Council backs loan to buy fire siteCharleston councilmembers vote 10-2 for $1,875,000 bond issue By David Slade (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Charleston City Council gave final approval Tuesday to Mayor Joe Riley's plan to borrow $1,875,000 and buy the Sofa Super Store site. 
Mic Smith The land on Savannah Highway, where nine city firefighters died in the line of duty last June, has been called "sacred ground" by Riley and others, and would be used for a memorial. The firefighters died battling the June 18 blaze at the Sofa Super Store, where a loading dock fire spread through the building filled with highly combustible sofas. It was the nation's worst loss of firefighters' lives since the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. Suggestions for the city's use of the land have included a park, a museum, a fire station or even a church, and the city plans to form a committee to come up with recommendations. In a 10-2 vote, Councimen Tim Mallard and James Lewis opposed the bond issue and purchase. Councilman Louis Waring was absent, recovering from a broken ankle. Riley has said he hopes that county, state and federal contributions, along with private donations, will offset much of the city's cost for the purchase. Just before the final vote to buy the land, Heather Baity, widow of firefighter Brad Baity, urged council members to approve the measure. "There needs to be something on that site, and it needs to reflect what happened on that site," she said. Earlier in the council meeting, dozens of city firefighters had packed Council Chambers at City Hall, but most left before the Sofa Super Store vote. They were at the meeting to protest Riley's decision Friday to indefinitely withhold the results of a city-financed report on the fire, but Riley changed his mind and announced five hours before the council meeting that the report will be released next week. Several current and former firefighters thanked the mayor for his change of heart during the council meeting, but some expressed impatience that the report has taken so long. Dot Hutchinson, mother of the late Capt. Billy Hutchinson and herself a retired city firefighter, told Riley she cried all weekend after hearing that the fire report would be delayed. She was glad she changed his mind but said it seems no one has been held accountable for the deaths of the firefighters and asked when that might change. "I read in the newspaper that three Mexicans killed a goose west of the Ashley and they were held accountable," Hutchinson said. "They were fired and the company they worked for was fired. Is one goose worth more than nine firefighters?" She was referring to an incident last month where three workers for the city's Department of Parks, provided by a staffing agency, were seen killing a Canada goose in a city park, and were charged with animal cruelty. Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 21 comment(s)
Posted by Thomas1776 on May 7, 2008 at 4:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here comes another city tax increase for a bad decision.
Posted by Slick50 on May 7, 2008 at 6:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
They will come up with some creative financing, like adding a new tax onto your cell phone or cable bill.
Posted by 5thGenerationLocal on May 7, 2008 at 7:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is BS. Why does the city feel the need to waste money and buy the site. Let the owner sell it as commercial real estate. I promise you, in 5 years, very few will remember what happened there. Sad to say, but true.
Posted by Early on May 7, 2008 at 8:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So the owner of the property which was neglectful in his building, just sold the land for a profit to the city which his putting some of the blame on him????????
You bought it so make have a public function, a fire-house would be appropriate
Posted by ColdBeer on May 7, 2008 at 8:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Amazing. Almost 1.9 Million Dollars. I haven't been down in Charleston in a few weeks... I take it they got all of the real issues (schools, roads, crime and such) resolved and paid for already? Good job City Counsel!
For riley to call this tragic site "sacred ground" is just too hypocritical. I'm going to use this ploy the next time I screw up something.
I don't drink and drive, but if I ever do screw up and get a DUI, I'll explain to my wife and kids:
"Yes, I know I totaled out my car when I hit that oak tree. I need to buy a new car... something special... a Corvette... that Corvette can be a memorial to our lost car. Also, every year, we can throw a huge party, with lots of cold beer, to commemorate the loss of our car in that sacred accident”.
Posted by LadyTarHeel on May 7, 2008 at 8:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think the fire station idea is the best.
