Month: June 2019

From the “Headlines we’d like to see” department

Courtesy of follower Kate McVey:

David W. Dunlap, “Developer Agrees to Plan to Cut 12 Floors From a Too-Tall Tower.” New York Times, April 23, 1991.

  • A developer has agreed to rip the top 12 floors off an Upper East Side apartment tower that was built too tall for New York City’s zoning rules, a dramatic stroke that would bring the unoccupied structure into compliance with the law — five years after it was built.
  • Neither the builders nor opponents of the project could recall so drastic a penalty for a zoning violation.
  • “Our goal has been to insure that the Zoning Resolution is strictly enforced,” said Genie Rice, president of Civitas, “and that zoning violations be remedied by zoning compliance.”
  • In March 1989, the board unanimously refused the request [to let the error stand], saying that “the practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship claimed as a ground for the variance was self-created,” in that “reasonable diligence would have uncovered, for a good-faith inquirer, the existence of the eastern boundary” of the applicable zoning district.

A Zoning Board with . . . ballz.

Reflections on Southside Bethlehem, Part 2: “Ten years ago, there was nothing here”

(Second in a 5-part series of posts on the Southside by Anna Smith)

Anna Smith is a life-long Southside resident and Director of the Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem, a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life in south Bethlehem by fostering economic opportunity, promoting community development, and empowering residents to actively participate in the decision-making process regarding the future of our diverse community.

Gadfly:

“Ten years ago, there was nothing here”

This refrain is a classic remark at grand openings and ribbon cuttings throughout the Southside these days. I know why it is used—perhaps there was nothing here that attracted your attention, money, or time. However, as a lifelong resident, it’s hard not to take this personally; I was here. My family was here. We shopped, ate at restaurants, went to school, and played at parks here ten years ago.

We erase the livelihoods of thousands with a single phrase when we speak of development as if it has occurred on a blank canvas. Development never occurs in a vacuum—“nothing” may have been a vacant lot where neighborhood kids played or a makeshift community garden. Good, bad, or somewhere in between, I doubt it was nothing. In fact, there was a reason that someone chose to invest in this area to begin with—if there were nothing here, why would you spend time and money to build something new here?

History and perspective matter, and they inform the decisions we make and our evaluations of their potential impact. I don’t expect someone who doesn’t live in my neighborhood to truly understand its assets (how could they?), but I do expect them to try. Listening is a good place to start.

Anna

In these first two posts, Anna nails something important to me as I think of the “divide” between CPs Negron and Callahan on visions of the Southside. I tend to use their expressed views as my frame of reference. What I hear in BC is measuring change “in investment dollars, new construction, jobs created, businesses opened—the bigger the numbers, the better.”  ON measures change in a totally different way (though in her long remarks at the last Council meeting, she is certainly appreciative of and even proud of some of the things that BC talks about). “Listening is a good place to start.” Yes.

And check out the Southside Multi-Cultural Fest this weekend too

courtesy of CW Negron

HOLY INFANCY MULTI-CULTURAL FEST

Come join us for food, music and fun for the whole family!

 When: Friday, June 14th from 5:00-10:00 pm and Saturday, June 15th from Noon-10:00 pm, 2019.

 Where: Holy Infancy’s School at 4th and Webster Streets and extending into the beautiful Greenway behind the school.

 What: Come and enjoy delicious multicultural ethnic foods throughout the two-day family-friendly affair like no other in the Lehigh Valley.  Experience a variety of music from multiple cultures and ethnic dance performances, including community resources, museum displays, and children’s activities.

Please plan on coming and bring your neighbors, friends, and family!

For more information visit: www.holyinfancychurch.com or call at 610-866-1121

The cost of real democracy

(The latest in a series of posts on City government)

Peter Crownfield is officially retired but spends most of his time working with students in his role as internship coordinator for the Alliance for Sustainable Communities–Lehigh Valley.

Gadfly:

Regarding, the “Meeting Time Blues”:

1. Convenience for “staffers,” who are paid to be there, at the expense of the public‽ Not surprising for the CRIZ board, though, since their actions indicate that they have never really had the public interest at heart. All ABCs have to allow any time change to register—this could easily take a year after they start a campaign to make people aware of their issues.

2. Any board, whether they are considering evening meetings or already meet then, must realize that they need to couple that with making sure the public is aware of the issues to be considered—and their potential impacts, not just an arcane title. (Unless the board considers its actions unimportant, they should make clear the importance of what they are doing.)

3. The city should find a way to publicize the date, time, & location of every meeting as well as an annotated agenda that notes all the potential impacts. (On an easy-to-find page on the city website would be a good start.) In CA, for example, every issue on the ballot gets an unbiased analysis from a legislative analyst, showing both the pros & cons; before the election, these are sent to everyone as part of the sample ballot.

I suppose all these changes will cost some money, but that’s just the cost of real democracy.

Peter

Check out this “Southside” web site!

