Portofino's Plunge

Mark O'Brien mixes a little real reporting with a little commentary, plus a snarky headline: "Rich vs. Rich."

"The Plunge" could be a pick-me-up for some of Portofino's 700-plus condo-owners, who are feeling an economic plunge of their own and need tenants to help them pay the mortgage.

But others fear the water slide will increase traffic in an area already short of parking and dependent on a two-lane road. Not to mention the impact on property values. And, yes, a few seem to think the idea of the general public on their doorstep is just too ewwww to contemplate.

O'Brien: "Let advocates find another way to draw renters. The SRIA already has approved a water slide to be located in the business area, which is a more appropriate site."

The SRIA deferred making a final decision. No surprise there. That's what they do.

The surprise really is that the late Alan Levin's original vision -- destroying a wide swatch of important wetlands in order to build six upscale high rise towers for the rich and infamous -- has been reduced to proposing a cheap plastic aquatic attraction to justify the high rents.

What's next? Little Egypt and the Fat Lady with a Moustache?