LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Support La Puerta Del Sol

Please send an e-mail to support La Puerta Del Sol, a great opportunity for the East Side to have an attractive and accessible place to meet and eat.

Please voice your right to choose community and character for our neighborhoods. Opposition to the project comes from people worried about noise. Please, give us some nice noise, of people laughing, of music, of conversations where people interrupt each other with enthusiasm. Have you ever visited the assisted living center across from Cedar Shoals High School? Our elders are bored and lonely, and I am pretty sure that they would welcome some more activity around them, maybe some fun.

The opposition to this project is from people worried about the increase of commercial use in the mist of a residential area and traffic. The Cofer's space is ideal and very convenient for the area residents. We can easily walk or ride our bikes there. We do not want another Lexington Hwy.; this is an opportunity to add more soul and character to our dull East Side. I am convinced that most of our commissioners understand that we need attractive places of community and social interaction.

Opposition is worried about drunk driving and students at Cedar Shoals skipping school. We honestly cannot blame creative enterprises for our kids skipping school, drunk driving and drinking. Youth, as adults, need places to meet. Youth need to be treated as people, not criminals. The reasons for skipping school and other undesirable behaviors are different than offering places for people to meet. What is wrong with "hanging out"? Spend time with kids, teach them respect and responsibility, give them good quality education and a friendly environment, where they feel they belong and where they are welcomed.

This is a prime opportunity to improve the quality of life of the residents on the East Side promoting more interaction between us; I know it is something I really miss from my country, Spain. I thought that the restaurant out of Tallasee Road was very beautiful, exotic, friendly, colorful, fun, and charming. I really hope that we do not let this opportunity pass by. Do you prefer a CVS Pharmacy or a building supply business on the Cofer's location?

Here at Cedar Creek, many of us feel that State McCarter's letter to the residents did not represent our feelings and our community. I am a member of the Cedar Creek Association and I really hope that my name was not included to oppose this attractive project.

We need to stop this nonsensical artificial separation of pleasure and business from our daily lives. Please support La Puerta Del Sol.

Send a letter to our commissioners at www.athensclarkecounty.com/commission/



Warmly,
Marta Dean
540 Sanstone Drive.
Athens, GA 30605