Dear Mr. Lundberg -

Your defense of the various boards of the city in the October 8 GDT was understandable. Most of our West Gloucester neighborhood would not disagree with you, and realize that we are fortunate to have residents who volunteer time and effort to civic causes. That is not the issue. What happens when the boards fail to do their job is the concern. When the guidelines and ordinances that have been put before them have been disregarded, who is going to hold them accountable?

It is apparent that the City Council is not monitoring the decisions of the boards and the people it has appointed. Likewise, the Mayor is not taking an active role in seeing that the mandates established by the City of Gloucester are being followed. Reluctantly then, concerned citizens must get involved. We have to take on issues that become distractions in our lives. We incur substantial expense. We are labeled as obstructionists, NIMBYs, or just troublesome contrarians. We are the outsiders whose opinions are often ignored at board meetings. Yet we are a necessary part of the process.

Some of the town ordinances can be complicated and easily misinterpreted. It is clear that the majority of a given board does not understand a particular issue. It is also clear that the stated goals of the city are a vague notion. In the case of the cluster development on Bray St. it is obvious that the Planning Board vote was driven by two dominant members and the rest of the board went along. Even though members within the board stated opposing "facts" to arrive at the same conclusion, the disparate views were never questioned and a vote was taken. This appears to be more the norm than the exception.

We are encouraged that you recognize that "we have much work to do" to incorporate the written city guidelines, with the help of opposition groups. Given that statement, it is apparent you are not confident that the correct decision was made in this and other recent decisions. This ill-advised decision needs to be repealed and we are confident that our appeal will be successful. We appreciate any support you can give.

The concept of cluster zoning is a critical piece of the future of Gloucester and we cannot afford to get it wrong. At this point in time, it is badly misunderstood and has become a dangerous tool for developers. While we are thanking the boards for their efforts, we are asking that everyone stay objective and be critical of their decisions.

Dennis McGurk