Gadfly calls your attention to this important project out of Lehigh University with which we plan to collaborate:

 Southsider: Celebrating Bethlehem’s Southside Culture

The Southsider Vision

Southsider focuses on celebrating our vibrant arts district by creating a forum for reportage on arts programming and local artists on the South Side of Bethlehem. With funding from the Mellon Digital Humanities Initiative and the South Side Initiative of Lehigh University, Southsider reporters compose articles that include reviews of theatrical performances, musical shows, films, and gallery openings. We also provide interviews with area artists and discussions of the ongoing arts programming and arts organizations on the South Side of Bethlehem.

We envision a website in which residents of Bethlehem can reflect upon the power and import of local arts events, artists, and cultural organizations. While Southsider staff will continue to pen articles for the site, we hope that community members also will take time to write pieces that discuss South Side arts and culture.

—–

Please put this one on your speed-dial!

Reflections on Southside Bethlehem, Part 1: Economic and Community Development

(First in a 5-part series of posts on the Southside by Anna Smith)

Anna Smith is a life-long Southside resident and Director of the Community Action Development Corporation of Bethlehem, a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life in south Bethlehem by fostering economic opportunity, promoting community development, and empowering residents to actively participate in the decision-making process regarding the future of our diverse community.

Neighborhoods change. And they have always changed. There’s no question that change continues in south Bethlehem, and, value judgments aside, most folks living in the City will agree that change is happening faster these days.

Recently, a colleague asked me what data points I track to measure economic development over time in south Bethlehem. Number of apartments? Rental prices? Number of employees? Commercial vacancies? Median sale prices of single-family homes? New investment dollars?

In the world of government and big business (under a neoliberal system), change tends to be measured in investment dollars, new construction, jobs created, businesses opened—the bigger the numbers, the better.

In my experience, however, when you ask neighbors what they think about their neighborhoods, they never cite these numbers to describe change. Changes in quality of life are measured in terms of friendly neighbors who stay put, trash on the street, dogs barking, leaving doors unlocked, walking to work or school, parks and green space, street lighting, police activity, graffiti, and safe places for children to play.

I think a lot about what quality of life means for our community as the director of an organization tasked with expanding economic opportunity and promoting community development in south Bethlehem. How do we identify quantitative and qualitative measures of “progress” that resonate at all levels with diverse stakeholders—local government, corporate funders, neighborhood organizations?

The indicators we track and how we interpret them shed light on our values, our priorities, and our goals as a community, and they will inevitably vary depending on the angle from which we are examining south Bethlehem. I don’t expect us all to agree—sharing different perspectives, debating their merits, and coming to collective decisions is what participatory democracy is all about.

From my perspective as both a lifelong resident of south Bethlehem and as the leader of an organization tasked with improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods, here are some of the things I’m thinking about as we debate neighborhood change and its winners and losers.

Anna

The meeting time blues

(The latest in a series of posts on City government)

The City has a whole bunch of Authorities, Boards, Commissions, and Committees at which your business is done.

They meet at various times Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 7PM.

No meeting time is perfect, of course.

And you realize that when there is a meeting that you want or you have to attend.

And it’s at a time when you work.

Lots of people have trouble attending the 3:30, 4, and 4:30 meetings because of work.

Diane Backus movingly complained about this at the important Planning Commission meeting on the Martin Tower site plan two months or so ago. Councilwoman Van Wirt complained also at that meeting and again at City Council. Both to good effect, since Gadfly reported that the Mayor had directed the ABCs in a May 6 memo to move meetings to the evening.

Here’s an example of the problem with meetings that start in the afternoon.

At the routine 4PM Planning Commission meeting yesterday afternoon, a resident objecting to a development proposal said he had emails from 9 neighbors — also objectors — who could not attend the meeting because of the time, and thus that the PC was hearing only a “tiny fraction of the neighborhood’s concern about the project.”

The PC did not rule in favor of the objectors at the meeting. One wonders if there would have been a different decision if 9 additional neighbors were present and registered their objections personally.

But it sounded as if the Mayor was mandating change in the meeting times to alleviate such resident time conflicts.

Well, not so, apparently — the Community Revitalization and Improvement Zone Board  (CRIZ) read the Mayor’s memo as a request to “consider” a meeting time change “to make it more convenient for the public to attend.” They did so “consider” the Mayor’s request at their June 5 meeting and decided not to change the time.

The negative discussion went like this: since meetings tend to involve more staffers than the public, the afternoon time is more “thoughtful” of staffer’s time; “not a lot of sense to move ordinary business meetings to 6 or 7 o’clock” when we have the ability to use special meetings when there are matters of more public interest; there haven’t been that many meeting where the public have attended, and we could hold meetings later if we thought the public wanted to come — so “keep the time where it is and move it when necessary”; change would mean getting other groups together to schedule the meeting room they all share; early in the morning may be better for merchants than 6-7PM; is dinner going to be served?

