Letter: Poor planning in the South End

First impressions are usually lasting impressions, and anybody coming into Sudbury from the south cannot help but get a bad impression of Sudbury.

The area from Loach’s Road to the four corners at Paris Street and Long Lake Road is dismal and bleak. The medians and curbs are full of cracked asphalt with weeds growing out of the cracks. There are no flower pots anywhere.

Every time I drive on Regent Street South, I am ashamed of our beautiful city. Why can’t we have some beautification for this area similar to what they have near Civic Square or on Notre Dame Avenue?

It signals to tourists and newcomers we don’t care enough to make our city attractive.

The area from the Hampton Inn and Swiss Chalet up to the entrance to the South Ridge Mall and Cedar Point is a disaster waiting to happen. In this two block area there are four motels, five high-rise apartments and condos, 14 fast food places or restaurants, three shopping areas, the public library — and no sidewalks.

There is a two-foot paved area next to the curb on both sides of the road that has never been cleared of winter sand. Once the snow comes, this path is seldom cleared well.

Several times last winter I have seen people from the motels trying to make their way to some of the food places along this path. I’m surprised someone has not been injured by the traffic.

This poor planning, and failure to protect pedestrians is not only a problem or issue for our ward, but a problem for the whole city.

If we cannot attract people to our city, or if someone is injured and the city is sued due to negligence for failing to protect pedestrians, we will all suffer. I hope our new council will address this problem as a priority.

Diane Pagan
Sudbury