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Macon, Ga

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    Mediation...?.. or a Smoke-Screen..?..  

   Mediation Plans (here) 
Notes of First Day of Mediation (here_2-28-08)





http://www.macon.com/198/story/280127.html
Posted on Thu, Feb. 28, 2008 page 1A. 

Forest Hill Road mediation to begin today

By Keich Whicker - kwhicker@macon.com

More than a decade after the first sketch was committed to paper, the saga surrounding the controversial $26.1 million plan to widen Forest Hill Road may be on the verge of turning a corner.

A mediation session scheduled to begin today could determine the ultimate fate of the road project, or it could simply be another battle in the ongoing war among opponents of the project, Bibb County officials and the engineers and contractors they employ.

"It's not your typical mediation," County Attorney Virgil Adams said. "What we tried to do is come up with some hybrid process that will afford the residents an opportunity to have their views expressed, but also to give others an opportunity to be heard."

The first portion of today's session will be open to the public, but participation will be limited to Forest Hill Road residents and their representatives. The actual mediation will be private.

The public portion, Adams said, will be open for "whatever (residents of Forest Hill Road) want to say," with the private mediation more focused on negotiations between residents and engineers from Moreland Altobelli, the firm that oversees the county's road improvement program.

Alice Boyd, Dan Fischer, Lindsay Holliday, Carol Lystlund and Susan Hanberry-Martin - a mix of Forest Hill Road residents and community activists - were selected to represent the residents at the session, officials said.

Dorothy T. Beasley, a senior judge for the state who also serves as a private mediator and arbitrator, will preside over the session. It is unclear whether the mediation will be finished today.

WHAT'S ON THE TABLE FOR DEBATE?

Exactly what the mediation, which was called for late last year by Bibb County Commissioner Lonzy Edwards, could accomplish is uncertain.

The animosity and distrust between the two sides is apparent from numerous exchanges during public meetings.

Specifically, local roads activists have accused the state Department of Transportation, the county and local engineers of distorting the truth about the project - or downright lying about it - for years. The passion - or the "venom," as some have called it - of the activists is apparent on a local Web site that documents in detail the twists and turns of disputes about the project.

Meanwhile, public officials and road engineers are extremely wary of the activists, who they have said engage in smear tactics and distortion.

As far as the actual mediation is concerned, critics of the road plan have questioned whether the county is genuinely interested in negotiation. Some activists have even gone so far as to call the session a "smoke screen" for the county.

Boyd, a longtime resident of the road who has been selected to participate in the mediation, said opponents of the plan are looking for the county to consider methods for "calming" the traffic along the road - a move that would remove the need to widen the road.

Exactly what concessions the county and DOT might be willing to make is unclear.Commission Chairman Charlie Bishop said the board has had nothing to do with the mediation ever since it voted for the process and instructed the county attorney to organize it. He said he doesn't think commissioners will attend today's session, as they don't want to be seen as unduly influencing what has become a legal process.

In a letter from the court, Beasley asked both sides of the controversy to list the issues surrounding the project and to propose options for dealing with them.

A six-page response from local roads activists attacks the history and purpose of the entire city and county's road improvement program, questions the necessity of the Forest Hill project and reiterates concerns about the project being based on allegedly inaccurate traffic data.

There are three sets of traffic figures: Predictions for 2025 and 2030 done by the Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission and Moreland Altobelli's predictions for 2028, which were used to plan the road project.

Though most of the projections show an increase in traffic between 2004 and the prediction years, the 2030 numbers show traffic decreasing on some sections of the road. The 2030 numbers also are lower across the board than the 2025 and 2028 predictions. Despite wide swings between the three sets of projections, officials said there is no reason to look at the design numbers again.

In fact, engineers from Moreland Altobelli claim recent studies continue to show traffic increases that justify the project.

Opponents contend that traffic patterns have changed in recent years, rendering the necessity for the project moot. They have called for a project redesign, something engineers and county officials say is not feasible.

One of the stumbling blocks to redesigning the project is whether the sort of drastic reductions called for by opponents to the plan are permissible, given that the plan has been approved by state and federal agencies, officials have said in the past.

At this point, "minor changes" are all that officials say are acceptable, because the millions in state and federal highway money tied to current design cannot be redirected toward the sort of massive redesign many of the plan's opponents want.

What's more, Van Etheridge, a Moreland Altobelli engineer who works with the county's road program, said a total redesign of the project would take an additional five to eight years to complete, given the complexities of the state and federal documents involved.

Bibb County commissioners say there is no money left for a protracted endeavour to redesign the project again. The county, they say, has an obligation to complete the project because it was one of the items approved by voters in a 1994 special purpose local option sales tax referendum.

However, county officials say, small changes to the current design are possible.

"We'll see what comes out of (the mediation)," Adams said. "If there are some things that (engineers) can do to tweak it ... that's what will be discussed. ... But whatever happens has to be cleared by DOT."

Other worries have been voiced through Internet postings and at recent commission meetings, with the overwhelming concern that residents and activists have little or no idea what is "on the table" at the mediation.

