Letter: Rockhaven park is a sustainable idea

Many of the ideas being put forth for the Rockhaven Sanitarium property are for more houses and retail shops. We don’t need more of either. We have very few green park areas where we can relax and enjoy our area. We do have mountains and trails, but many people can’t use them.

We pay a lot in property taxes and are continually being taken advantage of by the city. There are many events held in Montrose, from the Farmers Market to the Art Walk to Oktoberfest to Halloween Spooktacular where the merchants and/or the city profits. Montrose is “used” for these events, but very little is being put back into the community that isn’t profit-driven. I just read an article about all the damage done to the new sustainable plantings in downtown Montrose, during Oktoberfest and how much it will cost to replace it, but I don’t hear any complaints about the cost to replace it.

According to an article in the News-Press, city spokesman Tom Lorenz said, “the city spends about $50,000 annually to maintain Rockhaven. If the property became a full-fledged park, the cost would escalate into the hundreds of thousands.”

The city should use some of the profits from all these events and work with La Crescenta to raise funds to help maintain the park. Invite local businesses to come up with ideas for a coffee shop or food establishment that would be in the park. Europe is a great model for the commitment to parks where people can stroll, people-watch and enjoy life.

Perhaps the city could have a sustainable garden, where residents can see different native plants, and have a water feature that uses recyclable water.

The City Council should be working for us, not developers.

Roana Thornock

Glendale