SQUIDFRY 04.20.17: Game of Throne

GAME OF THRONE… Every now and then, an email arrives in Squid’s inbox that nearly causes Squid to spit Squid’s coffee onto the laptop screen. This happened April 11, when Squid’s colleague forwarded an email from an out-of-state PR flack who asked that a so-called scoop remain embargoed – held from print – until April 26.

Normally Squid would honor such an embargo, but here’s the thing – the information is already public! Add to that, it’s not exactly earth-shattering: The Fort Ord Reuse Authority is receiving an achievement award from the American Planning Association for FORA’s Regional Urban Design Guidelines, which were finally adopted in 2016, more than 20 years after FORA was formed. It’s a long time to achieve anything, and it might have been nice to have such guidelines in place back in 2005, when FORA approved the sprawling Dunes development in Marina that gave us the big-box stores along Highway 1 that are about as aesthetically pleasing as a giant turd.

Then again, it probably wouldn’t have mattered, because the guidelines aren’t mandates, only suggestions. Add to that, over the course of their development starting in early 2015, they were continually watered down due to pressure from developers. But they were evidently still good enough for an achievement award, which is a great reason for some taxpayer-funded trips to New York City! Or least one such trip: Back in January, FORA proposed sending three employees – including Executive Officer Michael Houlemard – to the APA’s May 6 planning conference in NYC to accept the award. Some board members, however, wary of the multi-million dollar retirement obligation FORA must sort out before the agency sunsets in 2020, thought better of that idea, and decided to only send Josh Metz, the economic development manager who helped create the guidelines.

But Houlemard will be fine – come June, he’s got conferences in Washington D.C and Newport Beach.

DOG DAYS… Squid oozed over to Sand City on April 18 to watch the final City Council meeting led by Mayor David Pendergrass, who’s been mayor of the city for 39 years. But before the council considered a resolution commending his service – “I hope it passes,” Pendergrass joked – there was a debate over a permit application from a metalworking shop. A landlord with a mixed-use building (commercial on the bottom, residential on an upper floor)adjacent to the proposed shop expressed concern over potential noise, air pollution and outdoor blight associated with the shop. After some back and forth, Councilmember Jerry Blackwelder said, “We approved mixed use so dogs and cats can live together.” He then offered this sage advice: “The dogs have to be nice to the cats.”

If it was only that easy.