The Bethlehem Gadfly

Items

• Public Responses to the BPA Parking Fee Proposal: Part 3 - 13th in a series on parking
  13th in a series of posts on parking; includes links to video of public comment from Bill Scheirer and Page Van Wirt
• Public Responses to the BPA Parking Fee Proposal: Part 2 - 12th in a series on parking
  Part two of responses to the BPA proposal to raise parking meter rates; includes links to videos of comments by Bruce A. Haines and Stephen Antalics
• Public Responses to the BPA Parking Fee Proposal: Part 1 - 11th in a series on parking
  11th in a series of posts on parking, includes links to videos of public comment on the BPA proposal
• The Bethlehem Gadfly Anniversary! All of One Week!
  The Gadfly reflects on one week of the blog; "It was exactly one week ago at this time – but after an Eagles loss! – that the Gadfly pulled the trigger on this blog... It will take a while to establish a rhythm and a trust between us, but the Gadfly thinks we are off to a reasonable start. In short – to borrow a follower witticism – the Gadfly is a Gladfly. The Gadfly aims – to borrow from another follower – for “healthy public dialogue.” So far we have started conversation threads on the proposed parking meter rate increase and on the proposed Banana Factory expansion..."
• Bethlehem Moments: A Proposal (1)
  1st in a series on "Bethlehem Moments"; The Gadfly was reflecting on Bethlehem history and the role it plays (or should play) in our urban identity. “We are a town that values history,” Gadfly said, “We have Historic Districts. . . . you will always hear people talking about how history enhances livability..."
• Video of the Sept. 20 Bethlehem Parking Authority Presentation of the Proposal to Raise Parking Meter Rates to $1.50/hr - 10th in a series on parking
  10th in a series of posts on parking; On September 20, 2018, the Bethlehem Parking Authority held an open meeting for the public on one final report recommendation of the Desman Design study of parking in our two downtowns. About 25 people attended. This meeting focused on the BPA proposal to raise on-street parking meter rates in Bethlehem’s two downtowns from $1/hr to $1.50/hr. Mayor Donchez is charged by City ordinance to act on the proposal, and he was present at the meeting in a listening posture. Post includes links.
• A Tale of Two Headlines - 9th in a series on parking
  Interesting. Was the gadflying at the parking meeting “panning” or “offering”? Gadflyers must be offerers. ——— Kurt Bresswein, “Parking meter hike? Bethlehem residents offer alternative suggestions.” LehighValleyLive September 20, 2018 https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2018/09/parking_meter_hike_bethlehem_r.html#incart_river_index Daryl Neri, “Bethlehem residents pan plans to raise parking meter rates.”Morning Call, September 21, 2018. http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-bethlehem-parking-meterrate- increase-20180920-story.html ———- The LVL article is pretty good, thinketh the Gadfly.
• “a completely different model for funding parking” - 8th in a series on parking
  Letter to the Gadfly from Bruce Haines of Hotel Bethlehem; "Gadfly remarks tonight were spot on in confronting the Parking Authority about documenting public comments from the April meeting as well as tonight’s meeting. The fact that the Desman report was never finalized from its draft state with revisions based upon public input is equally as disturbing since the draft report contained numerous errors that were pointed out at that meeting & in other communications. This report & its recommendations are extremely biased & based on outdated thinking from a company that demonstrated their incompetence in the New Street garage study. Their model is that of generating data to justify new garage construction & parking meter rate increases. To justify the huge New Street garage, they had to reduce the parking study radius from 500 feet to 300 feet to get the answer they were charged to produce..."
