Why I Am Running For Albany City Council

By Ulan McKnight

I was recently asked by an Albany High student why I was running for City Council. Below is my response.

Thank you for your inquiry.

While I am extremely political, I have never run for public office before.

I first became active in local politics when my son almost got hit by a speeding car five years ago. We have a Tot Lot at Dartmouth and Talbot and I believed the City should install a stop sign. They eventually did after a bunch of the neighbors complained about cars not slowing down and almost running over toddlers.

I participated in the Voices to Vision survey about what to do with the Albany Waterfront. While helping with that I started to follow the UC development on the Gill Tract. I was shocked at the size of it and kept asking City Council and Planning and Zoning to make it smaller. I was especially concerned by the idea that 10,000 new car trips may come through Albany.

http://mcknightforalbany.org/10-safeways

But you know what really got me interested? Sand.

The same Tot Lot was tagged with some pretty nasty graffiti. A number of parents asked the City to get rid of it. Weeks went by and nothing was done. A few of the older kids (@10) asked why they couldn't just paint over it themselves. We asked them to wait another week while we made a final request to the City.

That week came and went and so a bunch of us organized a 'beautification' project. The project involved about 20 children, all of whom played in the park regularly. The parents stood around as guides while almost all of the painting was done by the kids.

An adult who did not like the new look, complained to the City that we had changed the park without permission. The City then quickly drew up a plan to repaint the park... and take away most of the sand. I just couldn't believe people would do that to punish the kids. So... off we went to protest. Meeting after meeting, the kids came down to tell the adults that they wanted to keep the sand. Long story short, City Council voted to get rid of the sand.

You really should have been there. There was all manner of sad faces, tears and general disbelief. Council said it was to bring the park up to handicap compliance but everyone we spoke with said taking away the sand did not bring it up to compliance. Oh... and the park has never been repainted to this day. The little sand that is still in the park is where the kids always play... there is just less of it now.

The die was cast. I had to do something.

Then the whole UC Development / Occupy The Farm thing happened. (I can tell you about my participation if you are interested.)

Suffice to say, City Council will decide if Albany is going to focus on getting large national chains stores to come in... or if we are going to keep Albany small and local. Sheri Spellwoman and I are the 'Small and Local' folks. We both decided to run when it became clear that everyone else running wants big development.

To answer your question directly, I decided to run because I believe I can stop Albany from turning into just another town with lots of big box retailers. I want to keep Albany distinctive. I am not interested in it becoming like all the other cities out there. If Sheri and I are two out of five votes, we believe we can stop this (what we think is a) crazy focus on big development.

Let's see who wins =)