The posting we released last week was also printed in The Independent today. If you saw it, the printed version is basically a duplicate.
Since sending it in for print, there has been no forward movement. The most energetic past supporters, folks like the Chamber of Commerce, continue to want to see the hotel constructed. If the project is stuck in the mud, why not reopen the bidding process to interested hoteliers who might make it happen? The silence from the City is deafening.
In contrast to business support, some residents seem unhappy with the major planning changes since the initial proposal (offsite parking and four stories tall). For a hotel next to the Bankhead, we believe it will regain more support if it is restored as a three story design, with all the parking on site. This is the configuration which was initially supported by a wide range of interests and the public, including the Winegrowers, the Chamber of Commerce, Livermore Downtown, and the many merchants and restaurants in the core area.
Finally, those who ask who we met with at City Hall are missing the point. None of them had any useful information, and it is far more important that no one from the City has come forward with information, despite all the publicity.
Rather than exclusively reacting or griping online, we suggest you direct your requests for advancing this issue (or your objection to it) straight to those who can make a difference, such as:
- City officials
- The Winegrowers Association
- Individual wineries
- The Chamber of Commerce
- Livermore Downtown Inc.
- The many merchants and restaurants in the core area
- Anyone else that you think would be influential
If the subject drops away from the City’s attention, it will continue to be ignored. Your voice may get it moving again.