Yesterday somebody asked AP the history of the market house, with specific emphasis on the mayor's mistakes. In the 24 hours since this was posited, AP has determined 2 facts to be true:
1. For a foul-up of this magnitude, there is plenty of blame to go around.
2. I didn't know the history well enough.
So, I did some research with the intent of gaining a more complete understanding of the events that have brought us to where we are today. This post is meant to be an evolving one, so if you--the honorable citizen--have insight or can provide some context, email me and we can add to the story.
So here is the story as I know it to be:
History of the Process:
The market house has been around for a LONG time--over 300 years, with the current location existing since 1858--and has not been without controversy. Many have debated the proper use of the space, and several notable political attempts have been made to drastically alter, or even raze, the structure.
The current situation has its origins circa 2004. The city was the landlord of the market house property, and the leases of the tenants were due to expire. It was determined that the market house was in a state of disrepair, and needed to be renovated. The existing businesses, which were profitable by most accounts, failed to come together and present the city with a proposal to return to the space after it was renovated.
The Moyer administration then decided not to renew the leases of these tenants, opting instead to pursue an agreement with a New York based upscale grocer, Dean & Deluca. On March 21, 2005, the city announced that the market house would be operated by the joint interests of Dean and Deluca, and Annapolis Seafood. The only problem was that Dean & Deluca announced 5 months earlier that they would NOT be a part of the market house. According to their attorney:
On or about Nov. 9, 2004, Dane Neller, the CEO of Dean & DeLuca, advised representatives of the City of Annapolis that Dean & DeLuca would not be going forward with this transaction,"
He then elaborated:
Dean & DeLuca will not be joint venturing with Annapolis Seafood in the operation of the Market House," Dahlgren said. "This is absolutely not the case. Dean & DeLuca will not be a tenant of the Annapolis Market House nor have any interest in any entity which may ultimately become a tenant in the Annapolis Market House.
Fleetingly, the Moyer administration tried to cover its tracks. According to a Washington Post article on September 29,2005:
Agee and Moyer said they could find no record of the Nov. 9 communication referred to by Dahlgren.
If this is true, how do you explain the fact that:
On Nov. 10, one day after Dahlgren said Neller made it clear that Dean & DeLuca wasn't interested, three members of the city's negotiating team made train reservations to visit him in Manhattan.
Two of the people who went to this meeting were Emory Harrison, the then-director of central services, and Mike Miron, the then-and current-director of economic development. They were so disconcerted by the meeting that they recommended scrapping the deal. On December 8, 2005, Harrison sent an email to then-and current-city administrator Bob Agee, stating:
(We should be) placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of D&D....The City lived up to it's end of the deal, D&D did not.
Agee retorted.....
Am very optimistic things will be working out well...Do not know why we need to have notes flying about dealing emphasizing blame etc.
....apparently writing this email with his new pair of rose-colored glasses. Agee and Mayor Moyer continued in a state of denial, asserting that D & D's refusal to sign the lease was merely a negotiating tactic!! Agee and Moyer undertook a media effort--or propaganda campaign to use AP's preferred linguistic style--that tried to paint a pretty picture to the public. This less-than-accurate portrayal took its toll on the people who had to maintain the facade:
"What was that fairy tale about spinning straw into gold?" wrote city spokeswoman Jan Hardesty in an internal e-mail. "Rumblestiltskin? I'm beginning to feel that's my new role in life."
It was rumored that D & D was in danger of bankruptcy, and was on the verge of being acquired. Evidence seems to support the plausibility of this theory, as there were major changes to the management of D & D during this period.
As the Moyer administration began to accept that D & D was out, she tried to give the deal exclusively to Annapolis Seafood. But this was illegal, since D & D was the winning bidder for the property. The next proposed solution was to have D & D sign the lease, then turn over its interests to Annapolis Seafood. But several alderman rightly objected. It was then decided that the city would get out of the landlord business, and the lease to the property was given to the orginal runner-up bidder: Site Realty.
