'Park' is more parking lot than more green space

Ray Miller's ad about the "Lakeside Inn Park" in your Oct. 25th edition must be corrected.

ITD's agreement specifically identifies this as a "parking lot." It is not a "park." Parks do have parking lots but a parking lot is not a park.

Currently the city has 93.6 acres of developed park land — not 66.6 acres as stated by Mr. Miller. According to the city's impact fee plan calculations provided to me by city staff, this 93.6 acres provide parkland suitable for a population of 11,700. This acreage will serve our parkland requirements well into the future. Mr. Miller suggests we need an additional 230 acres "by build out," but he fails to mention that projected build out is decades away and reaching that build out anticipates annexing properties into the city north all the way to the Bronx Road.

We have read that this parcel ITD wants to give to the city is 3 acres. On Oct. 24, ITD informed the city that it is really only one acre because two of the three acres are under water.

I joined four council members in approving the ITD maintenance agreement. We can use the parking but let's be clear as to what it is we are being given and what our responsibilities are.

HELEN M. NEWTON

Sandpoint