mlechs

To be clear: car drivers speeding thru neighborhoods and endangering kids is horrific but families taking action on their own (because the city won’t) is awesome. The city should pay these families to train the rest of us on DIY street calming.https://twitter.com/mlechs/status/1280306900022804485 …

while i appreciate his intentions, I don't agree with @chrispraedel that calling KDPS for enforcement is a solution to drivers speeding. You get the enforcement you want in Winchell but other neighborhoods will pay the price. Enforcement = police violence in Black neighborhoods

honestly.... do-it-yourself neighborhood level physical design that slows downs car drivers is exactly the type of stuff we need and I so appreciate you lifting that up and your leadership on that issue, among others. And kudo's to your awesome neighbors.

At the end of a powerful commissioner comment, which I encourage everyone to watch in full, @PatreseGriffin cites families in her Kalamazoo neighborhood who set up do-it-yourself barricades to prevent car drivers from speeding through and hitting kids. Yes. Thank you!

Regarding the housing equity ordinance being debated in Kalamazoo: so far a bunch of folks have called in to public comment in support, and two people have called in opposition. Both against are out of town landlords with sob stories about how hard landlording is.

The city gave downtown business owners a special path to outdoor public space. Cool. How about it gives citizens the same path? Can we prioritize creating equitable outdoor public space right now, in this moment? Give it the same attention you give downtown business needs.

A real thing we could be giving top priority to is creating outdoor public space downtown and throughout town that works for everyone. Letting downtown leadership, and the very certain class of people it serves, lead has always been a huge mistake, just like it is this time.

The city should be creating accessible, equitable, public space for ALL. Especially downtown. That's not only what this moment calls for, it will pay off long-term as well when after all this we have robust, public spaces in our community.

With that said, the city carving out special space for downtown business owners, in a process they developed behind closed doors with downtown leaders and people who support those business as a top priority is a big mistake.

I'm for businesses being able to utilize their own parking lots and some public space (private parking lots, public parking, *STREETS*). Count me in. What's taken so long? We clearly need outdoor spaces ASAP.

The city frequently gives special access to certain leaders (who are not accountable publicly). This is an example of that.

City planner said this has been developed by Andrew Haan of Downtown Kalamazoo, who is not available to answer questions. City planner said this is for the other neighborhoods too, even though it's been exclusively developed with input from downtown leadership at this point.

Right now the Kzoo City Commission is debating giving special access to downtown business owners to open up their parking lots and public parking spots and sidewalks in front of their businesses for people eating at their restaurants. Quick thread....