Wardlaw resigns
Mark Wardlaw, Community Development Director for the Town of Mammoth Lakes, formally tendered his resignation this week, after accepting an offer from the County of San Diego. Wardlaw, who has held the Town’s CDD post for the past seven years, will head up San Diego County’s revamped planning and land use department as Director of Planning and Development.
Town Community Relations Manager Stuart Brown said Wardlaw’s last official day would be Sept. 18, and that the Town currently has no plans to fill his position.
Wardlaw has previous history with San Diego government, including the City’s Planning Department and eight years as Principal Planner with the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC), a public, nonprofit corporation charged with overseeing development of downtown San Diego. Just prior to his work with the Town, he was Deputy Community Development Director & Planning Manager in the Culver City Redevelopment and Planning department.
Known at meetings for his rather soft-spoken delivery, highlights of his time in Mammoth include completion of the 2007 General Plan, implementation and completion of the Town’s Neighborhood District Planning structure, hands-on involvement in the Town’s Wayfinding and Signage efforts, and a key leadership role in the recently-formed Economic Stimulus Council, of which Brown said Wardlaw is “an enthusiastic supporter.”
Editors Note: On the downside, it took about 60 public meetings to shepherd through the Old Mammoth Place project, which never got built – a fair microcosm of Wardlaw’s tenure.
This editors note is uninformed. Mark Wardlaw did a great job on Old Mammoth Place. And as the owner I was very happy with his work. The issue is with those that call themselves the Advocates (I call them the UNadvocates), including people like Jo Bacon and that destroyed Mammoth. They tried to shut down every project they could and chased away all the possible revenue there was. Hence…nothing got done nor will it…. until people appreciate development. More June Lakes anyone?
The high unemployment, closures, firing and lack of development in Mammoth are DIRECTLY related to the UNadvocates that created too many burdens to build and pushed town staff to support them.
Why is Wardlaw leaving? Because many people were against developers and Mark had nothing left to do. IMO. Good luck and God speed Mark!
…and listen to the big developer squealing like a pig caught under a gate.
And thank God for people like Bacon and the UNAdvocates who see through the lies and empty promises and do what they can to protect us from big money, special interest carpet baggers who have just about raped this town to death.
Demetriades — love it or leave it.
It’s not development that is bad. It’s bad development that is bad and your Old Mammoth Place was B. A. D. and
was a great example of how to destroy a neighborhood.
You want to do good development? Develop Cerro Coso so no Mammoth High School graduate has to leave home to get a college education.
You want to do good development? Put a year round Olympic class ice rink on your property.
You want to do good development? Put a year round Olympic aquatic training facility on your property.
You want to do good development? Expand Mammoth Hospital so nobody ever has to be Life Flighted to Reno.
You want to do good development? Put high tech office space on your property so high tech businesses have a place to work in Mammoth.
I just hope that the rest of the carpet baggers feel the same way you do. Don’t let the Gateway sign hit you in the butt on the way out of town.
Your a funny guy Ken. Remind us how many jobs do you provide in Mammoth? Is it 0?
How many local charities do you support Ken? Is that 0 too?
How many boards are you on in Mammoth Ken? 0?
How many businesses have you opened in 4 years in Mammoth Ken? 0.
So remind us how important you are to Mammoth’s future or are you just slamming people the people that work to make mammoth a better place for everyone Ken?
Keep telling all the kids with no jobs that have to leave what a good job the UNadvocates have done….
Perhaps you should remind all the college graduates that can’t get the jobs they deserve what a good job the UNadvocates have done keeping people from developing nice building in Mammoth Ken.
Remind all the adults that have no new high paying businesses to work in and have to leave, Ken why the UNadvocates are people that represent the future.
I personally believe in Mammoth which is why we are now the largest private employer in town. I think the people are great and the town has a great future. My family and I are doing all we can to make Mammoth successful and provide jobs and amenities to those that want something new. It is because of board members like Jo Bacon that Mammoth is in the position it is in. Time for for new blood. The UNadvocates are OBSOLETE and Mammoth deserves better.
So if I’m not rich and haven’t opened a business or created a job — then I’m a turd — like all the people who work for you? Like most of the other people in town? So you think most of the people in town are turds?
So only rich people can possibly be concerned with the future of Mammoth? And rich people have the right to threaten anybody who stands in their way and shut this town down if they don’t get their way — “…until people appreciate development. More June Lakes anyone?”
Your Old Mammoth Place project was and is a monstrosity that was/is completely out of place and out of context for that neighborhood.
