'great citizen'

In the March 7 article "Gas Station Okayed," a Safeway spokesperson said that putting a high volume gas station in our community was being a good neighbor, indeed, a "great citizen." But Safeway has never been a good neighbor. In 1993, when it needed to rezone the site for the current store, Safeway signed an agreement with the city and its neighbors to retain a grove of mature trees to help shield nearby residents from the glare and noise of the parking lot.

Later, Safeway cut those trees down. After neighbors complained to the city, Safeway planted much smaller trees but then let those trees die and eventually removed them. For the last seven years, this "great citizen" has done nothing to improve the appearance of the vacant lot Safeway created when it bought single family homes and a small business and then demolished them.

Now because Safeway wants to put a giant car magnet in our neighborhood, it has replanted some, but not all, of the trees it is required to maintain. Safeway is not a "great citizen" or even a good neighbor. Instead it is acting with cynical disregard of its neighbors and hypocritically calling this good citizenship.

If you are turned off by Safeway's conduct please contact Nosafewayforagasstation.org for more information on how you can help stop this project.

Mel Kang

Crown Hill