Not Broken

Ahead of the March 26 City Council meeting, a plea for the Farmers Market and De la Guerra Plaza.

·  The Cota/Santa Barbara Streets commuter lot is ideal for our market’s growers, customers, and nearby businesses.

· Approach, parking, and circulation are feasible for anyone with a mobility issue — not true for Tuesday’s linear market.

·  Moving to De la Guerra Plaza, trying to manage on one-third of the space, and cancelling for Fiesta and other events will destroy this outstanding farm-to-table resource.

·  We need De la Guerra Plaza intact for public gatherings and celebrations. Chopping up this pedestrian-friendly focal point and paving it over is as bad as destroying the commuter lot’s mature trees.

I support our police being adequately housed and staffed. I appreciate the complexities of locating a suitable site. But that site must be other than the commuter lot; De la Guerra Plaza is not suitable for the Farmers Market.

If the city is serious about nurturing downtown’s economy, it must protect what already works well. Both sites are key to the texture and nuance that make our city unique and beloved.

Do not fix what is not broken. Step back from adding yet another monolith to our low silhouette neighborhoods. We can do better than destroying downtown treasures and trees, grass, and open spaces.

I earnestly hope the city will devote additional time to finding a solid alternative site for the new police station.