Posted by majorjohnson on May 7, 2008 at 8:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think there is already a fire station right in that area. What would be the point of building another there? On top of building a multi-million dollar fire station you'd have to spend millions on equipment and hire firefighters to man it. Of course, you could just shut down the one down the street and move those men and equipment to the new one, but it's still just a waste of money.
But hey, it's tax money. They just pull it off the taxpayer money tree.
Posted by icbmman on May 7, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There is a fire station about 1/2 mile north of the site on Savannah Highway, and another one is located about 1 mile further near the Byrnes Downes neighborhood. Building a fire station is the best option now, since the city is hellbent on purchasing the site. They could just add another company to the fire department to get additional coverage in a new station. However, maybe they could transfer the closest unit to the new station, then the city could sell the old station land. Then the IHOP next door could expand its restaurant!
Posted by ColdBeer on May 7, 2008 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
IHOP rules... except on Sunday mornings.
Posted by scnative4ever on May 7, 2008 at 10:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think a technology training and testing site would be good. A site to better inform and train firefighters would be more honorable. Especially if it saves one firefighters life. Computer based training and testing, shared information, etc.
Posted by miki on May 7, 2008 at 10:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Can you imagine working in a fire house on top of the graves of 9 brothers? That just creeps me out.
Posted by icbmman on May 7, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ummm, miki, they're not buried there. Build a monument on the fire station site, and that will honor those that died.
Posted by Edwin435 on May 7, 2008 at 12:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Take that money and honor the firefighter by buying new equipment and more training so that NEVER happens again. Do not waste the money by spending it on a site that has too much traffic and little space to do anything with. Honor the brothers by helping those that continue to fight the good fight.
Posted by CHRISJIII on May 7, 2008 at 12:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is just a complete waste of public monies by a mayor who is trying to coverup his and his fire chief's tracks in their failure. Council should also be called in to account for their blind obedience in following this very flawed action.Why reward the owner of that property for helping to kill 9 firefighters due to his negligence? Watch what happens to the property, it'll be used to erect another monument to Riley to stroke his ego.
Posted by JohnS on May 7, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder how long it will take to construct the minority center for the arts at the site? The location is perfect.
Posted by KidYendor on May 7, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is prime commercial real estate and could be used to rent out with funds going to firefighter pay, training, equipment purchase, and retirement issues.
Posted by CedarPosts on May 7, 2008 at 4 p.m. (Suggest removal)
miki - come on you are smarter than that.
Stop by station 11 down the street and guess what it's a little dated.
If we're going to drop 1.9 millon why not spend another millon and build something really useful like a state of the art fire station.
So again I'll point you to my artists rendering of the Savannah Highway Station "9":
http://cedarposts.blogspot.com/2008/04/n...
Posted by Thomas1776 on May 7, 2008 at 5:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Amazing that the majority of these representatives constituents opposed buying that lot.
They took an oath. And now they are showing just how much they don't listen. So they violated what they swore too. They are, in essence, liars.
Posted by markasnyder on May 7, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How can the rat-bastard owner of the Sofa Super Store be allowed to profit from this tragedy? Where's the criminal investigation into negligent business practices...oh, right...guess Joe's handling that, eh?
So sad...my condolences, once again, to the families of the fallen for having to endure yet another horrific experience.
Posted by stand828 on May 7, 2008 at 7:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We need some more answers...
How was the sales price determined? Was there an appraisal and has it been made public? The owner Mr. Goldstein seemed so sincerely concerned about the families at first, even contributing a whopping $100,000 to a scholarship fund for the dead firefighters' children, but have the dollar signs returned to his eyes now?
Is he giving the city the best deal possible, without making a windfall profit for himself? If not, he should be ashamed, especially since his negligence in not installing sprinklers may have contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.
And has he also pocketed insurance money? Without some of these questions answered the whole thing is beginning to remind me of the old "but how do you start a flood" joke.
Posted by CedarPosts on May 7, 2008 at 8:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
stand - that joke is classic