Good news — all is not lost in the quest to build low- and medium-income housing in the Ballantyne area. Yesterday, the Charlotte Housing Authority announced it was pulling out of a public housing project for the city’s No. 1 nouveau riche area. Publicly, the reason was CHA’s concern about the cost of the project. The fact that CHA’s withdrawal comes right after a wave of wailing and moaning by Ballantyne residents is merely a coincidence. No, really. Seriously.
You see, we have discovered, after about three Heinekens and four Manhattans, that CHA and Ballantyne representatives have worked out a new compromise. The deal is a startlingly original resolution to the controversy, and will allow low-income residents to live in Ballantyne while also fulfilling the previous project’s opponents’ vision of a proper relationship between the poor and the city’s elite.
The project, called “High Cotton,” is a complex arrangement that will include dedicating 200 acres just outside Ballantyne to growing cotton. In addition, CHA will partner with S. Legree Inc., a new development company, to build 200 small homes — cabins, really — that will be occupied by low-income folks who, as part of their lease, agree to devote each October to picking the cotton grown on the 200-acre planta … umm, neighborhood.
“It’s a win-win for everybody,” says Lester Legree, who named the development company after his great-great-grandfather Simon. “We’ll have 200 acres of beautiful cotton, made in the U.S.A., to sell to all the area’s cotton mills. Of course, they’re all in Mexico or China now, but you know what I mean. And the ni … er, poor people will have a nice place to live.” Legree said he even planned to install running water and working toilets in the cabins “as soon as we turn a profit.” Meanwhile, he said, “there’s a nearby creek where they can wash their clothes.” No spokespersons for public housing residents was available for comment.
Note: the above is satire, OK?
This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 1, 2010.
The problem with the Ballancroft proposal has nothing to do with race. The fact of the matter is that there are no sidewalks, no neighborhood services within easy walking distance such as fast food restaurants or general markets, and the nearest bus stop is over a mile away. The developers’ hope that CATS will ‘eventually’ serve the area doesn’t make up for the fact that the location chosen for this project is extremely poor. Other locations–even here in Ballantyne–would be much more suitable. They don’t have proper zoning and they don’t know how they would fund the project, the CHA has dropped out because of the cost ($13 million for 86 apartment homes). It just doesn’t make any sense.
How can you blame the folks in Ballantyne. The reason it is there is so they don’t have to live in the Sh**. I don’t know if you figured it out but public housing = crime. If someone worked hard and wants to live in a place where they don’t have to worry about the crime as much; they should be able too. Why should someone who is on public assistance be able to live in a place that someone else worked there entire life to get too. Here’s and idea. Go out and get educated and get a job.
…and it is a moot point now; the developer cancelled the project completely.
It is understandable that people feel offended that public housing was not warmly welcomed in Ballantyne. Regardless, the particular site chosen was not a good one. There is open land left in District 7–another choice might have been better. Plenty of poor people live in Ballantyne, so this is not an issue of elitism; plenty of non-Whites live in Ballantyne, too, so let’s drop the racism as well. It was a poorly planned decision. The deal was brokered by business partners (which led to two CHA employees leaving their jobs). The company that signed the dotted line didn’t legally exist. Finally, Republic Group didn’t meet the zoning criteria. Every story is not as sensational as you want it to be.
ALl of you are trashy white soccer mom elitists who want nothing but exclusivity from minorities. Your very tone in your comments are racist and elitist. People like you are disgusting and the writer of this article is probably dead right in his satire!
I wish that you all would suffocate down there in your plastic bubble. You can’t be exclusive forever. Our mayor will make sure that everyone has a taste of the good life. You are no better than anyone else. This isn’t the last you have heard of this, I PROMISE.
Ah, Rosa…your comments are so sad: “Our mayor will make sure that everyone has a taste of the good life”. Why do you always have to turn to the government to make sure you get what you want? Why can’t you work hard for it like the snobs in Ballantyne? And, contrary to popular, it is impossible that “everyone will have a taste of the good life”. But your innocence is sort of cute.
“Welfare queen”. Wow, this fool is a racist. My god, my god, my god.
WEB ADMIN: Please ban this devil’s IP address. He will no longer bother us with his vile hatred.
Everyone WILL have a taste of the good life. Your Ballantye soccer moms won’t be able to keep up the racism forever. Mayor Fox, the government, whatever you white trash want to call it. Kick, scream, whine, and have Sarah Palin wipe your behinds for all we care. IT WILL DO NO GOOD. I pray that God will punish all of you for your racism and attacks on those that are trying to help EVERYONE, not just the snobby elite. Wait and see.
How is calling someone a “welfare queen” racist? A welfare queen can be of any color or race.
Now, back to my friend Rosa. How are the other posters racist, when you’re the one calling people “white trash”?
Public housing or any other type of new construction should be well-planned. If it isn’t, residents can (and should) voice their concerns. Lack of goodwill from the neighbors doesn’t equate to racism.
You are white trash because of your racist comments and elitist attitude. You and the rest of the KKK should get the hell out of town. Soccer mom: I don’t give a damn who you think you are. Step up here to Charlotte and call me a welfare queen and I’ll slap your damn face so hard you will look like a soccer ball.
You all make us sick to the stomach. How dare you (and your other screename – Frank Griffith) say such calemnous and treacherous trash.
CREATIVE LOAFING: Please ban Frank Griffin’s IP address from this site. He’s nothing but a hatemonger and liar that brings no credibility or truth to any discussion here.
You’ve got to ban Rosa, too, if you want to ban Frank Griffin. He’s said nothing nearly as offensive as she has.
Ballantyne Soccer Mom = Frank Griffin. They are one in the same. All Frank has done is incite people with lies and propaganda, and trashing every comment on here almost like spam. He taunted Rosa and some of the other women here and they felt very threatened. It’s also sad when the Secret Service has to be notified because some of Frank’s comments about the President were unacceptable. Creative Loafing should have no problem with banning someone who incites others, smears the good name of the President, and spams every single post here like an escaped mental patient.