The art of negotiation is often reliant on who has the most leverage. While both parties may act in good faith, the one that doesn’t have the most leverage generally gets what they can.
It seems to me, that the County Council has done just that with the Dakota Pacific project. With the shadow of the state looming over them (just look at Hideout, the Film Studio, and the plastic bag ban all pushed on us by a legislature that favors ‘local control” unless they don’t like it) and a governor that is screaming “Build, baby, build,” the council negotiated a deal that includes community spaces, affordable housing, senior housing, medical, an amphitheater, and other community benefits. Would I like it to be more. You bet I would. But we live where we live in a state where local control is a myth.
And while I admire the efforts on the referendum, what is the end game? Playing it out, if there are enough validated signatures to go to referendum in this cycle or even next, what happens if it passes? Do you think the Legislature (made up of mostly developers) is going to wait to see what we want to do? I would be amazed if they make it out of this session without finding a way to make something happen. They have not made this a secret in the past.
I totally am in agreement that we are having things thrust upon us that we don’t like. But this is where we live and until that changes, isn’t it better to participate than to leave it to chance?
Frank Lynch
Jeremy Ranch