So be it.

But this one demurrer certainly caught Gadfly’s attention and should catch yours: “with family lives and two active teenagers, evenings can become more difficult to attend.”

Paraphrase: changing the time to make it more convenient for the public to attend meetings would interfere with my personal life.

Gadfly hopes that line is remembered when that Board member comes up for reappointment.

What we want is reinvigoration rather than gentrification (5)

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

Paige Van Wirt is a Bethlehem City Councilwoman, physician, and small business owner.

Gadfly:

Thought you might like a little light reading on Gentrification. I think it helps give perspective to what we are seeing on the southside. See the sub-links to each header.

5 Must-Read Perspectives on Gentrification

I think there is a way to retain southside residents, and the great, funky quality of life in South Bethlehem, while attempting to minimize displacement of residents, while creating a more stable housing stock  and stronger local economy.  It’s tricky, but I think it can be done.  But it must be acknowledged by the administration that not all development is “good,” especially if it changes a neighborhood’s fundamental identity. I think the right word  for what we want is reinvigoration, rather than gentrification.

Paige

Density bonus for developers who do affordable housing (4)

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

Olga Negron is a member of Bethlehem City Council.

Gadfly:

When I spoke about using the Zoning ordinance to incentivize developers to include affordable housing when constructing, I was referring to our Zoning Ordinance Article 1307 (copy attached), where it details how the city can incentivize the developers allowing them to use a density bonus. The city has been giving bonuses without using the ordinance in the books! Maybe that’s we are called “the Christmas City”!

Zoning Ordinance Article 1307.Workforce Housing Incentive

“This Article 1307 shall only be available if a development will include 20 or more new dwelling units. If a minimum of 10% of the total dwelling units in a development will be sold or leased as workforce dwellings, then a density bonus shall be allowed. If more than 30 percent of the total dwelling units in a development are workforce housing units, the density bonus shall only be available for that first 30 percent of the total dwelling units. The density bonus shall be that for every workforce dwelling unit, 1.5 additional dwelling units shall be allowed in the development beyond the number of dwelling units that would otherwise be allowed. However, in no case shall the total density of the development exceed a minimum average lot area of 1,000 square feet of lot area per dwelling unit. The restrictions of this Article shall be established and enforced by lease and by deed. The bonus may be rounded to the nearest whole number.”

Olga

Speeches and — Yes! — dancing at the Walk/Roll block party at Broad and New (27)

(27th in a series of posts on Walkability and Bikeability)

(As you listen to the speeches, you can’t help but note the angry growls of car and truck traffic surrounding and menacing the enclave of walkers and bikers!)

“For many, many years after the car was invented, we have built communities
for the car and not for people.”
Becky Bradley

“If you build more roads, you’ll get more cars. You’re not really solving the problem.”
Phillips Armstrong

“We’re trying to create a movement here.”
Steve Repasch

“A successful city is one in which people choose to walk.”
Bob Donchez

“We look forward to helping all of you get to where you need to go.”
Owen O’Neil

“We have work to do . . . to bring humanity back to transportation.”
Scott Slingerland

“If you make it accessible, everybody will come.”
Greg Bott

“To me, my bike is freedom.”
Eric, Community Bike Works intern

“We get to dance in the streets today.”
Becky Bradley

walkroll

Morning Call photo

Some people “we” know were among the dancers!

Tom Shortell, “Bethlehem hosts dance party in traffic to promote pedestrian awareness.” June 12, 2019.

  • Normally, partying in open traffic is the type of behavior municipal planners, safety officials and transportation advocates frown upon. But a host of local government and nonprofit entities threw the dance party at New and Broad streets to promote Walk/Roll LV, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission’s soon-to-be released study on alternative transportation in the Lehigh Valley.
  • As the Lehigh Valley grows and develops, its aging infrastructure has struggled to keep up with the growing number and sizes of vehicles. The region’s transportation funding from state and federal governments is only enough to address about half of the needs across the region’s highways and bridges as it is, and that figure will likely get worse as more people and warehouses come into the region.
  • In an effort to alleviate that strain, the Planning Commission is advocating for more investment in bike trails, sidewalks, nature trails and public transportation. The goal is to ease congestion by making it easier for residents to bike or walk to work or go shopping.
  • While the study is nearing completion, there is still time to provide comments on the Lehigh Valley’s sidewalk and trail connections. Interested participants can go online to lvpc.org/walkrolllv.html or attend the next Walk/Roll LV working group meeting at 3 p.m. June 26 at the America On Wheels Museum at 5 N. Front St., Allentown.

Gadfly walked the 1.1 miles to the party. Wouldn’t dare drive to an event like this!

For affordable housing, public and private partnerships need to be forged (3)

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

Dana Grubb is a lifelong resident of the City of Bethlehem who worked 27 years for the City of Bethlehem in the department of community and economic development, as sealer of weights and measures, housing rehabilitation finance specialist, grants administrator, acting director of community and economic development, and deputy director of community development.