The Problem With the Result
There are 2 major areas of concern with the current site: design and content (tenants).
The first design flaw may just be my opinion, and it involves the layout. There are two main entrances, on either width of the building, that create a corridor for walking the length of the building and patronizing the shops. This single corridor is divided by chest-high counters through the middle of the aisle. The result is a capacity of about 3 people that can be in line at any given time at any given merchant. I'm no feng shui guru, but it seems to me that this could have been done better, perhaps with more than 2 doors.
The second design flaw is indisputable: the air conditioning. One of two things happened:
Either
1. the original engineer/contractor screwed up by installing an HVAC unit that is woefully inadequate
or
2. the original design was correct for the D & D plans, but the higher amount of heat produced by the current tenants required more power, and the result is an HVAC unit that is woefully inadequate
The world may never know who is to blame for this, but there are many aspects of the HVAC unit that are woeful. It is ugly, takes up parking spaces, still does not cool properly, and just the temporary unit costs the taxpayers multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. The city wanted to use the same company to fix the HVAC that installed the first unit, and the bottom line is that while the mayor jet sets around the world, this is still not fixed.
The second problem is the tenants. Pretty much all commercial franchises. The aforementioned Emory Harrison was the person responsible for selecting from the 75 applicants:
When making his decisions, Harrison "tried to keep the market's product distribution in line with the goods and services that the public would want. For example, there will be no crafts or tee shirt shops," he says.
Is this really what the public wants? A food court? What data do you have that supports this? Promising some semblance of a market, Mr. Harrison remarked:
There will also be some seasonal outdoor vendors under the eaves of the Market House...selling fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, but not in the plaza area....The city will be giving preference to local farmers.
If this has happened, I have yet to see it.
Who Can I Blame?
Frankly, everyone. As my friend http://www.annapoliscapitalpunishment.blogspot.com/ pointed out, something so big and so wrong cannot be achieved by one person. My personal opinion is that the person at the top has to take responsibility. We are not talking about construction problems or technical oversights; this project suffered from a lack of strategic vision, poor and divided leadership, poor oversight, a failure to address the facts, and apparent unwillingness to assess and provide for the actual wishes of the public. If you ask me, Mayor Moyer is at fault. But, here is a list of others who can share in that blame, and why.
-Mayor Moyer: with great power comes great responsibility.
-Bob Agee: conspirator in effort to ignore facts and mislead public
-D & D: for starting negotiations they could not finish
-Emory Harrison: for selecting the tenants
-the HVAC conglomerate: for messing up the air conditioning
-the old tenants: for failing to unify and preserve/improve the market house
-you and me: for allowing the mayor to be re-elected in the middle of all of this
So, What Now?
We have to accept that the market house is what it is. We have to fix the air conditioning, and restore the market house to a central, attractive city fixture (or at least as close as it can get). After that, the rest is up to the consumers. If we like the market house--if we find it useful--we can go there. If we like it enough that it is profitable, it will stay there. If not, businesses will start leaving, and the city will have to go through this again. Hopefully by that time we can decide what we want our market house to be.
Showing posts with label madam mayor moyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label madam mayor moyer. Show all posts
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Monday, July 16, 2007
Market House
With the Mayor in hibernation, AP will now take an examination of the market house--an issue that should have singularly defeated the mayor's re-election campaign, but did not. Today we will ignore the air conditioning situation and focus on the tenant situation.
The original market house, of course, was created by an act of the Maryland General Assembly in 1683.
Umm, was Maryland even a state in 1683?
(..........research......)
Answer: no. Kinda' in 1776, but really 1788. So maybe it was the General Assembly of the Royal English Colony of Maryland.
Umm, when was the American Revolution?
(research, etc., so forth, so on, .....)
Answer: revolutionary era began in 1760's. So yes, probably a royal english colony. It appears that I was doodling in my Meade 5-star Trapper Keeper in lieu of paying attention in history class.
