Public Forum Or Private Fight?

July 12 - KGO (KGO) -- Geary Merchants Association president David Heller is a one-man army fighting against the Geary Bus Rapid Transit plan. But most of his objections seem to emanate from a mistrust and dislike of Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, author of the 2003 voter-approved measure funding the project.

Heller and his supporters believe McGoldrick snuck-in a provision requiring the Geary BRT be "light-rail ready," and that this status opens the door to zoning for high-rise building construction. McGoldrick and Transportation Authority planner Tilly Chang vehemently deny the light-rail status changes any of the zoning, but Heller basically thinks they're lying. Heller believes McGoldrick has something to gain financially, and that Geary businesses stand only to lose. Heller also refuses to accept any assurances that parking spaces won't be lost and BRT construction will be swift.

This reporter was stunned by the personal vitriol at-the-ready during our on camera interviews for the story.

Here are some excerpts:

McGoldrick: "They're afraid there's going to be some terrible construction on Geary like there was along Third Street. That's not what's anticipated. Unfortunately they're being disingenuous or they actually don't know what they're talking about. And saying this was slipped in! This was vetted before thousands and thousands of people. It was vetted. They happened not to have paid attention.

That's David Heller and a handful of merchants at the Merchants Association. Mr. Heller didn't pay attention. Mr. Heller doesn't actually know a whole hell of a lot is the problem with Mr. Heller. Mr. Heller also happens to falsify reality. Mr. Heller has been told I can guarantee you're not going to have parking problems. He refuses to see that. He tells people there's going to be a 14, 15, 16-story buildings along Geary Blvd. Totally false, totally fabricated. His motivation has something to do with a whole set of political issues.

Its easy to be a naysayer. Its easy to instill fear in people and say 'Oh God we don't want anything to change' because you can't always show the face of the future as well as you can see the present.

The idea that 'McGoldrick snuck this in' is just ludicrous."

Heller: "It was really found two years later (after Prop K passed in 2003) that we found PropK was not about pedestrian safety for the elderly, disabled, bicycles, it was about BRT light-rail ready."

On McGoldrick's promises that construction won't be like that on Third Street:

Heller: "Let him put it in writing and put his money where his mouth is. He's talking about my livelihood. He's talking about the livelihood of the merchants on Geary Blvd. And there are 1,450 of us and if he can guarantee us then we'll talk to him. But I cannot see how he can guarantee something like that. Its like shooting out of his mouth and this is what he's been doing a good job at. And I have no problem mentioning that on national TV.

And I really think he's misleading the public and I really would like to know the motivation behind it.

This is about real estate. Its about increasing the density of the area. But we would like to know exactly what he's up to too&. Its about the money. Follow the money and you will find out where McGoldrick is going."

McGoldrick Is Not Lugubrious

If the Geary BRT system is in place by 2010, it will have been seven years from voter approval to reality. So why does the process take so long? McGoldrick says, "I'm not sure why it takes so long. In a way, I think because, to use a polysyllabic word, democracy is lugubrious. Democracy takes time. People have to look again and again and again and that way you're not jamming something through. "

Read the original report

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