Gadfly:

I didn’t say that developers aren’t the answer, what I inferred is that because they are profit-driven they are looking to make money and that the construction of affordable/blue collar/workforce housing is not a huge revenue-generator. However, I feel they could be part of the solution if policies, ordinances, and community pressure induced them to provide a mix of housing types and affordability. Over many years there have been a number of affordable housing developers in the Lehigh Valley, all non-profits. At issue is that for-profit developers build larger projects (think about the 528 upscale rental units proposed for the Martin Tower site) versus smaller one to ten unit projects that non-profits generally undertake. That ration isn’t a good one and neither is the ratio of rentals to owner-occupied units. Home ownership helps greatly to stabilize neighborhoods, with an optimum ratio of 70% owned and 30% rented deemed the best approach for accomplishing this. That ratio is being skewed tremendously by all of the upscale rental units being proposed and built.

This why public and private partnerships need to be forged. One can’t do it on its own, and the other won’t.

Dana

What can be done to provide affordable housing? (2)

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

Taking up here one of the two questions provoked by CW Negron’s response to the South Bethlehem Historical Society letter about detrimental effects brought about by “progress” on the Southside.

What can be done to provide affordable housing [on the Southside]?

You know Gadfly by now. You’ve seen him “in action” before. He starts answering a question with a series of questions. He starts way back. Trying to understand a question or a problem.

But he has seen you “in action” before too. He knows he has an audience that knows things. So have at it! Jump in!

1) What exactly do we mean by “affordable housing”? How define it? We are talking about housing and rental prices that people in a certain income bracket can afford, right? What is that bracket? And therefore what housing and rental prices are we targeting as “affordable housing”? We need more houses in what price range? We need more rentals in what price range?

2) These terms are tossed around, but how would we define low-cost housing? moderately priced housing?

3) What data or anecdotal reports do we have on housing and rental costs on the Southside now? What is the average sale price? Rental price? What is the rent at 510 Flats and other new — “luxury” — sites?

4) What data or anecdotal reports do we have on housing and rental availability right now? Scarce? Abundant? Buyer’s market? Seller’s market?

5) What are the forces driving up the price of existing housing?  What are the forces driving the development of primarily “luxury” housing?

6) How much a part of the expressed desire for more affordable housing is connected with a desire to have more families living on the Southside?

7) What are we doing now to increase affordable housing? Is there a plan in operation? Is it on some agenda?

8) How does the rehab program of Southside Vision 20/20 fit in to this desire for more affordable housing? Are there other such City programs?

9) CRIZ and such incentive programs are probably not applicable, right?

10) Who has the power to make affordable housing a higher priority? The City? Council? Shared?

11) How does the development process work in general? Is the City passive/active? If affordable housing were to be a higher priority, who would be the point person? Mayor? Community and Economic Development?

12) Is affordable housing on the Mayor’s radar? Is it in the State of the City address, etc.?

13) Is anyone right now charged with seeking to cultivate sources for affordable housing?

14) CW Negron says there is an ordinance that the City can use to gain affordable housing, but CM Callahan says developers cannot be forced to build affordable housing. Who is right?

15) CM Callahan has offered to “team” with CW Negron in looking for developers — does that collaboration have potential?

16) But in these pages, Dana Grubb has said developers are not the answer but non-profits. Like whom? How do we get them involved?

17) We are certainly not the first or only City to face issues of affordable housing and gentrification — what other cities are we/should we be looking at for ideas?

18) Who used affordable housing as a campaign issue that we should be looking to for leadership and action? Whose feet do we hold to the fire?

19) Should we be looking for candidates in the next election round who will make affordable housing  a major issue?

Now the Gadfly mailbag shows followers have already begun to fill in answers to some of these questions, so look for Gadfly to bring in their posts next.

 

 

A plea for affordable housing (1)

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

The scene:

Remember the long night meeting on the Martin Tower demolition at Nitschmann?

30-some speakers. Some very animated.

Things wound down.

Discussion fatigue enveloping the hall.

The Mayor made concluding remarks, thanking all concerned.

There was generous applause.

There was the rustle of exiters.

It was over.

We were done.

When an elderly gentleman — oblivious to the fact that last call had been given and the lights were going out — approached the stage-left mic.

To make a plea for affordable housing.

And received the loudest applause of the night.

  • I’ve been here in the Valley since 1965.
  • It’s getting to the point that we can’t afford it.
  • We can’t afford what the new housing costs.
  • I would like to see at least a portion of this property [Martin Tower] be put into something that elderly people who don’t have the strength . . . the money . . .
  • We could move . . . but then we have our doctors here. We can’t afford to drive back and forth.
  • You talk about luxury apartments . . .

One minute and ten seconds. But unforgettable to Gadfly.

The sun was setting on his life.

