Holding out!

RellikLaerec · 06-25-2008, 09:53 AM

Little old lady held out till the end. Just amazing people can hold out even under these conditions! Kudos to the lady and everyone in support!

BigV · 06-25-2008, 10:24 AM

She's in my neighborhood... Her house is about a five minute drive from our home. It wasn't about the money--"a million dollars"--but about the fact that she *had* what she wanted, her home. And no amount of money could provide what she wanted but didn't yet have, the chance to die in the same home where her mother died. She did get that, eventually.

In a refreshing show of humanity, the project manager of the huge construction project that *dominates* her property, befriended the little old lady. He eventually cooked meals for her, checked in on her daily, drove her to the doctor. I'm gratified to learn that there are people, still, who can be civil while being on opposite sides of a given situation.

The picture above does not do justice to the claustrophobic mismatch of these two properties. I'll take some pics if anyone's interested.

I'm also relieved that this situation didn't devolve into an eminent domain/takings debacle. Not everything has a price. Or, perhaps, some prices are so dear that all parties agree they're too high.

glatt · 06-25-2008, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigV

The picture above does not do justice to the claustrophobic mismatch of these two properties. I'll take some pics if anyone's interested.

I'm also relieved that this situation didn't devolve into an eminent domain/takings debacle.

I think the mismatch is a debacle. The officials who greenlighted the commercial project like this should be ashamed of themselves. There should be setbacks from her property, and the commercial building should be stepped away from her property so that it's only one or two stories where it adjoins her propery.

This is a textbook example of how not to do development.

bigw00dy · 06-25-2008, 11:05 AM

bigv,

I would love to see a few more pictures of you could. Maybe one that could be blown up a little. I find the story very heart-tugging!! ;-(

Clodfobble · 06-25-2008, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt

I think the mismatch is a debacle. The officials who greenlighted the commercial project like this should be ashamed of themselves. There should be setbacks from her property, and the commercial building should be stepped away from her property so that it's only one or two stories where it adjoins her propery.

Part of the plan (after they realized she wouldn't sell) was to wait and acquire her land after she died. There was a quote in another article from the developer, saying specifically that they had left open holes in the construction for the appropriate beams to be inserted when the land was inevitably absorbed. The project manager who befriended her may or may not have had completely altruistic intentions... but the fact remains that now she has passed on with no living relatives, and only one close friend who was there with her until the end. The will hasn't been made public, but I bet I can guess who she left the land to.

glatt · 06-25-2008, 02:45 PM

And so they made the poor old lady endure that construction and aggravation up until she drew her last breath.

Edit: You expect a commercial developer to behave this way, but what excuse do the Seattle zoning/building officials have for their behavior? They approved this development. They approved what was done to this old lady.

spudcon · 06-25-2008, 04:57 PM

It's only a house. If people would put less emphasis on material goods like houses, oil, television etc., this world would be a tree hugger's paradise.

lookout123 · 06-25-2008, 04:59 PM

*looks around* is this the non-sequitor thread?

classicman · 06-25-2008, 08:06 PM

Bless her soul - certainly one of the last of a dying breed - Those without a price...

xoxoxoBruce · 06-25-2008, 10:42 PM

Well there goes todays IOtD.

HungLikeJesus · 06-25-2008, 11:08 PM

This makes me think of Poletown, where, in 1981, General Motors and the cities of Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan, used eminent domain to take over 1,300 homes, plus numerous businesses and churches, evicting about 4,000 people. They then leveled the whole area and built a Cadillac plant.

The plant was supposed to employ 6,500 workers, but most of the land was turned into parking lots and the plant only employed about 3,000 workers.

Flint · 06-25-2008, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Well there goes todays IOtD.

Funny, I just assumed this was an IOtD.

RellikLaerec · 06-26-2008, 09:20 AM

Well.. I forgot that posting in IOtD was left to anyone now and was late and tired. oops. If someone wants to move it.
Yea I would love to see more pics of this. Maybe BigV could post more in IOtD.

xoxoxoBruce · 06-26-2008, 10:24 AM

Excellent Idea, for Big V to do an IOtD with better pictures.

