urbanlife

^first floor of the statler. it is for the clothes store across from jujis.

and then... Ann Taylor is leaving Shaker Square 3:40 p.m. National women's clothing retailer Ann Taylor is ending its lease at the Shaker Square shopping center in Cleveland, said Beachwood-based Coral Co., the center's owner. Ann Taylor will leave its store at Shaker Square by May 4. Coral CEO Peter Rubin said a handful of potential merchants have expressed an interest in moving into the historic shopping center. Occupancy at Shaker Square is at 75%, up from 45% when Coral took it over in September 2004.

there are cameras that monitor all of the doors, but I don't think they are the typical cameras - maybe infrared or something to monitor if people are in the doorways. Then a few inside that are "security" cameras and actually can record people getting on and off, the driver, etc. I didn't interact with the RTAers today. I think that when you talk one on one with them, they appear competent and offer a reasonable explanation for why things are the way that they are. However, IMO they lack any sense of urgency or innovative spirit that could take the RTA to the next level. They are thinking "inside the box", which is understandable on some levels due to general economic issues, funding levels, etc. However, the Transit Waiting Environment study was done 2 years ago and they have yet to really act on any of the suggestions. Some cost money and take time and planning, but simple things like placing updated routing and scheduling information at say the top 100 stops does not require much, but instead of immediately implementing this suggestion, they have sat on it for 2 years. Basic 80/20 principle. 20% of the cost and effort would positively impact 80% of ridership. Then, for the remaining portions that are difficult to update or costly, there can be a more long term approach as it only affects 20% of the ridership.

Here are 2 shots from today's press conference. The vehicles were OK. Not a lot of innovative stuff, but this vehicle had safety cameras on the outside as well as a security camera inside, and it seemed OK - not a rail vehicle by any means.

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1139563991314050.xml&coll=2 Soccer stadium proposed on Ohio 8 Cleveland Force owner behind project Friday, February 10, 2006 April McClellan-Copeland -- A site along Ohio 8 that straddles Macedonia and Northfield Center Township could become home to a new major league soccer team if plans for a proposed $265 million multipurpose stadium and retail village are approved. Paul Garofolo, president and general manager of the Cleveland Force, discussed the proposal with officials at Macedonia City Hall Thursday, said Macedonia Mayor Don Kuchta. Garofolo proposed building a stadium that would seat 20,000 to 25,000 people and a 600,000-square-foot retail "lifestyle center" on a 240-acre site along Ohio 8 between Highland and Twinsburg roads, said Paul Buescher, a Northfield Center Township trustee who attended the meeting. [email protected], 800-628-6689

RTA and GM Unveil Technology That Will Propel Euclid Corridor What: A sneak peak of the Euclid Corridor vehicle, featuring a hybrid diesel-electric engine. With the recent buzz around hybrid cars offering a solution to reducing the nation’s oil dependence, now there’s mass transit vehicle entry on the market. The vehicle, manufactured by New Flyer Industries, is powered by a GM/Allison internal combustion engine and hybrid transmission, consisting of two 100 kW motors and a 600-volt nickel metal hydride battery pack. This unique powertrain reduces particulate emissions by 90 percent. And like diesel-electric cars, it offers a 30 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. Who: Joseph Calabrese, CEO & General Manager, RTA Joseph Marinucci, CEO & President, Downtown Cleveland Partnership Dave Mikoryak, Manager, Electric Drive Program, GM/Allison Joel Abramam, Director of Sales, New Flyer Industries When: 11:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 10, 2006 Where: Tower City Center Press Conference, Tower Court – Level 3 (Next to Castaldi’s) · Vehicle Display, Prospect Ave. Entrance, Valet Canopy Public viewing: 10:15-11:15 a.m., Cleveland City Hall 12:15-2 p.m., SW Quadrant, Public Square Here is a fact sheet also released: RTV vehicle in Cleveland today CLEVELAND – Officials of the City of Cleveland and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) today unveiled the prototype Euclid Corridor vehicle. The vehicle is in Cleveland on its way to a testing facility in Altoona, PA. Some facts: - Final color scheme has not been determined - $20.52 million contract awarded to New Flyer of America Inc. on April 20, 2004. The award includes money for development and delivery of 21 vehicles, operator and maintenance training, and parts and maintenance. Federal funds will pay for 80 percent. - RTA purchased 21 vehicles at a cost not to exceed $900,000 each. - Each vehicle is 61 feet, 8 inches long. Standard buses are 40 feet long - Low-floor, for fast, easy boarding for all customers, including those with disabilities - Articulated, for ease in turning at Public Square and Windermere station. - State-of-the-art hybrid-electric propulsion -- quieter, cleaner and lower emissions than standard buses - Two doors on the operator's side, and three doors on the other side. - Seats for 46 customers - 120 standing capacity, with places for two wheelchairs and two interior bike racks - The new Silver Line will operational in late 2008, when the $200-million project is completed.

