Did they shoot down the largest taxpayer in Coatesville again when he made a proposal to build in Coatesville? In March of 2006 Carl Chetty of Chetty Builders was set to begin construction when he and 5 of his staff were at the Coatesville City Council meeting. Chetty Builders was on the agenda for Conditional and Final Approval of his plans for “Pennock Place”. A large scale model of the Chetty’s proposed 3rd Avenue and Lincoln Hwy building known as “Pennock Place” sat in the front of the crowded meeting.
What followed was one of what I would call moments that make the “bloc of four” City Council unique among American municipal governments. In my opinion the inexperienced city council led by their inexperienced and allegedly incompetent municipal councilor did not know what conditional and final approval was. Hint, they could have made a zoning variance for some extra parking places one of the conditions for final approval.
Following Andrew Lehr’s advice they tabled Chetty’s plans and forced the builder to toss out nearly a year of back and for the between City Council, RDA, Planning Commission and Zoning Commission. The development clock had run down and this was Chetty’s last chance before he would need to start the entire process over from the beginning.
The new Coatesville City Council and Coatesville City Government’s very first significant act in the redevelopment of Coatesville was to kill the chance of that redevelopment in the near future. Chetty and his staff were not permitted to make the presentation that the large scale model of “Pennock Place” was a part of. In my opinion they were treated in an abusive manner and practically thrown out of the meeting room.
No one in Coatesville or Chester County benefited from the Coatesville City Council’s actions that day. With one glaring exception; those in Chester County who benefit from the drug distribution business here were to flourish. A Federal Prosecutor once told me that; “Coatesville was ready to flip and then these new people came in”
Read an article about that Meeting of March 27, 2006 here:
http://www.box.net/shared/uuukr2f5j5Back to Monday night’s meeting; the Coatesville City Council appeared to be more interested in coming to the point of adjournment than in hearing Chetty’s proposal. To the Credit of both Andrew Lehr and Harry Walker they were supportive of Chetty's proposal.
Hear what Carl Chetty said at the last Monday’s May 11, 2009 Coatesville City Council meeting here:
http://www.box.net/shared/0juszyu5nbA link to the article Jen Miller wrote in today’s Daily Local News, “City council rejects flats plan” is here:
http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2009/05/13/news/srv0000005321961.txtAnd what was this mysterious meeting that Ernie Campos alluded while discussing changes to minutes at the RDA meeting of July 17, “Mr. Pawlowski asked Mr. Campos if any one accompanied him to his meetings with the developer” Mr. Campos changed the minutes to add “prior to Mr. Campos being an RDA member”
Click here:
http://www.box.net/shared/6q2t2pt7xtThe minutes of the June 19, 2006 RDA meeting is here:
http://www.box.net/shared/k0cdcer6dx