Residents also have complained they are confused about what the current "plan" for Forest Hill Road actually is, because documents detailing the plan aren't readily available and the last public hearing displaying the design was years ago.

Adams, the county attorney, said he doesn't know what's going to be put on the table either.

"All I can say is that I think both sides are going to come to see if there is any way things can be resolved going forward," he said.

Originally, commissioners wanted DOT to participate in the mediation. But the agency will not attend, although they are "aware of what's going on," Adams said.

Meanwhile, right of way acquisition by DOT continues.

Of the 118 parcels needed for the first phase of construction between Wimbish Road and Northside Drive, engineers said about 70 parcels have been purchased by DOT or are under contract.

Boyd questions the legitimacy of the mediation process.

"We're just worried about keeping the integrity and beauty of our road," she said. "I would hope that (the county) would be willing ... well, they would have to give a lot, because we're starting with a bad plan."

Information from The Telegraph's archives was used in this report.

To contact writer Keich Whicker, call 744-4494.

KEY ISSUES RAISED BY ROAD WIDENING OPPONENTS

TRAFFIC DATA
Project opponents have said local engineers "pumped up" the data to secure state and federal highway money. The project, they said, has been "designed on completely erroneous information."
Opponents say the current widening plan should be redesigned to lessen its effect on the neighborhoods. Engineers associated with the project have consistently stood by their data, arguing that the scope of the project is justified by the numbers.
Bibb County commissioners say there is no money left to redesign the project again, and engineers say it would take years to get a new design approved by state and federal authorities

ROAD WIDTH
Opponents complain about the width of the road plan's various sections, arguing that the lanes ­ along with the curb, gutters and sidewalks ­ will create a road so large it will harm nearby neighborhoods. The road plan calls for two-, three- and four-lane sections, each with different widths. The width at various intersections also varies. Generally speaking, engineers say the road will be between 38 and 64 feet wide, not including the curbs, gutters and sidewalks, which also vary in width from section to section.

AESTHETICS
Opponents argue the road plan will destroy the character of their neighborhoods, creating a high-speed corridor that eats up residents' yards and removes numerous trees. Yellow ribbons have been tied to trees that will be removed as a way to call attention to residents’ concerns. County officials say there will be extensive landscaping along the road that will replace many of the trees.

STORM-WATER DRAINAGE
Opponents have raised concerns about what will happen with stormwater runoff after the road has been widened. Chief among their concerns is an increase in flooding of surrounding neighborhoods. But the Bibb County Engineering Department, using a hydrological analysis, counters that changes in the way water will be piped away from the road will keep runoff increases to a minimum. Opponents have questioned the methodology of the county's report.

ROUNDABOUTS
Critics of the plan have long argued that redesigning the intersections would enable engineers to avoid much of the planned widening. They've suggested roundabouts, which essentially are circles where vehicles yield to traffic already in the circle instead of waiting at a traffic light, to ease congestion at current traffic lights. However, adding roundabouts to the plan would require a redesign, something commissioners and engineers say is not feasible.


Beau Cabell, The Telegraph
Mary Ann Harrell walks up her driveway Wednesday after crossing Forest Hill Road to get her mail. 'It can be dangerous,' said her husband, Jacky. 'It takes five or 10 minutes to cross when it's busy.' The Harrells live in a house divided on the highway widening issue — he's for it, she's against it. 'We only discuss it to a point,' she said.

Mary Ann Harrell walks up her driveway Wednesday after crossing Forest Hill Road to get her mail. 'It can be dangerous,' said her husband, Jacky. 'It takes five or 10 minutes to cross when it's busy.' The Harrells live in a house divided on the highway widening issue — he's for it, she's against it. 'We only discuss it to a point,' she said.



 

Mediation effort will face a tough challenge ahead

- The Macon Telegraph Editorial Board -


 

Mediation effort will face a tough challenge ahead

"Mediation may be thought of as 'assisted negotiation.' Negotiation may be thought of as 'communications for agreement.' Hence, mediation is "assisted communications for agreement."- James Melamed, mediation.com.

The Bibb County Commission has decided to mediate one of its most vexing problems: Forest Hill Road. This road and what to do about it has haunted three Bibb County Commission chairmen dating back to 1994 when the Bibb County Road Improvement Program was approved by a margin of 346 votes. The narrowly-approved program was slated to raise $105 million through an additional one-cent sales tax. Another $190 million in state and federal money was to be included to pay for sidewalk, road and bridge improvements throughout the county.

The Forest Hill controversy first exploded a decade ago. The initial plans for the quiet, meandering road would have widened it to five lanes from Vineville Avenue to Wimbish Road, and three lanes from Wimbish to Northside Drive, to form the major part of the "Northwest Parkway." The "improvements" would have required an extra 15 feet on each side beyond the present 70 feet, and the removal of several homes.

Residents along Forest Hill, as well as those who lived near other sections of the parkway, went ballistic. At one of the first community meetings in October 1997, Susan Hanberry, one of the founding members of CAUTION-Macon said, "They're trying to turn Forest Hill into another Forsyth Motor Speedway. . ."

