Riverdale Bookshop Loses Lease
I heard this week that the Riverdale Bookshop & Coffee Depot had lost its lease and was going to close down (at least storefront operation) in a month or so. I was going to sit down this morning and write a post on how I felt about this, and about my feelings towards Douglas Jemal, the developer who has fixed up (but not, at least yet, filled up) our Town Center, and who is in fact evicting the Book Shop (further emptying Town Center).

To my pleasant surprise, I found a letter from Mayor Archer which had been sent to the POGOS (People for Open Government and Open Space) mailing list. I present it here in it's entirety.

I wish to comment on the situation at the Riverdale Book Shop.  First I share the frustration and downright anger that many of you feel and have expressed.  For Jemal to push out a business that has been so central to our community for so long, when he has not delivered one single business, is ridiculous.

The question is what can we do?  What can we do to salvage the situation? What can we do to support Audrey and Simon who have done so much for this community over the last decade?  

First, I think we must simply support Audrey and Simon by giving them a few days to think through their next steps.  I have assured Audrey that I will both personally and as mayor help them do what they want to do next.  If they want to move, hibernate, look for a buyer, whatever, I will provide sweat, endorsement, and anything else I have to give. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of you will do the same and from all the e-mail and personal conversations that is self evident. We all owe the twin proprietors of Riverdale Book and Coffee Shop a tremendous debt and over the next month it will be time to pay them back.  

BUT RIGHT NOW, lets give Audrey and Simon a little time to decide what they want us to do.  Audrey also told me to pass on that she is open to suggestions--if you have an idea share it with her.

As regards suggestions about how to deal with the longer term issue of how to get our redevelopment projects going, please know that I am LISTENING and ACTING. I ran for office on three priorities, and one of them was exactly the issue of getting our older commercial areas moving.

In the 12 days I've been in office I've:

• met with Jemal (along with Tracey and Pat Prangley) for an hour and a half and then had two phone conversations with him regarding the book store.
  
• met, again along with Tracey and Pat, with representatives of the Kafritz property regarding their desire to begin developing the north end of town.
  
• successfully worked with the council to reshape the budget for the next year to fit my priority of actively pushing for economic development, and stopping the old policy of waiting by the phone and hoping something good will happen. While this may seem rather insignificant, without the money being available to change town priorities, I would have to wait a full year before changing my predecessor's policies.
  
• got a meeting with Potomac Development next week to find out what they propose as an alternative to the now defunct Eckerd project. Getting the rubble lot redeveloped into something good for this town is critical.
  

Right now I'm hearing a lot of suggestions about creating "sticks" to beat naughty landlords. I am interested in sticks, and have been considering possible weapons for years now; however, they are where I will go as a last resort, not right out of the gate. Right now I am building relationships with the key players and believe that constructive engagement provides the only realistic way to reach our goal of a vibrant commercial district.

Vernon Archer

Nicely put, Vern.
- posted by Alan K. Thompson @ 3:34 PM 0 comments

 
Budget Meeting 6/2/2005
There was another budget meeting last night (and, well, the night before that too, but I was dealing with the rest of my life that night). Last night's meeting was mainly a discussion of "policy" up to the point where I left (11:25 pm). My best understanding of the DRAFT budget (when I left the meeting) is here. Salaries (and benefits) had not been firmly discussed, and the revenue side (as I mentioned earlier this week) has some uncertain numbers in it.

Please note that these are my numbers, and may be incorrect. They are certainly not final. Contact your council representative if there is something that concerns you.

Oh, the next meeting of the Finance Committee is Sunday, June 5, at 2:00 pm. Town Hall. BTA.
- posted by Alan K. Thompson @ 7:41 PM 0 comments