The sun was setting on the meeting.

But the audience was roused from Tower torpor, mightily aroused.

Gadfly wanted to run for office so we could act on that plea.

Let’s keep that muffled elderly voice and the vigorous chorus of audience support in mind as we think about what the City can do to remedy the lack of affordable housing.

There is a problem, and “we” know in out guts something has to be done about it.

Chewing on SBHS concerns: identifying the source of the pain (6)

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

“Good conversation builds community.”

Let’s see about that.

So we have been laying out the 3-part interchange kicked off by the letter of concern about the future of the Southside from the South Bethlehem Historical Society delivered by Lou James at the May 22 City Council meeting, spurring comments by Councilpersons Negron and Callahan at the June 4 meeting.

SBHS asks the City leaders “to consider the history that is being destroyed in the name of progress.”

Gadflies respond to pain, to citizen pain.

They instinctively want to heal.

To heal, you need to know the source of the pain.

CW Negron helps this gadfly focus on the source of the pain.

Two things:

1) disregard for rules

2) lack of affordable housing

Ok, now Gadfly can formulate questions to think about.

1) What can be done about the fact or the perception that rules pertinent to safeguarding the historical character of the City are being broken?

2) What can be done to provide affordable housing?

Want to help Gadfly think about each of these questions?

 

The Councilman’s memory is rather selective

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

Dana Grubb is a lifelong resident of the City of Bethlehem who worked 27 years for the City of Bethlehem in the department of community and economic development, as sealer of weights and measures, housing rehabilitation finance specialist, grants administrator, acting director of community and economic development, and deputy director of community development.

Gadfly:

The Councilman’s memory is rather selective. The rectory to the church (still standing thankfully) in the unit block of West 4th Street was demolished at least 5, possibly 10 years ago. Residential units (affordable?) were demolished so that the New Street parking garage could be built. A row of retail structures was demolished so the 6-story office building could be constructed at Third and S. New Streets. The former Bethlehem Steel Hammer Shop was demolished so that SteelStacks and the ArtsQuest Center could be developed. Several structures including the former Laufer’s Hardware Store were demolished to make way for a suburban designed CVS drugstore. A developer has plans to construct a high-rise building at West 4th and Vine Streets that will require demolition of 2 buildings. So, demolition has taken place and is projected to take place. The former Boys & Girls Club building on East 3rd Street seems to be in jeopardy based on the rumor mill.

Let there be debate about whether or not demolition needs to or should take place, but make no mistake about it that demolition has taken place.

The Councilman’s offer to find developers who will build affordable housing seems commendable on the surface, but affordable housing is generally not built by for-profit developers. It’s built by non-profits who in many cases receive public subsidies to develop.

I’m not quite sure how teaching in a middle school with students from low/moderate income families who reside in public housing really correlates to the issue. They are already residing in affordable, albeit public housing.

Nearly every rental housing development completed, underway, or in planning stages has been described as upscale in the last few years. A recent rollout for affordable housing projected a handful of units, although it is hope that a revolving loan fund can be established to continue that initiative.

I welcome City Hall’s involvement, and particularly any elected official’s commitment, but until public entities and private developers work hand-in-hand and commit to create a broad range of ownership and rental housing opportunities, it’s my opinion that gentrification will continue in certain areas of Bethlehem.

Dana

Chewing on SBHS concerns: CM Callahan’s response (5)

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

Gadfly has pointed out – very recently, in fact — that CW Van Wirt and CM Callahan, literally sitting at the far ends of the Head Table, are North Pole and South Pole.

One might think of CW Negron and CM Callahan as North Galaxy and South Galaxy.

Gadfly has written of the Great Divide between them on visions of the Southside.

Whether you were in attendance at the June 4 Council meeting or watching on tv, you just knew that CM Callahan was going to respond to CW Negron’s 10-minute emotion-laden commentary on the South Bethlehem Historical Society’s May 22 letter.

Low-hanging fruit.

But to Gadfly CM Callahan’s response was – happily — different than expected.

Yes, he showed the usual defensiveness and fact-checking: no demolitions occurred on the Southside for new construction, you can’t force developers to do lower cost housing, Lehigh University has done the necessary.

But his tone was even, not angry or aggressive, or, I thought, condescending, and he recognized the validity of perhaps the key problem CW Negron identified – affordable housing – and volunteered three times to “team” with her – yes, yes, though not with a tremendous amount of confidence — to find developers interested in providing more affordable housing.

Gadfly found that something to behold.

And told him so (he doesn’t follow the blog).

Listen on the City video at min. 1:58:01 or here below.

As usual, leave the soundbites for later review. Listen to the primary source.

