Mathew Salisbury comment-34930 2010-08-16T18:43:46Z 2010-08-16T18:43:46Z They need to consider holding it at a larger, less cramped venue. I went on Sunday, and people were packed in there like sardines. It was so crowded I could barely move, and despite the shade cover, it was sweltering with all the bodies packed in there so tight. The lines for food were excedingly long. I kept thinking that if there was a fire or other emergency, people would not be able to evacuate the area quickly, and that people would undoubtedly be trampled. I ended up leaving after only about 20 minutes because it was so crowded and I was hungry and hot, and didn't relish the thought of standing in line for an hour for teriyaki chicken that I could get at L&L Hawaiian BBQ just down the street! Mathew Salisbury 2010-08-16T18:43:46Z Mathew Salisbury comment-25429 2010-04-22T21:10:40Z 2010-04-22T21:10:40Z I understand and appreciate your concerns about Target's motives, Xavier. I was just clarifying that this practice is not necessarily unheard of, and is routinely used by builders/developers to circumvent permit fees and taxes. It's not just a Target practice, so it's not entirely fair to "target" Target only (no pun intended!). Keep up the good work. :-) Mathew Salisbury 2010-04-22T21:10:40Z Mathew Salisbury comment-25420 2010-04-22T20:02:29Z 2010-04-22T20:02:29Z About two weeks ago I was driving by the site (also near my neighborhood) with an Architect friend of mine, and mentioned to him that I thought it unusual that they demo'd the entire building except for the two free-standing walls. He explained to me that that is hardly unusual at all, that it happens all the time, and that the express purpose of that type of demo is so the developer/builder can call it a "remodel" instead of "new construction", precisely for the reasons you stated in your article, it avoids permit fees and taxes. Accroding to my friend this is common industry practice, happens all the time and is completely legal. Developers do the very same thing with home "remodels". As long as certain structural features remain a part of the new building (i.e a couple of walls, a fireplace chimney, part of the original slab, etc.) it is considered a "remodel". This is not some vast conspiracy on the part of Target, but rather common, standard practice in the building industry. If you think it is wrong, then work to have the laws and regulations governing the construction industry changed to eliminate loopholes such as this practice. Just saying... Mathew Salisbury 2010-04-22T20:02:29Z Mathew Salisbury comment-18245 2009-11-24T23:50:40Z 2009-11-24T23:50:40Z Not to mention the fact that this time of every year especially, all those leaves piled in the gutter clog the storm drains during the first significant downpour of the rainy season causing huge pools of water to collect in the intersections. On more than one occasion, I have had to don my foul weather gear and head out into the street in front of my home in the middle of a torrential storm with a rake to pull the leaves back from the storm drain. At times the water has gotten so deep my front lawn was covered and it was creeping up my driveway and about to flood my garage! Mathew Salisbury 2009-11-24T23:50:40Z Mathew Salisbury comment-18244 2009-11-24T23:26:14Z 2009-11-24T23:26:14Z Um, I thought the story was about Mayor Fargo, not Mayor Rudin. Mathew Salisbury 2009-11-24T23:26:14Z