it seems that price points are high for many of the developments. it is more of a catch 22 - younger people will live downtown or in a gentrifying neighborhood in OC, but may not be able to afford 400k + and older people who can afford these homes don't want to deal with the schools, etc. and are established in the suburbs. IMO, there needs to be more units online that range from 150-250k, even if that means no granite, hardwood, etc. Income/yr Income/mnth after 28% tax $50,000.00 $4,166.67 $3,000.00 $60,000.00 $5,000.00 $3,600.00 $70,000.00 $5,833.33 $4,200.00 $80,000.00 $6,666.67 $4,800.00 $90,000.00 $7,500.00 $5,400.00 $100,000.00 $8,333.33 $6,000.00 $110,000.00 $9,166.67 $6,600.00 $120,000.00 $10,000.00 $7,200.00 $130,000.00 $10,833.33 $7,800.00 $140,000.00 $11,666.67 $8,400.00 $150,000.00 $12,500.00 $9,000.00 $160,000.00 $13,333.33 $9,600.00 $170,000.00 $14,166.67 $10,200.00 $180,000.00 $15,000.00 $10,800.00 $190,000.00 $15,833.33 $11,400.00 $200,000.00 $16,666.67 $12,000.00 Assuming 10% down, 30 year fixed, 5.5%: Home Price Downpayment Interest Rate Pymt/Mnth Pymnt/yr $200,000.00 $20,000.00 5.50% $1,022.02 $12,264.24 $250,000.00 $25,000.00 5.50% $1,277.53 $15,330.30 $300,000.00 $30,000.00 5.50% $1,533.03 $18,396.36 $350,000.00 $35,000.00 5.50% $1,788.54 $21,462.42 $400,000.00 $40,000.00 5.50% $2,044.04 $24,528.48 $450,000.00 $45,000.00 5.50% $2,299.55 $27,594.55 $500,000.00 $50,000.00 5.50% $2,555.05 $30,660.61 $550,000.00 $55,000.00 5.50% $2,810.56 $33,726.67 $600,000.00 $60,000.00 5.50% $3,066.06 $36,792.73 $650,000.00 $65,000.00 5.50% $3,321.57 $39,858.79 $700,000.00 $70,000.00 5.50% $3,577.07 $42,924.85 $750,000.00 $75,000.00 5.50% $3,832.58 $45,990.91 $800,000.00 $80,000.00 5.50% $4,088.08 $49,056.97 $850,000.00 $85,000.00 5.50% $4,343.59 $52,123.03 $900,000.00 $90,000.00 5.50% $4,599.09 $55,189.09 $950,000.00 $95,000.00 5.50% $4,854.60 $58,255.15

From today's PD, http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/113947807086740.xml&coll=2 Towpath trail high in the sky Thursday, February 09, 2006 John C. Kuehner -- A 21st century bridge for a 19th century horse trail is taking shape inside a cavernous structural steel plant in Cleveland. Workers are fitting, welding and grinding the custom-steel skeleton of two pedestrian bridges for the Towpath Trail along the old Ohio & Erie Canal. Though no one has been hurt crossing Granger and Warner roads to date, Cleveland Metroparks undertook the project, now estimated at $6.1 million, to move trail users safely across the five lanes of road. [email protected], 216-999-5325

From today's PD, http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/lorain/113947780286740.xml&coll=2 Car-sharing plan starts rolling at Oberlin College Thursday, February 09, 2006 Carl Matzelle Plain Dealer Reporter Oberlin -- CityWheels, a car-sharing program for occasional drivers, will take its first spin around the block today at Oberlin College. The Cleveland-based company, partnering with the college and a student environmental group, is the first of its type in Ohio, CityWheels founder Ryan McKenzie said.

