Feedback Responses (121-138)
Message 121: Post 119 --- It's a shame that a citizen of Marion is this ignorant. Maybe we should take some of this money the council wants to spend and send you back to grade school. PEOPLE! By destroying small business you will kill this town. Spend money when prudent and on things that will bring value to the city. The plan proposed is not a bad one, only the roundabout. This is a ridiculous idea brought about by someone that has no idea whether it would work or not, and no vested interest.There is no reason why the design cannot be modified to eliminate the roundabout. This would enable the established businesses to continue to support the community. Who in their right mind would support a plan to destroy small business, jobs and tax base.
By seeing the ridiculous posts in favor of this plan as is, I can only assume they have a vested interest, right Nickey Anonymous? Your plan is not looking good to me. I certainly hope the people of this town can see through the types of posts this guy is writing.
Submitted by: J.T.
Message 122: 7TH AVE IS AN EYE SORE IN SOME AREAS AND IT DOES NEED CLEANED UP BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN CHASE BUSINESSES AWAY THAT GENERATE TAX DOLLARS AND EMPLOY RESIDENTS THE CITY NEEDS TO FINISH THE 6TH AVE EXTENSION AND CREATE AN ECO FRIENDLY AREA TO DRAW IN NEW BUSINESSES AND GENERATE MORE TAX DOLLARS THE COUNCIL NEEDS TO WORRY ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND NOT THERE EGOS.THIS IS A SMALL TOWN KEEP THAT FEELING ALIVE GOOD LUCK MARION
Submitted by: R.M.
Message 123: Here we go with the name calling. To post 121, I am 119. Sorry for the anonymous post. I will include my initials on this one as you have on yours so everyone will know who I am. Is that alright with you, J?T?. I guess I fell asleep in the 3rd grade and missed the Economics 101, how to run a small busiiness and city government sessions. So, J?T?, when I go back to grade school to take these classes will I see you there learning about name calling. You can also assume all you want, J?T?. I have no vested interest in the project. I just want to see something done to clean up 7th Avenue. The plan is not set in stone either so changes can be made. I have to drive it everyday. From the traffic, to the lack of turning lanes, to the scrap yard and run down homes, to the speeding, the illegal use of lanes and unattractive store fronts. I am tired of it all. Have you been to any of the meetings J?T? or are you just getting your misinformation off of this site and from the small business owners. I believe the plan is trying to start another business district on top of what we have. Wouldn't that mean more business not less J?T?? There will still be access to this street. Maybe even more access points depending on the plan. Most of the businesses there are impulse buying businesses anyway. I don't stop everyday to look/buy a used car, or get gas, or a new floor broom for my garage floor, or get ice cream, or wash my car, or stay in the motel, or drop off some scrap iron. Do you J?T?? I try to avoid shopping at any business there because of the traffic and the difficulty of getting back on to 7th Avenue. Do I need to go on J?T?? Like I said in my previous post. It would be nice to see the business owners, who are intelligent people come in and discuss other options instead of assuming the worst with this plan. Maybe J?T? you can stop by City Hall to talk with someone that can go over the plans with you J?T?. There is a meeting coming up on the 5th of November too J?T?. I would like to respond to your next post but I am enrolling in grade school tomorrow to take my Economics 101, how to run a small business and city government classes. Maybe, someday, 25 years from now when the improvements are done we will will pass each other on the new walking path in the new business district and we can talk then. Have a great day J?T?.
Submitted by: S.F.
Message 124: I find it hilarious that people are so upset about "being in such a hurry" and it being "such a big secret". Turns out this effort has been going on FOR YEARS! It's just that everybody who's so upset about it doesn't pay ANY attention to ANYTHING going on in their own backyards! http://cityofmarion.org/pdf/planning/EXHBIT%20c.pdf Visit this link, notice that this meeting took place in 2005 and comes to a lot of the same conclusions that are being arrived at in 2009 - Change is needed, new business is needed, and beautification is needed. Where were the nay-sayers then?
Submitted by: G.B.
Submitted: P.S. Dear G.B, this is the webmistress, and I sincerely apologize for not putting your four posts from Monday to Wednesday of this week online immediately. I was hired by MCA to maintain their websiste, unfortunately I had surgery on Monday, and it is now Thursday morning, and I am just getting back on my feet. I can assure you, the association has not instructed me to eliminate any posts, regardless of content. Again, please except my sincere apologies for the delay.
Message 125: It's quite interesting that many people keep asking "what's the hurry?" and "why such the big secret?". The City of Marion apparently conducted similar studies in 2005. Check out this link. http://cityofmarion.org/pdf/planning/EXHBIT%20c.pdf They found the same results for the Corridor as needing changes in traffic patterns, changes in appearance, and changes in land use. Perhaps people don't know what's going on because they don't pay enough attention to what's happening in their community. That study was done by Howard R Green. They're not exactly "out-of-towners" are they?