  • I read Mr. James’s letter, and I agree with a lot of it in there.
  • I think it’s also important to know that . . . the two new properties down there . . . nothing demolished there.
  • I’m not sure that we can force anybody through ordinances . . . you can’t force someone to build low income, or middle income, or high-income housing.
  • You can’t do that – you pass the zoning, you can say high density, low density, or whatever.
  • But if a developer wants to build higher-end condo units and that’s what the market is bearing, then that’s what they’re going to do.
  • I’m sure it will come a time – I hope it’s soon – that some developer – or, Ms. Negron, I’d be happy to work with you if we could find some developers – I don’t know where – but through my contacts I’d be more than happy to reach out to some of them and maybe we can find some property on the Southside where we can build more moderately affordable housing over there .
  • But, you know, I’m not sure the City can tell a developer that you can’t build housing, residential units that are high-rent.
  • That’s just what the market’s bearing right now.
  • So I don’t think I’ve ever voted on a historical structure other than Martin Tower . . . that’s ever been ripped down in the City.
  • All the other development over there was on empty land.
  • But I agree with you that the affordability is a huge issue.
  • I teach at Northeast Middle School, I think 75% of the kids there are from Marvine and Pembroke Village, and a lot of those kids are really struggling every day, and I see it, I live with them every day.
  • And I’d be more than happy to team up with you [CW Negron] and see if we could find some developers – maybe you have some people that you might know that might want to do low-income or moderate income housing on the Southside.
  • I do know for a fact, though, that Lehigh University does have Graduate housing for married couples.
  • I think Lehigh has done what they’ve had to do as far as graduate-level, married couple housing.
  • I would be more than happy to team with you and try to find builders.
  • I’m not sure we can force them to do that, but it’s worth a try.

Heckuva 3-part interchange we’ve chronicled here. SBHS, ON, and BC. Let’s think about whether we’ve made any progress on important issues here. Next.

Chewing on SBHS concerns: CW Negron’s response (4)

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

Council watchers know that Councilperson Negron rarely speaks at length.

When she does, it’s time to listen-up.

One of those rare times was June 4 when she elaborated on and extrapolated on the South Bethlehem Historical Society letter.

Gadfly finds her emotional commentary very compelling, very revealing.

In fact, Gadfly finds the combination of the SBHS letter and CW Negron’s response perhaps the most powerful eloquence he’s heard in his 18 months of Council watching.

Gadfly laments that waning journalistic resources leave it to a blog to make sure that at least some small number of people outside Town Hall hear what was said.

You must listen or watch (City video beginning at min. 1:48:40). I suggest listening. Shut your eyes. Lean back. CW Negron has a wonderful, intimate radio voice. Leave the text soundbites below for review later.

  • I felt that was my voice being repeated for some many years, even before I was on Council.
  • I am not known for being a tree-hugger or a historical-building hugger.
  • However, I was raised in a way by my parents in Puerto Rico that we have rules and the rules are there to follow, to follow by everyone.
  • When it comes to historical areas, the City, the people, the government decided to have a historical area . . . and people got together and implemented rules different than the rest of the City.
  • I would never chain myself to any building.
  • I believe that there are rules, and that the rules are there to be followed by everyone.
  • Again and again we have allowed . . . developers to break those same rules that others . . . have had to abide by.
  • And that is wrong, and every time I complain about this, it was just about that.
  • I lived in Southside Bethlehem for the last 23 years . . . everything happened on the Southside.
  • Living in there every day and dealing with everything every day, it is not the same.
  • And talking with neighbors and walking up and down the streets every day is not the same.
  • Nobody can tell me otherwise.
  • And I’ve seen the change . . . and it’s sad.
  • I had to plead with the historic board because we didn’t have the money to fix [the Hispanic Center], and we were not supposed to tear down a historic building.
  • It took a long time and a lot of begging for them to allow us to do something.
  • But that is not what is happening now on the Southside, and it’s outrageous, it’s outrageous.
  • If that is the direction we want to go, fine, change the rules so everybody follows the same.
  • That was, has been my point.
  • I was on the Board for Community Action for over 12 years, and I was part of setting the Southside vision . . . and did a lot of work. And I am very proud that I was part of it . . . sidewalks, acorn lights, the facades . . . I’m proud of that, and I’m glad.
  • But there are a lot of changes that are causing people to not being able to afford living in there.
  • We have ordinances to protect affordable housing . . . and we’re not using them.
  • We are allowing developers to build without keeping affordable housing, and individual, I deal with this every single day when I go to the Hispanic Center twice a week, and all I hear is that I cannot afford to pay my rent.
  • It is sad when you hear individuals that are hard-working and they can not afford to do that, they cannot afford to pay their rent.
  • And all we worry about is to build luxury apartments.
  • And that is wrong.
  • Especially when rules are broken.
  • When individuals like me and you have had to abide by all those rules with the winds, with the color.
  • And anybody with a lot of money can put a shiny object, and that is fine.
  • And that is the piece that saddens, that saddens me driving around the Southside, and all I see is Campus Hill, to rent student rentals.
  • Is not family-occupied any more.
  • Why can’t Lehigh figure that out?
  • Why can we have to keep on changing our Southside . . . displacing families, not to be able to afford living there any more.
  • Beautiful building has been built that my people cannot rent, that I cannot afford to rent.
  • I couldn’t afford to live in a place decent enough that I wanted to live at.
  • I’m a Councilwoman, I work for a lew firm – think about that for a minute.
  • Our people can’t afford it any more – that is wrong.
  • Especially when it happens without us using the ordinance that we have on the books already that should force the developers to build affordable housing and that is allowing them to break so many of the ordinances in the historical area that other small businesses and homeowners have had to abide by.
  • That has been my complaint.
  • And that is why when I read the letter, it broke my heart.
  • His plea: please, listen, where are we taking our city?
  • Is that’s what we want to do, is that the vision?
  • Ok, but, then, don’t call it historical. Don’t. Forget about those rules. Same rules for everybody.
  • And we’ll have shiny buildings everywhere.
  • And that is why when I read that letter, it really broke my heart.
  • Because I heard his plea.
  • His begging to say, please, do not give up what we have.
  • I am not against re-development. I love what happened to the Steel, ArtsQuest, Sands . . .
  • But we have an historical area, the rules should be abided by everybody, and we haven’t done that.
  • Please, let’s think about where we want, we are taking our City.

