Gaylord's Not-So-Gay Side

By Karen Churchill, Grapevine, Texas

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Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008 | As a "neighbor" of the Gaylord Hotels project in Grapevine, Texas, I feel obligated to warn you against inviting this corporation into your area. Granted, Gaylord is a friend to our City Council and the economic impact is positive. The original project was fine. But they are now expanding in a way that negatively impacts my neighborhood in terms of light, noise, and view. Voices of their opponents are summarily disregarded. They are doubling their convention space, adding a 12-story tower of rooms, expanding their pool area, and now they want to put up a permanent building for the ICE! show. They've gotten special permits to extend buildings over the lakeshore and they are building within a few feet of our lake park.

As a neighbor, I view and hear their power plant and air conditioner, I hear their nightclub, and I see their loading dock and lights. Painful. Don't trust Gaylord to honor their word or to share their true intent at the outset. They add "features" to their plans routinely and strategically with little communication or discussion. They even pull things over on the City Council -- it seems they now control our small town economically. Don't do it!

Editor´s Choice
The reader comments you won't want to miss. (Editor's Choice selection do not represent the views of the editors. They are comments that seem to add to the discussion as opposed to less productive insults or arguments.)

Not to knit pick but the Gaylord-Charger project is planned for Chula Vista NOT San Diego and unless I've missed something the construction industries, their workers and families, the tradesmen and building supply vendors and their trickle down beneficiaries are all members of this regional community and have rights to create, earn, invest and raise their kids as well as the rest of us. The best interest of this community is full gainful employment and at a price tag of approx $3 billion we should be kick starting this project instead of vilifying those who are trying to bring it to fruition. Jobs, community and private-public partnership is the only mantra that'll orchestrate our recovery from the depression that's before us,imho. It's long past time we get ourselves TOGETHER and take advantage of this opportunity.

Posted by Yankee Gent | reply to this comment
August 21, 2008 3:46 pm

12 Comments so far on this story...

I think this is another case of the Mayor/Council approving a project and then letting go of any oversight so that a developer can do anything they want until the community starts complaining, and then they say, "oops, it's too late." There was a project that went up in my neighborhood, and I received, somwhat to my amusement, notice of community feedback on it months after the construction was finished. Good going, City of San Diego. It's not as if they will pull the building down once it is built. I'm not sure what the politicians in this town think they are being paid for but it doesn't seem it is to protect the best interests of their communities.

Posted by Leanne1 | reply to this comment
August 20, 2008 12:12 pm

The reality is Chula Vista is a very blighted area which is a drag on the whole regional economy. ANYTHING Chula Vista can do to try to revive their morbid economy should be explored and the Gaylord proposal is really the only game in town.

Posted by John Jackson | reply to this comment
August 25, 2008 10:41 pm

The "only game in town"....please...ge serious.

Posted by Billy Bob Henry | reply to this comment
August 27, 2008 10:28 am

Sounds more like another case of a NIMBY opposed to PROGRESS!!!! If you don't want economic development - and all that entails- then move out into the country of suburbs. Guaranteed there is someone else who is just itching to be close to all the action that'll snap-up your noisey, overlit and viewless house/apartment in a heartbeat. Grow up, people! You can't stop a city from growing!

Posted by Lincoln | reply to this comment
August 20, 2008 1:55 pm

You call it NIMBY - I all it concern for the neighborhood which a person lives. When you buy a home in a neighborhood, you buy it because you like it the way it is! Some improvements may be made but the community should have the opportunity to have a say in what is to be built. Why should the citizens have to put up with some ya-hoo from New York City puting up a building blocking their view, creating traffic jams, and deminishing their quality of life?

Posted by Chili Willy | reply to this comment
August 21, 2008 8:17 am

The Gentleman makes a valid point but in the Gaylord-Chula Vista case there seems to be little there to begin with so I take his point as philosophical but nonetheless correct as local control should be of paramount concern when building within communities of density. In the CV case, again, there seems to be little there where the Gaylord project is planned for development. What we do have is a troubled municipality. Foreclosures are at a record number, unemployment at its highest in recent memory, teachers and cops being laid off and emergency medical services being performed by the City of San Diego. It would seem that if we are to turn this situation around we can't simply sit around and wait for the business cycle to improve but must act, within all reasonable and prudent expediency, to make something constructive happen and as soon as possible.

Posted by Yankee Gent | reply to this comment
August 21, 2008 9:13 am

I agree. There is supposed to a process for approval. When the developer decides to go outside of what was approved, and the City has no watchdog capability (or interest) to to say, "hey, you just built stuff that wasn't approved," then the community has a right to complain about the indifference the City is showing the community it is supposed to be serving. That isn't whining...that's asking the developers to follow the same rules as everyone else, instead of the politicians pocketing the donations and directing City staff to turni a blind eye to what is going on, which seems to be happening rather a lot lately. If the only way to stop a developer from going off their project plans is having a media scandel, it's a sad statement about the condition of this City.

Posted by Leanne1 | reply to this comment
August 21, 2008 10:30 am

the city of Grapevine, Texas has a population of 42,000, so any comparisons to what might happen in Chula Vista is meaningless. You would think a city that small would want to get the tax revenues from a Gaylord complex.

Posted by BAN | reply to this comment
August 21, 2008 9:20 am

Wow, want a perfect letter to address all the concerns and fears western Chula Vista residents have of the Gaylord development. Reads so good, it almost seems planted.

Posted by dc | reply to this comment
August 21, 2008 1:37 pm

Yes, I am sure it is planted.

Posted by Billy Bob Henry | reply to this comment
August 27, 2008 10:29 am

Gee, maybe someone should of held your city council accountable, I wonder what would happen on the interstate if troopers didn't enforce the speed limit? We had the same thing happen here when police didn't enforce alcohol and behaviour laws on our beaches. Perhaps the only solution is a ban on building?

Posted by PP | reply to this comment
August 21, 2008 2:21 pm

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