To the editor:

Last Tuesday night, those of us from the community who attended the weekly City Commission meeting witnessed the discussion of all aspects of the Lowe’s proposal to build on the Bauer Farm property. Representatives from the Lowe’s company, as well as home and business owners in the area, provided their input to the commissioners who listened intently to all sides of the issue.

The Lowe’s representatives gave a compelling presentation on the advantages of their plan to Lawrence and the community. Area representatives against the proposal spoke equally well about how the 150,000-plus-square-foot big box retailer on that site would change the complexion of the area and the problems that would result.

After the open forum, commissioners discussed the issue and ultimately decided to reject the Lowe’s proposal. Each commissioner gave a very concise and reasonable analysis of his position, but in the end, the commitment they had made to the community, to not allow another big box retailer in that immediate area following the approval of Walmart, demonstrated they intended to keep their word, in spite of the short-term benefits Lowe’s projected. The commission was not convinced this financial opportunity held greater weight than their promise to the community.

This demonstrated character! Whether you agree or disagree with the final decision on this subject, we should all be proud to have a sitting commission making decisions for our community like the one we witnessed Tuesday night.

Don and Shirley Adams,

Lawrence