Letter: City should reject hotel plan

Letter: City should reject hotel plan



Pat Reilly
Publication Date: 02/03/08


Editor: It isn't enough that the Wendler plan for a hotel will require the demolition of seven old structures, but it will also extend the commercial look and feel of King Street further into the Model Land Company Historic District (added to the National Register in 1982). With the proposed commercial project comes the traffic, additional parking issues, increased noise and the loss of another residential street. It also leads to potential adverse impacts to the infrastructure such as Oviedo Street's brick street, an old sewer system and ongoing flooding issues.

While I acknowledge the need to attract new business for the financial well being of the city, the newly announced Westin Hotel should provide ample stimuli and serve to attract additional financial investment.

Cleaning up King Street should be a city priority, but there are far worse buildings as you make the turn from U.S. 1 than those slated for demolition should the Wendler project be approved.

We can never go back and undo the actions taken in the past, like the loss of Flagler's home (Kirkside) to demolition.

We can, however, work to preserve, not only as many structures as possible, but also the residential streets and quaint atmosphere that we have.

The city should be to trying to attract the commercial investor but also the individual willing to purchase one of the lovely old homes in the downtown to restore it as a home. This will be hard to do if the threat of continuing encroachment of commercial development into the neighborhoods exists.

A balanced plan is needed to preserve and enhance this lovely little city so that 20 years from now, it will be even better than it is today.

Pat Reilly


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