Voters reject mall

Jim Stoepler makes his feelings on Measure A known outside the Ukiah Brewing Company, where the No on A campaign held an election night party.

[Mike Cook]

Times change, Mendocino County doesn't, the county has shown that they want to stay in the economic dumps and money will continue to flow out of the county, or never come here at all. Thanks guys, this should help ensure even more people and families leave the area to find work and a decent living, as well as cheaper housing. I am pretty disgusted with this county, though not totally suprised.

[Bad Deal]

Mike Cook wrote:

Times change, Mendocino County doesn't, the county has shown that they want to stay in the economic dumps and money will continue to flow out of the county, or never come here at all. Thanks guys, this should help ensure even more people and families leave the area to find work and a decent living, as well as cheaper housing. I am pretty disgusted with this county, though not totally suprised.

Hey Mike, You can move to Cleveland whenever you wish! Don't let the door hit you in the BUTT when you leave!

[awesome]

this is so great for sonoma county they get all our money and we get more job loss and crime....yahhhhhhh

[Eddy]

No on A does not mean no new businesses, it just means no end run around the formal process for the old Masonite site. If I am not mistaken, there is land south of WalMart that is already zoned appropriately, and with new owners, we may see some progress in developing that area. And DDR can still pursue development of Masonite through the normal process. I really do not understand the instant loyalty DDR received from local conservatives - it was a bad idea, and they should have been able to see that.

I wonder how DDR is feeling about the two former Supervisors who conned them into this whole mess. Not too happy, I would guess.

[workingmom]

Open your eyes guys...see the empty buildings all over town?? Building more isn't the answer...

[Eddy]

workingmom wrote:

Open your eyes guys...see the empty buildings all over town?? Building more isn't the answer...

Redevelopment is an important issue, but Costco does not want to move into any of our vacant buildings.

[workingmom]

Right...but I personally do not want to see a Costco here.

[Hopland Resident]

Seriously...how many of the county residents actually "shop malls"!! I have used my Costco card twice... 90% of my shopping is LOCAL. There is a large variety and choices already available to us right in Ukiah. And if that doesn't suit you, then drive the hour to the malls and enjoy the scenery on the way! It is refreshing to see the percentage of voters thought about Measure A wisley and made the right decision for Mendocino County.

[reality check]

Yea Guys raise Your glasses to the ever increasing exodus of cars heading south to shop in Sonoma County.
W'll honk every week We pass the Ukiah Brewing Company!

[the fearless spectator]

Look's like be taken the money to the Rosa, thems Sonoma County folks laugh'n this morning. Mendo use to be the county of hope......now it the county of Dope. Guess the residents like'n the look of that junk down there, down on their knees pray'n for a factory job.... Figure DDR have another trick though, so don't put away the robes and torches just yet.

[mendo]

the fearless spectator wrote:

Look's like be taken the money to the Rosa, thems Sonoma County folks laugh'n this morning. Mendo use to be the county of hope......now it the county of Dope. Guess the residents like'n the look of that junk down there, down on their knees pray'n for a factory job.... Figure DDR have another trick though, so don't put away the robes and torches just yet.

Lol! This could be one of the most retarded things I have ever read. How hard was it for you to type like an idiot?

[Thank You]

Mike Cook wrote:

Times change, Mendocino County doesn't, the county has shown that they want to stay in the economic dumps and money will continue to flow out of the county, or never come here at all. Thanks guys, this should help ensure even more people and families leave the area to find work and a decent living, as well as cheaper housing. I am pretty disgusted with this county, though not totally suprised.

I totally agree with you. I chose to stay in my county but find it harder and harder to stay because jobs don't pay well, your lucky to find a job or get insurance, etc. What is really disappointing is we can approve POT here, but not legitimate money coming into our county. Very disappointing!

[Jack]

I am disappointed as well. All of the "no" folks I knew are retired hippies with lots of money. So the county will continue to be broke, employees furloughed and poor, dope flourishes and I heard the financial situation for the county is supposed to be even worse next year. I still don't see what the big deal was. And this site will continue to sit empty for the next 100 years. I never have shopped "local" much because I can't afford it and I have a real job! I will continue to shop in Santa Rosa and online until my house sells (maybe a nice dope grower will buy it). Moving to Nevada after 40 years working here in Ukiah. Pretty soon the only people left here will be retired hippies and dope growers. Very sad.

[Majority Voice]

Everyone who voted for A are just self-interested, egoistic, heartless, closed-minded, ignorant, wannabe shoppers.
If you need Costco, move to Santa Rosa. If you are ready to think community-first, we, the majority voice, are ready to listen to your proposals.

[Hope]

The onus is now on SOLE. Bring in the industry folks. Bring on the "living wage" jobs you promised. You better take on that task with the same fervor you defeated this measure. You owe us that much.

Will SOLE even exist six months from now?

[Honest Lee]

As a working class independent, leaning towards conservative, I have to give my reasons for voting no on A.

Growing up, I watched my small orchard town die to development. Orchards turned to houses, the packing plants and factories turned to strip malls. Once the agricultural and factory jobs were gone, the housing values plummeted, the town turned to a slum, the stores closed and when I left after high school, we had the highest murder rate in the US.

Ironically, the strip malls were called things like orchard center, orange park, lemon grove plaza. As if naming the strip of pavement after what it replaced somehow made it better. Two months after moving here, I saw a bitter reminder of that slow death of a small community as a couple of bulldozers ripped out the pear orchards that once lined the 101.

I don't care what they put in at the masonite site. I do care that we have a voice in the matter, and that it goes through the appropriate channels.

So, if you want to move someplace with more jobs, feel free. I'll keep working here to grow food, community and my family. There are plenty of houses in Santa Rosa if you REALLY REALLY want a job at costco.

[Thoughtful]

reality check wrote:

Yea Guys raise Your glasses to the ever increasing exodus of cars heading south to shop in Sonoma County.
W'll honk every week We pass the Ukiah Brewing Company!

Please don't while court is in session. But, if you drive fast enough we can get some traffic fine money from you. That is more than this ill conceived conceptual boondoggle would have ever brought in! Hey maybe you will even need a lawyer! Job Opportunities abound here!

[Peter Finch]

Mendo is all about pot and police.....

Nice! The people spoke...

[essay]

I wonder how the residents will look back in 10 and 20 years from now, looking at the Masonite site still undeveloped, wasted, and an eyesore? Those that believe that light industry and/or manufacturing will move in are deluding themselves - our county offers no meaningful incentives to attract these types businesses as compared to other places in the country where they are generally concerned about their local economy. Mendocino will remain stagnent, just as it has when we lost the lumber industry and Masonite. I guess the voters are putting all their hopes in marijuana being made legal and rely on that for our local econony.

[Wrong Again]

Hope wrote:

The onus is now on SOLE. Bring in the industry folks. Bring on the "living wage" jobs you promised. You better take on that task with the same fervor you defeated this measure. You owe us that much.
Will SOLE even exist six months from now?

The ONUS is on the ANUS DDR to either clean-up this site and bulid this mall or get out of town. It really is very simple! SOLE will not exist next week much less in 6 months. There is no reason for it unless DDR returns with another scheme to forgo it's responsibilites to that site. They can always sell this contaminated site! But, now everyone knows they made a bad real estate buy! Sell more stock and try again? The cat is out of the bag now! Perhaps we will get to hear from DDR's Economic Hit Man Adams again. Who Knows, maybe SOLE will be reserected then.