New Haven Independent

Posted by: Divine Shabazz | February 11, 2009 12:41 PM

Eliezer Greer does not represent the views and concerns of the entire Whalley community. I don't recall anyone appointing this man a spokesperson for us. Folks need to know there are two Whalley Avenues; the one and the world that he lives in and the one and the world that people of color, like me, live in. That side show that he pulled with the guns and Guardian Angels last summer will not fly and go unchallenged in the hood this summer. Who did he call himself realy trying to protect? He never surveyed the community to get a pulse of how people realy felt about his most dangerous idea. What if it had backfired? Then what? Take a page in the book of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Greer. Perhaps even study what Donald Morrison and the Brotherhood Summit did over the summer as well. Now here he goes once again grandstanding for the hood as if he has all of its support. His only interest appears to be self serving for his enclave in the Whalley community. Holla Black!

Posted by: Steve | February 11, 2009 1:13 PM

Want to change the types of decisions the BZA makes, then get smart and launch a "Get Rid of Mayor DeStefano" and the deep pocket influencers of the BZ.Players like Atty. Tony Avallone etc. are the culprits. These decisions are guided by City Hall politics not good zoning practices.

Also save your money, the courts will never rule in your favor, they have proven to be part of the screw the residents decisions everytime--

Posted by: norton street | February 11, 2009 1:37 PM

shabazz, this laudromat is not a positve thing for the community, or either community as you see.

laudromats are across the board designed terribly, theyre just boxes, with parking in front of them. drug dealers used to stand in front of the old walgreens there when i was growing up, theyll be back thanks to this horrific plan.

people may need a laudromat in the neighborhood, and thats completely valid, its this idea that whalley is in the suburbs and demands so much parking and car traffic that isnt good.

greer is trying to do positive things in our neighborhood, maybe we dont have to stand behind him, but that doesnt make him an enemy. i think the residents are all working towards a safer community thats easily accessible by the people in the neighborhood, and this laudromat goes in opposite direction of that by encouraging more automibiles which are unsafe for pedestrians and our health.

Posted by: Lance | February 11, 2009 6:18 PM

I may go set up a georgia hot cart in front and try to recoup some of my tax dollars Obama is going to "spread around" down there.

Posted by: norton street | February 12, 2009 11:55 AM

lance, youd have plenty of room to do so with the massive amount of parking on that block.
also, your fight shouldnt be with the people "down there" or in my case, down here. it should be with the suburbanites. what a teenage single parent with welfare checks and food stamp card is to a city is what a suburban family is to a city. at least poor people use public transportation, suburban folks cant even seem to do that. there are so many empty lots and boarded up homes in "bad nieghborhoods" because so many people move out to the suburbs. there are even abandoned buildings downtown on crown street, that could be home for businesses, but often a business will opt to build a one story box surrounded by parking rather than be in a city. suburbs suck the life out of cities, this city especially.

Posted by: lance | February 12, 2009 5:18 PM

Taxes are too high in new haven, that's why it isn't attractive to a lot of people. That's what happens when you have so much dead weight there that has to be fed, housed, clothed, schooled, ect.

Somebody has to pay for it. So taxes go up, and people get sick of paying them and leave.

You seem pretty sharp. You should be working on your resume instead of sitting on Mr. Bass' web site theorizing how everything is the fault of "the man". Your homework for the night is to listen to Mark Levin 7-9 pm tonight on WELI 960.

Stick with me and you'll prosper.

Posted by: Resident | February 12, 2009 6:24 PM

First off... what's the point in opening a new laundromat when there are so many that have the address of Whalley Avenue? Sure this new installment might make it a convenience for those who live in the vicinity of the new site but look at how many draw backs we have opposed to that. So much opposition and so many complaints yet nobody's voice is heard? Do these town meetings and discussions even serve a purpose anymore? It seems to me that they held these meetings because they had to rather than actually serving out its true purpose.
The minuscule efforts that you have put in to accommodating with the complaints of the neighborhood has shown that you don't in fact truly actually care about serving the community... only to further ruin the already tainted image of New Haven. Thugs, loiterers, dope dealers, and now corrupt city officials? With that existing space there are so many things that one can do to clean up the area, reduce crime and usher in the new age that Obama has already started. Building a laundromat with late night hours only attract the norm and what we need is a change in new haven for the better. My son goes to school right across the street and the last thing he needs is to be influenced by some thugs loitering in front of a plain ugly box you guys call a building.
My question is if there is anything we can do as a community to oppose this horrid decision by a bunch of heartless capitalists who continue to take away from the hardworking middle class man. We absolutely MUST NOT allow this corruption to develop any further.

Posted by: Fatalyst | February 12, 2009 6:29 PM

The epitome of the American dream only to have it result in greedy scheming, manipulating government rats with no intentions of improving a community as a whole. Who benefits? No one!
False claims are fed to the public as they consume filthy lies. Welcome to a society where corruption fuels decisions and logic and sentiment cease to exist. Oh America, the land of great opportunity, as it only holds true to pigs accepting from dogs. In concensus with the majority, this should and will be appealed. -Fatalyst.

Posted by: norton street | February 13, 2009 11:40 AM

lance i already have enough homework. this week i have to complete a scale model of a building i designed and prepare the proper autocad drawings. and when i have a little free time between classes or in the evening ill pop on this site instead of getting drunk (sorry?). im trying to learn a tool which i can use to reverse the horrific negative effects that the suburbs have created on this city and others. look at newark, its a city with a population of 280,000 but it can support a population of roughly 425,000, but thanks to the suburds newark is burning. new haven isnt quite as bad but there is still room for 25,000 more people (i dont mean new people,there arent jobs for them yet, i mean people who already work here but dont live here).

resident, i know, its ridiculous. theres one on hobart/whalley, one midblock between norton and winthrop on whalley, and one in the shaws plaza at kensington and elm.

Posted by: Marcus Paca | February 13, 2009 11:50 AM

There are some persons that will never be able to sit down at the table of compromise and work out differences. More "us vs. them" rhetoric is not going to change the underlining issues that face our community. Mr.Shabazz has a point. If there are indeed 2, or maybe even 3 "Whalley's" then it is up to all to make it a better place. I personally, did not support this laudromat being opened in its current location under these conditions; however, once it became clear that City Plan was to recommend its opening to Zoning and Appeals, I called for a truce with the owner, calling that he support the community through local hiring practices and community development activities. We have an obligation to ourselves, families and community to compromise at times and set realistic goals and objectives, not just create an "us vs. them", zero sum game situation where really no one wins.

Posted by: Edward_H | February 14, 2009 12:37 PM

The bottom line is that if the community does not want a laundromat at this location they will not patronize it. It will go the way of Primo Pizza.