HACKED BY CYBER-ATTACK - ALPERENBTN

[Johnny French]

The other shoe dropped. Let's see some responses to this one. The link in the article will lead to another for a map.
Caller.com

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URL: http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_4299111,00.html
Resort may call Padre Island home
Traffic along beach key issue in $500M plan

By Nick Nelson Caller-Times
December 8, 2005


An international resort development company has signed a letter of intent with a local development group to build a $500 million resort community overlooking the beach on Padre Island.

The letter, signed Nov. 30, started the clock ticking on a 90-day deadline to determine whether the company will move forward with the plan. The largest issue for the company is whether the beach in front of the development will be pedestrian-only, according to the local developer and city officials.

The company is interested in 1,800 feet of beach that wasn't part of the 4,200 feet the City Council voted to close to vehicular traffic.

The development group, called Gulf Shores Joint Venture, is a partnership between Austin developer Paul Schexnailder and Los Angeles-based development firm The Day Group. Gulf Shores received the letter of intent from the international company, which Schexnailder said he could not name because of a confidentiality agreement.

"I can tell you that when we do announce who that is, there will be no doubt that it is a first-class resort development company," he said.

Schexnailder said the resort would be feasible only if the council voted to restrict traffic on the beach between Packery Channel's south jetty and the Nueces County Park No. 1 - a distance of 7,434 feet. This length would include roughly 1,400 north of the seawall and 1,800 feet south of it.

Councilman Mark Scott said the city would be in the wrong if, after years of calling for resort development on the island, it jeopardized the deal by allowing traffic on the beach in front of the proposed resort.

"I think we made a mistake," he said. "We have public policy responsibility to fix that mistake."

Scott suggested that along with restricting the additional length of beach, the council should commit to amend the city charter so that future beach closures would require a citywide public vote. Because state law only allows one charter amendment every two years, and because Corpus Christi's charter was last amended in November 2004, the vote couldn't take place until at least November 2006.

In October, the council voted to ban traffic on the 4,200 feet of beach in front of the island seawall. After the council's decision, a group of citizens started a petition to undo the council's action with a citywide referendum vote in May. As of Wednesday, the group had collected about 5,100 verified signatures of the 8,000 required to put the issue to a public vote. The new ordinance still is awaiting approval from the Texas General Land Office.

Schexnailder said city staff and elected officials have made clear their desire for resort development on Padre Island. He said such a request assumes "resort quality" beaches, which he believes means no vehicles.

The resort was designed by New York-based architecture firm Cooper, Robertson & Partners. Schexnailder said the company planned the project in accordance with the city's Area Development Plan for Mustang and Padre islands. The plan, approved by the City Council in April 2004, states that the city will "encourage the highest development standards within the area's boundaries to create a unique 'sense of place.' "

The plan is the type of development city officials envisioned when they successfully pursued the dredging of Packery Channel, a waterway connecting the Gulf of Mexico with the Laguna Madre. Packery Channel was a decades-old dream of developers because it would allow quick access for pleasure boats to the open gulf.

The city's plan for the Packery Channel Tax Increment Financing Zone calls for pedestrian-only beaches between the south jetty and the south end of the seawall. The TIF zone is a mechanism for capturing revenue from increased property values near Packery Channel to pay for improvements in the zone.

Schexnailder said his development group has completed years of planning and preparation to bring the resort to the island, based on the city's own plan for pedestrian-only beachfront. Now, he expects the city to make good on its commitment to accommodate resort development.

"If we want a resort at the beach," he said, "we must have a resort beach treatment where the resorts go."

The first phase of the resort would be built out over five to seven years and would include 1,000 to 2,000 residential units and between 75,000 and 150,000 square feet of office, commercial, restaurant, retail and entertainment space. He plans two more phases, similar in scope and value, which means a long-range investment of about $1.5 billion.

City Council members were mixed in their reaction to Scott's proposal to restrict traffic on the 7,434 feet of beach while committing to a charter amendment.

