Letters to the Editor 12-5-13

Myopia
Editor: This Council is at it again.
Recently, our City Council discussed the General Plan and the ongoing efforts to update the plan (“City Council moves on General Plan update,” Nov. 21). One of our esteemed councilmembers made it perfectly clear that she desired that our planning director not have an active role in the development of the new General Plan. Really? As such, the most knowledgeable,  dedicated professional among our City staff is to have no input into the area of his expertise relative to our city’s future? This bit of wisdom, came from the wizards of civic governance who have already chased off Amy’s Kitchen and engaged in a needless, ill-advised and very expensive legal battle our small community can ill afford.
Does anyone else see the foolishness?
Naw, does anyone else see the stupidity in taking such a position? I sure hope so. To deny the input of a City’s planning director in developing a General Plan is exactly that, stupid.
To take such a public position is to express an insulting example of politics at its worst. Because our planning director does not always agree with the “wisdom” of those on the Council is no reason to ignore the valuable insights this experienced, dedicated professional individual can and will provide as we lay out a plan for the future of our community’s future development.
Rather, it demonstrates the pathetic impasse we now face relative to the limited representation this Council provides to our community. They pander to a small, vocal organized minority that works diligently to elect those individuals who will cater to their myopic agenda. We are a very diverse community, we need a General Plan and a Council that addresses that diversity, not one that caters to the self-focused minority who gets them elected.
Bob Aita
Sebastopol
Carrillo forum
Editor: I have one correction to David Abbott’s fair account of the town hall meeting regarding the Carrillo matter (“Carrillo foes, supporters face off,” Nov. 28): official count of attendance at the Sebastopol Grange was 120 and not 50. As for Rollie Atkinson’s editorial (“Carrillo’s character and record”), I would like to make a couple of points. The meeting was a citizen’s forum and as such you are going to get pro and con, and of course everyone has a slightly different agenda. But I can guarantee to you, as recorder of comments, that there was no “Roman Circus” atmosphere and pro and con were respectful to each other.
I can also report that the vast majority of comments were urging Supervisor Carrillo to step down for reasons of character and accountability, and not for “a muddled list of political reasons” as you suggest.
Pieter S. Myers
Occidental
Barlow support
Editor: I read a recent letter to the editor here that seems to be upset with The Barlow (“Good citizens?” Nov. 28). I know The Barlow sounds like a behemoth, but it’s really a bunch of tenants trying to grow their individual businesses. I for one am glad they chose our town.
“The Barlow is poaching tenants from the downtown,” this letter stated. I was going to say, “Whose fault is that?” But wait a minute, that vacant Taylor Maid spot was snapped up by Farm Fresh Clothing. Marigold Indian restaurant is slated to move into the Village Bakery’s current spot. Sounds like we have double the business in downtown, and you may want to get used to calling it all downtown.
Regarding a hotel at The Barlow, if in fact it all comes together, we need more lodging to keep the people that The Barlow draws to town in town to spend more time and money here, not to mention the revenue from the bed tax. Check the availability of rooms at peak times.
As for the types of businesses in The Barlow, I believe grapes are about 90 percent of our agriculture revenue in Sonoma County, and they ain’t for making raisins. I’d like to defend the counterculture art mentioned, but I’m not sure what the heck the author was talking about. However; there is a Buddhist (one of the world’s most widely practiced religions) scroll painting that’s being created at The Barlow and is drawing attention from all over the world.
I like having the new space and the conversion of the old warehouses into places where people want to be.
Maybe we can get Main Street to leave the lights on past 6 p.m. and join the party. Somebody’s got to wander up that way from time to time.
Craig Hansen
Sebastopol