Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the Gazette’s letters column are those of the letter-writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Gazette’s editors. We also reserve the right to edit letters for space.

‘Who are these people?’

Dear Editor:

Your editorial in August’s issue was right on the money. The University Village Association (UVA) has relentlessly complained about the Roosevelt Square development from day one. The UVA claims that the community is voicing concern, but who are these people that are complaining and so concerned?

The only voices we hear constantly complaining are their own. The UVA and the people involved with them give the impression that they would love more than anything for the developers of Related Midwest to shut down, have the City take back the project, and allow “new developers” to take over the project. We can all take an educated guess as to who those developers might be.

Therefore, I agree that Alderman Fioretti is off to a good start, but needs to ease up on Related Midwest and talk more with the people who voted him in. There are far more voices out there in the community who are not complaining.

Respectfully,

Maria DiPaolo


‘No requirement to have a fence’

Dear Editor:

The fence issue which has swirled around Dearborn Park II for the past year has never been about recess for school children at the South Loop School. It is about a way for the Chicago Public Schools to increase their revenue from private after-school programs and for the Chicago Park District to off-load responsibility and costs to maintain one of their smaller pocket parks.

The Chicago Public Schools, via their chief, Arne Duncan, admitted last year that there is no requirement that a Chicago Public School has to have a fence to have recess.

The children at South Loop School are free to have recess whenever their school administration sees fit to supervise them. The real beneficiaries of the newly-installed fence around Mary Richardson Jones Park are the owners / operators of the paid after-school and summer programs run by private concerns at South Loop School.  Just as CPS has turned the South Loop School  parking lot into a money-making proposition on Bears Sundays, they will turn Mary Richardson Jones Park into a money-making proposition for the after-school and summer programs contracted at South Loop School.

Why else would CPS have carried on in secret the way they have? The community has been asking to sit down with them for a year to discuss the proposed fence. Two meetings on this issue were scheduled by former Alderman Madeline Haithcock.

Officials from the Chicago Park District were there, officials from the Chicago Police Department were there, the Alderman was there, neighborhood representatives were there—and CPS officials were a no-show. Not once, but twice. When a meeting was finally announced, it was not to have a discussion, but to present an industrial-looking fence totally out of keeping with the neighborhood as fait accompli.

Current Alderman Robert Fioretti, when asked to declare his position on the fence prior to last spring’s election, stated in a letter that he favored a fence around the play lot only, but not around the green-space. He has since reneged on that position, as evidenced by his letter to the Chicago Park District authorizing CPS to install the fence as is. He has chosen to ignore his constituents in favor of appealing to a select few who have contributed to his campaign coffers.

The residents of Dearborn Park II are outraged that the “open green-space” deeded to the Chicago Park District on our behalf  by the original developers, Dearborn Park Corporation, has been usurped by CPS. It is our hope now that CPS and other officials will be forced to “come to the table” via our only means left—the court system.

Pete & Elaine Szujewski