Councilmen Rex Kinnison and Jesse Noyola said they already had committed publicly not to restrict traffic on any more beaches without a citywide vote, and they didn't want to go back on their word. Council members Melody Cooper and John Marez said they would base their decision on the overall public sentiment regarding the matter.

Councilmen Jerry Garcia and Brent Chesney and Mayor Henry Garrett could not be reached for comment Wednesday evening. Councilman Bill Kelly has recused himself from such votes because he owns property in the area.

Pat Suter, a vocal supporter of the petition to rescind the council's October decision, said the recent push to close more beaches was just what she and others predicted would happen once the beach along the seawall was closed.

"They're doing exactly what we said they would do - if they could get the 4,200 feet, the very next thing they would do would be to grab more land," she said. "They're doing what we were afraid of."

Suter said she supported the idea of a charter amendment but that the council could not guarantee a future council would make good on a commitment to do so.

Schexnailder said if the beach is not converted to a pedestrian beach, he would likely parcel the land and sell it off. But he said doing so wouldn't be the best use of the land and wouldn't be the overwhelming magnet for tourism that he and city officials have been pursuing for several years.

"One of things that we learned through the economic studies we conducted is that to go out there and build one hotel or to go out there and build one condominium is not going to create a destination," he said. "It's got to be done with a critical mass large enough to create attention within the state's travel patterns."

Contact Nick Nelson at (361) 886-3678 or HYPERLINK mailto:nelsonn@caller.com nelsonn@caller.com

[osolonghorn]

I think it is high time we as a people have not had our voices heard by the so-called elected officials on the council. I furtherthink that the WHOLE council should be voted out of their offices, and all new members elected. Sounds like a wole lot of KICKBACK to me.

[Mike S]

Mark Scott thinks the City Council has made a Mistake? In my opinion I think the people of Corpus Christi made a mistake by electing our current Council and Mayor. These people have know about the future development and beach closing to traffic for sometime. Their current vote
for closure was only the first shoe dropping as Johnny stated. In the current city council's mind a beach traffic closure from Bob Hall Pier to the Packery Channel would fit in their pocket books very well.
How in the world did the people of Corpus Christi let Real Estate related people sit on the city council. I for one can say I'm feel very betrayed by the actions and thoughts Mark Scott has brought before the people and the decisions he has forced the Council to vote on. These ideas are not in the best intrest of the people of Texas much less the people of Corpus Christi.
As everyone on this board knows I make a living from the tourist industry
and I'm sure these developments would increase my income. I'M NOT INTERESTED and I will do all I can as a taxpayer to curtail any of the current Council's beach development ideas.

Mike Singleterry

[REDFISHER]

Sounds like they aren't going to stop trying to close beach access any time soon. Are they trying to turn it into Galveston. What's next are they going to try and develop all the way to PINS?
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A BAD DAY FISHING BEATS A GOOD DAY WORKING ANYTIME. OH WAIT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A BAD DAY FISHING!

[rabbit]

If we dont get the signatures for a vote, it will be because corpus is populated by ostriches.
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Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it.

[funmeters]

Ross Perot used to say "do you hear that sucking sound". Here, I hear that chipping sound. Thousand feet of beach here, fifteen hundred of beach there. Sorry, Corpus City Council the crap you are feeding me is chocking me to death. More development will increase values and reduce taxes? Oh plueeeeze, the city infrastructure is so deteriorated and funding is so far behind the power curve if the city could come up with money equal the the states education buget it still would not have enough. All we ever are going to get, at best, are 2 star hotel and resort operations unless they can put a casino with it, and that will never happen. To lower our taxes from development is a fantacy and would never happen in our life time. It is time time get insulted! Making the beach vehicle free is just a ploy to keep the local riff raff of the private beaches. So, local riff raff get mad! Sign the petition!
Tyler, thanks fror the venue to vent

[FireLine]

Just because I live in San Antonio shouldn't mean that I can't sign the petition. I want to drive on that Beach and it's openned to tourist and fishermen from around Texas. So that means that we ought to be able to sign the Da# petition too, right!!

