(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Dear Mayor Ballantyne:

I am a lifelong Somerville resident and have lived at Cobble Hill since 1995 after I retired from the old Bradlees department stores. I have been very happy here and hope to have many more years living here. This is my home to the end.

I have met so many good people at Cobble Hill and the staff here are always excellent. When something is wrong, it gets fixed. That is why I think the city should leave Cobble Hill’s assets alone. Our trees have taken generations to grow. They have been very well cared for by management and should not be taken away. Besides the beauty they provide, the trees provide fresh air, and we all need that.

I think it would be fine if the city wants to put apartments, stores, a laundromat and restaurants at 90 Washington Street. This way everyone can enjoy themselves. However, I don’t think a public safety building is a good idea. Fire and safety vehicles will be very noisy. It will be hard to deal with as residents will be stressed listening that noise day and night. I know because I used to live in Union Square where they have fire and police.

Cobble Hill is beautiful and meets our needs. It is an excellent place to come and live and retire. Please don’t ruin it.

Respectfully,
Mary Smith