March 21, 2006 > Letter to the Editor: Natarajan offers hope

Instead of sophomoric attempts to belittle Councilmember Natarajan, this Editor should be asking why other members of our Council aren't demanding the same type of quality development Councilmember Natarajan strives for. He should ask why they are willing to settle for mediocrity.

Councilmember Natarajan tries to uphold the goals of the General Plan. She clearly believes that we can build a city of quality and distinction. Why aren't the other members of the Council also demanding the highest and best development for our community?

Councilmember Natarajan's comments are based not only on her professional knowledge and experience, but also on current policy adopted by the City. Although, the Planning Commission had approved the project which you wrote about in your op-ed piece, that says very little of it's quality or appropriateness since no one on our current Commission is qualified to assess the worthiness of a project or to challenge or critique it. The City Council should not rubber stamp a project simply because it has made its way through the process. As a citizen of Fremont, I expect them to call out a bad project, to ask for changes, to demand the best. I expect them to have a greater vision; unfortunately that is rarely the case. Councilmember Natarajan offers hope to those of us who envision a well planned Fremont.

Laurie Manuel
Fremont Resident