Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich (and his staff) have been perpetually cranky about the Grand Ave project, always going negative on the deal. Now the Daily News reports that on the day that the Board of Supervisors is set to vote on an agreement to lease back park land to the developer, Anonvich has some problems with the deal. Antonovich's office is the go-to place for the media if they want a negative quote about Grand Ave, so even if his criticisms are indeed valid (and perhaps they are), he's now the Sup who cried wolf. Via the News: "...in a separate motion, Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich is asking his colleagues to delay today's vote and study whether the donated money, which has grown to $56 million with interest payments, could be used for purposes other than the park.
According to Antonovich, approval would commit the county to spending more than $50 million to plant trees, expand an existing fountain and replace parking ramps to an underground parking garage - "all on land already owned by public agencies."
"It only seems fair to ask whether this is a reasonable expenditure of public funds in an environment of decreasing sales and property tax revenues, an existing county hiring freeze, reduced federal and state aid, and the anticipated `curtailments' to personnel and programs in the county's 2010-11 budget," Antonovich wrote.
He's also objecting to plans to charge fee of up to $22 at public parking garages near the proposed park.
· Downtown park plan questioned [Daily News]
Loading comments...