And that's how it's been for 10 years. Plans have been reworked but never reworked quite enough to satisfy residents. There have been sleight-of-hand traffic counts, blame-shifting and enough misunderstandings to choke a cow. Disagreements over other roads, such as Houston Road, have had a cumulative effect, creating an atmosphere of deep distrust that was amplified recently when the county attorney informed commissioners they could drop the Forest Hill project if they wished. All of the commissioners have come under blistering pressure, particularly Elmo Richardson, who has done a partial about face on the project. Now, thankfully, comes mediation.

How the details for the sessions are handled will be the key to success for this effort. While the newest commissioner, Lonzy Edwards, is a skilled mediator, it was a wise decision to choose a neutral third-party to lead the discussions. And though the sessions are open to the public, mutually agreed-on ground rules should to be established. It would also be wise that everyone sitting at the table come with a spirit of compromise rather than other agendas. Rehashing old slights will only delay fixing the areas of Forest Hill that need to be fixed.

Posted on Thu, Oct. 18, 2007 by the Editorial Board of the Macon Telegraph    http://www.macon.com/opinion/
http://www.macon.com/203/story/163228.html





FHR - Possible Mediation?
Elmo-NonEthics
A Citizen representative of 6 Neighborhood Associations requests that Bibb Commissioner - Elmo Richardson - should recuse himself from any votes concerning Forest Hill Rd or Stantec.   A few minutes later, Elmo voted on the Forest Hill Road mediation issue which included the stipulation that Rifgts-Of-Way acquisitions continue...


*** The Telegraph reporter - S. Keich Whicker - (below) -  left out how Commissioner-Engineer Richardson responded to the FHR Neighbors request for him to recuse himself from any further votes that involved Stantec. It's past time for the Telegraph to get a new County Level Reporter. Whicker is an Apologist for the powers-that-be. *** 



Posted on Wed, Oct. 17, 2007

Forest Hill project headed for mediation

Bibb commissioners will push ahead with property acquisition

By Keich Whicker - Swhicker@macon.com

A controversial plan to widen Forest Hill Road is headed to mediation.

At the request of its newest member, the Bibb County Commission agreed unanimously Tuesday to set a mediation session with the property owners who will be affected by the project and state and local officials.

The move, suggested by recently elected Commissioner Lonzy Edwards, comes after several weeks [Actually - Years - webpage] of pressure from residents and activists, who, besides lobbying local officials in private, have demonstrated against the project at the county courthouse.

Edwards said his goal in proposing the mediation session is to find a "workable solution" that can minimize the delays and "antagonism" that have enveloped the project, which is more than a decade old. He also said he believes there will be "arms twisted" on both sides of the issue.

"I think it's worthy trying," he said. "What's the alternative? There is no alternative. ...[Yes, there is - Lawsuit] This project has been going on long enough, and it seems to me that there is no end in sight.

"This is a great opportunity to see if we can come up with a win-win solution," he said. "This is our last, best hope to try to get some modifications made."

Although the final structure of the mediation session is still to be determined, this much is clear, based on Tuesday's vote: The session will not be a community forum, and participation will be limited to specific people. [Who decides this?  True mediation should never be controled by just one side making-up all the rules]

Commissioners said they want a Bibb County Superior Court judge to mediate the session, which will include officials from the city of Macon, the state Department of Transportation and engineers from Moreland Altobelli, the company that has handled the bulk of the work in the project. Bibb's elected leaders also insisted that the meeting be limited to property owners who will be directly affected by the project's path. [This means everyone who pays Fed, State and Local Taxes used to build the road who care.  See a small sampling of these many people here: webpages]That move was undertaken to exclude many of the vocal activists who have campaigned against the project for years, despite the fact they don't own property along Forest Hill Road.

Exactly how that will work remains to be seen. Commissioner Joe Allen, who has championed the cause of those who oppose the project, suggested that the session be closed to the public, but he was told that would be impossible for legal reasons.

Realistically, commissioners later admitted they probably would be unable to prevent people from attending the meeting, but they quickly added that they could organize it to allow only affected property owners to participate and interact with officials.

Susan Hanberry-Martin, chairwoman of the Macon Area Transportation Study's citizens advisory committee, said she's "cautiously optimistic" that the mediation could help.

"I would hope that it would be a fair thing," she said.

Asked about the commission's plan to limit the participants to residents along the project route, Hanberry-Martin said the residents ought to be able to select who they want to represent their interests at the meeting.

"This is about the residents getting what they want," she said.

Officials said any decisions reached at the mediation would have to be "blessed" by the DOT, though Edwards added he didn't think the DOT "is as much of an issue as people have made it out to be."

Meanwhile, the preliminary work on Forest Hill Road continues.

As part of Edwards' proposal, the commission agreed to continue with the rights-of way-acquisition. About 55 of the 118 parcels needed for the first phase of construction already have been purchased - and none of the commissioners wanted to jeopardize that process. In fact, they even voted to allow Bishop to sign a contract authorizing the DOT to purchase 61 more parcels along the project route for about $4 million. [Did Elmo Richardson vote again?  He has conflict-of-interests here.  Where did they find the $4Million?  It was not in the budget this year]

Even Edwards voiced his support Tuesday for the acquisition of property, agreeing with other commissioners and officials that it needs to continue to keep the project's overall time line intact.

