August 2, 2007 Letters to the Editor

Missing from your article “Fit or Fat?” was any mention of the very real reality that residents in the area simply cannot walk to work, or to town (historic Roswell), or to school, or to church, or to the store to buy a gallon of milk. Having moved to Roswell from a Philadelphia suburb two years ago, where we walked to the store, to church, to school, to the movies, and even to the train to ride into Center City, the lack of walk-ability was very obvious from the day I moved in. The addition of sidewalks in Roswell, outside of those found in developments and in the Historic district, would do much to keep people fit.

Ellen Giangiordano


I appreciated the fine “Welcome to Roswell” from Bonnie Lennon in your 26 July edition of the Beacon. My wife and I moved here two years ago and are sorry that we are using water and other resources that Ms. Lennon feels should be reserved for those who have lived here for over 10 years. Of course, I suppose that those who have been here for 20 years don’t appreciate Ms. Lennon’s presence. Perhaps Roswell King is upset at all of us!

I have been amazed at the lack of vision from our City Council right down to residents like Ms. Lennon who would just as soon build a wall around the city. In fact, we could build a wall and close off all major roadways into Roswell. If the wall were high enough, we might even eliminate some of metro Atlanta’s air pollution. This would empty our streets of traffic and keep all those workers and tourists who spend money here out of our historic community. We could then have small town gatherings while we watch our infrastructure and retail developments continue to decline, thus putting time on a standstill and preserving our “history.” Our property values would then certainly retreat to historic levels of yesteryear.

Grow up, Roswell. Like it or not, we’re part of something bigger than ourselves and our continued isolation from the rest of metro Atlanta will not serve us well.  

Paul Sorrentino


An Open letter to Mr. Steve Dorvee

Sir, you are confusing and disappointing me.

You were in favor of the Charlie Brown proposal and cited the mayor’s support. Now you say you are against it. You started your campaign asserting that the current Council is dysfunctional and that there is mistrust between its members. You have also accused the City Council of having done nothing to solve our city’s redevelopment problems since you left office eight years ago. You are challenged to back up that statement – as a starting point please refer to Councilwoman Lori Henry’s sampling of recent projects cited in the Alpharetta/Roswell Revue of 5/3/07 and the Roswell Beacon of 4/26/07. Further, you have just completed a negative attack on your opponent Dennis FitzGerald and the Roswell Beacon.

First, let’s address your recent comments concerning “all this raw land in Roswell.”

What is the percentage of raw land to developed land in Roswell? Second, “not to mention all those empty shopping centers”; could you tell us the exact location of these empty shopping centers?  Certainly there are problems that Roswell needs to continue to address.

Exaggerations, obfuscation and negative personal attacks are not going to solve them.

There have been a number of assertions that there are no alternatives to the Charlie Brown proposal. Numerous alternatives have been suggested. By the way, do you have any? The transportation issue has been the subject of a number of studies and should not be bundled with the Charlie Brown proposal. What are your views?

Do not say that Charlie Brown’s proposal is dead and that it is a non-issue. You very well know that Charlie Brown is coming back to renegotiate while continuing his relentless drive for approval. Do not think that we the people are unaware that the November election will be crucial to what happens to our city when Charlie Brown returns in 2008. It would help if you did a better job of communicating your ideas.

You say that the Charlie Brown proposal is dead and that no one is in favor of it. Yet, in the same letter you say that the Charlie Brown proposal is important and the more debate and discussion about it the better.

In closing, let me ask that you stop the personal attacks, the exaggerations, talk of litigation and confusing statements. The issue is one of the quality of life in Roswell. It is far too important for politics as usual.

Tony Croce


In the “Checkmate” edition of the Beacon Daniel McElrath wrote an article in which he labeled me a “one-plank candidate.” I take exception to that characterization and wish to set the record straight.

In letters-to-the-editors of Roswell’s local papers, Mayor Wood has stated that he seeks to replace the City Council members who do not agree with his stand in support of high-rise, high-density development throughout the city of Roswell. It is reasonable therefore to conclude that the mayor is supporting candidates in the current City Council race who would vote for high-rise development in not only the Charlie Brown/Pinnacle Properties Roswell East development but the balance of Roswell as well. All the mayor needs to push his high-rise agenda through is to win two of the three contested seats, as he gets to break ties.

