ROYAL GORGE LLC'S NEW MEET AND GREETS- ARE YOU INVITED?

"Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it."  

-George Santayana

It seems like yesterday. Remember last summer when Mountain Area Preservation Foundation (MAPF) attempted to broker a meeting between Royal Gorge LLC, and various environmental/community groups? When some of the groups stated that they'd like to defer meeting to give time to work on a community plan, Kirk Syme, of Woodstock Development, and Royal Gorge LLC wrote a petulant "My Turn" for the Sierra Sun, where he basically turned on all the groups on the Summit, with special venom reserved for Serene Lakes Property Owner's Association (SLPOA). Such a great public relations move!

Now, straight out of a Dr. C.C Peabody and his boy Sherman cartoon, it's time machine time.  MAPF has apparently borrowed Dr. Peabody's Waybac machine, and is yet again proposing that various groups meet with Royal Gorge LLC (and presumably their loyal band of investors and supporters). This time, though, there's a special twist.

The proposal is that representatives of each group will meet separately with Royal Gorge LLC, instead of a large, open style town meeting -- you know, the kind where people can put their hands up and ask questions so that everyone can hear the answers?  The kind of meeting Royal Gorge LLC did not provide a year ago, when, at their 3 informational nights, they quickly divided people up into groups, a classic form of developer crowd control.....  And these new proposed meetings are called "socials", but it is unclear if cocktails, dinner, or tea dansant attire will be required. But don't worry -- you're not invited anyway (neither am I).

You would think by now that Royal Gorge LLC would have figured out that genuine openness and transparency, with maybe a little messy democracy thrown in for good measure, would be the best way for them to build trust and move forward with the Donner Summit community, and by community I don't refer to any organization, but to all of those who are concerned with the impacts of development up here, be they property owners, renters, or those who seek to preserve the rural character of a rare piece of California. This proposal, though, seems designed to close the gates against not only the messy public hordes, but to control information given out to specific groups -- a kind of "divide and conquer" finesse.

The question that most stands out in my mind is this: What motivates MAPF, and how do they in any way represent us at the Summit?  Second, in my opinion, the planning principles letter Sierra Watch/Sierra Club authored, which was signed onto by other environmental groups was a singularly bright spot in 2008 -- demonstrating that other, important groups understood, and were willing to stand with us to protect Donner Summit from destructive overdevelopment. MAPF was, although invited, not a signatory to this letter. So, one does wonder what MAPF's charter is here, and why this proposal now?  

Remember all those English house party/mysteries, where early on someone is killed, usually in a locked study, and then the inspector comes (Miss Marple is often there too), and he interviews each guest separately, so they can't compare stories? These proposed meetings sound like a variation on that, where MAPF and Royal Gorge LLC don't want their guests at their "socials" to compare stories.

Instead of this charade, why don't MAPF and Royal Gorge LLC brave it and hold a real public meeting, that all of us are asked to -- we'll promise not to eat all the hors d'oeuvres, and we'll wipe our feet before we enter the lodge.... Oh, and we'll wear our "dress" flannel shirts.