"I don't think anyone is interested in stopping the project," he said. [But the neighbors said they would rather stop it now than build it wrong.  They feel that a newly elected Commission in 2008 will see this issue differently - Throw the Bums out!]

The project itself, which officials said has been scaled back three times from its original proposal, calls for the current two-lane road to be widened into three- and four-lane sections. The plan's design is based on a disputed set of DOT traffic counts [webpage] that contain data that has varied widely. Opponents of the project have argued that traffic counts are wrong and that the DOT's plan should be redesigned to lessen its effect on the neighborhoods and reduce the number of trees that would be lost.

Commissioners say there is no design money left to redesign the project again. They say the county has an obligation to complete the project because it was one of the items approved by voters in a 1994 special purpose local option sales tax referendum.

Tuesday, Van Etheridge, a Moreland Altobelli engineer who works with the county's road program, said a total redesign of the project would take an additional five to eight years to complete, given the complexities of the documents involved. .[BS- Self Serving Nonsense - They just want to keep spending our tax dollars for another 5-8 years!  WE can scale back the size - Redraw the lines in one weekend.]

Only Allen has openly expressed opposition to the plan to increase the footprint of Forest Hill Road in the wake of residents learning recently that commissioners hold the power to stop the project cold.

When asked by The Telegraph, other commissioners said they support the project. What that means is that even if Allen calls for a vote to halt the project, it probably would fail. Support from Edwards wouldn't make a difference to the political math, either. Even if Edwards backs Allen in stopping the project, it would still survive, because it takes three members to make anything happen on the commission. .[We need Bert Bivins to honor his historic Quest for Justice.  Charlie and Elmo are unethical.  They have got to Go.  Election is in Nov 2008.  Bye Y'all]

To contact writer Keich Whicker, call 744-4494.
Dont Ask - DOnt Tell

  http://www.macon.com/543/story/162372.html

*** The Telegraph reporter - S. Keich Whicker - left out how Commissioner-Engineer Richardson responded to the FHR Neighbors request for him to recuse himself from any further votes that involved Stantec. It's past time for the Telegraph to get a new County Level Reporter. Whicker is an Apologist for the powers-that-be. ***  




 
Comments
Well sugardaddy is at it again, flip flopping and trying to hold a closed door meeting so if he flip flops again the public will not no. Just break the law Allen.

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How do you get that he flipped flopped. I think the truth be told, you are jealous of that man. Always downgrading him. He is trying to help on Forest Hill Road. Have you tried to help at all other than badmouth certain people?

  • Average: 3 —  Votes: 2
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If the majority of residents on Forest Hill don't want it then that should end the discussion, IMO.

  • Average: 5 —  Votes: 3
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Well at first he wanted the project despite what the people wanted, now he thinks after all this time and with an election year coming up, he now does not want it. I know it is not his district, but in the Chairman's race which he plans to run for he thinks his changing his mind may get him votes. His idea to hold a closed door meeting is a clear indication that he does not mind breaking the sunshine laws to avoid the public having an input on what the county does or does not do. His liberal ways of wasting taxdollars is not what Bibb County needs, and all of you have seen how and what he wants to spend your hard earned money on. What does it take to show the public that this man speaks out of both sides of his mouth.

  • Posted by: President OF THE JOE ALLEN WATCHDOG GROUP
  • 10/17/2007 8:33 AM
  • 3557.4 Report as Violation
  • Average: 5 —  Votes: 7
    Avg 5.00, 7 votes

WMAZ's reporting on Elmo's current and continuing financial interest in Stantec embarrassed him; and rightly so. Now he is trying to create the illusion that he is no longer directly involved in the decision making on the Forest Hill Road project.

Elmo wants to launder his power through an arbitrator the same way he launders Stantec's
money through Moreland-Altobelli.

I kind of doubt if Elmo is going to get away with this. The Forest Hill residents are winning. The stake through this project's heart is about to be driven.

  • Average: 4.2 —  Votes: 5
    Avg 4.20, 5 votes

What's Joe fear about have a public meeting closed to the public? Could it be this man has and continues to manipulate good people for his own pandering self serving cause.

When its public Joe is held accountable for his words and actions. When it is closed he's accountable for nothing.

For the past 15 years Joe has tried to shove this road down people's throats. He's blown money like there is no tomorrow. Its time for a change.

  • Average: 5 —  Votes: 5
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We were against widening Houston Road out in South Bibb County; we could only imagine the stark concrete, yards gone, speeding, etc.

Years later we're now happy as clams with it. Fabulous new commerical businesses popping up, sidewalks, and deputies, who are our angels, to warn and ticket those who speed excessively.

On the other hand, Forest Hill taxpayers should be the ones to decide what will happen there. Lots of homeowners out here sold out for commercial development, that probably won't happen on Forest Hill.