Councilman Callahan responded. We’ll consider his comments next. You know it’s the Gadfly practice to lay out all the primary sources first so we can begin to form our own opinions. Then we’ll talk about what this now 3-way interchange means.

More than three National Register Historic Districts in Bethlehem

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

Gadfly:

There are three National Register Districts under local ordinance, Bethlehem HD, South Bethlehem HD, and Mount Airy HD. There are, however, several other National Register Historic Districts in Bethlehem, Pembroke HD, Elmwood Park HD, and Fountain Hill HD. These are not “protected” under local ordinance. Of course, there are many individual buildings/properties that are also listed.

Dana Grubb

Thanks for the heads-up, Dana! Whom I affectionately call the Answer-Man.

Chewing on SBHS concerns: Gadfly’s response (3)

(The latest in a series of posts on the Southside and Neighborhoods)

Gadfly’s interest in Bethlehem history is not “academic.” Though he was by trade a literary historian.

Bethlehem is the scene of much significant history. Bethlehem has three historical districts. Bethlehem has made history part of its cultural identity as well as commercial identity – and commercial vitality.

And yet history is a source of tension in this town.

A lot has been done to preserve our history.

And yet a significant segment of our residents feels that when it comes to respect for history there is a fissure between rhetoric and practice.

There is a lot of rhetoric.

But Gadfly wonders sometimes – seriously – how deeply respect for Bethlehem’s history actually runs among some of our City’s leaders.

This suspicion – that respect for our history is only skin deep – accounts for the Bethlehem Moment project.

I started thinking of the need for a project of that sort after attending only a few City Council meetings during the Gadfly internship period.

But that is another story.

This post is about chewing again on the emotionally powerful letter from the South Bethlehem Historical Society delivered by president Lou James to the Mayor and City Council at the May 22 Council meeting.

Gadfly cannot shake that letter.

The developer-quoted statement, however benevolently meant – “in ten years you will not recognize South Bethlehem” — haunts him.

Write that line on a sticky and paste it to your bathroom mirror.

At Council June 4, Gadfly called the SBHS letter “sad.” At Council June 4, Gadfly said that it would be a “sin” if the letter were not answered.

“Sin”? A bit much, yes – Gadfly taught for 50+ years, mostly without prepared lectures. Sometimes passion gets the better of him. Sorry.

But Gadfly was appalled by the possibility that such a carefully crafted, calmly delivered letter on so serious a concern would evaporate in the Town Hall rafters.

And just become another case in point for cynical residents who believe it matters naught to bring your concerns “to City Hall.”

Gadfly fights that cynicism. Gadfly believes that a reasonable answer could be made to that letter. That there is a legitimate other perspective.

Gadfly believes that good conversation builds community.

He was afraid no conversation would happen. Opportunity lost.

Let’s read/watch/listen to the May 22 SBHS letter again. Then go on to Gadfly’s comment about it on June 4. And you be the judge.

Here’s Lou James, president of the South Bethlehem Historical Society:

See also the video of the May 22 Council meeting at min. 4:02.

005

Now here’s Gadfly at the June 4 Council meeting (video at min. 16:25):

  • I hope that letter gets answered somehow.
  • It’s a sad letter.
  • James was “imploring” you. He was the unempowered asking the powerful people to listen to his pain and his plea.
  • If that letter goes up poof into the air and doesn’t get a response, it’s kind of a sin – kind of a political sin.
  • Somebody’s gotta respond to that letter.
  • The tension between history and development . . . has to be straight out addressed somehow, not just left to a vote which makes one side win.

Gadfly was happy that there was a pointed response to the SBHS letter late in the June 4 meeting under New Business in a significant interchange between Councilpersons Negron and Callahan.