• Desman Recommends 1.50/hr Parking Meter Fees - 7th in a series on parking
  7th post in a series of posts on parking; At the Sept 20 meeting, Tim Tracy of Desman Design made a presentation on the recommendation to raise the parking meter fees to $1.50 that included the following: The Bethlehem Parking Authority must cover its operating expenses, capital improvements, infrastructure, and debt through user fees; Capital repair over the next 10 years is estimated at $6 million; History shows that the on-street parking meter rate in 2002 was .50 and raised to the current $1.00 in 2012 (importantly, the off-street rate moved to an equivalent $1.00 as well in 2016); Meter rates are a “management tool,” and on-street rates can promote favorable turnover and drive long-term parkers into garages; Since on-street and off-street rates are now equal, there is no incentive to use garages; Comparison with a dozen or more other cities shows that the Bethlehem on-street rate is “under market”; Hence, the recommendation to raise our rates from $1.00 to $1.50; Benefits of the increase: increased revenue, more on-street parking available, and yet we would be at market rate; A reminder that all BPA expenses are covered by user fees; And that any surplus is fed back into the system; The timeline: the mayor decides, projected implementation is January 1, and Desman would market and promote the change; There is a plan to ease the transition into June, for instance, people using an app will pay the old price into June
• The Public Meeting on Parking Meter Fees Sept 20, 2018 - 6th in a series on parking
  6th in a series of posts on parking; The Bethlehem Parking Authority hosted the meeting. Executive Director Kevin Livingston handed off to Tim Tracy of Desman Design who did the parking study. The Mayor was also at the head table. Tim gave a ½ hr. or so presentation of the Desman final report (accepted by BPA at their May meeting at which Tim presented). The Desman report was accepted in May with the promise that individual parts would be discussed individually. Apparently, the parking meter fee recommendation brought forth tonight was discussed at the July meeting (June and August were cancelled), but the minutes of that meeting will not be approved until next week at the September meeting, so at this point we don’t know what exactly was discussed.
• Adding to Dr. Van Wirt’s Fantastic Ideas - 5th in a series on parking
  Letter to the Gadfly from Breena Holland , Associate Professor at Lehigh University in the Department of Political Science and the Environmental Initiative. "My idea is that the parking lease prices in the garages be raised to cover the cost of per space debt service on the bonds used to build the garage. For the New Street Garage, this would not raise prices on the cost of an annual parking lease until 2020, but then the prices would rise significantly (almost double)."
• The Bethlehem Parking Authority Proposal: “Keep Open Minds about Alternative Ideas” - 4th in a series on parking
  Letter to the Gadfly from Bethlehem City Councilwoman Paige Van Wirt regarding a Public meeting Thursday, September 20, 2018, Town Hall, 6PM to discuss a proposal by our representatives from the Bethlehem Parking Authority to raise parking meter fees and meter violation fines in the Northside and Southside business districts.
• The Banana Factory Expansion: “It’s not a Sophie’s Choice” (4)
  Letter to the Gadfly from Kim Carrell-Smith: Dear Gadfly: The Bethlehem Historic Conservation Commission (HCC) is faced with a difficult choice, and it’s a doozy. Monday night (9/17) they were presented with an amazing expansion plan by ArtsQuest, which has terrific new ideas for a newer, larger facility on the site of the Banana Factory. I’m particularly excited about the arts-based preschool that could be life-changing for many Southside families, as well as others around town (really, no overstatement for an underserved community!). But the project comes with a significant cost, and I’m not just talking about the amount of money required to develop it. Rather, it includes significant changes to the streetscape and demolition of several historical structures — all of this within the Historic Conservation District (HCD) in south Bethlehem. So my excitement is tempered by serious concern. I am keenly aware that the Historic Conservation District (which covers most of the Third Street and Fourth Street commercial corridors, and some additional historic structures) is living on the edge these days. They have faced some pretty significant and continuous challenges in the past few years, as development ramps up with tax incentives provided by the state. A few years back, as the tax incentive district rolled into town, a contentious development project, the HCC bowed to pressure, in the name of “economic revitalization,” to excuse a local developer from HCD guidelines. They have publicly reflected on that since, as they strengthened their resolve to stay out of the revitalization arena and stick to their charge of considering the historic impact of demolition, alteration, and other potential destruction of the conservation district landscape and buildings. As a result, a few recent building projects have gone through significant alterations in response to the HCC digging in their heels about maintaining scale and height rules in particular, and they have pushed developers hard to blend their structures in to the streetscapes of South Bethlehem. This effort has been fairly successful; residents and business owners look forward to seeing the new four-story building — designed with appropriate building materials and architectural elements — go up soon on W. Morton Street across from Lehigh’s Farrington Square. HCC members are already using the Morton Street decision as a precedent for sticking to their guidelines when it comes to appropriate building height for structures proposed within the conservation district. And plans are well underway (in negotiation with the HCC) for a new, historically appropriate restoration of, and addition to, the Goodman Building on E. Third St. But what to do about this ArtsQuest proposal, for a great new facility? The difficult questions emerge: what kind of precedent could this set for the Historic Conservation District if it is passed by the HCC? Would this be something other developers could cite, to push for their own demolition of historical structures or proposed changes to the streetscape of South Bethlehem commercial corridors? As a city we want to encourage the arts, and this is something that “brands” the Southside. Would an HCC denial chase such development out of the Southside? But if the HCC gives a bye to this project, what is the next “essential revitalization project” that may come along, seeking a reprieve from the HCC guidelines? And what would that mean for the future of Bethlehem’s historical Southside vibe? I am grateful for the thoughtfulness and endless patience of the Historic Conservation Commission members. I thank them for taking on this difficult work. What’s great about the committed, extremely knowledgeable volunteers on the HCC is that they are tirelessly willing to negotiate, advise, and otherwise work with developers and their architects till they come up with something that suits the HCD charge and complements our city’s “brand,” history! I have confidence in their ability to work this through. It’s not a “Sophie’s Choice”; it’s Bethlehem’s future.
