Julie Weston, City Development Review Services, contacted me to acknowledge the Board's and my personal letters regarding opposition to the demolition of the historically significant, magnificent First Baptist Church at 120 4th Street North. I STRONGLY encourage you, if you are in opposition to the demolition of this potentially re-usable and very beautiful historic building, to write a letter of opposition to all members of the City Historic Preservation Commission (I can supply the names and addresses, if you e-mail me) and to the City Council and Mayor after March 27. There are multiple viable alternatives to solve St. Peter's Episcopal Cathedral'sweekday parking problem without destroying this historical landmark. This is one of those issues where it will not be enough for a few of us to appear to represent North Shore--we'll have to turn out in large numbers to save this building!! Write letters to the Editor as well! Call me or Kate Hoffman or Jim Martin if you have questions or would like to dicuss this. Let's not allow the City to approve further razing of buildings of historical significance that contribute to the identity and character of our city! Thanks.

Inappropriate

I question whether the president of the Northshore association should be advocating that her membership do anything, since this church is not within our boundaries, and I do not believe the general membership has voted on any such opposition. I am a member of St. Peter's and I am deeply offended that North Shore is
so deeply involved in this issue. I too would like to see First Baptist saved, but I think this is a matter for the church, the city and the preservation groups to work out. It is not North Shore's problem.
Personal feelings of a civic association president should not be policy for the organization.

By SLJ

Clarification and disagreement

I apologize that you were offended by my posting, SLJ. First, a major clarification--while the Board and the Historic Preservation Committee discussed this issue, NO letter was sent by me representing any North Shore Neighborhood member or entity. We have provided information so that anyone can decide to act to support or to oppose the demolition. Please refer to the NSNA March newsletter article, ''A Preservation Alert with Two Facets.'' My husband and I elected to send a personal letter on our letterhead--no mention of the North Shore Neighborhood Association. My previous posting was incorrectly written and confusing.

There is a difference between ADVOCATING and choosing for others. You have a voice and a choice. I disagree that a Board Officer or Director or Committee Chair should not advocate; in fact, the mission of our Historic Preservation Committee is to advocate on issues of preservation. I agree that we cannot purport to represent the Neighborhood Association without a discussion and vote, and we did not do so.

I also disagree that North Shore residents and members of our association should only get involved in issues that occur within our boundaries. There are many issues that impact us that originate or occur within the City but outside of our neighborhood boundaries. The preservation or development of the identity and character of downtown is just one such issue.

Finally, I do not believe that preserving the First Baptist Church AND preserving St. Peter's Cathedral by coming up with a solution to their weekday parking problem are mutually exclusive. I am not the only one with that opinion. The City staff who studied the request came to that conclusion. A group of people--members of our Historic Preservation Committee, officers of other neighboring neighborhood associations, and others--met with representatives of St. Peter's and respectfully and cooperatively asked them to reconsider and to explore potential alternatives. We had a good discussion, but did not always agree. We offered to lend them our support in talking to the City about alternatives that would require City participation.

I personally want to see St. Peter's grow and thrive downtown. Urban parishes are disappearing, not only due to parking and traffic problems, but due to aging and dwindling downtown populations and flight to the suburbs. That trend is now reversing. Since St. Petersburg is now adding residences to downtown, and neighborhoods close to downtown are thriving, St. Peter's may grow rather than decline.

I just think that it's possible for them to solve their parking problem without razing a beautiful, historic landmark that can be restored and reused. We can disagree, and we can choose to advocate our positions and to act.

You are wrong

North Shore has no business advocating any issue outside of its boundries or you will offend individuals who belong or paricipate in the issue. Like this church. Until North Shore develops a policy to promote issues outside of its boundries it should do nothing. And when and if North Shore votes to stick its nose into other people's business it will be in the wrong. Just because our inglorious president decides, unilaterally, to take North Shore where she wants it to go does not mean North Shore should follow.