What the ham folks! Parking is a problem?
When will the word, concept and or debate ever end in our Lil' Apple? Like, we didn't know beforehand that the opening of new restaurants and residential buildings was going to be a problem before it became one? Really?
The City of Asbury paid these guys big bucks to tell us what we already know and then some.
What we already knew-
1- more parking spaces
2- enforcing parking
3- more lots
4- make the Bang's Avenue Parking Garage actually work efficiently
5- have seasonal parking to encourage off season business
Things we knew but didn't want to-
1- raise fees
2- have variable fees for special events like July 4th and big concert
3- have a parking czar. What's the pay? I'm game to take it on...hah
4- raise the parking permit fees to offset the loss of daily parking income
Things they didn't consider (granted I've only seen the highlights of the report)-
1- Enforcing the law that new residential construction has parking rather than paying the city a fee to not have it
2- Eminent Domaine the empty lots between the downtown and waterfront and build a parking garage or force iStar to build one
3- This one is from Ernesto What's his name, conservative ranter in the Tri City News. Tear down the ugly police station and city hall and put a parking garage there. His idea is to move City Hall over to Springwood Ave. I like that. Actually i think this was the first article by him I actually could get past two sentences.LOL
I'd add move them for sure and build not only a garage but a performing arts center and a cool train and bus station.
The problem with the Lil' Apple is the lack of visionaries whether it comes to parking or urban design.
Maybe we should higher a Visionary consultant....oh, OH, I want that job...Please...PLEASE!
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Force Majeure
Force Majeure-"A French term literally translated as "greater force", this clause is included in contracts to remove liability for natural and unavoidable catastrophes that interrupt the expected course of events and restrict participants from fulfilling obligations."
Super Storm Sandy brought to light in so many of our lives the thought that the "Status Quo" is over. It's time for rethinking so many of our priorities in the way we live. Having spent some time in Ortley Beach, north of Seaside Heights, just after the storm, I stood there and thought do we need so much stuff in our lives?
Here in the Lil' Apple the term Force Majeure came up at the City council meeting the other night. I was there to hear the discussion of parking and the Convention Hall closing and how it will impact our world here. We took a big hit from the storm and I want to invoke Force Majeure with the city.
1- Suspend fees for outdoor seating permits.
2- Don't add or increase fees for signs, permits, etc.
3- Stop the craziness of taking over private parking lots. We have our agreements with our landlord that will be voided. Is that legal?
Which brings up the question is it legal for government to take control of private property? Just sayin'.
4- Force Majeure- come to terms with Madison Marquette on getting Convention Hall up and operating. Put all your egos in a box and float them out to sea. We have bigger fish to fry! Let's not make the Lil'Apple into Lil'Washington.
No programming in the Paramount and Convention Hall is a disastrous thought for the season. I like the idea the Werner guy brought up of talking with IStar about using one of those empty lots near Wesley Grove for parking. How about for employee parking instead of the crazy idea of having staff parking up at Bradley Cove. The thought of my staff leaving work late at night and walking to up there, oh boy!
Haven't we all taken enough of a hit that agreement can't be found in the short term at least to have a great season?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Well, hello Guv'ner
Can you believe it's March and i haven't written a word here since New Year's. Ma bad.
So the other night we catered the Governor's Cocktail Fundraiser. At work we don't do politics. Actually we catered the Green Party on Sunday and Congressman Pallone's soiree a few weeks ago before Bruce's Ranney School benefit at the Pony. So, I feel we are an equal opportunity caterer...lol. Have to say it would have been fun to do one for Ann little and the Tea Party just to get a better perspective on it all.
The Guv was nice. He came through the kitchen at the Berkeley posed for pics and chatted while he waited for his speech. Seemed pretty down to earth and I think he's slimming a bit too. National Media and overweight don't mix well.