• Banana Factory Expansion: “It’ll bear watching” (3)
  Letter to the Gadfly by Dana Grubb: Dear Gadfly: Attending the Historic Conservation Commission (HCC) in town hall this evening, I was struck by the fact that two issues before the HCC involved the demolition of structures in the SS Conservation District, which is a national register historic district under local ordinance review and protection. The organizations requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness were the Hispanic Center and ArtsQuest, both important community non-profits who benefit residents with services and programming. The HCC approved the Hispanic Center’s request to demolish a former residence fronting West Fourth Street in the 500 block. A certificate of appropriateness will now go to City Council for their vote of approval. It is a very worthwhile project. The second demolition proposal comes from ArtsQuest, a request to demolish most of the Banana Factory structure and replace it with a four story 70′ tall structure in what is now the Banana Factory parking lot. Programming demand has outstripped their facility and analysis has determined that this is the best way to go for ArtsQuest. It’s a great project, but it’s also another demolition request. Analysis of the project by the city’s historic officer determined that much of the proposal is inappropriate based on the US Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, which must be applied under both state law and the local ordinance. Many ArtsQuest supporters spoke in support of the project due to its programming benefit. I spoke about demolition concerns, why ArtsQuest needs parking on site with two parking garages within a half block, and the scale of the proposed new building compared to the existing Banana Factory. After reviewing the ArtsQuest submisson on the city’s website, I noted that it failed to address its impact on the viewscape of the SS Conservation District. The bigger issue is demolition. Each project that asks for it in the SS Conservation District makes it seem fine on its own with minimal impact. The problem becomes the sum of various demolitions that are required to advance projects and their cumulative impact on this national register historic district. Do we as a community want to promote and preserve our physical history, or do we want to compromise it? There are no easy answers and the political pressures that are brought to bear can make it difficult for the citizen volunteers on the HCC, who are strictly ordained to deal with historic appropriateness. Fortunately tonight’s session with ArtsQuest representatives was more one of fact-finding, seeking feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of their proposal. It’ll bear watching by the public as further sessions happen, and Bethlehem decides just how important history is to a town where history is its most important and marketable asset.
• Should the Banana Factory be (mostly) demolished? (2)
  Should the Banana Factory, an arts and education center stitched out of old industrial buildings, be demolished to make way for a $16 million community cultural center that would provide arts-based pre-school, more classes for senior citizens, a black box theater and more? Or are those buildings, which evoke industrial memories of the D. Theodoredis Wholesale Banana Co., important to keep as the architectural backdrop for south Bethlehem?”
• Banana Factory Expansion (1)
  The Banana Factory wants to grow, needs to grow, and, after considering various space renovation plans over the last five years, ArtsQuest brought forth a proposal tonight to our Historical Conservation Commission that includes demolition of virtually all of the existing buildings. Demolition, a dirty word. The City Historical Code does not like terminal cases! The property, remember, is in the Southside Historical District, and ArtsQuest needs approval by this Commission (and eventually City Council) whose job it is to conserve and preserve, though, and I may be wrong, but trying to read the tea leaves...
