My, I hit a nerve with the SMPS. In two letters to the editor I am told that I lied and I am slow. Neither of which are completely accurate. Notice I did not call my detractors names and get personal because we simply have a difference of opinion. If you read the letter from Mr. Schuette he states “Mr. Hill implies that the SMPS told Mr. Stockhorst not to present his plans to the SMPS because he would not be well received. Fact 1—-Mr. Stockhorst never made a request of the SMPS board to present his plans at an SMPS meeting.”
This statement of fact seems to be contradicted in Mr. Schuette’s Fact 5 which states “The presentation of his proposal to the SMPS was not cancelled by the SMPS membership or board. The presentation was cancelled because there was no point to a presentation once the city’s officials and commissions had overwhelmingly rejected the proposal.” These are not implied statements these are statements of Fact according to Mr. Schuette. My only question is how you cancel a presentation in Fact 5 for the stated reasons when in Fact 1 you tell the public he never made a request to present his plans. It was on the agenda and then it didn’t take place.
In another letter from resident and business owner Mr. George Worthinghton who by the way if you need a stove or fireplace for your home, or other items like radio flyer wagons go visit him. His store is truly a neat place to visit. He calls me slow, I might not be the fastest on the block but I don’t think that the SMPS are the end all and be all to determine the economic viability of new business.
At no other time have we required market studies for a business to open in the area, yet he felt this time we should. He also points out the boat was not historically correct. May I ask about the St. Charles Empress? How is this modern day vessel fitting of our beloved “Bishops Landing?” I would bet the name sake of that landing would have allowed for more discussion and input to see if this could work before it was dispatched without input. The SMPS did the same thing when Bob Hoepfner was trying to get the corp to allow for a basin to dock the Goldenrod. This developer was never given the chance to work with the SMPS, Tourism or City Council to come up with a plan that would work.
To say I am closed minded is really not fair. I am open minded enough to say this project was doomed once it was announced, just like the way the over zealous SMPS membership is trying kill the Starbucks on the corner of Boone’s Lick and Fifth.
Once last point I want to make, I called a couple of our Council members and asked them about the marina/restaurant plan. I find it ironic how Mr. Worthington said they were “in fact in the process of providing for Roosters LLC, thirty acres of waterfront, parking and public land at the very core of the tourism base of St. Charles,” yet these two Councilmen knew nothing more than what was e-mailed by concerned business owners and what was in the paper. I would ask Mr. Worthington to produce the documents that show the council had the amount of knowledge he claims. Want a fact? Nadine Boone the Economic Development Director for St. Charles was the one who was pushing this marina/excursion boat/restaurant/nightclub proposal, and if she was for it you best bet Mayor York was right behind her.
