Wednesday, July 15, 2009

"busplunge:" where'll the dust settle?

The "bus driver" took readers down a side alley yesterday afternoon, and if they were watching through the bus windows, as he ruffled up the dormant gravel road-bed, they might have gotten a glimpse of how things happen around here, and why they happen when they happen.

The "driver" received some correspondence with some, more than likely, forgotten background information about Johnny Morris' plans to build a hotel across the street from Bass Pro Shops.

Plunging head long into the swirling storm-water run off of the issue, the "bus" quoted his correspondent:

"Morris had tax incentives that made non-proceeding more beneficial than forcing through the building of a hotel back in 1994, so after he came in and destroyed the neighborhood's neighborhoodliness, the development plan was dropped and adjacent property owners were not notified of the change in plans....

Morris's original tax incentives had a 25-year lifespan that expire in 2009," the correspondent wrote.

The bus driver also indicated there is a report titled "Fungus Amungus" floating around somewhere that he aims to get his hands on.

"There is a report, a 50 Q&A report, titled "Fungus Amungus" prepared, complete with illustrations, that was given to the city and the neighborhood association in 2006 regarding this area. I am trying to track down a copy," he wrote.

There's more to the story, including something about the property being an "enterprise zone."

Check it out, that is, if you're interested in such things or so inclined.

Related lug nuts and bolts: Anatomy of a News Scoop: The Day SBJ Broke Bass Pro’s Hotel Plans « The Fine Print*

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1 comment:

Shak El said...

I used to own the house at the end of Washita next to Bass Bro property behind Deals. In 2005 we noticed that Bass Pro folk were clearing the property and chopping down brush and trees on our property line. We asked the workers and they mentioned getting ready for a hotel. We called the realitor/attorney for Bass Pro and of course denied everything. We decided to sell while the getting was good and got out of there. Within 8 months the city bought the property (from the new owners)and demolished it.