SIERRA FLUB

TO THE EDITOR: I was appalled by the churlish comments by Mike O'Brien of the Seattle Sierra Club ["Green Thumbs Down?" Josh Feit, March 13] suggesting he'd once again oppose a new light-rail plan because it includes park-and-ride lots that "enable sprawl." O'Brien seems piously opposed to any plan that acknowledges the existence of cars. And he's completely oblivious to the decades of experience around the world that show that convenient parking near community train stations expands light rail ridership and increases housing density. O'Brien is also recklessly out of step with the Sierra Club itself. The national organization praised park-and-ride lots in a 2005 report, describing them as sure to "enhance carpooling opportunities."

But it's not just the national organization that O'Brien is at odds with. Local Sierra Club chapters around the country also push for new park-and-ride lots to fight sprawl. In Baton Rouge, for example, the local Sierra Club opposed a freeway expansion project in 2002, and argued instead for expanded parking near transit hubs: "Studies concur that park-and-ride facilities are desirable... lots are already being planned in Baker, Gonzales, and Denham Springs. More are on the way."

Where does this guy get his policy information, if not from his own organization?

Brendan Works

QUOTE UNQUOTE

DEAR CHARLES MUDEDE: As a resident of Queen Anne and a friend of Jennifer Geist's, I am appalled at your lack of integrity as a journalist ["The House on Queen Anne Avenue," March 13].

You have grossly misrepresented Jennifer. She is an intelligent, forward-thinking person who has the guts to speak her mind. I know from Jennifer exactly what her father said about the residence across the street from their home and it was vastly different from your quote.

Rather than explain that people have objected to the residence for a variety of reasons, you have made people who object to this style of architecture out to be the "bad guys." Rather than shed some light on the advantages of modern architecture in a city such as ours, you used your opinion to slam those who feel differently, or perhaps just don't understand it. Rather than spark a dialogue and give people a chance to challenge and rethink their opinions and ideas, you have created a dispute, driven a wedge, made this into an "us and them" situation. Too bad for you—and for all of us.

Irene Hopkins

SIMPLY SUBURBAN

EDITOR: I would like to comment on the story about the Queen Anne house with several comments that are negative. (1) The house is fucking huge. It looks from the picture as if it must be at least 3,000 square feet. There are several problems with this, the first being that it is absolutely antidensity, and therefore antiurban. Furthermore, it does nothing to improve the affordability level of housing in the neighborhood. (2) It is not new. Just like most things that seem to be in style right now, it looks just like the '80s with a hipster haircut. There are a lot of '80s houses in this "modern" style in the burbs of Seattle (where I grew up). They are not "ultimately urban." (3) I believe in neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods will remain stodgy and boring, while others will become hip and exciting. This is how it has always been. But development needs to come from the center (of each neighborhood) out, and change needs to be gradual. A lot of the new construction in Seattle, especially new town houses, are fucking ugly, so I can see how this would make Seattleites wary of new development.

I applaud architects who are designing interesting and exciting new infrastructure, but I hardly see why this house is worthy of The Stranger defending it—neither as innovative architecture nor as an example of interesting urban development.

Anonymous

FUCKED

TO THE EDITOR: Eric Grandy really dropped the ball in his February 21 Fucking in the Streets column ["Neurosis @ Neumo's"]. Not only did he NOT mention Converge's set, which was fuckin' great, or local hardcore heroes Akimbo's set at all, which was also fuckin' awesome and a pleasant surprise for me, what he DID mention of Neurosis's set led me to believe he left even earlier than I did. I can't really blame him for that last part, though, since Neurosis's disappointing set was a perfect excuse to walk the fuck out. I kept holding out to see if Grandy would mention Akimbo and Converge in a later issue, though, since that particular column had a lot of points to cover—but it seems pretty clear that's not happening. What the hell, man?

Zac Sherman