Letters for Thursday — October 06, 2005

• Save Prince Albert Park

Save Prince Albert Park

Owners of property in Princeville are about to vote on a proposal of the Princeville Community Association board to build an office building and community facility in Prince Albert Park. This is supposed to reduce the cost of the Association’s office space in the future. The Board of the Association is suggesting that the new facility be funded by a one-time assessment of an average of $110 per lot (down from the $200/lot fee noted in the September meeting) and a $450,000 mortgage on Prince Albert Park.

We are against the proposal for the following reasons:

Prince Albert Park is just that—a beautiful park used daily by many people. Placing any building, especially a commercial building, in the park starts us down a slippery slope of development taking away one of the few remaining open spaces in the community.

This is a repeat of the failed attempt to place an office building in Prince Albert Park in 2001.

The community facility is proposed only to provide a way to circumvent the County’s zoning restrictions against building in the park. There already is a community facility in Princeville used by many groups including the Princeville Community Association.

A general contractor has been selected by the board without a competitive bid process.

The new building will be in use 24 hours per day 7 days a week.

The proposal will have a negative effect on the life of those who own property by the park and could reduce their property values.

We have grave reservations about the estimate of the cost of the project.

There has been little or no discussion with the new Princeville Corporation on alternative ways to secure cost- effective office space which would not violate the integrity of the park. The proposal violates the 2002 public stance of the Princeville Association Board against building in the park or other open spaces.

• William McKee
  Member,
  Save Prince Albert Park group, Princeville