ZONING REVISITED

Many of you may recall a story last year by Dick Irby in regards to a historical building being gutted and redone by Michael Gordon. You can veiw it here: ONLY ON FOX: Fox 41's Dick Irby, photographer Dave White attacked - FOX41 News, weather, sports, local, Louisville,Southern I....

The story continues today with Michael Gordon going to court to try to get out of a hearing on May 21 with the Board of Zoning in regards to his abuse of what was agreed on and his fines that currently sit around $700,000. The interesting thing is that the fines are so high and there has been talk of razing the building.

When you consider Michael Gordon could be in for some serious legal trouble we then must consider JAVANON and the debacle with Ali Ahmadi. Mr. Ahmadi has apparently gotten away with blatant violations in the building of the JAVANON Soccer club as has been reported throughout this site. Louisville News and Politics: JAVANON REVISITED.

The biggest difference in these cases appears to be that JAVANON has gotten away with violating the intent of agreements and Michael Gordon will not.

Of course JAVANON is for kids and Michael Gordon is for profit. But either way the rules are the same without consideration of purpose and that is the problem I have with this whole dog and pony show called Zoning.

I honestly have no problem with Michael Gordon going out of business when the building is razed. (Like that will really happen anyway). I do, however, have a problem with JAVANON being allowed to continue without following the same rules.

What were the fines were JAVANON? Why is there such a difference in the way each is handled? Is there a difference here that makes sense when you put the kids aside?

Each "business" did what they wanted without regard to what was agreed upon. Both did it out of their own arrogance. Both knew better and did what they wanted anyway. Each presented one plan and did another. The group that beneifts is irrelevant since rules are supposed to be equal.

Why?

Because they could. It really is that simple.

Without the diligence of folks like Dick Irby at FOX41 and a host of local bloggers, myself included, we would still not have accountability. At the very least these problems would continue without oversight.

This is the problem.

Zoning has no clue, or are so arrogant, as to decide to pick and choose what is acceptable for one is not for the other. A blanket set of rules should apply equally across the board and in these instances many do not believe they do.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in complaints and notoriety to the shortcomings of this Department.

Bill Schreck, Charles Cash, and the leadership team need to go. Let's include Abramson in this group that needs to go as well.

Time to clean house so we can fix it.