OK, so after the city Zoning Commission unanimously recommended denial of Rice Toyota's rezoning request, the City Council unanimously approved it, with certain "conditions."

By ignoring the commission's recommendation — and the city's Comprehensive Plan — the council basically said, "Planners and advisory boards are mere window dressing, to be ignored as we help our friends in the business community." Do you wonder why I'm nervous about the pending commercial rezoning request at Lawndale and Lake Jeanette, a mere two blocks from our house?

Thousands of cars pass through this intersection daily, and the inappropriate intrusion of commercial interests only serves to impede traffic flow, heighten the chance for accidents due to ingress and egress at the site, and set a dangerous precedent for future commercial requests that would further erode the residential nature of the neighborhood.

The Lawndale request has already been postponed until May so that attorneys for the applicant can buy time and hope the furor abates. Meanwhile, ask yourself: Whom do the members of the City Council truly represent? If you're not sure, ask the residents of Stratford Drive and Garden Lake Drive. And don't forget the residents of the Lawndale/Lake Jeanette area.

W.H. Nash
Greensboro