Heads up -- interview on high-speed rail actually interview about planning and neighborhood leaders - RCAC

24 Mar 2011

Some of you may be getting an interview request similar to the one
below. I had expected to be asked about high-speed rail, but the
questions were mostly about our interactions with the planning
department and our planner. (For the record, our planner Doug Hill is
terrific.)
When I was asked to name other active and influential participants in
our group and to speculate on whether our planner held strong opinions
about topics we addressed, I said I was uncomfortable with the direction
the interview was going. Gwen assured me that they didn't want to ask
any questions that made me uncomfortable. We then talked briefly about
the rail projects.
I'd agreed to have the interview recorded, thinking it would only be
about high-speed rail. I'm not suggesting that the interviewers did
anything improper. But I'm glad we changed the direction of the
interview when we did.
Thought you might want to know that this train may not be headed to the
station you expect.
Linda
Chair, Glenwood CAC
On 3/22/2011 11:08 PM, Gwen Kash wrote:
...

 Dear Ms. Watson,
 I am currently a graduate student in the Department of City & Regional
 Planning at UNC and am working on a project for my Planning Theory
 class.  This is a group project that allows us to choose a current
 planning project that is currently being discussed in the community.
 My group chose the high speed rail project that may (or may not) be
 coming through Raleigh.  We are required to interview community
 members that have a major role in the project so that we can better
 understand the needs of different stakeholders.
 For the project, we need to gather information regarding the project
 from articles and reports (which we have done) and talk to “key
 individuals” about their role in the process and the implications it
 has on the community.  We are concentrating on how the high speed rail
 line will affect the surrounding communities, especially in the Five
 Points, Roanoke Park, and, of course, Glenwood neighborhoods.
 As a key representative of Glenwood residents, your knowledge and
 viewpoints would be invaluable for our project.  I would love to have
 the opportunity to discuss this project with you.
 My schedule fluctuates depending on the day of the week, so I can work
 around your schedule.  If you have the time (or inclination) to talk
 sometime this week or weekend, please let me know what works best for
 you.  I can meet with you in person or I could call you on the phone.
 If we can’t find time to talk, I can have an “email interview” with
 you.  Whichever option works best for you.
 Thank you for your time.  I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
 Regards,
 Gwen Kash
 Department of City and Regional Planning
 UNC Chapel Hill
 (646)334-9465 