An excellent letter in the Redlands Community News by resident Julie Spiller:

I want to voice my strong feelings against what the City Council (not Paul Foster, of course, he rightly voted against an exemption for the State Street developer) has done by approving an exemption to allow 3, 4, 5 or 6 stories in the mall area.

It is insane to think 722 housing units in that area make sense.

We have water restrictions, drought, lack of parking and traffic congestion in downtown and elsewhere in town. I am still wondering how the train coming through, especially Alabama Street, will work with the people already and historically continuing on through red lights, into and remaining illegally in the intersection of Redlands Boulevard and Alabama while traffic is held up and safety is impaired.

The voters of Redlands voted 66% against anything over three stories in Redlands, including downtown.

The City Council is negating the feelings and legal votes of the citizens of Redlands by allowing the height that the developers have proposed. The people of Redlands elected the City Council to uphold and follow the wishes of the people of Redlands but are now ignoring us and moving on to appease the pockets of the developers from out of town.

Count me as one of thousands of unsatisfied citizens who voted against what is being condoned by the council.

I thank Mr. Foster for representing the citizens.