I wish them all the best, I know it's impacting their lives.


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It's easy for a lot of people to say "Who cares what the people of Forest Hill think." The road and sidewalk are going to be feet from these people front doorsteps. A lot of these people have lived in these homes for years and years. Would you want the same at your house if it wasn't absolutely necessary, and still would you want if it was? This isn't Compton, well maybe it is in some respects but Forest Hill is a beautiful road. A majority of the Forest Hill residents go far beyond their call of duty to keep it nice and their properties nice. Traffic on that street is not that bad.I travel it every day going to and from work. Supposedly, the actual numbers of travelors on the street and the number the city is coming up with is a great deal off. Having said this, has anyone from the city or county explained why this absolutely must be done? I haven't read any concrete answers with facts anywhere. Maybe there were some years ago when this first started so I suggest they reprint those articles.

  • Average: 5 —  Votes: 3
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If something doesn't get done in over 13 years, scrap it and cut your losses. That is proof that is never needed to be done. Everything in life doesn't turn out like we want it or expect it to.

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TRAFFIC ON FOREST HILL IS NOT THAT BAD...TRY ATL...LA...EVEN WR IS WORSE....A NICE SOLUTION WOULD BE TO INSTALL A ROUND A BOUT AT RIDGE...THEY ARE PROVEN TO WORK...AND WIDEN THE ROAD AT THE BACK ENTRANCE OF THE HOSPITAL AS WELL AS THE APARTMENTS...COULD ALSO USE A TURN LANE AT COLAPARCHEE ENTRANCE...

  • Posted by: TINY E


Comments

"GOOD OLE BOYS OF BIBB COUNTY STACK DECK"

Sounds like a group of Good Ole Boys scratching each other's backs and stacking the deck at the outside of the game but good try Lonzy.

If a seasoned Urban Planner from "out of State" is not at the table, just go ahead and give all the money to Moreland Altobelli and Stantec and sacrifice the trees and wishes of the FHR Neighbors for more asphalt.

1)
"the session, which will include officials from the city of Macon, the state Department of Transportation and Engineers from Moreland Altobelli. Crusher Bishop, Road Man Richardson and Bibb's elected leaders also insisted that the meeting be limited to property owners who will be directly affected by the project's path."

A) Mediation group composers (aka Bibb Commissiioners) have already forgotten that this road affects ALL of the Neighborhood Groups that have opposed it. The City has voted 3 times to redesign or halt the project.

2)
"Moreland Altobelli, the company that has handled the bulk of the work in the project. Bibb's elected leaders also insisted that the meeting be limited to property owners who will be directly affected by the project's path."

B) If Moreland Altobelli, who makes the most money off of the FHR widening says it should be, should it be or should it be questioned further, much further?

3)Officials said any decisions reached at the mediation would have to be "blessed" by the DOT.

A) GDOT blessed the Atlanta traffic situation and apparently have a vendetta against CAUTION Macon, do we want these guys as our local road God's?

As usual, Keich Whicker of the Telegraph left out how Commissioner Engineer Richardson responded to the FHR Neighbors request for him to recuse himself from any further votes that involved Stantec. It's past time for the Telegraph to get a new County Level Reporter.

Good luck with your Good Ole Boy Georgia Holdem Game Commish, Moreland Altobelli, Stantec, GDOT,
& Whicker, your idea of a fair game reeks to high heaven.

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TINY E: well spoken, Ridge is about the only intersection that can be bad at times at that is mostly because people cut through by the Orthodonist office instead of going up to the red light. I have found turning at the red light actually quicker. I think warner robins traffic would easily rival that of Atlanta's.

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joe allen is dumb as dirt. He's probably got a chain saw in the back of his hoopty.

  • Average: 5 —  Votes: 3
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Hey Good Ole Boys,

Who would pay for this seasoned Urban Planner from "out of State"?


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Since we're gambling with Forest Hill Road Neighbors property and a bunch of jaded, power hungry, fat cat politicians here, i'd wager that the Urban Designer that Road Man Richardson filed unfounded charges against would come in and advise for a reduced rate.

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you guys are better than T.V.......it's a done deal....you can get Clarence Darrow ;F.Lee Bailey ;Johnny What's name and God pleading the case and guess what .....you're getting a 4 lane highway and if you p-ss them off they'll throw in a titty-bar or two...What makes you think that your "vote"actually matters??!!This is Macon...not Shangrilla!!

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Where's Fickling when you need him holloring "DADGUMMIT!!!!"for God's sake!!!!!!!!

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Thank you, Charlie, for standing up to these zealots. It takes someone with real kahonas to do it, and obviously not everyone has them. It is obvious that you have nothing against these people. You only want to do what makes sense for the FUTURE of this community. The ENTIRE community! So what if they vote you out... you either stand for something or you fall for anything. Let 'Doc' run again. I'm sure the people of Bibb County will be happy with him!

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The residents asked for Kulash, and we gave them Kulash," said Commissioner Joe Allen, who last year requested that Kulash review Houston Road plans. "If he had a problem, he should have come to me. He backed out of what we asked him to do. Now I have to support the professionals and what the majority of people voted for. It's the right thing to do."