Here is my guess as to what occupied the original market house:
-blacksmith
-fishmonger
-yeomen of the great chamber
-wise sage
-map detailing route to outhouse
-starbucks
Here is a partial list of what is there now:
1. crab cake place
2. italian pastry franchise
3. local bank branch
4. donut franchise
5. soft pretzel mega-franchise
6. irish place
7. pizza place
8. cereal buffet
9. nice bathrooms
10. no starbucks!
Now, clearly we don't expect the place to stay the same. But, even as recently as when I was a teenager, the place had character.
Ten years ago, there was no clear path through the market house and traversing successfully through all of the corners was a source of pride for locals. Today, locals, tourists, and politicians alike are herded like robots to the franchise of their choice via the only thruway.
Ten years ago, a resident or someone working downtown could get comforting food at a good price from a long-standing family vendor. Today that is gone, and you can get a pretzel, a crab cake, or a donut from a highly commercialized franchise.
This is what we waited two years for? This is why we still can't park? Attention Moyer administration: I wish there were no term limits so I could vote you back for another 756 years! (Remember, we are robots, we can live that long.)(Attention Moyer administration: I probably would not vote for you and we really can't live that long, except in Ward 8.)
As it is now the wee hours of July 16 it is now my birthday. In observation of this day, and in recognition of my promise to not speak of the air conditioning situation, this post is over. As I am now 26 years old, I expect to be exponentially better at this blogging exercise than when i was 25, and you lucky folks will reap the benefits!
The original market house, of course, was created by an act of the Maryland General Assembly in 1683.
Umm, was Maryland even a state in 1683?
(..........research......)
Answer: no. Kinda' in 1776, but really 1788. So maybe it was the General Assembly of the Royal English Colony of Maryland.
Umm, when was the American Revolution?
(research, etc., so forth, so on, .....)
Answer: revolutionary era began in 1760's. So yes, probably a royal english colony. It appears that I was doodling in my Meade 5-star Trapper Keeper in lieu of paying attention in history class.
Here is my guess as to what occupied the original market house:
-blacksmith
-fishmonger
-yeomen of the great chamber
-wise sage
-map detailing route to outhouse
-starbucks
Here is a partial list of what is there now:
1. crab cake place
2. italian pastry franchise
3. local bank branch
4. donut franchise
5. soft pretzel mega-franchise
6. irish place
7. pizza place
8. cereal buffet
9. nice bathrooms
10. no starbucks!
Now, clearly we don't expect the place to stay the same. But, even as recently as when I was a teenager, the place had character.
Ten years ago, there was no clear path through the market house and traversing successfully through all of the corners was a source of pride for locals. Today, locals, tourists, and politicians alike are herded like robots to the franchise of their choice via the only thruway.
Ten years ago, a resident or someone working downtown could get comforting food at a good price from a long-standing family vendor. Today that is gone, and you can get a pretzel, a crab cake, or a donut from a highly commercialized franchise.
This is what we waited two years for? This is why we still can't park? Attention Moyer administration: I wish there were no term limits so I could vote you back for another 756 years! (Remember, we are robots, we can live that long.)(Attention Moyer administration: I probably would not vote for you and we really can't live that long, except in Ward 8.)
As it is now the wee hours of July 16 it is now my birthday. In observation of this day, and in recognition of my promise to not speak of the air conditioning situation, this post is over. As I am now 26 years old, I expect to be exponentially better at this blogging exercise than when i was 25, and you lucky folks will reap the benefits!
Friday, July 13, 2007
4th of July Parade
For at least the 7th year in a row, yours truly showed his patriotic spirit by participating in the city of Annapolis 4th of July Parade. Three generations of like minded individuals formed the Annapolis Sons of the Signers, an organized and well respected social group (and by organized I mean we meet for happy hour every Friday and by well-respected I mean we pay our tab) that recently acquired a fleet of 4 fire trucks for parade and other purposes. 'Signers' refers to the 4 signers of the Declaration of Independence from Annapolis: William Paca, Charles Carroll, Thomas Stone, and Samuel Chase.
