[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by Schertz1

I attended yesterday’s commission meeting and was very surprised to find several HDRC members in favor of downtown development and this building. However, three members were much worse than imagined. Cone and Guarino are narcissistic and uncompassionate to say the least. Well this is my take on the meeting:

The commission was actually split on this tower 4 to 4. Conceptual approval was denied only after the commission could not reach an agreement on the best way to proceed with the project. Had the session ended in a split after thirty days conceptual approval would automatically be granted, so some action from the opposing members was required to stop the project.

Conceptual approval was not denied due to impact on Alamo Plaza; the impact was minimal and the developer could easily adjust the project to further mitigate the impact. The main reason for denial was the hotel’s impact on the facade of the Joske’s building. The view, of at least two members, is the hotel is not respectful enough to Joske’s. This opinion, coming from the same group granting approval to changes at Municipal Auditorium, is really the height of hypocrisy. It is my opinion; two members came prepared to deny the project and will not grant approval in any form.

That is absolutely ridiculous given their approval of Municipal Auditorium (an arguably more historic structure)