John Lassiter is a hoot.
The Charlotte city councilman claims that the city is doubling back to propose spending over $500,000 to buy up property in the Belmont neighborhood to help ensure Belmont grocers sell stuff besides cigarettes and 40-oz bottles. Uh, no.
Same as last year when city staff tried this, look at a map. Look at the route of the planned light extension to NoDa and beyond. Goes right the hell through Belmont. Why can’t anyone admit this?
City council and staff talk openly about using streetcars to redevelop Beatties Ford and Central Ave. They positively cannot stop claiming all sorts of developmental benefits for the South Blvd. line. But when it comes to the NE line and Belmont, shhh. Keep it on the down-low.
They can’t be afraid of the Uptown paper of record on this. Council already endured and skipped over a full-on caniption from Mary Newsom over “too-dense” development in South End last week, so plainly they are not afraid of that. Newsom correctly skewered the previous Belmont scheme back in March 2007.
But Mary, bless her heart, really thinks that when you enshrine higher density land use as your goal, the better to maximize spendable property tax revenue from each square foot of land, local officials will turn down 20 stories and take 10. Turn down $2m. and be content with $1m. Will never happen. Ever.
And cash is driving the city’s interest in Belmont as well. The way staff pitches it is spend a few hundred thousand, get millions in new tax base; spend millions, get tens of millions, etc.
Brew and smokes? That’s chump change. Displacing working-class folks from their neighborhoods? Who?
Bonus Recollection: Don’t forget that the General Assembly last year approved a $15m. tax break for Norfolk Southern to move its rail yard ops from Belmont and to the city owned airport. Smoke ’em if got ’em.
