Dear Editor,

I found the letter of June 7 (Former Bridge Nightclub an eyesore) to be a pretty compelling inditement of the current condition of vast swaths of our community.

A 10-minute drive through our city and one is greeted with abandoned car dealerships, rotting service stations, garbage-strewn empty parking lots鈥� the list goes on. While some of this may/may not be within the scope of what city council and the mayor are able to deal with, I do think that it鈥檚 time that we start having an adult conversation about the condition of our community and what has led us to the point of atrophy.

One would presume that under the guise of 鈥渂eatification,鈥� programs and inducements/tax forgiveness/tax deferments must exist within the scope of what the city and staff can provide. Is there any consolidated plan or recognition from the city offices that there is a pretty visible issue and if so are we/you/us prepared to do anything?

The Comox Valley is a such a wonderful place to live but sometimes the impression that is left with visitors/tourists is that we punch way below our weight. Programs like the recapture and rejuvenation of the old Field Sawmill site on the 17th Street bridge is proof that these issues can be tackled and dealt with if there is the political will to do so.

We have a gem of a community but it鈥檚 time we start acting like it. Doing nothing is no longer a viable solution, let鈥檚 put our heads together and set the bar a bit higher for the Comox Valley.

Derek Costantino,

Comox