Then the Guv gave his speech. He's a good speaker when preaching to the choir. Made a few jokes about the blizzard and Florida, how Jerry Brown in California is following his lead and how Andrew Cuomo must be his brother, albeit separated at birth, because the Guv said he would do something and then Guv. Cuomo would do the same..it was cute...at least. The referencing to Walker in Wisconsin and unions....hmmmmmmmmm
I usually joke that I am going on a union break at work. I was nervous to use the "U" word around the GOP but I couldn't help myself...hehehe
I even got a pic myself being hugged by our Guv. Sweet!.....Maybe same-sex marriage will be back on his agenda..LOL
Ahhh...I don't think so
So the other night we catered the Governor's Cocktail Fundraiser. At work we don't do politics. Actually we catered the Green Party on Sunday and Congressman Pallone's soiree a few weeks ago before Bruce's Ranney School benefit at the Pony. So, I feel we are an equal opportunity caterer...lol. Have to say it would have been fun to do one for Ann little and the Tea Party just to get a better perspective on it all.
The Guv was nice. He came through the kitchen at the Berkeley posed for pics and chatted while he waited for his speech. Seemed pretty down to earth and I think he's slimming a bit too. National Media and overweight don't mix well.
Then the Guv gave his speech. He's a good speaker when preaching to the choir. Made a few jokes about the blizzard and Florida, how Jerry Brown in California is following his lead and how Andrew Cuomo must be his brother, albeit separated at birth, because the Guv said he would do something and then Guv. Cuomo would do the same..it was cute...at least. The referencing to Walker in Wisconsin and unions....hmmmmmmmmm
I usually joke that I am going on a union break at work. I was nervous to use the "U" word around the GOP but I couldn't help myself...hehehe
I even got a pic myself being hugged by our Guv. Sweet!.....Maybe same-sex marriage will be back on his agenda..LOL
Ahhh...I don't think so
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Yeah, it's been awhile....must be Cabin Fever
I was hoping that Gov. Christie would do a George W. You know take a fly by of the state and then head back to Disney World. There is comfort sometimes when history repeats itself. LOL
I mean what was he thinking? And then the LT. Gov is in Mexico? I'm sorry it isn't like the blizzard was a surprise. And I wouldn't mention it if the State did a decent job. It took days for the state to plow 35 (and that's an emergency evacuation route for some parts of the shore) and 71/Main St. Even if you could get your car out you couldn't get more than a few blocks until yesterday. Even here in Ocean Grove hardly any streets besides the major ones have been plowed. Luckily I park on Broadway and they plowed that Monday but forget about all the people on the side streets. My partners car just around the corner has no chance of getting it out...yet!
I was downtown in Asbury last night and there were businesses with mountains of snow in front of their shops. It's wrong!
It took the city there 3 days to get Ocean Ave. Plowed!!! What's up wit dat? (my favorite segment on Saturday Night Live)
Guess there is going to be a whole lot of reckoning after this. Lots of finger pointing. Not that I would ever do that...hehehe
My only worry is what happens the next time we get a storm?
Will history repeat itself?
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Ahhh...The Gay Apple Life and it's not about sex
Gay, Metro, Lil' Applesse
Years ago there used to be this discourse on the difference between being gay and being a homosexual. The conversation was about lifestyle vs sexuality. There were many homosexuals who felt they weren't gay because they didn't participate in was known at the time as Gay Culture.
Then came the time of Metrosexuals, who were straight people, mostly men, that embraced many of the facets of what mainstream considered gay culture. Facets like design awareness, fashion consciousness, personal beauty and fitness and living a life that was different then the "normal" of getting married and having kids.
Now I see the reversal. Where same-sex partners took on the facets of the straight lifestyle. Creating homes, unions that are almost marriage and having kids, letting there gym memberships expire, spending their money on investing, cars, buying those homes and improving them and in the Lil" Apple creating a suburban lifestyle.
Also in Asbury I see a whole accepted culture of straight people living what you might call a gay suburban lifestyle. Partners in living together but not legally married, not interested in having kids, at yard sales collecting, more into decorating their homes than investing in them, at the gym taking care of themselves and striving for personal beauty and reading the NY Times Style section on Sundays.
I love it! And that's why I call our city the Little Apple.
It's great to see the that every year there is an higher acceptance level here of the diversity of lifestyles. Go Lil' Apple.
It seems to me that at least on the local level there is a unforced but effective grassroots change in thinking. Hopefully it will bring about some changes in law that would allow equal civil rights to all our citizens.
