Re: Storage centre planned for King Street, Feb. 29 The News.

It is with some pride that I drive by signs in our area proclaiming that you are entering the Niagara Greenbelt or the sign welcoming you to the Niagara Escarpment, designated by UNESCO as a World Biosphere. It makes me think that we, as a community, have acknowledged the environmental uniqueness of this tiny corner of the global community that we call ours -- that we have accepted and advertised to the world our responsibility to maintain it. I also read with the same pride that an agreement had been reached for the conversion of the old Veldhuis greenhouse land to be converted to public green space through the purchase of the land by the Hamilton Conservation Authority. It represents for me another step to protecting this land and using it in a careful and nurturing manner.

I can't say I'm a die-hard environmentalist, however, I am proud of the beauty of this area, and I chose to live here, within the proximity of the Cootes Paradise environs to enjoy the peace and grace of this natural area.

I couldn't believe when I read in The News that once again the corner of King and Olympic -- a mere matter of feet from the land which will be green space -- is being primed for a paved area built up with storage lockers. Some of the residents of this community recently fought to prevent the "paved" area alone. Why would the same planning department which obliviously realized the pubic desire for green space in this specific area entertain the not yet proposed plan to pave over part of this landscape and erect storage warehouses? The owner of this property has already undermined the natural environment by depositing fill material from the excavated land next door -- property which was -- to the best of my memory -- part of the unofficial dump for the old town of Dundas.

This area already has a concern because of the gas emissions -- methane and carbon dioxide, referenced in the landowner's application for the paved parking lot previously -- from the waste below grade. During the discussion of the planned parking lot on this same site, aerial photos of the land were shown to discredit anyone claiming concern over the habitat for the snapping turtles who migrate across this property -- by then though, the area was almost thoroughly a wasteland of grey, sludgy clay and most of the natural vegetation along with the trees that used to border King Street, had been destroyed. Now, several years later, the vegetation is finally beginning to reappear.

The community and the land owner must respect the area, respect the proximity of the conservation area adjacent to this parcel of land. Please do nothing further to degrade the natural beauty of this site and harm the wildlife that frequent this part of our community.

Please, I implore the planners of the city to consider long and hard when this proposal is finally laid at their doors, and say no. If the owner so dearly needs storage space, perhaps he could use other land he owns.

Susanne Harrison

Dundas