Comments on: City Hall follies http://ottawalynxblog.com/2007/09/28/city-hall-follies/ There can be only one Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:11:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: Dave http://ottawalynxblog.com/2007/09/28/city-hall-follies/#comment-1276 Dave Sat, 29 Sep 2007 03:09:41 +0000 http://ottawalynxblog.com/2007/09/28/city-hall-follies/#comment-1276 Mr. Doucet says: “The city is in the quality-of-life business, not the business of creating profit opportunities for developers..." I'm right on board with you Carl, keep pushing I say. Of course, whoever this Mr. Doucet is, there never has been a statement that is more false than that one. Municipalities are PRECISELY in the business of creating profit via development. They ROUTINELY pave over (preferabley by getting developers or big money corporations to pay for it) parks, farmland, BASEBALL PARKS, drive-in theatres, bowling alleys (all things the public want in their communities) in order to put up big box power centres and "exciting retail opportunities" even before there are retailers to fill the space. It's all in the interest of "highest and best" use. And it's all a load of crap. Long live baseball. Mr. Doucet says:
“The city is in the quality-of-life business, not the business of creating profit opportunities for developers…”

I’m right on board with you Carl, keep pushing I say. Of course, whoever this Mr. Doucet is,
there never has been a statement that is more false than that one. Municipalities are PRECISELY in the business of creating profit via development. They ROUTINELY pave over (preferabley by getting developers or big money corporations to pay for it) parks, farmland, BASEBALL PARKS, drive-in theatres, bowling alleys (all things the public want in their communities) in order to put up big box power centres and “exciting retail opportunities” even before there are retailers to fill the space. It’s all in the interest of “highest and best” use. And it’s all a load of crap. Long live baseball.

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