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JOE ALLEN IS A MORON

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http://pod01.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=11&nav=messages&webtag=kr-macontm&tid=3557

Comments
ACTION:
On motion of Commissioner Allen, seconded by Commissioner Hart and carried, the
members of the Board voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of Commissioner
Linnenkohl to complete the Houston Road Project using the funds allocated for other
projects and to support the completion of the 1-75 / 1-16 interchange and the Forest Hill
Road Project

  • Posted by: Minutes of Dec 11 2006 Board Meeting
  • 10/17/2007 9:53 PM
  • 3557.21 Report as Violation
  • Average: 5 —  Votes: 1
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Joe Allen is a Commissioner with a vote what do you have. You have a big mouth with no respect for anyone not even yourself, get a life, I think people have rights to change there opinion on items.To much kept hidden in County Govt from certain Commissioners I have been told. Wonder why?

  • Average: 2 —  Votes: 1
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Commissioner Joe Allen, who has championed the cause of those who oppose the project, suggested that the session be closed to the public, but he was told that would be impossible for legal reasons.

  • Average: 0 —  Votes: 0
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From: Maconfirefighter@aol.com
To: victor_jones_2000@hotmail.com, cbishop@co.bibb.ga.us,
bbivins@co.bibb.ga.us, shart@co.bibb.ga.us
CC: vryle@co.bibb.ga.us Gbrown@mbpz.org, jpthomas@mbpz.org,
freelance@npr.org, dtussing@mbpz.org
Subject: Re: Rtaylor/Rpark Nwatch: Need your help: 4/10/06
Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2006 07:59:24 EDT

Victor,
I have gone as far as I will on the forest Hill road issue, it
was taken
from 5 lanes down to 3, I use to for about 20 years drove
emergency calls up
and
down that road all the time, even to to wrecks on forest Hill
where many
people were hurt. and even in one or to instances where people
were hit by
cars, I am glad it was never you or one of your family members I
gave
treatment
to my friend, Or did I,. there were a lot of WRECKS on forest
Hill.
the plan is a good one, I do not know why Doc is trying to kill,
this plan,
but we have no more design money,and its a good plan. Vic, even
my brother
lives 5 houses from the forest hill road entrance, and he also
thinks it
must
be fixed ( my brother is the Chief deputy for Bibb Sheriff
Office)and I
also
have talked to a lot of people over there, I wanted first hand
what they
thought, well most of them say yes do it, before someone gets
killed on that
dangerous road, I do not want that on my heart, that someone
died due to
a
dangerous road I had not had repaired, this is just about
safety in my
heart not
about,don't build not in my back yard. I hope you understand,
and I will
enjoy you asking all the people to come, You see, I was one
the ones
picking
up all the people from wrecks on forest Hill. that were hurts
from the
wrecks, So bring all the people you will. I will enjoy telling
my story,
Vic. my
friend, some of the caution group wants nothing did to the
road, I wish you
had been on a fire truck or even rode on a rescue with me at
times going
down
that road, you would have messed up your pants at times I know
I almost
did,
the road is dangerous, we must fix it, and fix it now, from 5
to 3, what
else
do they want, I know, DO NOTHING TO THE ROAD, my mind will
not be changed
on this issue, if I have anything to do with it.
Joe

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Joe (Allen) says one thing to one person and something else to another person," Justice said. "I'm just afraid that all these political shenanigans are going to cost us the whole road program."

Posted by: Quote from Telegraph Article


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Joe is not credible. He ran his charity amuck to the point it lost its tax exempt status. Then through some great bookkeeping he says he got it back.

Remember his raffle for the Jeep a few years ago? Who got the Jeep? I hear his son owns it. hmmmm Joe Yule Love

  • Average: 5 —  Votes: 2
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Wasn't it Joe Allen who took his honey to Hawaii on the County dime last year?

Wasn't it Joe Allen who tried to get the County to cover his car rental so he and his girlfriend could go sight seeing in Hawaii.

Is that the same Joe who posted a want ad for women on sugardaddies.com???

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Show Jo Jo some luv.... He's got a vote... oh baby... he's got a vote...

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Wonder if Jo Jo and C. Jack went to the same school? Both know how to spin a lie.

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Jojo
?im loved?
52 years old | Macon, GA

Active in the last 2 weeks

Man seeking woman

  • Average: 5 —  Votes: 3



Comments

December 11, 2006 Meeting Minutes before they were altered by someone at the Bibb County Commission:

December 11, 2006
On motion of Commissioner Richardson, seconded by Commissioner Allen and carried, the members of the Board voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of Commissioner Linnenkohl to complete the Houston Road Project using the funds
allocated for other projects and to support the completion of the 1-75 / 1-16 interchange
and the Forest Hill Road Project.

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"Who cares if we destroy the fabric of our communities? So what if our sections of the city are blighted by five-lane highways and retaining walls? So what if trees and other shrubbery take decades to replace? So what if we still can't move from one end of the city to the other?