I even know many a Republican here who would agree. Now that's great too.
Years ago there used to be this discourse on the difference between being gay and being a homosexual. The conversation was about lifestyle vs sexuality. There were many homosexuals who felt they weren't gay because they didn't participate in was known at the time as Gay Culture.
Then came the time of Metrosexuals, who were straight people, mostly men, that embraced many of the facets of what mainstream considered gay culture. Facets like design awareness, fashion consciousness, personal beauty and fitness and living a life that was different then the "normal" of getting married and having kids.
Now I see the reversal. Where same-sex partners took on the facets of the straight lifestyle. Creating homes, unions that are almost marriage and having kids, letting there gym memberships expire, spending their money on investing, cars, buying those homes and improving them and in the Lil" Apple creating a suburban lifestyle.
Also in Asbury I see a whole accepted culture of straight people living what you might call a gay suburban lifestyle. Partners in living together but not legally married, not interested in having kids, at yard sales collecting, more into decorating their homes than investing in them, at the gym taking care of themselves and striving for personal beauty and reading the NY Times Style section on Sundays.
I love it! And that's why I call our city the Little Apple.
It's great to see the that every year there is an higher acceptance level here of the diversity of lifestyles. Go Lil' Apple.
It seems to me that at least on the local level there is a unforced but effective grassroots change in thinking. Hopefully it will bring about some changes in law that would allow equal civil rights to all our citizens.
I even know many a Republican here who would agree. Now that's great too.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Wow, really?
Damn, I haven't posted since before New year's. Bad Big D, Bad Big D!!!!....Ok Jake, come over and spank me.
Speaking of spanking....and though I should be first in line....I think Big D needs to give his first Big D's Big Spank Award today.
The envelope please......(music)
Big D's First Big Spank Award goes to ......The City of Asbury Park's City Council...tadah!
The award is given in recognition of the continuing advancement of creating the most warped legacy.
I though their legacy for the beginning of the new decade would be about Parking but they have topped that with Trees.
Maybe it's premature to give them this award because of the saying that "all comes in threes" and they could very easily top the last topper.
Good thing I decided my Spank Award isn't an annual thing but issued only when deserved. Like spanking your kids. (Can you still do that legally? I'm not a parent, well, I do want to spank my staff at times and not for any ones pleasure, LOL)
The City council gets this award for acting like kids. Then pretend to listen and care and then just do what they were going to do in the first place. And like a kid who sometimes leaps before they look, the Council gets this stubborn idea in their heads and doesn't look at possible alternatives and consequences.
So here's to the Asbury Park's City Council, et al
Spank, Spank, Spank, Spank, Spank.......and spank for the et als
Congrats!
Speaking of spanking....and though I should be first in line....I think Big D needs to give his first Big D's Big Spank Award today.
The envelope please......(music)
Big D's First Big Spank Award goes to ......The City of Asbury Park's City Council...tadah!
The award is given in recognition of the continuing advancement of creating the most warped legacy.
I though their legacy for the beginning of the new decade would be about Parking but they have topped that with Trees.
Maybe it's premature to give them this award because of the saying that "all comes in threes" and they could very easily top the last topper.
Good thing I decided my Spank Award isn't an annual thing but issued only when deserved. Like spanking your kids. (Can you still do that legally? I'm not a parent, well, I do want to spank my staff at times and not for any ones pleasure, LOL)
The City council gets this award for acting like kids. Then pretend to listen and care and then just do what they were going to do in the first place. And like a kid who sometimes leaps before they look, the Council gets this stubborn idea in their heads and doesn't look at possible alternatives and consequences.
So here's to the Asbury Park's City Council, et al
Spank, Spank, Spank, Spank, Spank.......and spank for the et als
Congrats!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
End of decades....
Cleaning out the clutter needs to be the top of any one's New Year's resolution list. I have begun mine. And Mother Nature did her job today by clearing away the snow that the Little Apple's snow plows barely got to. Thanks MN, only you could get it right!
Now I'll clean up some TCN clutter. Left vs right stuff.