Not exactly price per square foot, but at least it gives the entry level. Based on entry level number, it works out to $246/square foot. So a guess would be $675,000 before upgrades, etc. for the penthouse units. Dear Friends, The Avenue District pricing is now available. Our Elegant Loft pre-construction pricing starts at $232,390. Our first building features 21 exquisite floor plans ranging from 942 sq. ft. to 2737 sq. ft. at the Penthouse level. In addition to our pre-construction pricing, the first 10 buyers will receive $10,000 in free custom features! To secure your place in The Avenue District and for more pricing information, please call our Sales Manager, Frank Lalli at 216.589.8524 or visit our sales office in the Galleria. Sincerely, Don Picciano, Jr. Director of Sales and Marketing Zaremba.

something is updated as the newsletter posted says "staring in Spring 2005" and lists 170K as the starting price. the new graphic has the 2006 start date and a start price under 200k. also, newsletter calls them the "Post Office" and this is now calling them the "Lofts". who knows how serious they are though besides the minor updates.

Will be a proof of payment system with transit officials randomly checking passes on the actual buses. This is the future system for the rapid lines as well. The big sticking point is the purchase of the point of sale machines at each of the stops. Apparently this is a $30 million purchase that they are trying to put off for as long as possible. With other "value engineering" on the ECP project, anything is possible, so who knows what will actually be implemented. *** I ride about 50/50 bus/rail. My biggest complaint is the difficult payment system, especially blue/green lines where you pay getting on going east and pay getting off going west. i understand the reasoning for it somewhat (basically, during rush hours there is demand getting on in the eastern suburbs - so everyone can just get on the train without using a pass. The biggest stop is Tower City, with lots of turnstiles, so the crowd can quickly exit and swipe their farecard. Going in reverse, everyone pays to get on (big stop being Tower City again), and can get off without having to swipe again. It really just shows how few stops generate significant ride activity. As for fares, I use 10-ride cards and all day passes.

Posted on Michigan Land Use Institute, http://www.mlui.org/transportation/fullarticle.asp?fileid=17002 Looking for Modern Transit Citizens, leaders lay tracks for Grand Valley’s new economy By Andy Guy Great Lakes Bulletin News Service Expanding public transit is a top priority for students, seniors, and the workers wearing suits. The people of the Grand Valley are going back to the future. Life science, information technology, and other innovative, high-tech industries represent 21st-century economic opportunity, just as manufacturing promised good-paying jobs 100 years ago. Entrepreneurs are following in the footsteps of Louis Campau, who purchased Grand Rapid’s present-day central business district from the federal government for $90 in 1831, by investing billions of dollars to build vibrant neighborhoods and business districts with modern offices, eateries, and living space. And just like the 1920’s, there is now serious talk of putting streetcars in service to move people around the growing region more efficiently. More at link above:

a timely PD article: http://www.cleveland.com/browns/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1139132131133720.xml&coll=2 WHY NOT US? Cleveland is not a candidate to host a Super Bowl because Cleveland Browns Stadium is not domed, but that is not the only reason this cold-weather city gets the cold shoulder. Sunday, February 05, 2006 Mary Schmitt Boyer Plain Dealer Reporter Detroit has Motown. We have the Cleveland Orchestra. Detroit has the Henry Ford Museum. We have the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Detroit has the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair. We have Lake Erie. What's Detroit got that we don't? The Super Bowl. Why not us? Short answer: No domed stadium. According to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, a city with an average early February temperature below 50 degrees must have a domed stadium to be a candidate to host a Super Bowl. Citing the projected economic impact to a community, the NFL often holds out the promise of a Super Bowl as a $300 million carrot to get those new domed stadiums built. It did it in Detroit. It did it when the new stadium was being built here. "The way they put it was, You will be eligible to have a Super Bowl in Cleveland,' " said attorney Fred Nance, the chief negotiator for Mayor Michael White during stadium construction. Even if -- and that's the mother of all hypotheticals -- Cleveland decided to put a dome over Cleveland Browns Stadium, the city doesn't have the 25,000 full-service hotel rooms and other necessary facilities to host the biggest sporting event in the country. David Gilbert, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, is in the business of attracting sporting events to Northeast Ohio. He's as optimistic and upbeat a human being as you'll ever find, but even he acknowledged a domed stadium might not cover everything. "We certainly would have to do more research," he said. Gilbert said the 25,000 hotel rooms could be problematic if the NFL insisted the rooms be in full-service hotels with amenities such as room service or laundry service. Furthermore, Gilbert said, the only place with enough exhibition space would be the IX Center near the airport, quite a haul if all the other activities were centered downtown. "I think there's one other important piece," he said. "I don't know what the economics are, but I'm certain that the community has to raise a significant amount of money. I think that's something we would have to explore. Would there be the willingness and the capacity to raise the necessary funds? For a Super Bowl, my guess would be yes." Gilbert estimated the amount of money needed to be raised for a Super Bowl would be "well into the many, many millions." That's based on the fact that the Sports Commission had to raise $1 million for the NCAA Women's Final Four that will be held here in 2007. According to Gilbert, cities bidding to host the NCAA Men's Final Four need to raise about $2 million. Jim Kahler was the Cavaliers senior vice president of sales and marketing when the NBA held its 50th anniversary All-Star Weekend here in 1997. At that time, the host city had to provide 5,000 hotel rooms and $500,000 for a welcome party. "It's a magic-carpet ride," Kahler said of the amenities and transportation provided for the visiting dignitaries. Forgetting the dome issue, Kahler doesn't think the city could meet the requirement for hotel rooms. "For us to make our room block, we had to reach to Rockside Road [in Independence]," said Kahler, now the executive director of the Center for Sports Administration at Ohio University. "If you don't have the hotel rooms, you're not going to get it." Big bucks are there Why do cities want to host these huge sports extravaganzas? Money is a big reason. Kahler estimated the economic impact of the NBA All-Star Weekend was $32 million to $35 million. The NFL projects the economic impact of Super Bowl XL in Detroit will be $300 million, although some economists doubt that. Robert A. Baade of Lake Forest College in Illinois studied Super Bowls from 1970 to 2001 and found the economic impact averaged about $92 million. He cautions it could be as little as $30 million. Given that Ford Field in Detroit cost $315 million, or that it would cost an estimated $200 million to put a roof on Cleveland Browns Stadium, maybe it's not worth it. On the other hand, the exposure a city gets for hosting a major sporting event is priceless. If one event generates residual tourist interest for years, think what four events would do. From the summer of 1991 to the spring of 1992, Minnesota was host to the U.S. Open golf tournament, the World Series, the Super Bowl and the NCAA Men's Final Four. "That was our absolute apex," said Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission that owns and operates the Metrodome in Minneapolis. "For one year, we were the epicenter of the universe for sporting activities." Lester still remembers the chorus of boos that went up when it was announced that Minnesota was going to host the 1992 Super Bowl - the only other cold-weather city besides Detroit in 1982 and 2006 to be selected for that honor. January in Minnesota can be a tough sell