Let’s take that up next time.

Northside 2027: the final plan is coming!

(the latest in a series of posts on Northside 2027 and Neighborhoods)

“There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil.
The triumph of anything is a matter of organization.”
(Kurt Vonnegut)

Northside 2027

Mark your calendars!

Time & Location

Jun 25, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
William Penn Elementary School, 1002 Main St, Bethlehem, PA 18018, USA

About the Event

Stop by William Penn anytime between 5:30-7:30. The City will be present with plan materials along with several community partners who offer services to this neighbhorhood. Come see the compliation of your suggestions and feedback in the final report and learn about resources to help with healthy homes, food access, housing rehabiliation, youth programs and more.

Looking for Bethlehem Moment volunteers!

(Latest in a series of posts on Bethlehem Moments)

Bethlehem Moment Project
The Bethlehem Gadfly
Version 1

Information for Possible Momentors

1) The “Bethlehem Moment” is a scene or event from Bethlehem history anywhere from 1741 to the 1960s, no more than 20 typed lines, that can be read in approximately 2 minutes, that will be presented at the beginning of City Council meetings. The Moments will be archived in Council minutes and published on the Gadfly blog, as well as perhaps other places.

2) The purpose of the Bethlehem Moment in a town that has been the scene of so much important history and has three historical districts is to encourage everyone to learn more about that history. (For examples, see: https://thebethlehemgadfly.com/category/bethlehem-moments/.)

3) Willingness and interest are the most important things. You don’t have to feel you know anything at the beginning. A list of resources will be available. There will be people with whom to consult.

4) Help will be provided finding a topic, researching it, and writing the Moment if needed.

5) The topic is open, but you should clear it with the coordinator.

6) Good topics often start with a question: who? what? when? why?

7) Pick a topic that you know about, or, better yet, one that you want to learn about or feel that it is important that others know about.

8) There is no especial need to pick big topics, obvious topics, well-know topics; aspects of our history that are little-known or hidden, that we might not have even heard of, might be better.

9) Likewise, you should feel no especial need to choose a celebratory, feel-good topic – our dark moments are part of our history too and equally important and illuminating.

10) It’s best if you deliver your Moment at City Council yourself, but others can read it for you if necessary or if you prefer.

11) City Council meets at Town Hall the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month.

12) You might not feel that you have anything to say at the beginning, but you will probably struggle to confine yourself to 20 lines/2 minutes after you have done some research.

13) The Bethlehem Moment is a project aimed at fostering a sense of community. You should feel it an honor to do one. We hope you will see it as fun.

14) After, we hope you will be an Ambassador for the project & encourage others to participate.

15) please contact:

Ed Gallagher
Coordinator pro-tem
ejg1@lehigh.edu

Bethlehem Moments Schedule 2019

July 2                        Lynn Rothman

July16                       John Smith

August 6                   (Musikfest)

August 20                 Mary Toulouse

September 3             Olga Negron (tentative)

September 17           Jim Petrucci

October 1

October 15

November 6

November 19

December 3

December 17

“Bethlehem Moments”: the next phase

(Latest in a series of posts on Bethlehem Moments)

Follower Barbara Diamond and Gadfly have contributed 9 Bethlehem Moments so far.

Time to move to the next phase at institutionalizing this program.

It’s not to be expected long-term that one person do the Moments.

In fact, by its very nature “Bethlehem Moments” is a community project.

Fostering community is the Gadfly mission.

The Bethlehem Moment is a chance for all of us to learn about and share interesting nuggets of City history of our own choosing.

So Gadfly is herewith and hereby calling for volunteers to be “Momentors.”

You know what the project is. You have seen it in operation for several months. Now it’s time to expand the scope.

In the next post you will find an information document as well as a schedule for the rest of the year.

Please contact Gadfly at ejg1@lehigh.edu or the Contact link on the top menu if you would like to do a Moment and/or alert others of the opportunity.

 

Fair play across the board needed (9)

(9th in a series of posts on Wind Creek Bethlehem)

Steve Melnick has had a career in economic development for over 35 years in several states, with the last 20 years here in Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley.

Gadfly:

It seems to me that Mr Callahan is trying to set an very acrimonious tone with Wind Creek. Politically, it would appear that the mayoral race is already underway, and Mr. Callahan is trying to present himself as the advocate for the common man rather than the big corporate donors that have funded his campaigns in the past. It is beyond comprehension to expect Wind Creek to willingly overpay their taxes just to make life easier for city council during their budget negotiations. In an attempt to position himself as the financial watchdog for the city, and in the interest of transparency, I would presume that he chastised the Benner building owners when they did the same thing and asked the city to backstop a $17 million dollar garage for their primary use. I presume that Mr Callahan has also had this discussion with the owners of the Martin Tower site as well as with Jeff Parks and his group over their project. Fair play across the board.

Steve