Letters to the Editor on Mitchell Park

Vote is appalling

T he council’s vote Tuesday night on the Mitchell Park development, against the recommendations of its own planning committees and the majority of the public, was appalling. While I am not directly involved, it showed utter contempt for the community and the hard-working, capable planners.

Susan Shalit

San Luis Obispo

Bouquets and threats

I can’t begin to express the level of disappointment I felt after reading the May 8 Bouquets and Brickbats regarding the Mitchell Park decision. I do respect The Tribune’s right to its own opinion, but the manner in which that opinion was expressed was shameful.

The Tribune could have presented its opinion in an intelligent, respectful manner. It could have positively recognized the efforts of private citizens who are engaged in the process and take ownership in their city. It could have applauded people for being proactive and for attempting to effect change. Instead, The Tribune responded in a manner that was unnecessarily insulting, demeaning and threatening to those who did not support the parking lot proposal.

People invested their time, money and energy because they are passionate about San Luis Obispo, they care about the future of our city, and they want to do what is right … they genuinely wanted a win - win for everyone. They dared to invest in the process for a place they cherish. For The Tribune to dismiss their efforts and insult their position is disheartening. An apology is in order, unless of course The Tribune does not support the public process or advocate for public opinion.

Steve Hopkins

San Luis Obispo

Let it go? Let it go?

Shame on you Tribune and shame on the City Council.

You encourage residents to get involved and voice their concerns with the City Council. You encourage people to volunteer countless hours on advisory bodies to provide citizen feedback to our elected officials. Then you chastise those citizens to let an issue not impact upcoming elections when the council ignored all the citizen input.

I am referring to your comment Friday on Mitchell Park. You stated that “those people” just need to let it go — it is just a parking lot and in the same breath you said there are more important issues like climate change. Let’s see: more parking lots plus more driving cause climate change.

There were three advisory bodies (Parks and Recreation, Cultural Heritage and Architectural Review) that all voted against the proposed parking lot. There were citizens 5 to 1 (according to your own record) who took time out of their days to get involved and protest this issue and yet, the council chose to ignore the citizens.

You want people to just “let it go” and think that we should ignore the council’s lack of respect for citizen input and their own advisory bodies.

You suggest that we should not have this issue impact our election decision for the council and even threaten that if it is brought up you will attack again. Do we live in a dictatorship?

Michael Gunther

San Luis Obispo

Neighborhood risk

If civic action is broken into enough pieces, few are found to take responsibility, and even fewer realize the culminating consequences.

The San Luis Obispo City Council decision to plop a parking lot in Mitchell Park is an illuminating metaphor for the risks facing our neighborhoods.

The senior center adjacent to the park will never serve as an adequate community-based facility. Adding a net 10 parking spaces only compounds problems, while disguising the need for real solutions.

Meanwhile, the neighborhood takes another hit: more vehicles, congestion, pollution and noise.

Does the council now think that spending oodles of special tax funds on a parking lot in a neighborhood park somehow solves the need for a viable community facility for senior activities?

And, will the Mitchell Park neighbors accept this new risk? We shall see.

Robert Griffin

former City Council member San Luis Obispo