Having won the mayor's cup for the 14th consecutive year, I have ordained myself a parade expert, and thus have standing to review a letter written to the editor of The Capital concerning the monumental event.
(Note to readers: the mayor's cup is a fictional prize, conceived by A.S.S. 14 years ago, awarded to the best float or group in the parade. Predictably, we are 14-time grand champions.)
This letter appeared in The Capital on July 12:
Happy Fourth of July! Welcome to Annapolis and to our small-town parade!
Thank you!
In case you joined the parade halfway through, you still had time to see a fleet of Corvettes, five more politicians seeking election, another fleet of Corvettes, a caravan of Mini Coopers, and about a dozen conversion vans, some of which had "for sale" signs splayed across their windshields.
First, the actual meaning of 'splayed' has nothing to do with what you are talking about, so I am going to assume that either you erred or The Capital erred, and you really meant 'displayed'. Second, very astute observation my friend. The procession of Corvettes can actually be seen from space, and the only thing more boring than mini coopers and conversion vans is reading a transcript of the mayor's no-travel-by-aircraft philosophy. As for the politicians: slippery slope, slippery slope. I tend to agree that candidates should not be allowed, but elected officials should. That's part of the deal: democracy: they represent us: etc.
I forgot about the legion of Segways advertising their local business. What about the American Legion? I don't recall World War II being fought on the back of Segways.
Perhaps you could have used a more recent reference. Perhaps the War on Terror. Perhaps, indeed, any of the other wars fought since 1945. I have been reliably informed that, to date, no wars have been fought on the back of Segways.
The crowds lining the parade route would have stood and cheered for our women and men in uniform--both past and present. Instead we were left numb by the meager wave of a politician and the exhaust of late-model muscle car.
I am starting to think that you are just a curmudgeon and would not be a fun person to eat hard-shell crabs with. But then again, I am cranky from the exhaust of an early-model 1954 Mack Deisel Pumper Truck from the town of Orange, NJ.
The parade's failure to honor the real contributors to our society and to our freedom and safety--such as veterans and non elected public servants--is the real story here. Our Annapolis parade has become a car show and an election campaign activity rather than a celebration of those who struggled, and continue to struggle, for our independence and freedom.
I will agree with you here, on the main point of your letter. The parade is a bit of a calamity. Our group hangs banners of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, has a marching band that plays patriotic tunes, throws candy to children, and shows how many people of different backgrounds and circumstances all enjoy in the spirit of our country. We do not solicit anything and do not stand to gain (except in ego) from our participation in the parade. Many other groups, and individuals, just the opposite.
And the band played on--except that there were only two in the parade.
JOHN BURKE, Annapolis
The A.S.S. band held rehearsals and kept a tune the entire time. Looks like we will make a historic triumph next year with our 15th consecutive mayor's cup!
Having won the mayor's cup for the 14th consecutive year, I have ordained myself a parade expert, and thus have standing to review a letter written to the editor of The Capital concerning the monumental event.
(Note to readers: the mayor's cup is a fictional prize, conceived by A.S.S. 14 years ago, awarded to the best float or group in the parade. Predictably, we are 14-time grand champions.)
This letter appeared in The Capital on July 12:
Happy Fourth of July! Welcome to Annapolis and to our small-town parade!
Thank you!
In case you joined the parade halfway through, you still had time to see a fleet of Corvettes, five more politicians seeking election, another fleet of Corvettes, a caravan of Mini Coopers, and about a dozen conversion vans, some of which had "for sale" signs splayed across their windshields.
