On Tuesday afternoon, Jeff Gahan’s cloak-and-dagger Redevelopment Backscratching Commission will consider the future of Summit Springs, a bizarre hilltop commercial development off State Street that has been turned down more often than I was during prom season back in ’77.
And yet following the late 2015 resolution of a lawsuit against the city, the controversial project has returned to life and is being warmly embraced by Team Gahan, which has resolved to TIF-Gift this for-profit private development monstrosity with an access road somehow tacked to the hillside, requiring a feat of engineering last witnessed when we spent $3 million on Bob Caesar’s Silver Hills driveway.
Green Mouse Q and A: How the Summit Springs hilltop clustermuck got to this point.
Behold the aesthetic monstrosity of Summit Springs, coming soon to our low-density State Street corridor.
As noted yesterday, the Green Mouse has found a disgruntled informant close to the top. As information comes in, it will be published here.
—
What can be done to stop this environmental disaster of Gahan-ic proportions?
Up on my floor, we call Summit Springs “Schisty Springs.” As for what can be done to stop it, it’s the same old story. You have to register your viewpoint.
You can inundate city government with calls expressing your dissatisfaction with this planned development and the secretive means it has been thrust upon us.
The main number for the city building is 812-948-5333. Ask to speak to the mayor’s office, the City Plan Commission, and Redevelopment. You are also strongly urged to contact your district city council person and each at-large member. If you are feeling particularly ornery and feisty, express your discontent and insist on satisfactory answers to your questions.
While you’re at it, email them as well so there’s a paper trail. 10, 15, or 20 calls in a day is enough to get anyone’s attention. This is not just about being a nuisance … it’s about holding our public officials accountable and making sure they follow the law.
However, good luck in trying to reach these city officials. Judging from the past, I fear they may already be in hiding trying to avoid the fallout of this latest debacle.