Here’s the computer generated fly around complete with fake 100 year old pine trees to make it look like it belonged there. I can’t imagine any town where it would fit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpbKiZe6Bxo
All your arguments for your project are the same tired arguments that Intrawest gave for the Village. Jobs and prosperity. Well we’ve had the Village for 7 years now. Where’s all the jobs and prosperity? Have you walked through the Village and counted the empty store fronts? Here’s the TOT and occupancy data back to 2006.
http://www.ci.mammoth-lakes.ca.us/documents/3/37/TOT-Occ-Monthly-2012-04_201206261746244615.pdf
It’s essentially flat. Your Old Mammoth Place would not bring more people to Mammoth any more than the Village did. It would just dilute the customer base for lodging even further making it even harder for existing lodging and Mom and Pop lodging businesses to survive.
Do you remember all the small businesses that were obliterated to make room for the Village? Do you remember how many existing businesses have failed because the Village has diluted the customer base? I wonder how the former proprietors of those businesses feel about all the prosperity the Village has brought to town.
All the information I can find — and please correct me if I’m wrong — says that your Old Mammoth Place was approved. Why didn’t you build it? Was it because you couldn’t have every concession that you demanded from the city? You got a lot. Up to 488 rooms — a very high density for 6 acres. A 65 foot height when the General Plan calls for 35-45 feet. Why didn’t you build it?
So my views are worthless unless I sit on a board? You seem concerned with them so here’s my offer — I’ll sit on your company’s Board of Directors anytime and I guarantee half my salary to charity.
I gave you a bunch of ideas for how to improve the community through development of your property. Come on — how about it? I can help you be more rational and the benefit to the community that you want to be. We can work together. We can start with a better, more unobtrusive color for the Rafters and an upgrade to your miniature golf course to turn it into an oasis of peace and tranquility instead of the endurance trial it is now.
If you want my help — you’ve got it anytime.
Ken, I have yet to meet a talking turd in town. Last I saw turds don’t talk. Perhaps you know some that do? IMO even you are not a turd. You simply like to complain a lot about other peoples hard work when you do none. Talk is cheap and that is all you do … talk. May I suggest you and the UNadvocates DO SOMETHING instead of bitching about everyone’s hard work? Please?
It is easy for you to be an armchair general when you produce nothing but work for others. Creating jobs and building a business is hard work Ken. Especially in a seasonal town like Mammoth. I appreciate how hard my teammates have to work to make a living. Many have to have 2-3 jobs. Why Ken? Why is that? Because the UNadvocates have made Mammoth the hardest and most expensive resort in America to get anything done. Amidst all our beauty nothing new will be built for many many years.
If, citizens, you read this you should know that the UNadvocates have chased away many of the opportunities you deserve. The lack of JOBS and MONEY for our community is directly tied to them.
Is it any wonder Wardlaw left? He was promoted to run development for one of the largest and most vibrant communities in America. Getting paid more … it shows where you head is at Ken. You think he was a failure. Mark was promoted for his abilities and we are left with what the UNadvocates want. Which is …….Nothing.
Your ideas for the OMP is great Ken. Give me 40 million dollars and I will build all those things on our property. What? Don’t have it? No place to get it? Again, talk is cheap Ken and your ideas border on the lunatic. Nothing is being built because there is a real estate recession on. Oh you didn’t realize that either? I see. But you are not tied to reality so no surprise.
Perhaps you should try working instead of bitching about what all the hard working people in Mammoth are trying to do something with their lives. Ken, it is nice that you are asking for a job; but, I wouldn’t hire you if you paid me.
this coming from a 1% er
Hey Jim, as the owner of Sierra Nevada Lodge and all restaurants on the property, I would watch what you say. More people in the town disagree with you than agree…..and that = less business….but as a 1%er does that really matter to you?
Esfotoguy,I started with a credit card, just like almost everyone who has a dream to start their own company. From that card I took 5,000 dollars and I was blessed and worked very hard for many years now and that 5,000 turned into several successful companies.
What matters to me, is not what some people think, because no matter what you do in life, some will hate you and some will love you, but if you make a difference.
The American dream is alive and well but, IMO the government (and those that push for more and more government control) has made it harder for people to succeed than ever before. I just hope we can get those that make it hard to succeed out of our way so that you and all the young people that deserve to see their dreams come true can realize their potential and not be stopped from realizing that potential.
So many can achieve their dream….
One person’s dream can be many others nightmare. Just because you work hard at something doesn’t make that something good for everybody else. What may be right in San Diego might not be right in Mammoth Lakes. Examples abound…
When people of the community you say you love tell you that you are doing something that is not in the best interests of the community — maybe you should listen to them instead of insulting them. It might mean fewer meetings with the Planning Commission.
You do not just show up and tell us how it’s done. Sorry this is not the big city and Mammoth Places was out of place and UGLY.
More building’s will not save Mammoth never have and never will.
And yes I run a local business and do not agree with much of what you say Jim. But I still respect you.