Monday, June 25, 2007 | Will Carless‘ story on taking down the Sunroad building contains some errors. The mayor’s cooperation with Sunroad was not “tacit.” It was total. He privately met with Sunroad’s owner and made several proposals to the FAA to leave the Sunroad building at it present height, at the potential expense of neighboring communities over which he proposed airplanes begin to fly in bad weather. That’s not “tacit.” As recently as last month he sent city employees, at taxpayer expense, to the FAA in Texas to pitch the idea. That’s “sleeping with the developer,” who the mayor now says is “lawless and irresponsible.” Those facts were there before his first meeting with Sunroad’s owner and the now infamous “winterizing” permit that followed two days later.
I suggest how the building now comes down is Sunroad’s problem. Sunroad built the building after written warning from the FAA that it would be illegal to do so. Pay the price, is the answer, just like any criminal caught in the act must do. Testimony at the depositions in the city’s lawsuit shows reducing a structure’s height is not uncommon at all. Sunroad’s architect testified he’s already studied how it would be done. Sunroad’s “poor me” pleas should fall on very deaf ears, and unsympathetic brains.
If Sunroad doesn’t quickly abate this nuisance, the city should do so at Sunroad’s expense.