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Letters to the Editor

Preserve Glazier-Gates park, keep Bradenton history alive

Yalina Perez-Ambriz, 3, and her younger sister Yaslin, 2, play in Glazier-Gates Park Friday as they do every weekday with mom while dad betters his family's future by taking nearby GED classes during the day. The park will be removed and relocated to make way for a 521-unit rental complex as part of a land swap deal with the city of Bradenton. Like many others, losing century old oak trees and a well established family park is something the family is very disappointed about. MARK YOUNG/Bradenton Herald
Yalina Perez-Ambriz, 3, and her younger sister Yaslin, 2, play in Glazier-Gates Park Friday as they do every weekday with mom while dad betters his family's future by taking nearby GED classes during the day. The park will be removed and relocated to make way for a 521-unit rental complex as part of a land swap deal with the city of Bradenton. Like many others, losing century old oak trees and a well established family park is something the family is very disappointed about. MARK YOUNG/Bradenton Herald

About the city of Bradenton comprehensive plan and adhering to public interest: City Councilman Gene Gallo speaks of tax dollars. If the developers are not paying the taxes, guess who is? Who benefits most from the loss of impact fees/tax incentives? The public doesn't.

It's a proven tax: health, wealth and educational benefits amounting from the preservation of park systems and eco-tourism.

The city wants a development with a marina, hotel, shops and apartments along an expanded Riverwalk. We want our historical heritage and ecosystem preservation. With careful planning, Bradenton could have a downtown of caliber, leaving a legacy worthy of the City Council.

Manatee Avenue, 26th Street West to 27th Street East, combined, over 100 empty lots, apartments, homes, offices, entire office buildings empty, dormant, or uninhabitable for the past eight years or more! Future plans drawn or already implemented allowing development, increases population to 6,000 by 2020, leaves existing urban decay to taxpayer cleanup.

No park system (1 acre/500), infrastructure, police, fire department, or schools to comply.

Crime/accident response time currently lagging in the city of Bradenton, citing a 30-minute ambulance response, corner of Manatee Avenue and U.S. 41, across from the hospital, due to traffic!

Enticing downtown Bradenton by creating more concrete canyons; increase crime, traffic, traffic-related accidents/deaths/health decline, is counterproductive!

We need intelligent progress and productive development.

"No" to: lining officials/developer's pockets; Ward 4 as a cash cow whipping boy; urban sprawl/decay and destruction of historical ecological lands; wasting taxpayer dollars!

Ward 4 is the gateway by many cultures. Glazier and Gates are commended and historically noted for their and their families' bravery and perseverance, unifying the area's significant substantial first settlement, the town of Manatee. Without our founding fathers' achievements, there would be no Bradenton. Old Town Manatee should have the respect!

Kimberly Young Shepherd

Bradenton

This story was originally published November 13, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Preserve Glazier-Gates park, keep Bradenton history alive ."

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