To the editor:

How hypocritical. The City Commission plans to spend money to develop a park or green space for every part of Lawrence. Recently, this same group was responsible for the destruction of a small park and walking path behind the Peterson Acres retirement complex. The plan is to build more city-owned duplexes.

I did express my concerns before the city-county Planning Commission when the project came before them but to no avail. The company responsible for the planning of the new development, a firm from the Kansas City area (so much for spending your money in Lawrence) had its representatives present at the meeting. It was obvious that the Planning Commission had already decided to make the decision for more development in that area.

My concerns were the poor drainage in the area, the limited accessibility of emergency vehicles into such narrow roads, limited parking space and the distance these residents have to travel to get to shopping and medical facilities. Surely, the city owns property that would be better suited for this kind of development for the population who is to reside there.

It is too late, however, as the beautiful, mature trees and the walking path have already been destroyed. There now is only bare ground where they once existed. Those of us who used this area will now have to look elsewhere. Perhaps one of the new areas that we will pay for with our tax dollars will be available to us.

C.E. Westphal,

Lawrence