What we have is a clash of ideologies. Classic road builders (wider and faster) on one side, and new era (neighborhood friendly) on the other side."
source:
www.mindspring.com/%7Eteeth/caution/char0108.htm

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You really have that much confidence in a documented liar such as Joe that you would put your trust in his assertion that the minutes were fabricated? Could it really be that someone made a mistake and that perhaps the commissioner you're wanting to lampoon as being in conflict with actually pointed out the error and they were simply corrected? Why is it you Forest Hill people give Joe Allen a pass when he, more than any commissioner has tried to destroy your community?

Now that is just plain dumb.

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The Bibb Watergate meeting minute mystery was deepended when two separate clerks claimed to have been the individual responsible for making an error on the minutes. Then the audio tape of the meeting went missing.

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lalalalalalala

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This is gay..............like me

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I Dont like the idea..Wait the road would be as wide as my hole

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i want to be a furture writer one day...it is my furture.....so please Macon telegraph make me a writer.

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Why is everybody picking on poor Joe? Joe cannot help it if his is unable to tell the truth. Joe cannot help it if the only way he can meet women is to register as a younger man on Sugardaddies.com. Joe cannot help it if the only job he can hold now is that of a crooked politician. For all of you that no what Joe is you are possibly correct, for us that have some sort of pity for him we are now learning with your gracious help. To the President of the Joe Allen Watchdog Group continue the good work of keeping the public informed. Please consider me a member of your group.

  • Average: 5 —  Votes: 2



 



 






www.macon.com/198/story/179779.html
Posted on Wed, Nov. 07, 2007

Details about Forest Hill mediation come to light
By Keich Whicker - kwhicker@macon.com

A few details emerged Tuesday about the mediation process Bibb County commissioners will use in an attempt to settle the dispute that surrounds a controversial plan to widen Forest Hill Road.

County Attorney Virgil Adams told commissioners the session won't happen until sometime in January and that he envisions a two-part "hybrid" format: The first part will be an open session for "whatever (residents of Forest Hill Road) want to say," with the second part more focused on negotiations between residents and the county.

Bibb County, Adams said, probably will be represented in the mediation by officials from Moreland Altobelli, the engineering firm that has handled the bulk of the work on the project.

Adams also said that his search for a mediator has taken him to Atlanta, where a senior judge, whom he did not name, apparently has offered his services.

When they voted for the mediation, commissioners said they wanted a Bibb County Superior Court judge.

"Our local judges will not get involved in this process," Adams told commissioners.

Beyond that, commissioners and other officials would not say much more, primarily because they are wary of having the terms of the mediation - or the limits the county is able or willing to compromise on the project - being bandied about in advance of the actual meeting.

The mediation process needs to be allowed to happen without any unwanted disclosures or meddling beforehand, said Commissioner Lonzy Edwards, the first to propose that the county enter into negotiations with residents.


However, Chairman Charlie Bishop said the board should try to determine in the coming weeks exactly what is going to be on the table at the mediation.

"We need to have someone from the (state's Department of Transportation) say if they are even going to consider changes to the project," he said.

One of the stumbling blocks to redesigning the project is whether any reductions in the overall plan are even allowable. At this point, "minor changes" are all that officials say are acceptable. A total redesign is not, they said, because that would make the county ineligible for the state and federal money it has secured to build the project.

So far, the DOT has not let county officials know if it will even participate in the mediation, which is currently scheduled to include city and county officials and local residents who will directly be affected by the project. Bibb's elected leaders insisted the meeting be limited to property owners who directly will be affected by the project's path - a move to exclude many of the vocal activists who have campaigned against the project for years and don't own property along Forest Hill Road.

Recent weeks have seen increased pressure from residents and activists, who, besides lobbying local officials in private, have demonstrated against the road project at the county courthouse after they learned the commission has the power to stop the project cold.

The project itself, which officials said has been scaled back three times from its original proposal, calls for the current two-lane road to be widened into three- and four-lane sections. The plan's design is based on a disputed set of DOT traffic projections that contain data that has varied widely.

Opponents of the project have argued the projections are wrong, and the DOT's plan should be redesigned to lessen its effect on the neighborhoods and reduce the number of trees that would be lost.

Recently, a number of project opponents said local engineers "pumped up" the traffic counts to secure state and federal highway money. The project, they said, has been "designed on completely erroneous information." Engineers associated with the project have denied those allegations.

Regardless of how many cars travel the road, commissioners have maintained there is no money left to redesign the project again, and the county has an obligation to complete the project because it was one of the items approved by voters in a 1994 special purpose local option sales tax referendum.

In other business Tuesday, commissioners unanimously agreed to name the Bibb County Sports Complex after Macon City Councilman Ed DeFore.

Citing DeFore's history of activism in many of the city's and county's local sports organizations, Commissioner Joe Allen first proposed the naming last spring, but his plea was shelved for another day.

The main opponents to the idea were Bishop and Commissioner Elmo Richardson, who expressed concerns about naming a structure for a city official shortly before a municipal election. Bishop also said he was worried about establishing a precedent of county officials naming things for popular city officials who are still alive and still in office.