Flint · 06-26-2008, 10:29 AM

Hear, hear!

06-25-2008, 09:53 AM	#1
RellikLaerec Faithful Companion Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Buckeye City Posts: 185	Holding out! Little old lady held out till the end. Just amazing people can hold out even under these conditions! Kudos to the lady and everyone in support!

06-25-2008, 10:24 AM	#2
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	She's in my neighborhood... Her house is about a five minute drive from our home. It wasn't about the money--"a million dollars"--but about the fact that she had what she wanted, her home. And no amount of money could provide what she wanted but didn't yet have, the chance to die in the same home where her mother died. She did get that, eventually. In a refreshing show of humanity, the project manager of the huge construction project that dominates her property, befriended the little old lady. He eventually cooked meals for her, checked in on her daily, drove her to the doctor. I'm gratified to learn that there are people, still, who can be civil while being on opposite sides of a given situation. The picture above does not do justice to the claustrophobic mismatch of these two properties. I'll take some pics if anyone's interested. I'm also relieved that this situation didn't devolve into an eminent domain/takings debacle. Not everything has a price. Or, perhaps, some prices are so dear that all parties agree they're too high. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

06-25-2008, 11:05 AM	#4
bigw00dy I'm here once in a while Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 458	bigv, I would love to see a few more pictures of you could. Maybe one that could be blown up a little. I find the story very heart-tugging!! ;-( __________________ flickr®

06-25-2008, 04:57 PM	#7
spudcon Beware of potatoes Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY, USA Posts: 2,078	It's only a house. If people would put less emphasis on material goods like houses, oil, television etc., this world would be a tree hugger's paradise. __________________ "I believe that being despised by the despicable is as good as being admired by the admirable."

06-25-2008, 04:59 PM	#8
lookout123 changed his status to single Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Right behind you. No, the other side. Posts: 10,308	looks around is this the non-sequitor thread? __________________ Getting knocked down is no sin, it's not getting back up that's the sin

06-25-2008, 02:45 PM	#6
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	And so they made the poor old lady endure that construction and aggravation up until she drew her last breath. Edit: You expect a commercial developer to behave this way, but what excuse do the Seattle zoning/building officials have for their behavior? They approved this development. They approved what was done to this old lady.

06-25-2008, 08:06 PM	#9
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Bless her soul - certainly one of the last of a dying breed - Those without a price... __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

06-25-2008, 10:42 PM	#10
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Well there goes todays IOtD. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

06-25-2008, 11:08 PM	#11
HungLikeJesus Only looks like a disaster tourist Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: above 7,000 feet Posts: 7,208	This makes me think of Poletown, where, in 1981, General Motors and the cities of Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan, used eminent domain to take over 1,300 homes, plus numerous businesses and churches, evicting about 4,000 people. They then leveled the whole area and built a Cadillac plant. The plant was supposed to employ 6,500 workers, but most of the land was turned into parking lots and the plant only employed about 3,000 workers. __________________ Keep Your Bodies Off My Lawn SteveDallas's Random Thread Picker.

06-26-2008, 09:20 AM	#13
RellikLaerec Faithful Companion Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Buckeye City Posts: 185	Well.. I forgot that posting in IOtD was left to anyone now and was late and tired. oops. If someone wants to move it. Yea I would love to see more pics of this. Maybe BigV could post more in IOtD.

06-26-2008, 10:24 AM	#14
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Excellent Idea, for Big V to do an IOtD with better pictures. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

06-26-2008, 10:29 AM	#15
Flint Snowflake Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dystopia Posts: 13,136	Hear, hear! __________________ **************** There's a level of facility that everyone needs to accomplish, and from there it's a matter of deciding for yourself how important ultra-facility is to your expression. ... I found, like Joseph Campbell said, if you just follow whatever gives you a little joy or excitement or awe, then you're on the right track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Bozzio**

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