On the way home last night I saw a welcome sign at the corner of Weldon and Maroa, very near my house. (It may have been up for a while -- I've been avoiding Van Ness-Maroa while it's all torn up.)
The sign advertises the beginning of the long-awaited renovation of the Old Administration Building at Fresno City College. And today, The Bee writes about an effort to close a funding gap for the project. City College employees are being asked to give an hour's pay each month to the project. The college hopes to raise $1 million that way, toward the total of $4 million needed to make the nut.
I hope it works, and I hope the community pitches in as well. This grand old building, dripping Fresno and Valley history, had several close calls over the past couple of decades. The college administration, for a long time, wanted desperately to tear the thing down. Preservationists and their supporters -- including The Bee -- fought even harder to keep it alive and get it repaired and reopened.
Now we're on the verge of seeing that happen, if the restoration fund can come up with just a little more cash. It's worth every penny.
While everyone fights over who will pay for renovations, I become angry and want to tell everyone to listen up. Hello? Might I remind everyone before restoring or building anything else in Fresno, Clovis, Madera or for that matter, ANYWHERE, that planners, commissioners, city and county engineers should plan a long-term water, power, traffic and residential integration program before they go on anymore beautifying and economic development rampages.
There is no sentimental value in restoring the FCC building, because it has no primary purpose to the campus community or to today's public. Most of Fresno residents don't remember the Old Administration Building. Ask around and see.
Why pay taxes and donate money to projects that have no public use or purpose?
I am curious who has donated what amount to the project and why it is important to them.
I think if it is feasible, then first plan a multi-story parking structure, new sidewalks and disabled access. Somehow people have got to address the current problems. Three years, while I atteneded FCC, they planned an underpass. The underpass was completed recently, but I have yet to see how it resolved traffic backups.
Try getting somewhere north/southbound on Blackstone, or Maroa and east/west on Shields or McKinley when there is a train.
Is our community saying "yes" to FCC's future? Then I ask, why do you want to add to the mess surrounding the residential area around Fresno City College by restoring and reopening the old administration building to administrators only?
Am I the only one who sees a future of fingerpointing by the government? Imagine The Bee prints ... a picture of Mayor Alan Autry pointing a finger at Jerry Duncan with the byline "I told you so." A photo op of FCC administrators scratching their heads, and the city planners retorting "This never should have happened."
The final pieces of The Bee puzzle will be photos. I think The Bee should publish a photonovella of the current situation. Sure, waiting cars, double-parked cars with tickets, the gallons of wasted gas and pollution by cars driving in circles to find a solitary parking spot in front, the neighbors, pedestrians and traffic caught up at the rail crossings.
I am sick of The Bee not giving me the bigger picture.
A parking lot? This must be a joke. You want to tear down this building for parking garage?
I'm glad you're not in charge. There's more to life than close-in parking.