Letters to the Edtior 2-11-16

Grocery Outlet location
Editor: We, the Furber family have been urged by many in the community to express our feelings about the proposed Grocery Outlet. We are asking the City Council and the city Planning Commissioners to reconsider the location for the potential Grocery Outlet.
Cloverdale residents deserve to have local options when it comes to grocery shopping. We support this idea. We are on the threshold of welcoming an organic grocery store in the center of town, and a new Dollar General. The addition of a Grocery Outlet is another possibility. Locating Grocery Outlet at the south end of town will cause congestion in an already bustling part of the community. As you know the south end of town is a busy environment with Ray’s, CVS, gas stations and multiple other shops. The addition of another grocery store in the proximity will create congestion.
We believe wise planning and attention to aesthetics is important for Cloverdale to thrive. Other communities have guidelines for the locations of competing businesses, allowing the opportunity for both to grow and succeed, and serve the public, while providing needed tax revenue. Cloverdale needs to incorporate this into its planning. We ask you to consider this protocol. To risk reducing our community’s tax revenue by approving a location certain to limit the success of both the existing, and the new business, is an unnecessary decision.
The Furber Family, Cloverdale
Thanks to emergency staff
Editor: On Dec. 31, my husband of 65 years had a heart attack. I called 911. The medics, fire crew and a police officer were here in minutes to help. My husband had passed away but these emergency people in Cloverdale are so knowledgeable, kind and caring that it made a sad situation doable. Words of appreciation are inadequate for how I feel. Thank you to all of the emergency staff that look out for us in our community.
Barbara Moe, Cloverdale
A shopping adventure
Editor: Shopping at Grocery Outlet is an adventure, a treasure hunt. Sometimes Belgian chocolates, often cheese from Finland and blueberries from Canada, sometimes not. I will welcome Grocery Outlet to Cloverdale, a different place to shop, and I won’t have to drive to Ukiah. The Grocery Outlets I have shopped at in Auburn and in Ukiah do not have a butcher shop or a bakery or a deli. They do not take the place of supermarkets.
Kirsten Sullivan, Cloverdale
The golden rule
Editor: We live in a quiet residential neighborhood on North Main Street near the Senior Center. Over the years, we have supported the Senior Center’s mission and have quietly tolerated the inconveniences (blocked driveways, homeless encampments, unleashed dogs and their feces on our lawns, etc) borne of having a well visited commercial entity in a residential neighborhood. We were surprised recently when the Senior Center announced that they wanted to begin offering parties until 10 p.m. for 125 people and that alcohol would be served. Fortunately a public hearing was announced and we aired our concerns: parking for 125 people? Alcohol and so many people driving in and out of our neighborhood that has so many small children? Loud parties until 10 p.m. in our quiet neighborhood?
After seemingly listening to our concerns the Planning Commission quickly and unanimously announced that the application was approved. We were shocked and admittedly angry. After the announcement we briefly met with Bob Bialon, President of the Board of Directors of the Senior Center. We asked if Mr. Bialon would like to have these late evening alcohol serving parties in the quiet neighborhood that he lives in. Mr. Bialon truthfully answered “That I would not like it at all, and you can quote me on that.”
This letter to the editor is an open plea to Mr. Bialon to consider the golden rule: “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.” We appeal to Mr. Bialon and the other Senior Center administrators to please consider rescinding their application that would turn our quiet neighborhood into an unsafe and loud neighborhood.
Toby Daly, Laurie Martin, Devon Perkins,
Michael Handy, Debra Handy, Cloverdale