I can promise you that you can get just about everyone from Texas, no matter where they are from to sign an internet document that state's to keep the beaches open. Just think about it! Instead of walking in with 2000 signatures, you can also walk in with 10,000 signatures from around Texas.

If you are truly up in ARMS over this, you'll do it anyways just to send a message.
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FIRELINE WILL " GET ER DONE!!"

[FireLine]

hear is an example from another post ( fishing line recyling ) by surfranger.

Man that is an awesome idea. When so you all schedule beach clean up projects? Being in SA I miss out alot on stuff like that. If I could get some sort of schedule, I would like to participate -- the beach gives me alot of enjoyment and I would like to pay her back!! Thanks.
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"Well I've had all that I wanted of alot of things I've had; and alot more than I needed of some things that turned out bad!" -- Johnny Cash
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FIRELINE WILL " GET ER DONE!!"

[REDFISHER]

[Schanz]

ditto fireline. This isn't just a CC problem - this is a TEXAS problem. I know A LOT of people up here in SA that appreciate the right to drive on the beach but are unaware of the CC city concil's intentions on closing the beaches.

Can someone knowledgeable on the subject put together a brief to-the-point email letter about beach closures? Something that we can email to all our fishing buddies across the state warning them of what's to come if we don't act.

Maybe include phone #'s of council members or a link to a petition somewhere. Let's get everyone across Texas calling, emailing the CC city council to show them how many people are against this.
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80% of success is just showing up...

[Mike S]

Hey Schanz here are the email addresses for the Corpus Christi City Council

Mayor Henry Garrett hcgarrett@sbcglobal.net
Councilman Jerry Garcia haciendaconst@aol.com
Councilman Bret Chesney bchesney@firstam.com
Council Bill Kelly bill@billkellyonline.com
Councilman John Marez johnmarezdistric2@yahoo.com
Councilman Jesse Noyola jessenoyola14@yahoo.com
Councilman(person) Melody Cooper joe@melodycooperlaw.com
Councilman Mark Scott mscott@sanjacintotitle.com
Councilman Rex Kinnison rkinnison@ensemblegroup.net

The beaches belong to the whole State of Texas you can't sign the petition
but you can email these people and let them know where you stand on their stewartship of Texas beaches.

Mike S

[FireLine]

Scr## the email and calling, it's the signatures on the PETITION that is what is going to count!

I'm not a computer hack, so can someone come up with a document that WE CAN PUT OUR SIGNATURES ON, and send it around via email, then pitch in to pay for the ink that it will cost to PRINT IT OUT.......................

Then Johnny French can hand it in ( if he wants ) and throw it on the desk of the MAYOR......

And for anyone who doesnt think that our vote counts because we don't live in corpus needs to think again. it will send a message, that the PEOPLE OF AMERICA are stronger than the Government. WE decide what is best for us and what we want done. Scr@@ what politicians think is GOOD FOR US!

So anyone from outside Corpus, are you in? Corpus, where's your support?
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FIRELINE WILL " GET ER DONE!!"

[mastergunner]

When all of this started I said the slippery slope theory was working and in 10 years all the beaches in Texas would be private. I was wrong, it want take 10 years. Where are our state represenatives or are they on the kickback list also. I guess the list runs all the way to the general land office. Makes me want to run for office with all of these perks.
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Hardheads should be the state fish of Texas

[rabbit]

Go for mastergunner. The job of accepting bribery is the best one around. No matter where you live.
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Fishing and Kayaking its a rough life but somebody has to do it.

[Lost Cajun]

I can't believe this is happening. I for one am going to start fighting this at the state level. I know I can do that as long as I live in the state. We all need to bring this to the attention of our State Representatives and Governor.

Its obvious that writing, emailing calling the elected officials in corups will have no effect, those guys are behind the effort to make this happen.

Fireline is right, this does infringe on the rights everyone in Texas. Those beaches belong to all of us.
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John 14:1-3