To the editor:

There have been a number of public meetings regarding the proposed arts corridor. A small group of people purporting to represent the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association have made two demands before the City Commission, who is considering the project: 1) The city should fund two paid staff positions to work on the project; these positions are to be drawn from members of the association, and 2) The association will have veto power over anything remotely related to the proposed arts corridor.

This small group of people seems to justify these outrageous demands based on the fact that they live adjacent to the path of the corridor. This is roughly akin to demanding a discount on food because you live next to a grocery store.

The arts corridor has potential to be a tremendous asset to our community, but only if it is recognized to be a community-wide project, not the exclusive domain of a small group of folks who are making absurd demands based on geographical location.

The City Commission must initiate a thorough and reasoned approach to the viability of the arts corridor. That process should not include consideration of the type of ludicrous demands made by a small group of people who purport to represent the opinion of the East Lawrence Neighborhood Association, which I doubt.