for owners used to doing business on golf courses and yachts. Instead of pretending it wasn't going to be cold, Minnesota bid presenters embraced the winter and offered to take willing visitors ice fishing or snowmobiling. Somehow Minnesota won out over Seattle, Indianapolis and Detroit. According to Jim Steeg, who ran the Super Bowl for years, the league made a commitment to include some nontraditional sites. That helps explain why Detroit was the only finalist for the 2006 Super Bowl. "It's hard to put a northern site up against any of the other ones, because it's almost an instant loser," admitted Steeg, now the executive vice president of the San Diego Chargers. "It was a decision by the advisory committee in the 1990s that there almost would be parallel paths in awarding these games. One would be 'We're going to give you a game if you do everything right,' like Detroit and Houston. The other one would be a competitive one." Roof on costs So is it likely Cleveland will ever make a legitimate bid for the Super Bowl? For years, visionaries have dreamed big dreams for Cleveland. When the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium opened in 1931, there was talk of hosting an Olympics, although it appears the idea never got past the talking stage. Discussions of an Olympics or a Super Bowl came up again in the 1980s, when forward-thinking citizens such as architect Richard Fleischman proposed building a roof over the old stadium and joining that complex with a new convention center to take advantage of the lakefront. "There was a lot of negotiating, a lot of lobbying, a lot of caucusing behind closed doors," Fleischman said. "I don't think there was ever a stage where people seriously thought about it. I think there was a lot of hope, a lot of fascination, a lot of poetry. . . . We had all kinds of ideas about what kind of activities would make Cleveland a magnet, a destination. . . . We had to be creative. You can't sit there and wait for activities to come to you." A bond issue to use property taxes to fund the dome was soundly defeated, and Vincent Campanella, the Cuyahoga County commissioner who championed the plan, was ousted in the next election. Other communities think differently. Indianapolis is building a new domed stadium in hopes of luring a Super Bowl. For the same reason, Kansas City is looking at the possibility of putting a rolling roof over Arrowhead Stadium. Remodeled Soldier Field barely had opened its new doors when Chicago Mayor Richard Daley proposed building a new stadium for a second NFL team and a shot at the 2016 Olympics. Architect Dennis Wellner is a founding principal of HOK Sport, an international architecture firm that has worked on the Arrowhead project as well as Cleveland Browns Stadium. The rolling roof would not work here, he said. "Since the building was not planned to have a roof, you could certainly put a roof on and enclose the building, but it would be a separate structure outside the stadium," Wellner said, likening it to an old-fashioned plastic cake cover. "That type of thing could be done. It may not be easy. When we worked on the design of that building, it was a very tight site. . . . It's very expensive to retrofit existing buildings with a roof because they're much larger than they need to be." Wellner estimated that kind of project here would cost about $200 million. According to Nance, money was only part of the reason a roof wasn't part of the design of the new stadium. "We came to the conclusion that we were not going to do a domed stadium for three reasons," he said. "It was the incremental cost, which was approximately $100 million to $110 million or $120 million more. The technology on retractables still had a lot of bugs in it. The reason the retractable roof was evaluated was that we were told by Browns fans that they wanted to sit outside. Then we were also told it would add another year to the project . . . that was the end of it." Gilbert refuses to pout over the fact a dome probably is out of the question here, which means the city will never host a Super Bowl or an NCAA Men's Final Four. Instead, he's excited about the 2007 NCAA Women's Final Four, plans for an annual Continental Cup international youth soccer tournament and a possible bid for the 2011 Special Olympics. "A dome would be great, but it's not the be-all and end-all for the two added events it would get you," Gilbert said. "Clearly, the Super Bowl is the biggest domestic event a community can host. There's not even a close second. If a city bills itself as only hosting the Super Bowl every four or five years, that's great, but it's a temporary impact. "We don't lament the fact that we can't host a Super Bowl. We can still be, hands down, one of the top cities in America at hosting events without having the Super Bowl or Final Four. There's such a large universe out there, and you pick your specialties." If Gilbert has his way, after all the kudos Cleveland earns for the spectacular job it does with the NCAA Women's Final Four next spring, sports fans in other parts of the country will be wondering, "Why not us?" To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: [email protected], 216-999-4668

