Broad Ripple Village Association Again Proves Itself to Be the Worst Neighborhood Association in the City

The Broad Ripple Village Association, which supported the parking garage monstrosity at the three way intersection of Westfield Avenue/Broad Ripple Avenue/College Avenue, as well as the elimination of two traffic lanes on Broad Ripple Avenue in favor of bike lanes, is at it again.  This time the BRVA is supporting another huge development just north of the aforementioned congested intersection.  Today the BRVA sent out an email on the subject:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: 

Broad Ripple Village Association

Special Public Meeting

Thursday,May 23, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

Broad Ripple United Methodist Church (6185 Guilford Ave.) 

Proposed development by Browning Investments, Inc.

The Broad Ripple Village Association Board of Directors will host a Public Meeting on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. at Broad Ripple United Methodist Church located at 6185 Guilford Avenue. The meeting will be held in the Sanctuary and is open to the public.

The goal of the meeting is to disseminate information regarding the proposed development of the former Shell Gas Station at 6349 College Avenue and the apartments nearby. The BRVA will invite representatives from the developer, City and Whole Foods to participate in a panel. The meeting will be moderated by the BRVA. Community feedback is very important and time will be available for Q&A.

 ...

So BRVA claims to be interested in the public's feedback on the project, but on the panel for the program, BRVA invites three representatives who support the project and none opposing it.  BRVA obviously has no interested in a balanced presentation on the subject.  Then again, I'm not sure the BRVA's Board of Directors has ever cared about what the people who live and work in Broad Ripple actually want.

Of course, one of the big issues being raised is Broad Ripple-based Good Earth having competition for the organic food market from Whole Foods.  To me, in a free market Whole Foods has every right to move in next door to Good Earth if it so chooses.  The problem is that this development is going to be subsidized with tax increment financing (TIF) dollars, i.e property taxes.  Our tax dollars should not be used to subsidize the profit margins of developers and already successful businesses.

For other unflattering mentions of the Broad Ripple Village Association on this blog, see:

Wednesday, April 10, 2013, Broad Ripple Village Goes from Being Congested to Being Congested Mess

Thursday, September 20, 2012, Battle Brews in Broad Ripple: Arts Community Wants to Make Historic Central Canal Towpath an "Arts Destination"

Tuesday, December 6, 2011, Broad Ripple Deserves Better Representation Than The Broad Ripple Village Association

Thursday, November 10, 2011, City Eliminates Two Broad Ripple Avenue Traffic Lanes to Add Bike Lanes