Bathrooms and bedrooms

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

By Jake Nichols

The tunnel to hell is paved with the best intentions
Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Dave Taylor’s Pine Glades development looked so slick in the computer-generated 3D flyover CAD thingy he wowed the Council with last year. Then stupid reality came and it’s just like every construction project: over-budget, behind schedule and pissing off the neighbors.

Local sawbones, Jim Champa, began the beguine with accusations that the Pine Glades project was dancing all over his neighborhood at high speeds. Across the street from Jim lives Jack. Together they watch Westwood Curtis Construction trucks zoom down Pine Drive at 30 mph in a 15 mph zone … in reverse.
Perhaps Westwood Curtis hardhats are driving in angst over their tête-à-tête with Taylor. At this point, everyone who has sunk a shovel into the ground for Taylor has a lien against him. Sullivan Construction has sued the Pine Glades developer for $11 million.

At least Westwood Curtis settled their $689,850 disagreement with Taylor, last week. Just in time. As the meeting’s first order of business, Westwood Curtis Construction owner Michael Mielke was sworn in as a new member of the Board of Examiners, a position Mielke could use to make Taylor’s life more miserable.

Closed for the economy
“I’m probably one of the delinquents who have taken a leak back there,” Councilman Greg Miles admitted. “Back there” is behind the bathroom building at the Russ Garaman Park, otherwise known as the open, grassy section of bike path at Josie’s Ridge where dog owners cool their mutts with a game of fetch into Flat Creek.

Sandy Buckstaff lives at 300 Hidden Spur Lane. On a clear day he can see people doing number one and two behind the restroom and when the wind is right, well, he’d rather not talk about it. He did bring pictures for the Council (none were issued to the press).

The restroom is closed. Parks & Rec doesn’t have the money to even replace the tp. Pathways guy Brian Schilling said he and P&R have received numerous complaints about the closure and he is working on securing private funds to keep the crapper in TP. City administrator Bob McLaurin all but flushed that.

“Remember, our budget is down about a million dollars and Steve [Foster] at Parks & Recs’ is down about seven, eight, or nine positions with the downturn,” McLaurin told the Council. “I’m not trying to be disrespectful. We’ve had discussions with Parks & Rec about not cutting the grass as much and other measures, but this is the reality of it.”

McLaurin added that the Council could shift the budget around to allocate for more Charmin. Buckstaff’s idea was more drastic. “My solution is to put out a five-gallon bucket around the back and when it’s full leave it at someone’s office door and I’m sure it would then get taken care of,” he said.

Trust double-parked
Everything is a go for the Housing Trust’s two latest projects (E. Hall and S. Millward) despite a ‘no’ vote from Mark Obringer. Parking was the biggest issue with Council members after it was eloquently summed up by concerned neighbor Jim Genzer: “One bed sleeps two.”

Genzer was following the old real estate adage that boys will be boys and pick up girls and those girls will likely have their own cars. That rained all over architect Arne Jorgensen’s one-parking-space-per-bed ratio, and embarrassed the rest in attendance except Miles, who earlier admitted to peeing on a building. JHW
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Bathrooms and bedrooms | Planet JH News Article: Council Chronicles

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