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LETTERS: Leave our Penticton parks alone

Am I the only one with foresight to what is happening to our priceless parks?

Incompetence never ends at city hall.

The people of Penticton voted on the lakeshore a few short years ago for Option 4, which was not to put in a pier or major changes at the Sicamous area, yet city planners disrespectfully proceeded against the  wishes of the voting public.

Is this not considered a breach of trust, and abuse of authority? If so, would spending the tax payers money on projects the public voted against not then be considered misappropriation of public funds? Is this not illegal?

They again offer their four options that I never knew existed until two days ago. They call these options, but how could you consider these honest public options when there is never the option to leave it as is or with  minimal changes? How many swimmers, sunbathers and children will enjoy the noise, waves, floating gas at the west end of the beach? Environmental impact forgotten? Is there not already a marina a short distance to the east for boats?

What is the total amount of salary/time for the city to come up with these ideas to spend millions of the taxpayers dollars to change or eliminate green space? Justification for the $1 in utility postage?

And recently, again, the city is quite willing to sell out another ball park behind the trade and convention centre. Is this sell out to balance the spending spree? Why are we giving up park space when the dorm site is readily available? Is the city waiting a few more years for everyone to forget that incompetency before selling that property? If not used for a ballpark anymore, would a park/picnic area not be better suited for the locals as well as tourists and keep that greenspace for future generations?

All park or public greenspace should never be sold at any cost as they are priceless. Is it not the parks and recreation that make the image of any city? What would Vancouver be without Stanley Park? Small or large, parks and recreation areas are dwindling when in fact they should be expanding with population expansion.

Would the public/city not be better off with planning that encouraged park beautification, upgrades and expansions rather then selling out and/or changes that give less greenspace? How many more baseball parks are on the chopping block? How soon before our soccer fields are at risk?

How can we stop the disrespect and waste at city hall? Is legal action necessary to put an end to this sell out of Penticton’s parks and greenscape? Legal action to stop a former Penticton mayor (wanting to do the same to the park to the east of the Lakeside Casino) stopped that sell out .

Should any major change or sale of public parks or recreation areas not be without a mandatory referendum? Expensive? Not as expensive as what they spend on these unjustified gray options. I was hoping with the new faces at city hall they would see the errors of past mistakes, but instead I now fear for the future of Penticton’s  greenery and recreation even more.

Am I the only one with foresight to what is happening to our priceless parks? Maybe city hall needs to be reminded they are there to respect and represent public opinion, not their own. It appears those at city hall are blind to their own destructive ways. Leave our parks alone.

Clifford Martin

Penticton