• Questions for the Parking Meeting - 3rd in a series on parking
  3rd in a series of posts on parking: Discussion of an upcoming public meeting Thursday, September 20, Town Hall, 6PM,
• gadfly-header
• A Star is Born: Stephen Antalics, June 22, 2001 (1)
  The Gadfly seeks stories or suggestions for stories on the Bethlehem tribe of Gadflies. The name of Stephen Antalics, who ranks as Gadfly No.1 in the pantheon of Bethlehem Gadflies, first appeared in the pages of the Morning Call in 1996, but here is the 2001 first article with his by-line (a robust 1000 words). Stephen burst into print here as a Southside warrior, and current City Council attendees recognize that his combative voice is undiminished. Stephen sees a kind of Civil War at the very beginning of Bethlehem history rather than mid-way as in our country at large. From the get-go it’s the North and its high-toned Christians and culture v. the “sin city” of the South filled with speakeasies, gambling, opium dens, and brothels (who knew??). The “native Americans” of the North looked down on the “foreign invaders” of the South and the “unopposed infiltration of organized crime.”
• Coming Up to Speed on the Parking Proposal - 2nd in a series on parking
  BPA commissioned the wide-ranging parking study from Desman c. Sept. 2017. Their draft study is dated Feb. 6, 2018. Bad weather canceled a public meeting to discuss the report March 21. The public meeting was held April 12. Members of the BPA had all received a hard copy of the Desman report by their April 25 meeting. A Desman rep attended the May 23 BPA meeting at which the Board accepted “the Parking Study and the findings with the understanding that the recommendations will be reviewed later one by one.” No minutes of the June, July, and August meetings have been published to know what further discussion of this meeting’s topics has taken place.
• “Love on Lorain, June 2018”
  So there I am sitting on the porch late Sunday afternoon. (Sitting on an egg crate since I gave away the “old” porch furniture and have not yet gotten the rocking chairs that I want.) Across the street are the backyards of the houses on Lorain Ave. There’s a guy there — Tom – who’s had girlfriends over the years, some live-in. They sit in the backyard. All look the same. 40-ish in 30-ish disguise. Blonde. Big-breasted. Tube-topp’d. A good bit of soft sexy roll in the tummy over the tightest, slightest jean shorts. Voices a tad too loud, laughs a tad too masculine. Swigging bottled beer. Women who look good in bar lights. They are unnamed. Never introduced. Never last too long. This Sunday with Tom there was a woman who looked somewhat the same. Instead of drinking beer, they cut grass. Raked winter mess. Dug up flower beds. And then on all fours, head next to head, they planted. And whispered. And planted. And giggled. And planted. And laughed. And laughed. I sense this woman will be introduced.
• The Parking Issue (1)
  Discussion of an upcoming Public meeting Thursday, September 20, 2018, Town Hall, 6PM to discuss a proposal by our representatives from the Bethlehem Parking Authority to raise parking meter fees and meter violation fines in the Northside and Southside business districts.
• The Hill-to-Hill Bridge: A Story of “Fraternal Cooperation”
  The Gadfly picks October 8, 1916, as our first Bethlehem Moment. On that day fundraising for what would be called the Hill-to-Hill Bridge went over the top, though a World War intervened, and the bridge would not be completed till 1924. There was a gala opening ceremony on November 1st of that year, after which a day full of “merry tooting of horns and sirens” consecrated what the Hill-to-Hill’s first biographer Rollin Keim called “the greatest undertaking Bethlehem has ever accomplished.”
• Limited Engagement in Bethlehem: 4 Nights Only
  Madame Arachne, the original web artist, studio’d at our Kenmore Ave. home for four days recently, gracing us with beautifully different geometry each evening. Ever creative, she. Her audience wanted more. But she moved on. Sad. Miss you.
• History is Our Mother
  The Gadfly never tires of saying “History is our mother” and never tires of (old) pictures of (old) Bethlehem such as in the work here of Mark Iampietro, John Marquette, William Weiner, Jr., Karen Samuels, Kenneth Raniere, Karol Strelecki, and others, produced locally and by Arcadia Press. The Iampietro and Marquette books are available at Moravian Bookstore, National Museum of Industrial History, ArtsQuest gift store, Bethlehem Visitors Center, and Domaci, or they may be ordered at marco1114@rcn.com