Letters

Moving Balboa Park forward

Mr. Coons’ opinion piece suffers from being both incorrect and unproductive [see “San Diego should protect the integrity of Balboa Park and its own Municipal Code,” Vol. 5, Issue 6].

He falsely claims I am opposed to a new effort to remove cars from Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama. I very much appreciate Mayor Filner’s willingness to find a reasonable way to return the heart of the park to pedestrians. The truth is that the public and I have yet to learn the specifics for this new plan. How can I support a plan that has not been unveiled? More importantly, how can I in good conscience spend $500,000 of taxpayer money without knowing what we’re getting?

Furthermore, rather than use his editorial to educate the public on what he is proposing or inspire them to support him, Mr. Coons instead penned a politically motivated diatribe against me. This kind of bluster is all too common in today’s civic dialogue and does nothing to restore pedestrian access to the heart of our City’s crown jewel. I respectfully ask Mr. Coons to start explaining his viable plans for Balboa Park instead of wasting time chiding my support for a workable solution.

I lent my support to the Plaza de Panama Committee’s proposal to remove cars from the heart of the park after an extensive two-year public review. I will review any new proposals with the expectation that they be subject to a similar level of community input in advance of a City Council vote or of public funding. Why should Mr. Coons be treated differently than any other group or individual proposing to make changes in Balboa Park?

The 2015 centennial is approaching quickly and San Diego does not have time for commentaries that fail to move our city and our park forward.

—Todd Gloria, Council President, Third District, via email

I enjoyed this article for its fanciful notion that the judge forcefully ruled against the Plaza de Panama project when, in fact, he is on record for reluctantly coming to this decision and thought the project was good for [Balboa] Park [see “San Diego should protect the integrity of Balboa Park and its own Municipal Code,” Vol. 5, Issue 6].

However, getting such information in this slanted article would be too much to ask. Contrary to their own belief, SOHO does not represent the people of San Diego. Indeed, they are a narrowly focused special interest group that seems to oppose anything new or improved. Most of the plans previously presented by SOHO for the Park include the partial or permanent closure of the Cabrillo Bridge. Maybe they have not seen the loud and clear message coming from Bankers Hill and in particular the Metro San Diego CDC stating on record that they are opposed to any closure of the Cabrillo Bridge to rectify the Plaza de Panama problems. As a founding member of the Metro San Diego CDC, I strongly believe that Todd Gloria is absolutely correct in trying to find other solutions and knows full well that SOHO does not represent all or a majority of the people in District Three.

–Bruce Leidenberger, via sduptownnews.com

San Diego REP’s ‘The Mountaintop’ outstanding

I am from Memphis and had the pleasure to be in mason temple the night of Dr. King’s speech. It was awesome. And to know the Lorraine Motel well, it brought back real memories for me [see “Dr. King at the mountaintop,” Vol. 5, Issue 6].

I thought the play was outstanding. The message was truly there. I like the actor and actress.
It showed a side of Dr. King’s personal life. … I would see it again.

—Carolyn Powell, via sduptownnews.com