young Child" in Durham, with elected officials expressing concerns that efforts in this space remained too disconnected and should be better coordinated among various organizations. (N&O)

Comments

[Chris]

It would be a terrible shame, to lose the post office downtown, and I appreciate DDI's efforts to lobby for its continued use. I see downtown small business people in this office all the time, and is a convenient resource for these folks, who would otherwise have to drive somewhere else. I also agree with the statement that it will see more residential use in the coming years.

With the limited hours, I wish the USPS would see fit to install one of the "Automated Postal Centers" in this location, so folks could still buy postage/ship packages/etc.

Maybe while the USPS is at it, they could remove the terrible 70's era wood panel partitions at the west end of the gallery.

[Khalid]

I'm beginning to think that the news people don't really interview the Hester's after every meeting. They just get a comment from the files and insert in a new article. LOL

[Todd P]

- The Hesters should have to repay the city the $860,000 they lost before they are allowed to whine and complain any more about Rolling Hills. They have done little but stand in the way of subsequent re-development proposals by promoting fear among area residents. The city has gone to great lengths to include area residents in this planning process. It needs to move forward.

- I hope the downtown post office will remain open. As re-development of downtown accelerates, their volume of business should as well. If only part of the building is ultimately needed for the post office, other federal offices (such as Congressman Price's local office) could be located there.

[eah919]

DDI is doing the right thing in trying to raise interest in the downtown post office. I believe having a public amenity like a post office is critical to the continued re-development of downtown. Regardless of what you think of the USPS's service, a post office is a weekday 'walking destination' in a city and activates the areas around it in a way that a history museum or gallery or boutique does not. Plus, the building is an excellent example of 'government' architecture from that period, and it would be a real loss if it lost that use. Keep fighting the good fight, DDI....

[Philip]

@eah919 Your comments are 100% on point. Sometimes a business letter must be sent certified or return receipt, and not having a convenient post office from which to do it makes downtown very unattractive to businesses. Rather than close and sell, they would be better off renting some of the excess space as office or musuem space.

[9/9]

Some of the DPS proposed grading changes are designed to stop complaining parents and outsiders who denigrate the system not to educate children. I am not sure I will be able to, in good conscience, continue to teach for DPS if some of these pass. Specifically, the first policy which states that students who do not complete assigned homework will not be penalized and given an "alternative assignment". How are we too teach students to be responsible if they can just skip their assigned work and get credit for it? Students who cheat on a test won't have their grade changed? Students can do zero work, complete no assignments and get a 60% for the quarter? Is DPS really willing to throw out all sense of personal responsibility for these students?

These polices will increase grade numbers and make the scores look better from the outside but they will hurt the education of students. Teachers, parents and students should be insulted and upset that they are even being considered.

[Steve Graff]

I agree with Todd - until the Hesters repay the $860,000 they squandered they should sit down and shut up.

[GreenLantern]

I'll be so happy if the Hester's are bought out, or at least absorbed by eminent domain. If the city is out $860,000 now, how much more money will the Hesters ever be satisfied with before anything gets done improving their aging strip mall? I'm talking about BOTH sides of the street!

To me, they haven't demonstrated an ability to market their facility and tenant mix to a bigger crowd, e.g. NCCU students and those outside the immediate neighborhood, with a visually-pleasing, more upscale mix of shops and food that's more welcome to pedestrians and passers-by. It's no more than a mix of nail/hair salons, fast-food joints, bail bondsmen, and pawn shop-types with gated-up windows and scary parking lots that doesn't seem to fit in well with its neighbors. Someone needs to come in with a clear plan of what is needed and to whom it's to be marketed towards, if a shopping center/housing development is ever going to be better than the lowest common denominator that exists now.