Chapter 10 #3
“You would’ve gotten away with it, Bruce, if you hadn’t been looking for even more land use exceptions to add that extra story to your plan.
Quite literally flew too close to the sun on this one.
” Her mouth pulled tight. She slipped a piece of paper out of her folder and handed it to him.
“It’s a really small regulation, Bruce, but I think you’ll agree that I have every right to do this.
Because you violated these procedures, the sale of that lot was illegal. ”
His entire face pinched like a cartoon character with steam coming out of its ears.
“I’m giving the neighborhood a chance to prove the value to the community on a smaller scale.
” She tapped the cover of Sam and Abbott’s packet.
“The city can’t afford to take on a project like this giant empty lot right now, and Hogan Enterprises—as much as it pains me to say this—has made a compelling case for taking on the burden and converting the empty lot to a usable space.
It will bring in tax revenue for the city. ”
Felicity’s heart sank.
“But”—Ms. Dale pursed her lips—“while the empty lot next to the old church building being discussed today is too big to qualify for the federal pocket park grant”—Ms. Dale’s take-no-shit stare leveled on Felicity again—“the courtyard maintained by the St. Clare Circle trust might qualify since it’s less than an acre.
But the decisions on what sites to submit for the grants are governed by the state committee on urban development and not this council.
I do think everything you compiled here to give evidence as to why the empty lot shouldn’t become a parking garage could be exactly the sort of thing the state committee is looking for when deciding what land to submit for the pocket park grant money. ”
Bruce’s fuming was nearly audible.
Nic came to stand next to the podium. He reached for the binder, but Felicity was already on it. A lightbulb moment made Felicity flip to the back to the section marked MUNICIPAL CODES FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT.
“Do you understand what I’m saying, Ms. Gallagher?”
Nic was the faster reader and found the spot before her eyes did.
They hadn’t been thinking about the courtyard at all.
They’d focused all of their attention on the empty lot, but now it seemed like the small courtyard and patio that Nic and Felicity had been fighting over weeks ago might be the key to stopping Bruce.
There it was in black-and-white. If they won this pocket park grant for their courtyard, it would become state-designated parkland, and Bruce Hogan couldn’t construct a structure above two stories in the neighboring lot because of its proximity.
Cynthia Dale was offering them an additional chance.
Even if the council voted to ratify the land sale, existing city ordinances would forbid the construction of that type of structure on it if they won the state pocket park designation.
If Bruce Hogan took over the courtyard, he would probably take any use of the patio away from her.
“Ms. Gallagher?”
Felicity swallowed. “Yes. I understand. Thank you for your time, ma’am. So, for the next nine months…”
“If you prove to me over the next nine months what you can do for the community using the courtyard, I will write you a letter of recommendation to the state committee myself. And then we’ll see what happens with the empty lot afterward. Show the council why the community needs this space.”
Her voice cracked. “I-I can do that.” Nic’s warm presence at her elbow made her voice stronger. “We will do that.”
“If no one has any more objections—” Ms. Dale ignored the grumblings of Bruce and several council members who appeared to be in his pocket.
“Wonderful. This meeting is adjourned. My wife has an old-fashioned with my name on it at Ballbusters, and if I miss happy hour because of a parking garage, I’m asking the mayor to consider the entire St. Clare Circle block for the next highway extension. ”
A few of the council members chuckled as they collected their papers.
Felicity’s disappointment at finding out Power Lesbian Ron Swanson was married was mitigated by the pressure of a large hand on her lower back.
Nic whispered in her ear. “You were absolutely—”
A short-nailed, perfectly manicured hand extended to her. “Well done, Ms. Gallagher,” said Ms. Dale.
“Felicity’s fine, Momm—ma’am.” She coughed once into her elbow to give herself a second.
Ms. Dale held out a card between her index and middle fingers. “Let me know about any community events you plan so I can keep the council updated. As I said before, we’ve had complaints about that St. Clare Circle courtyard for years. I’m interested to watch what your neighborhood does with it.”
“Right, okay.” Felicity forced a smile. “Enjoy your old-fashioned.”
Ms. Dale headed out of the auditorium, leaving Nic and Felicity completely alone in the large room, which had evidently completely emptied in the three minutes since the meeting adjourned.
She faced Nic, and his quirk of a smile had returned, along with his usual color.
“Were you going to call her ‘Mommy’?”
“Shut up, pasta boy.”
“That’s ‘pasta Daddy’ to you.”
She smacked him on the shoulder, grabbed her stuff, and headed for the door, adding that extra swish in her step to prove to her friend how little she cared he was watching her walk away.