Letter: Seek input on south side

EDITOR,
It’s good to see Mayor Jim Reed digging in these past few weeks, and I admire his enthusiasm. Of course, his talking to residents in the north side of town, as opposed to, say, those near the controversial Southgate, is something of a lob.
In his letter to the Press-Banner (“City goes extra mile for input,” Nov. 20), he infers the only problem with Target’s now defunct bid was limited to traffic hassles on Saturday, and only then on two roads barely in his jurisdiction.
On the surface, this is a completely naïve statement: Has he paid no attention whatsoever to the myriad and very real issues that surrounded Target’s intentions and suitability for the area?
Further, the “freedom of speech” argument for Title Two’s desperate requests is getting a little hackneyed. Suppose, for example, at the end of December, Title II asks the citizens of Scotts Valley to yet again make a substitution in the SEIR, only this time replace the words “UFO Landing Pad” for “the Retailer.” Will this put us under another 45-day examination period? Freedom of speech, after all.
Is there no vetting whatever to be done by the City Council and mayor concerning the growth of our city? Is there no proposal so outrageous that it isn’t obviously wrong for SV? Time will tell.
If, however, you’re in power and really have no idea what types of merchants belong in the neighborhood, come on down to the south side of town. Those of us in the breach would be happy to help describe the kinds of projects for Southgate that deserve this city’s support.