Submitted by: G.B..
Message 126: I have serious problems with the first to points of Janet Steffen's letter to the mayor. "What's the hurry?" and "Why is this such a secret?" are two questions that have little base. Here is a link to a study conducted in 2005. http://cityofmarion.org/pdf/planning/EXHBIT%20c.pdf I find it interesting that there were similar findings as the 2009 study and design: change the traffic, change the business type, change the appearance.
Submitted by: G.B.
Message 127: I want my last post put up here. This site is ridiculously biased. The creators of this site want open honest discussion yet they don't put up posts that are open and honest that destroy your logic. This is why Marion is falling apart in your neck of the woods
Submitted by: G.B.
Message 128: The question is: Who gets the money? I smell a rat anytime Marion comes up with a project like this because of past behavior. A developer bought an old warehouse on the corner of 11th Street and 8th Avenue. He renovated it into office space, but had no parking lot for tenant and customer vehicles. He convinced the city to "rejuvenate" the business district (a tree here and an awning there) - including closing the 700 block of 11th street to through traffic - and now the one time major north-south artery was transformed into his private parking lot. Follow the money, you will be amazed where it leads.
Submitted by: R.C.
Message 129: DON'T LIKE WHAT THE COUNCIL IS DOING TO THE CITIZENS OF MARION?
GET OUT AND VOTE !!!!!!!
VOTE AGAINST CRAIG ADAMSON FOR AT LARGE!!!
VOTE AGAINST JOE SPINKS IN WARD 2!!!!!
IF YOU DONT LIKE THE OTHER PEOPLE RUNNING AGAINST THEM DO A RIGHT IN VOTE FOR SOMEONE YOU KNOW THAT WILL DO A BETTER JOB. THE AT LARGE CAN BE ANYONE WHO LIVES IN MARION. WARD 2 & 4 IS SOMEONE WHO LIVES IN THAT WARD. FIND OUT WHO LIVES IN YOUR WARD !!!!
GET OUT & VOTE!!! I DON'T THINK THIS IS ONE THAT THE MAYOR & COUNCIL CAN ASK FOR A "REVOTE" ON, BUT WHO KNOWS THE MAYOR SEEMS TO THINK HE CAN DO WHAT EVER HE WANTS JUST BECAUSE SOME UNINFORMED VOTERS VOTED HIM IN.
Submitted by: D
Message 130: I'm waiting for someone to tell me what this new development will do for the good of the Marion residents and the city.
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 131: I do not want to see traffic pulled from 7th Ave. People often remark that they only stop and shop in downtown Marion if there is a parking spot near the store they wish to visit. There is no way they can walk 1 or 2 blocks or more to shop in downtown Marion. I am absolutely opposed to closing 7th ave.
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 132: My family and some of our friends will no longer do buisness with the merchants who are opposed to a progressive Marion. This idea will only make Marion a more attractive city
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 133: My family and some of our friends will no longer do buisness with the merchants who are opposed to a progressive Marion. This idea will only make Marion a more attractive city
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 134: Marion businesses are not OPPOSED to making Marion more attractive. They are OPPOSED to rerouting traffic away from their business & doing away with some business to put in a round-about. Saying your family & friends will no longer do business with these merchants in Marion hurts you more than it does them. They still will have their loyal patrons & you will doing without their excellent service.
Submitted by: D.T.
Message 135: I thought the residents of Cedar Rapids voted down a casino?
We have casino government in Marion it seems. Did the residents of Marion decide to let their council gamble away tax monies on the hope that development "may come" to 6th Avenue and that existing business on 7th Avenue "may not be harmed?"
Lots of dollars being thrown at change that" may work." I don't recall seeing a list of developers and/or businesses lining up to populate 6th Avenue.
Of course the people that drew up this plan are enthusiastic about it. Their design firm stands to make a lot of money from a gullible council.
I read statements about this plan beautifying Marion by ridding it of the decaying houses on the street. If the city has a problem with those properties they should work out with the property owners.
Same with car lots.
Hey! City government! Don't like the used car lots? How about you don't take their tax monies then? Hypocrites!
This resident will vote for write ins for all vacant seats.
Submitted by: S.S.
Message 136: Has everyone forgotten the one way street fiasco of several years ago? Not only did the City of Marion violate State regulations, but they blocked off the major southern route used to leave the city. A lesson learned at that time was that a city must get state permission to change the traffic flow on or across a state highway. Moving traffic from 7th Ave. to 6th Ave. would constitute altering the traffic flow and therefore require State permission. Let’s petition the State to disallow the change.
Submitted by: J.W.
Message 137: I was looking for information and maps/pictures of the proposed plans. This website doesn't tell me much.
Submitted by: Anonymous
Message 138: I don't think the state has any jurisdiction over that road anymore. Nice try though.
Submitted by: S.F.
Copyright © 2009 Partners for Regional & Economic Development. · Design by PFRED