A conspicuous absence

No, I'm not referring to the over-long hiatus of the Second Thoughts blog, but to something that city planners left out when it comes to the proposed re-zoning of 11th Street.

This story highlights the changes the city wants to make, including outlawing future sit-down restaurants on 11th Street between East Street and Tracy Boulevard. The move would push such businesses elsewhere — city planners hope that somewhere is the Central Avenue-10th Street downtown axis.

But a notable absence from those 11th Street businesses included is the Tracy Inn, which houses a Mexican restaurant on the bottom floor (coincidentally, a watering hole rumored to have the best Margaritas in town).

I say it's notable because the Tracy Inn also received exemption from the Tracy City Center Association, the downtown business association that is funded by fees levied on property owners within its boundaries. Members of the TCCA make no secret that the Inn was excluded from the district to ensure the district was approved — the district needed the approval of owners representing a majority of the property within the boundaries to pass.