This propaganda letter (Spring 2010 Newsletter) put out by Friends of the Parks (using taxpayer money to fund the e-mail blast via a marketing company) illustrates how desperate these liars are to promote their project. There is absolutely nothing in his letter that even remotely resembles the truth for anyone with even a modicum of knowledge of what has gone on here in the past few years: from phoney charettes, to visioning, to refusing to recognize the true interests of the community, as expressed at the ballot box. These zealots keep plugging away, but the real lack of any rationale for their plan is revealed below. In fact, what is very interesting is that they are no longer portraying their plan as needed because of no existing park access; no "park poor" claims. Those have been thoroughly debunked.
Here are the "benefits" of the $450 million project as portrayed by FOTP with our comments in red.
Adds almost 500 acres of new parks and beaches. To an area already overwhelmed with beach and park acreage that is grossly underutilized on the busiest days of the year, and even more underutilized for 360 days per year. Almost 50% of the parkland in Chicago is on the shoreline: this will add to it, while at the same time, huge areas in the city are under-served by parks. A gross maldistribution of assets that this supposed "park watchdog" group is presumed to fight against. In truth they really on care about the shoreline. Why? Because they live near it, on the Gold Coast.
Provides public access along Lake Michigan from Evanston to Indiana. There is a grand total of 1982 feet of private land in south shore; 3434 feet of private land in Edgewater and Rogers Park. Out of a total shoreline mileage of about 30 miles. 97 percent of the shoreline is already public, but these liars and deceivers would have the casual citizen think there was NO public access between Evanston and Indiana.
Completes a single lakefront-long park to knit the city together. How in the world would the city, almost 10 miles wide and almost 20 miles in length, be knit together by adding 1 mile of shoreline to the existing 29 miles? This is simply "urban planner speak", which upon inspection and reflection has no meaning whatsoever. FOTP plays everyone as idiots.
Encourages health and quality of life with extended opportunities to cycle and walk. Apparently, those who don't live within a few blocks of the lake suffer from a decided lack of quality of life, and of course bad health because they won't be able to take advantage of the FOTP landfill plan. If adding an extra 1 mile to an already exisiting 29 miles of paths could make such a positive impact on health and quality of life, why doesn't FOTP instead propose using the $450 million to demarcate miles and miles of paths throughout the city, so everyone's health and quality of life can improve with extended opportunities to cycle and walk? Why limit it to those who live within a few blocks of the lake?
Links lakefront trail for walkers, runners, cyclists with regional trail systems. Again FOTP "urban planner speak" which upon inspection is a lie. There are no regional trail systems their project would link up to. Whatever trail systems there are have no relationship to what FOTP is proposing. Again, it sounds nice to the groups that don't know better.
Protects the shoreline from storms and erosion. The big lie! All areas targeted by FOTP have already been evaluated by government agencies and where required, shoreline protection has been installed. In fact, the FOTP project, to attain the same level of protection as is currently in place would cost multiples of what has already been expended because it would be done in deeper water. And besides, what would the FOTP plan create? Shoreline. So how would the project protect shoreline as they claim? This really just shows the absolute ignorance of FOTP zealots regarding any engineering principles.......or simple common sense. But it sounds good to those that don't understand the situation as it currently stands.
Establishes aquatic and wildlife habitat to benefit the Lake Michigan ecosystem. Another attractive comment that will appeal to the environmental zealots in the audience. But, upon even superficial reflection, one must conclude the FOTP project will have ZERO environmental benefit, and most likely NEGATIVE environmental benefit. How will a beach, a bike path , a new land mass establish aquatic and wildlife habitat? In fact existing aquatic habitat, and spawning areas will be DESTROYED.
Promotes water quality and clean air. As one goes through these "false benefits", it is almost laughable that FOTP would even attempt to claim them. They become more and more ludicrous. FOTP is grasping at straws. How would new beaches and bike paths promote water quality? How would 1 more mile of beaches and bike paths promote "clean air"? Are the bikers dismounting at Ardmore, and throwing their bikes in cars there and driving to Loyola to get back on the path? FOTP thinks the public is made up of a bunch of non-thinking idiots, if they think they can foist these claims on them.
Encourages new small businesses in the vicinity. Theres a beach at Hollywood. Theres a beach at Thorndale. Theres a park at Rosemont. All within two blocks. A beach and bike path between those points would create new business? Maybe the only people who would believe this are the college freshman FOTP makes the majority of their presentations to. Look at the number of small businesses between North Avenue and Hollywood. For all intents and purposes there are none. And thats a distance of 40+ blocks. But there would be new business created in a distance of a few 100 feet? There is absolutely ZERO basis for this assertion, other than it sounds good. Another in the series of FOTP big lies.
Increases property values along the newly created parks. If one were living next to the Granville "business strip" or the Thorndale "business strip", and those strips were demolished to create a park, property values would likely increase for the adjacent residences. But not along the lake. In fact the opposite would be the case: property values would decrease and decidely so. Another cynical assertion by the liars at FOTP calculated to appeal to outsiders, but not anyone with even a semblance of intelligence. Another FOTP big lie.
Creates new construction jobs to build the parks. Now this FOTP crew is pitching their landfill expansion plan as a public works program designed to create jobs. But the increase in taxes in Chicago to fund this boondoggle would likely put people out of work, and businesses at a decided disadvantage. The city is broke; the state is broke; the feds are broke. So, thats the perfect time to increase spending obligations by $450 million to build a project no one wants and no one needs: while Rome burns. FOTP really has no respect for the public's intelligence.
The FOTP e-mail goes on to praise the ECC:
Kudos to the Edgewater Community Council, which on March 8 presented the results of its yearlong effort: the Edgewater Environmental Sustainability Project (EESP). The community plan includes reclaiming the lakefront between Osterman Beach and Devon Avenue with new lakefront parkland and beaches. Again, the big FOTP lie, keeping their level of integrity intact at or near zero. FOTP implies to the casual reader that the COMMUNITY conceived this plan. BUT, the ECC, which represents no one but themselves, in fact credits FOTP with the plan, even on their maps. It is a 100% copy of the FOTP plan, down to the location of the trees. The ECC says FOTP did it: FOTP says ECC did it. The common thread: many of the ECC zealots are on the FOTP board.
Further, FOTP and ECC engage in gross class warfare: they attempt to paint those living in buildings along the lakefront as stealing their properties from the public: hence the need to RECLAIM the lakefront from those buildings. The FOTP is a detestable organization which intentionally wants to portray to the uninformed citizen that somehow these properties were stolen from the city; and they need to be reclaimed, like all stolen property is. This was never public property.
Finally, a quote from the alderman:
After presentations highlighting energy conservation efforts, green schools and businesses, alternative transportation and greenway and park planning in the EESP Report, Ald. Mary Ann Smith focused upon the need for Edgewater to emphasize its place--next to the lake. Edgewater neighborhoods require access to Lake Michigan. What's the point, she asked, if we cannot get to the lake and enjoy its beauty and its bounty? So, we are supposed to believe that currently, there is no access to the lake in Edgewater, and that this project will finally, at long last, allow us to enjoy the bounty of Lake Michigan? This again is calculated to appeal to the uninformed. It belies reality. What neighborhoods in Edgewater currently don't have access to the lake? If having access is defined as gaining immediate gratification by walking 5 or 10 feet at most before one is at the lake, then unfortunately, 99.9% of the population of this city has no access. But if access is defined as walking a few blocks at most, then arguably Edgewater and Rogers Park currently have the closest and best access of anywhere in the city.