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To the editor:

Increased questionable residential development, arbitrary road realignment with no apparent purpose, massive increase in heavy traffic; all with no attention to first creating infrastructure to support it. When funds were supplied to replace or relocate the Kings Highway Bridge, it was inexplicably used to fund other projects and never replaced. Now we are told by the city that there is no near term plan to reinstitute the bridge project, pretty much eliminating an alternative emergency egress from our cherished communities of Crittenden, Eclipse and Hobson. But, they seem to have funds to work with developers to turn one of the most beautiful, peaceful and family oriented communities into an ugly representation of their and the developer’s vision of progress. The developers have figured out a creative way of using regulations to put the city in their pocket.

By effectively using existing criteria, they have been able to bypass the council and the mayor. The city’s responsibility to serve their constituents and their needs has now been deemed irrelevant; there is no longer a need, let alone a path, to allow the affected residents to have a say in their lives and communities.

Since so much of the city council’s work has been relegated to the city planner (who, by the way is not accountable to the residents), do we even need a council of representatives? Since so much of the legal issues are being handled by the city manager (who also is non-elected), do we even need a mayor?

With this reallocation of responsibilities, they have effectively shut out our ability to be heard. In other words, they have put a deaf ear to our concerns and are making us “tell it to the hand”!

We are at a critical time in trying to maintain a good family oriented quality of life. Election time is here and is our next chance to be heard. There should be no Republican, Democrat, liberal or conservative basis for voting for the new council and mayoral candidates — just get rid of the incumbents. Period. Maybe we will be able to work with the new members and to change the planner and manager occupants.

Richard and Gail Najarian

Suffolk