The local news was nothing new last evening when the [Convention Center] and Visitors Bureau were asking for an increase in the bed tax [hotel room sales tax] to cover their shortage. Does this sound familiar? Sure does, the County was warned time and time again before this wonderful project was approved, the project that would bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Lancaster County and stay in one of the most beautiful hotels built!!!!!
The bills are being paid but the Visitors Bureau has no funds. The Lancaster County Commissioners vowed to not increase the bed tax and they better not. Let PSP [Penn Square Partners] renegotiate DOWN their take of this project as we taxpayers are already picking up a million dollar a year bill.
Not to confuse the public but Mr.[S. Dale] High just received the okay to create THE CROSSINGS that is going to have another hotel, shopping, eateries as well as apartments to be located behind Toys R Us off of Harrisburg Pike. Look out Manheim Twp. You are going to pay dearly.
As well as the loss of business to Lancaster City.
Gee…did I somehow miss Bernard Harris’ front page story in the local paper about this?????
PSP should be made to fund any shortfall.
I wonder if S. Dale High’s new hotel will somehow be exempt????
Ever notice how there is a decided lack of shoppers in downtown…I never see the streets ‘bustling’ with people.
What a disgrace!!!!!!!!!!!
At one time was there not a committee for responsible development of Lancaster County….if so, where are they?? I have written the letters to Ray LaHood and attended a few meetings. Dale High, in my opinion, is a man with no conscience or loyalty or love of Lancaster County and his greed is never satisfied.
Long’s Park, our lovely Long’s Park, will be so negatively impacted with trash and crime that I am sure Dale High will have plans for the park in the future, when it becomes such an eyesore and crime area that no one will want to be there.
Who thinks we need this shopping center and hotel??? I am so angry I can hardly express myself. We are ruining all that makes Lancaster County appealing with this irresponsible and greedy build, build, build.
And while all the road construction is going on, how will people get to Park City, Lancaster’s share of the tax pie.
Which brings me to another grating fact of all the city non-profits. Why do we have so many and what is the city doing to assure that these properties quality for tax exempt status.
Wake up, Lancaster County, all we have been is slowing dissolving under the heavy hands of local developers and cooperating officials……remember, New York City was once all farm land.
Jeff Hawks column of 1/5/12 should be archived and rewritten when the Convention Center/Hotel fiasco falls apart in the future. Will he have the guts to rewrite and change the names???
EDITOR: Hawks wrote: “In separate interviews, [Wendy] Nagle and Sharron Nelson, a Heritage Center board member since 2009 and the current board chair, did not hesitate to identify poor business planning as the museum’s Achilles’ heel.
“‘I think (previous leaders) felt they would continue to run fundraisers and that somehow it would all take care of itself,’ Nelson said. ‘There were not people who sat down and said, “We need a solid business plan.”‘”