Our Jackson Square Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) membership takes its responsibility very seriously [editorial and article in the March 6 JP Gazette]. Not only do we take our involvement seriously, but we hold the public interests we represent in the highest regard.
Our intent is not to limit or abridge press coverage. In a public forum, we welcome scrutiny and public opinion about this project and ask the press to join us in focusing on the issues that have been central to this project: how to proceed when financial pressures jeopardize homeownership initiatives agreed on in the master plan; how to proceed with development of a skating rink that few want, but somehow is still planned; how to proceed with a smaller community center, while violent crime is not only present but unabated; how to proceed in a development environment that for too long has served to segregate and divide us, rather than bring us together; how to balance large, community, small and minority developers so advantage is fair to all; how to ensure neighborhood residents can participate in the wealth of jobs and retail space that will become available; and how we sell the development to the MBTA and potential occupants to realize less dependence on cars and a greener approach to development and living. These issues are just as important to the success of Jackson Square as openness and transparency.
We look forward to working with the Gazette and hope that reporting will be accurate, fair and hold central the issues of the project. We trust the work we all do as a community will restore a neighborhood that never should have been claimed for a highway.
Jennifer Spencer
Rodney Singleton
Co-chairs, Jackson Square CAC
Jamaica Plain/Roxbury
Due to a production error, this letter did not appear on the JP Gazette web site until two weeks after its publication in the March 20 paper.