Letters to the Editor

Editor:

I disagree with the resolution to put parking meters on Balboa Street. Supervisor Eric Mar cited a number of businesses that had closed - and it came across as sounding as if the reason for the closings was a lack of parking, that this had contributed to a loss of business - and that this could be changed or alleviated by putting in parking meters.

Two of the businesses Mar mentioned - the guitar repair business on the corner of Balboa and Fourth Avenue and the Chinese restaurant between Fourth and Fifth avenues - when open both were very busy and successful. The Chinese restaurant was constantly full and the guitar repair business was equally busy and closed only because of the untimely death of the proprietors. This was without parking meters.

A number of businesses along Balboa, between Third and Seventh avenues, do not require parking for periods of time and I think parking meters will be detrimental to these establishments. And, while it may be difficult to find parking in this area, I cannot imagine that putting in meters would make it any less so. In fact, I think it will only exacerbate the situation.

Carol Pollard

Editor:

Rec. and Park's Elton Pon raises a great issue in your February article about the proposed Golden Gate Park sports complex. He states the current grass soccer fields lasted 75 years. But how long will the plastic ones last - only 10 years! Not only are grass fields necessary to offer a choice to soccer families, they are renewable with environmentally friendly grass seed and sand, not tire waste crumbs like the synthetic turf.

We can make a small capital investment now to fix up these four natural fields for kids to enjoy for another 75 years, or allow an irreversible decision that commits the City to the chronic, costly, total replacement of the plastic carpet every decade.

Nancy Wuerfel