First, the actual meaning of 'splayed' has nothing to do with what you are talking about, so I am going to assume that either you erred or The Capital erred, and you really meant 'displayed'. Second, very astute observation my friend. The procession of Corvettes can actually be seen from space, and the only thing more boring than mini coopers and conversion vans is reading a transcript of the mayor's no-travel-by-aircraft philosophy. As for the politicians: slippery slope, slippery slope. I tend to agree that candidates should not be allowed, but elected officials should. That's part of the deal: democracy: they represent us: etc.
I forgot about the legion of Segways advertising their local business. What about the American Legion? I don't recall World War II being fought on the back of Segways.
Perhaps you could have used a more recent reference. Perhaps the War on Terror. Perhaps, indeed, any of the other wars fought since 1945. I have been reliably informed that, to date, no wars have been fought on the back of Segways.
The crowds lining the parade route would have stood and cheered for our women and men in uniform--both past and present. Instead we were left numb by the meager wave of a politician and the exhaust of late-model muscle car.
I am starting to think that you are just a curmudgeon and would not be a fun person to eat hard-shell crabs with. But then again, I am cranky from the exhaust of an early-model 1954 Mack Deisel Pumper Truck from the town of Orange, NJ.
The parade's failure to honor the real contributors to our society and to our freedom and safety--such as veterans and non elected public servants--is the real story here. Our Annapolis parade has become a car show and an election campaign activity rather than a celebration of those who struggled, and continue to struggle, for our independence and freedom.
I will agree with you here, on the main point of your letter. The parade is a bit of a calamity. Our group hangs banners of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, has a marching band that plays patriotic tunes, throws candy to children, and shows how many people of different backgrounds and circumstances all enjoy in the spirit of our country. We do not solicit anything and do not stand to gain (except in ego) from our participation in the parade. Many other groups, and individuals, just the opposite.
And the band played on--except that there were only two in the parade.
JOHN BURKE, Annapolis
The A.S.S. band held rehearsals and kept a tune the entire time. Looks like we will make a historic triumph next year with our 15th consecutive mayor's cup!
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
City Council Meeting, July 9 2007
This legislative meting was relatively pain free, save for having to endure the chair-woman-ship of Dr. Hoyle since Madam Mayor is in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I mean, where did this woman get her PhD. Oh well, here is the summary of what happened.
BILLS PASSED
-O-51-06: leasing of 2 parking spaces downtown to Discover Annapolis Tours
-O-17-07: letting the city sell trash without a peddler's permit
-O-34-07: issuing $28,900,000 in bonds
-R-32-07: special tax district for Park Place
Now, for some awards.
Dumb Bill of the Day Award: Alderman Sam Shropsire's bill to ban the use of plastic bags.
Asshole Award: Several of the below mentioned environmentalist hippie types refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance, and did not put their hands on their hearts.
Do you Care About Your Job Award: Tough competition here, as both the Mayor and Ward 8 Alderman were absent. In a close race, this award goes to Mr. Arnett--at least the Mayor has an excuse.
And now, for some observations.
It seems like every time Ward 1 Alderman Dick Israel offers a bill, everyone wants to be added as a co-sponsor. Is this because Mr. Israel is a particularly likable fella? Probably not. My guess is: it's because generally Mr. Israel actually takes the time to research his positions, and speaks from his background competency in many relevant issues. Ehh, makes you wonder how qualified the other Aldermen are.
NEWS BULLETIN: Ward 3 Alderman Mike Christman awakes from hibernation! Just kidding. But the often reserved alderman did manage to 'second' a bill when nobody else did, thereby allowing the records to show that he was actually at the meeting.
Next meeting: public hearing July 23 at 7 pm. This one should be good!
BILLS PASSED
-O-51-06: leasing of 2 parking spaces downtown to Discover Annapolis Tours
-O-17-07: letting the city sell trash without a peddler's permit
-O-34-07: issuing $28,900,000 in bonds
-R-32-07: special tax district for Park Place
Now, for some awards.
Dumb Bill of the Day Award: Alderman Sam Shropsire's bill to ban the use of plastic bags.
