Visit Meadow Stables and Turn Around

This letter just in from Julie Beck, who's been visiting Mammoth regularly for over 40 years and owned several pieces of property in Mammoth for much of that time:

As this debate over views and height restrictions regarding the development of the Minaret and Meadow Lane corner evolves through the politics of Mammoth Lakes residents and city representatives, it might be beneficial for all to make a trip out to the meadow stables, turn around, face Mammoth Mountain and take in the view of the surroundings. What you will see are 2 and 3 story developments. From this point of view, even the height of The Village - the ONE exception for height restrictions as promised by the town leaders - seems to blend into the surroundings because of one thing and only one thing - its location on the upside of the hill above town. As your eye travels left and right, all you see are 'mountain' inspired buildings, open spaces and the lovely vistas of Sherwin Mountain, Mammoth Mountain, and the others.

No where do you see a massive 7 or 8 story glass, stucco, view-blocking condo-hotel tower. Vertical slabs of a sky-high condo-filled building stacked to the skies would obliterate the once all-scenic mountain views.

The people at Cardinal Investments should be ashamed of the themselves. Property is private and open spaces are public. You are not only destroying the ambiance of the entire area, you are creating an eyesore equal only to the disgusting high-rises found in Miami Beach - NOT Mammoth Lakes!!! And, it is not only an eyesore for the immediate surrounding area, but for the entire town.

I have several friends who are more than willing to shuttle these malignant view blocking vultures, power point presentations and all, to the airport, bus station or car rental agency and out of our town!! There are plenty of flights from LAX, John Wayne, Long Beach, Burbank, San Diego, etc. to cities who, over the last decades, have embraced greedy investors and builders. I'm sure that they would be welcome in any of these concrete jungles - just not in Mammoth Lakes. If we, as visitors and residents, wanted to live or visit another high rise, we wouldn't make the 6-hour drive to a place of wonder - trees, mountains, and lovely vistas - sans the high rise condominiums.

So, to the City Council, the Planning Commission, etc. - do the job that you were elected to do. Stop this ridiculous development in its tracks. That property was clearly zoned with a maximum of units and height. Show Cardinal and any other investment company that Mammoth Lakes can't be bought, threatened or conned into changing zoning just to insure their profit margins. Owners and visitors come to Mammoth Lakes for what Mammoth Lakes is - an escape from the rampant urban defiling of nature and its beauty. Keep it that way!

Amen.