To the editor:
I have been reading about the plan for Old Town Greenwood that has been proposed by the Restore Old Town Greenwood members and attended several meetings of this group to listen to their ideas about downtown.
In my experience, I have seldom come across a group of individuals as competent and hardworking as these folks. Their meetings are open to the public, and their ideas are well thought out and discussed. Their conclusions are based upon surveys, lots of research and time spent studying what other cities have done to rehabilitate their downtown areas.
I urge the mayor and city council members to study the Restore Old Town Greenwood plan carefully. It is highly unusual for a city to have such a dedicated group of volunteers who have spent countless hours on ways to improve their city.
I hope that the city officials who think that demolishing parts of downtown will provide a solution for anything will make sure they have studied and understand this plan before they vote. Tearing down buildings should be a last resort when all else has failed, not a first step.
Many new businesses have opened because they saw that residents cared about Old Town Greenwood. They have invested in our city because they had faith that the officials would work together to save and improve the architecture that exists, not destroy the existing structures so that traffic can move faster. These business owners are counting on Greenwood to improve downtown, not tear it down.
Margaret McGovern
board of zoning appeals, 1983-87
city council, 1987-91
mayor, 1991-95
Greenwood
