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04/05/2006More questions emerge about deck'What's the skinny?' Csapo asks TRAVERSE CITY — City commissioners want answers as more revelations emerge about a proposed alternate downtown public parking deck. Developer Gerald Snowden contends he could save the city at least $3 million as compared to Federated Properties' city-approved, $16 million-plus parking project along West Front Street. Snowden fired another volley at City Manager Richard Lewis in a March 24 letter that blames Lewis for failing to inform commissioners of his plan. "I know you've tried to pin this back on me by saying that I could have brought my proposal forward without your support," Snowden wrote. "This is irresponsible and further, it misses the point. It was up to you as city manager to move my proposal forward for full and fair consideration... this process has probably cost the city millions of dollars, deprived the city of improved parking and damaged the city's role as a reservoir for public trust." Deputy Mayor Rick Csapo said he wants more information on Snowden's idea. "I've been getting mixed signals — it's like 'come on, what's the skinny?'," Csapo said. "There's going to be a lot of questions flying around...if it's true there's another proposal out there, let's pursue it." Lewis said he's drafting a formal response that city commissioners could discuss at their April 17 meeting. But Lewis insists it wasn't his responsibility to forward Snowden's plan to the commission after it was withdrawn in January when state Sen. Jason Allen intervened on Federated's behalf. Federated officials and others connected to Federated projects gave at least $32,000 to Allen's campaign, state records show. "The bottom line is they took their proposal off the table and didn't put anything back," Lewis said Tuesday. Lewis also said it's not his role to support Snowden's project. "I haven't done that for any developer...I didn't do that for Federated," he said. "We do agree that the price (the city) might be getting (from Federated) might not be the best for our deck," Lewis said. Commissioner Denise Scrudato, who voted against the city bond issue for Federated's project, said Snowden raised financial issues worthy of commission discussion. "He's looking to save the city some money. What's wrong with that," Scrudato said. "I want to see (Lewis and Snowden) have a discussion in front of the city commissioners with all their facts and figures." "There's more to this than we know," Scrudato said. "I just don't know what that is yet." Snowden said his project would cost considerably less than Federated's proposal, since it's a "free-standing" structure similar to the city's Larry C. Hardy parking deck on East Front Street. Snowden contends Federated's "multi-use" deck will cost the city an extra $3 to 4 million because it needs to support several upper levels of residential development. Snowden also indicated he would donate land to the city for a parking structure. Csapo described Snowden's latest letter as "pretty dog-gone specific" and includes details that would've made him reevaluate his support for Federated's plan. "Absolutely, it would've made me reconsider the whole matter," Csapo said. "He's talking about donating land to the city. That's huge." Lewis said Snowden never discussed a land deal with the city in the earlier talks, and officials deemed it would be too complex to pursue two different public parking decks with separate developers. But Lewis also acknowledged Snowden's raised cost issues the city should consider. To read the full text of Gerald Snowden's letter to City Manager Richard Lewis, click here. See related stories:
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