Business friendly?

Dear Editor:The recent article on the closing of Beach's Market stated that "Beach also cited the city's four month-long construction project, which facilitated the placement of several medians near the market's entrances on both Imperial Highway and Paramount Boulevard" and quoted him as saying "That killed us - it was the final straw." It is a pox on the city to have lost such a long standing and historic enterprise, and it just goes to prove the quote a local historian that, "Bulldozers have no respect for history". The city seems to have a goal of placing impeding barriers in all streets to maximize the passage of through traffic and which minimize the flow of emergency vehicles and potential shoppers' access to local businesses. While a harmonious Utopia with no cross traffic, mostly right turns, and no left turns except at intersections controlled by a traffic light, might delight Sir Thomas More or James Hilton, it is a dis-service to the citizenry. Likewise, wide median dividers (many of which require costly landscaping labor and watering resources) which prevent the use of major portions of our highways and provide only short turn-pockets, cause through-traffic lane blockages when they overflow and stressful missed opportunities for a turn when they are partly empty but out of reach. There is not a family on the planet in which Mabel has ever turned to Mack and said, "Let's go shop in Downey where they have those lovely planted medians." Streets are for traffic. In all, the city appears to waste funds on projects which injure many businesses (like Beach's and the block west of Gourmet Cafe) while heaping funds upon chosen businesses such as those who would build a parking structure (rather than businesses) fronting on Downey Avenue in the heart of the downtown area which the city hopes to revitalize by foolishly constructing affordable housing. The priorities of the city's actions seem to belie the wisdom and outlook needed for the future and be out of line with the best interests of the people. -- Hugh T. Hoskins, Downey

********** Published: December 2, 2010 - Volume 9 - Issue 33