Asshole Award: Several of the below mentioned environmentalist hippie types refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance, and did not put their hands on their hearts.
Do you Care About Your Job Award: Tough competition here, as both the Mayor and Ward 8 Alderman were absent. In a close race, this award goes to Mr. Arnett--at least the Mayor has an excuse.
And now, for some observations.
It seems like every time Ward 1 Alderman Dick Israel offers a bill, everyone wants to be added as a co-sponsor. Is this because Mr. Israel is a particularly likable fella? Probably not. My guess is: it's because generally Mr. Israel actually takes the time to research his positions, and speaks from his background competency in many relevant issues. Ehh, makes you wonder how qualified the other Aldermen are.
NEWS BULLETIN: Ward 3 Alderman Mike Christman awakes from hibernation! Just kidding. But the often reserved alderman did manage to 'second' a bill when nobody else did, thereby allowing the records to show that he was actually at the meeting.
Next meeting: public hearing July 23 at 7 pm. This one should be good!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
I am Madam Mayor Moyer and You Will Do What I Want
In an amazing display of bravado, Madam Mayor Moyer fired a department head after he expressed concern over something that contradicted her royal highness.
When it came time for Mr. Patmore, the director of public works, to comment on the mayor's proposal to shut down the city dock for a weekend and let between 2000 and 5000 people come to the city for a triathlon, use its resources, and swim in its waters, all for a grand total of (get this) $1 in rent, Mr. Patmore said:
The city is going to be a nightmare ... as far as street sanitation is concerned and as far as trash is concerned.
Quite right. Not to mention the city doesn't even have the necessary permit from the coast guard, which requires a 130 day advanced notice. Also not to mention that businesses downtown and on the water will lose money because nobody that is not competing in the bloody event will dare go downtown, even if they were able to.
Response from Madam Mayor Moyer: Mr. Patmore is fired.
Statement (from The Capital):
Mr. Patmore is the only department head whose contract was not renewed, Ms. Moyer said. But she said his dismissal was "unfortunate timing" and that his testimony at the meeting was not the reason for his dismissal.
"He's always been very good in bringing to me the concerns with any capital project," Ms. Moyer said. "In the hearing on the triathlon, he brought some issues before the council, some of which I happened to agree with."
Please, I beg you, make your own judgement. He was the only dept. director not to be renewed--the only stinking one! There are other department heads (read: police chief) that could stand to have way more scrutiny than ol' Patmore.
I have personally sat in on meetings where Mr. Patmore participated, including his department's annual review of it's budget, and he appeared to me as a quite capable servant.
When it came time for Mr. Patmore, the director of public works, to comment on the mayor's proposal to shut down the city dock for a weekend and let between 2000 and 5000 people come to the city for a triathlon, use its resources, and swim in its waters, all for a grand total of (get this) $1 in rent, Mr. Patmore said:
The city is going to be a nightmare ... as far as street sanitation is concerned and as far as trash is concerned.
Quite right. Not to mention the city doesn't even have the necessary permit from the coast guard, which requires a 130 day advanced notice. Also not to mention that businesses downtown and on the water will lose money because nobody that is not competing in the bloody event will dare go downtown, even if they were able to.
Response from Madam Mayor Moyer: Mr. Patmore is fired.
Statement (from The Capital):
Mr. Patmore is the only department head whose contract was not renewed, Ms. Moyer said. But she said his dismissal was "unfortunate timing" and that his testimony at the meeting was not the reason for his dismissal.
"He's always been very good in bringing to me the concerns with any capital project," Ms. Moyer said. "In the hearing on the triathlon, he brought some issues before the council, some of which I happened to agree with."
Please, I beg you, make your own judgement. He was the only dept. director not to be renewed--the only stinking one! There are other department heads (read: police chief) that could stand to have way more scrutiny than ol' Patmore.
I have personally sat in on meetings where Mr. Patmore participated, including his department's annual review of it's budget, and he appeared to me as a quite capable servant.
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