I find it funny that the "progressives" are hitting hard on Obama and the J Right has calmed down a bit. Personally I was a Hillary fan until her concession. I just like smart, pragmatic and progressive thinking politicians. Just because Barack is mixed race and young for a president didn't make min a liberal or as some wacky people have thrown on him a "socialist." Never got that and still don't. The guy has always been a moderate in my eyes. And with his world view as a facilitator, the role of compromiser goes hand and hand with that stature. I think we got what we paid for. We knew with him and Hillary we were going to get out of Iraq and deeper into Afghanistan. We knew that it was going to take a long time to put the economy back in shape along with some deep Wall St. cultural changes. I knew that health care reform was going to be a beginning not and end. Like Social Security and Medicare were in the beginning. I knew the guy wasn't really into same sex stuff and wouldn't do much for awhile. Look at the toll Bill took with that in the beginning of his presidency. Actually I find Barack and Bill closer in moves than Barack and Hillary.
I guess my point is get rid of the rhetorical clutter and push your people whether you voted for them or not to move on the issues you care about. Big D always says there are no miracle answers. There are a lot of micro answers.
This year i have to decide if I am going to switch my residency from the Big Apple to down here. I have lived in the city most of my life but was born and raised down here. Now, that my life in this moment has shifted me back here, it's a dilemma.
When it comes to politics if I start to vote here I got these great battles ahead. Like get rid of the silly guys Kean and Christie. I was an independent most of my voting age life until I became a registered Democrat to be able to get some say in the primaries. Big D is not a two party system kind of guy but I'm pragmatic when it comes to politics. I'd much prefer multiple parties and governing by consensus. For Big D the independent guy for governor here was the best candidate but I was in NYC that day voting to unseat Bloomberg. We almost did it, hehehehe
After or before my resolution of getting rid of clutter, Big D wants to do something really good for the world this year. No, not world peace. I'm too pragmatic for that, it's not in our nature. I want to do something a pushes the world a little further in the direction of tolerance and understanding.
Any suggestions? let me know
Merry, merry and Happy New Decade!
Big D
Now I'll clean up some TCN clutter. Left vs right stuff.
I find it funny that the "progressives" are hitting hard on Obama and the J Right has calmed down a bit. Personally I was a Hillary fan until her concession. I just like smart, pragmatic and progressive thinking politicians. Just because Barack is mixed race and young for a president didn't make min a liberal or as some wacky people have thrown on him a "socialist." Never got that and still don't. The guy has always been a moderate in my eyes. And with his world view as a facilitator, the role of compromiser goes hand and hand with that stature. I think we got what we paid for. We knew with him and Hillary we were going to get out of Iraq and deeper into Afghanistan. We knew that it was going to take a long time to put the economy back in shape along with some deep Wall St. cultural changes. I knew that health care reform was going to be a beginning not and end. Like Social Security and Medicare were in the beginning. I knew the guy wasn't really into same sex stuff and wouldn't do much for awhile. Look at the toll Bill took with that in the beginning of his presidency. Actually I find Barack and Bill closer in moves than Barack and Hillary.
I guess my point is get rid of the rhetorical clutter and push your people whether you voted for them or not to move on the issues you care about. Big D always says there are no miracle answers. There are a lot of micro answers.
This year i have to decide if I am going to switch my residency from the Big Apple to down here. I have lived in the city most of my life but was born and raised down here. Now, that my life in this moment has shifted me back here, it's a dilemma.
When it comes to politics if I start to vote here I got these great battles ahead. Like get rid of the silly guys Kean and Christie. I was an independent most of my voting age life until I became a registered Democrat to be able to get some say in the primaries. Big D is not a two party system kind of guy but I'm pragmatic when it comes to politics. I'd much prefer multiple parties and governing by consensus. For Big D the independent guy for governor here was the best candidate but I was in NYC that day voting to unseat Bloomberg. We almost did it, hehehehe
After or before my resolution of getting rid of clutter, Big D wants to do something really good for the world this year. No, not world peace. I'm too pragmatic for that, it's not in our nature. I want to do something a pushes the world a little further in the direction of tolerance and understanding.
Any suggestions? let me know
Merry, merry and Happy New Decade!
Big D
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