Whereas more than two years have passed since the Pioneer Valley Hotel Group signed a Purchase and Sale
Agreement with the City and received approvals to build a Hilton Garden Inn
hotel and parking garage behind Pulaski Park in the city’s Round House parking
lot; and
Whereas construction has not
yet begun and the agreement has expired on several previous occasions; and
Whereas each time the agreement
has expired, the Mayor has extended the deadline, the most recent extension
granted in December, 2009, giving the developer until February 15, 2010 to
obtain a performance guarantee; and
Whereas the Mayor has stated
her desire that the new City Council be involved in decision-making on the
project; and
Whereas
the
Mayor could make anew beginning by returning to the initial stages of
consideration for the use and design of this property and fully engaging the
public using best practices, and thereby recapture this critically important
land in the center of our downtown and create a truly useful and beautiful
center for our city; and In this way, the; and
Whereas
this petition is a vehicle for residents of Northampton to communicate through our
City Council representatives our collective desire to re-examine the use and
design of this parcel;
THEREFORE,
We,
the undersigned
hereby petition our Councilors at Large and Ward Councilors to:
1.
Urge the Mayor to grant no further extensions of the purchase and sale
agreement to the Pioneer Valley Hotel Group if and when the 45-day extension granted
in December 2009 expires; and
2.
Work with the Mayor and the community at large to create an inclusive and
unbiased process for determining the best future use and design of this
critically important parcel; and
3.
Work with the Mayor to ensure that the City solicits and evaluates a range of
ideas that would lead to a better plan, one that represents our collective
vision, is financially feasible, and enjoys broad community support as the best
use of the property.
Comment