CM Gilmore's weekend e-mail about Greyhound terminal move

An anonymous commenter sends the following letter reportedly sent by CM Erica Gilmore last Saturday when the controversy over the Convention Center Authority plan to move Greyhound to the northwest edge of Downtown was growing:

From: Erica Gilmore
Date: Sat, 22 May 2010 20:35:34 -0500
Subject: Greyhound Bus

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

I would like to thank those of you who have called me or sent me an e-mail in reference to the Greyhound Bus station that will be located on Charlotte Pike.

First, I would like to say that I would never do anything to hurt our community or to jeopardize our safety. However, I find what we sometimes think things are simple when in fact they are never simple.

Yes, I had prior knowledge of the Greyhound bus station going temporarily on Charlotte. It was my understanding that the facility is temporary until the permanent station can be built. Secondly, it is my understanding that the Greyhound station will be unable to remain permanently in the area because of zoning that was provided for the Gulch and that it doesn't fit with the overall plan for the Gulch.

Several questions have been brought to me today that I am working to find answers to them immediately. The first is how long is temporary and the second is where will the permanent location be. Please know that I believe the questions are important to all of us and have sent out an e-mail and that I have called Crossland and Greyhound for this information. Because the location had been changed several times, at first Greyhound said that they were moving to the location temporarily and then they were not, and now they are. It has been a little unclear.

Please know that I will follow up with an e-mail to provide answers to these questions as soon as I have them. Thanks once again to those of you who trust that we are working together and that I am here for you and that I speak on your behalf and would not do anything to harm the community.

Most Respectfully,

ES Gilmore

I am troubled that the council member could have known of the Greyhound move but did not communicate it with neighborhoods before it hit the press on Saturday morning. Granted, she is not required to given that the move does not involve a zone change, but given the blight and crime associated with the Downtown terminal, community response deserved more of her consideration, in my opinion.