Another Development Project Torpedoed by Government

I'm writing about the report I just read in the Albany Journal about the reception the UC Village development project met in the Planning and Zoning Commission at the last meeting.   I was very disappointed to learn that nothing seems to have changed.   Again, the attitude of the P&Z Commission towards this development seem to be "NIA" or "Not in Albany."   Like so many other reasonable projects, the commission is again taking the attitude that the developer and the owner (UC) should be grateful for the opportunity to develop in Albany, and that no condition or wish list the members of commission or special interests can dream up is too much to ask.   Once again, it seems that the petty concerns and arrogance of our local officials is about to sink another major development  proposal; Whole Foods, Safeway, and now the second-best Sprouts.   Is there no concern on the Council for economic development, and no awareness that we desperately need tax revenue and some form of economic activity more vibrant than yet another nail parlor or second-hand clothing shop?   In particular, I was shocked at reports of Nick Pilch's blase comments, and I am very glad he was defeated for City Council.   His lawsuit squelched the Whole Foods project, which will now go to Berkeley (an ironic comment on our City's political climate - we are the new Berkeley).

We should do anything we can, including contacting our City Council members and their appointees on important commissions,  to ensure that this project is not again defeated by special interests who put their own narrow agendas ahead of the needs of the majority.