KJP, inbetween huntington and 1021 is a facade. used to look almost identical to the existing 1001 front. Part of the attractiveness was the available historic tax credits to a new buyer/developer. Originally asking 3m for 200,000 square feet of space that ALL needs to be renovated, that works out to $15/square foot - a real bargain for a prime property downtown. At the listed sale price of 2.2m, that works out to $11/square foot. When Pinnacle is selling condos for upwards of $300/square foot, you can see where the profit potential is. Unforntunatly, even with reduced sale price, the holding price on this property is significant (property taxes on 3m valuation were 94k/year - and this doesn't include ECP vault assessments and new BID assessment). That's a lot of money for a building that won't potentially get a street level tenant until ECP is finished, has no structured parking (there are roughly 8 surface spaces in the alley behind), and needs a substantial infusion of cash. BUT, I'm sooooo glad someone finally bought these. One thing that confuses me is that they haven't put a "sold" sign or taken down the listing sign. A residential broker would do that right away to take some credit for the sale. There have also been more lights on during the day on different floors, so I hope they plan to move quickly with whatever they are going to do with this property.

i agree that this can't come soon enough. in some ways though, it shows the lack of ownership for buildings/sidewalks/streets downtown. it is kind of like the absent landlord who only wants to collect rent, but doesn't want to do any improvements. In other cities (both large and small), I have seen much more attention payed to how one's business looks (whether they own the building or not). I don't see that much downtown cleveland - the same unidentified liquid stains remain almost year round on sidewalks, trash blows freely, lights remain burned out, etc. I guess now the owners are going to tax themselves for the work they couldn't perform. there are obviously exceptions, as the major buildings spend major money maintaining their properties, but i think that a focus on these "broken window" issues can make a big difference. For instance, if i would expect a store owner to sweep up broken glass from a car window or beer bottle as soon as i saw it. i don't see that in cleveland as much as i would like. i also agree with the landscaping, but this also applies to the "ownership" theory above. For as much history as Cleveland has, the downtown landscaping certainly doesn't show it.

i generally don't have a problem with people identifying problem areas or areas of improvement. i think it is important for our city to benchmark ourselves against other cities we admire or aspire to be, or at the very least to validate that we are functioning as a city/region in providing the services and quality of life that our residents demand. what i think the PD as well as other media outlets in the area don't seem to do is: 1) propose solutions/answers to the perceived problems; 2) spend time discussing initiatives that are tackling the perceived problems; 3) identify some positive momentum toward solving whatever the perceived problem is. don't complain if you aren't going to propose a solution and participate in fixing a problem. this causes stagnation around negative energy imo and perpetuates the feeling of helplessness and inferiority that so many complain about.

that photo was meant to answer StrapHanger's previous question about the metal facade on E.9 and Euclid, which that photo shows the original exterior of the e.9 and euclid corner as well and the original entrance to the city club.

it looks like the metal was applied on top, so in theory it should be there in some capacity. Although I think the CVS entrance today looks much better than than the old pillars. what happened here? i had no idea the entrance to city club used to be so grand. here is a shot of the old exterior from clevelandmemory.org:

here is a shot i posted on another thread of what it looks like today from steet level:

here is a photo of one of the 400k units in pinnacle from their website. there are 5 of these on each floor.

downtown is much more than skyscrapers, but if that is all we are analyzing, i think the city would be vibrant without the skyscrapers. think about all of that office space spread out in smaller 7 or 10 story buildings that would cover a lot of area, making walkable communities and a successful area, similar to DC or some european cities that don't have skyscrapers. although i enjoy driving into the city and seeing the skyline, i don't think it actually does much to create safe and successful streetlife for the people who actually live in the city.

searching through the FAA database I came across a tower in youngstown that is 439.3, but i guess it depends on how you qualify because there is an antenna height above average terrain and antenna height above ground level. here is the link to the tv database - just choose ohio and it will return the whole list: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/tvq.html here is the link to the radio database: FM Towers: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.html AM Towers: http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/amq.html ***** WKBN-TV OH YOUNGSTOWN USA Licensee: PIEDMONT TELEVISION OF YOUNGSTOWN LICENSE LLC Service Designation: TV NTSC (analog) television station Channel: 27 548 - 554 MHz Construction Permit File No.: BPCT-20050523AFV Facility ID number: 73153 CDBS Application ID No.: 1024831 41° 03' 24.00" N Latitude Site in Canadian Border Zone 80° 38' 44.00" W Longitude (NAD 27) Polarization: Horizontal (H) Effective Radiated Power (ERP): 871. kW ERP Antenna Height Above Average Terrain: 439.3 meters HAAT Antenna Height Above Mean Sea Level: 764.2 meters AMSL Antenna Height Above Ground Level: 427.9 meters AGL

according to wikipedia, the tallest structure in ohio is a tower in toledo at 1437 feet. i don't know how accurate the list is, but there are some links to the FCC sites that has a database of this information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallest_structures_in_the_United_States

the residents of the city voted overwhelming for these restrictions. unless clearly arbitrary or capricious, i think that their wishes should be upheld. if it ends up meaning less qualified people working jobs for the city, then the residents would be free again to express their desires at that time.