Allen said Tuesday: "You praise people when they are alive, not when they're dead. ... This is something we should do for this man." Ultimately, all of his peers on the board agreed.

Information from The Telegraph's archives was used in this report.
To contact writer Keich Whicker, call 744-4494.
==============================

Comments

One commissioner says there should be no meddling, then the chair states he wants to determine, meaning decide, what is on the table. Next, Bibb's elected servants want to restrict who can attend to only those affected. Here is a news flash for those elected servants: Everyone that lives in this county and pays taxes is affected. My five year-old daughter bought something the other day with her own money. She paid a local options sales tax. Now, she is a taxpayer and she is affected. These buffoons we have running this county are bound and determined to keep us on this downhill slide.
Posted by: Frank
11/7/2007 9:18 AM
3946.1


This is so easy to resolve. Since this road is in the city limits and is such a hot topic, let the people of Macon vote on the issue. Majority rule. This way, the reidents can get out and really campaign for their cause.
Posted by: tired_of_all_the_BS
11/7/2007 10:30 AM
3946.2


Just an observation of Bishop double-talk:

Bishop insists this project MUST be completed because it was approved by voters in the 1994 SPLOST.

Yet, Bishop also stated the project on Houston Road would NOT be completed because there were no more funds left. (Yet, the very same voters also approved this road project in the very same SPLOST.) Only after other commissioners insisted did he put it back on the agenda to be completed.
What is to be learned from this?

If it is important to Bishop or his special interest groups or vendors, then you can rest assured that no obstacle will prevent the issue. If it is not important to Bishop or his special interest groups or vendors, then he will use whatever procedure or excuse to delay, deny or defeat it.

ABC, 123!! ANYBODY but Charlie!!!
This, citizens of Macon and Bibb, is politics at its worse.
Posted by: John_Martin
11/7/2007 10:33 AM
3946.3



It should be left to the voters to decide. I drive along Forest Hills often and love the scenic tree lined street. Please don't take that away from us and make it ugly and miserable like Pio Nono and Eisenhower Parkway.
Posted by: lcn96
11/7/2007 10:55 AM
3946.4



Never fear, incoming GDOT Commissioner Gena Abraham (Dec 1) is going to be able to use FHR as a trademark, visionary example of how common sense, modern citizencentric urban design and fiscal responsibility can be applied on FHR as a showcase example of our State's Transportation Future. The future is now, welcome to the 21st century Bibb County.

Meeting details you may not read in the Telegraph:

1) It appears the meetings for the arbitration will start around the second week of January of 2008 but remains to be seen.

2) Bishop kept talking about the new City Administration having time to be brought up to speed and who they would "have to" involve in the process. (hope Bishop doesn't call them into his office in 3s to avoid open record/meeting laws)

3) Bishop also talked about the MATS (Macon Area Transportation Study) committee and how they were in charge of making the decisions about the project and the Commissioners only controlled the money. (Passing the buck again)

4) Elmo was quiet on the subject. (very unique, why start now?)

5) Dallas Van Etheridge of Moreland Altobelli was reminded that it was inappropriate for him to talk about it before the mediation began.
(thought Van retired? Didn't he start to say that concessions could be made on the redesign of FHR before he was reminded?)

As far as the mediator Judge is concerned, all parties should have input on who is selected. Virgil Adams may have the appearance of a conflict of interest if he is the only one involved in the mediator selection choice.
Posted by: NeighborsWatching
11/7/2007 3:10 PM
3946.5
The voters already decided. This project was included in the splost vote. The city does not control the road projects, that is the county's responsibility.

  • Posted by: Ken
  • 11/7/2007 5:43 PM
  • 3946.6
Ken,
The SPLOST money is long gone.

  • Posted by: NeighborsWatching
  • 11/7/2007 9:04 PM
  • 3946.7
This is truly the theatre of the absurd...let the meddling begin!

  • Posted by: carpediem
  • 11/7/2007 9:39 PM
  • 3946.8

www.co.bibb.ga.us
To: Bibb County Attorney - Virgil Adams
Re Mediation Prospects

Dear Mr Adams,
The neighbors we have spoken with are cautiously optimistic about the prospects of Mediation concerning the Forest Hill Rd project.

Much confusion exists about the current design because it has changed so many times.

In order for the Neighborhood to be actively prepared for Mediation, we need to know exactly what the current plans are.

We [neighbors] need unambiguous information about the project so we can confirm our previous consensus on our areas of concern.

We are requesting an Open Public Meeting wherein Moreland-Altobelli visually presents the current plans in such a way that there can be no misunderstandings about what they actually plan to do to Forest Hill Road.

Thank-you,
- Lindsay

BlindCs to FHR-Neighbors
www.macon-bibb.com/FHR

sent on 10-20-07
No response yet from Mr Adams

  • Posted by: Doc
  • 11/7/2007 10:01 PM
  • 3946.9









back to Forest Hill Road


 

   

- CAUTION Macon -

Forest Hill Road