I have run two advertisements in the Beacon where I have stated my position on the Roswell East Development and the issues I feel are important to “We the People” of Roswell. At the town hall meeting that Mr. McElrath reported on, unless you were color blind, the sea of red and black attire evidenced much support for my position that the majority of the people of Roswell do not want the Roswell East Development nor any other high – density – high rise development. Remember, I am seeking public office to represent “We the People” not “I Mayor Wood,” and I intend to conduct the business for the people of Roswell not the mayor of Roswell. Recognizing the stated position of Mayor Wood, in the election of 2007 we have our work cut out for us. We? I am referring to FitzGerald, Tolleson and Wynn.

I am willing, right now, to sign a pledge to the people of Roswell that I will not support at any time, now or in the future, any changes in the present zoning laws that will allow high-rise, high-density development for Charlie Brown/Pinnacle Properties or any other developer for that matter, within the city of Roswell. I cannot speak for David Tolleson or Becky Wynn but if asked, my bet would be that they would probably endorse this pledge as well.

At the town hall meeting Charlie Brown said he was ready to “negotiate,” yet in less than 48 hours following the meeting everyone in Roswell received his Fact or Fiction # 2 mailer, which had to be prepared and mailed ahead of the town hall meeting. Can we really believe anything Mr. Brown says in private or public?

At the Beacon’s forum in June I expressed my opinion that this is a one issue election, not that I am a one issue candidate. I am not a “one-plank candidate,“ but high-rise, high-density is the one issue that shapes this entire election and will forever change the quality of life for all Roswellians. If Mayor Wood gets his way, Dorvee, Barnett and Peoples will sit on the Council and the Roswell we know and love will come to an end. They will successfully sign the death-by-density warrant for the people of Roswell who will be pushed out to make way for Wood’s high towers.

For 10 years now, by his admission on July 9, Mayor Wood has not paid attention to the developing transportation problem throughout Roswell. Now suddenly it’s his number one issue.  At the same time he wants to elect Council members that will support a 28.2 density per acre in the Holcomb Bridge Road / Ga. 400 / Old Alabama corridor, the most congested intersection in the state of Georgia.

I invite Mr. McElrath to meet with me so that I can fully explain my comprehensive platform. I look forward to that meeting, hopefully in the near future.

Dennis P. FitzGerald
Candidate for City Council Post # 1


It isn’t often that an event of international significance has direct implications for Roswell, but one such event is taking place right now.

Pope Benedict XVI recently published a document titled “Summorum Pontificum” stating that Catholics can in good conscience attend Masses performed according to the traditional Latin rite.

It turns out that Roswell already has a chapel where the Latin Mass is said daily: St. Michael’s Catholic Church at 715 Hardscrabble Road, next to Roswell High School.

The folks at St. Michael’s have been saying for years that, contrary to popular belief, the Latin Mass has always remained a valid and legitimate form of worship for Catholics. After nearly four decades of debate, Pope Benedict has unequivocally confirmed that position.

The Latin Mass is the clear and perfect expression of the authentic Catholic Faith, and it has produced saints for 2,000 years. Francis of Assisi, Patrick of Ireland, Joan of Arc, Thomas Aquinas, Peter Chanel, Catherine of Siena, Mother Ann Seton – all these saints are in heaven now, and the Latin Mass is the Mass that they knew and loved.

Sean Romer


It has become abundantly clear that the most vocal among the Roswell residents are not in support of the Roswell East project. Many candidates for City Council have made the Roswell East project a single-plank campaign platform.

Count me among those who are against the project ... as it is currently proposed.

Of those against it, I have heard no suggestions of what should be built on the property instead of the proposed project. It's easy to demonize the project without offering alternatives.

Something is going to be built on that property. I personally would like to have it be something unified rather than multiple, randomly built developments (the Roswell City Council, claiming to be concerned about the appearance of Roswell, has yet to institute commercial unification requirements for use throughout Roswell – similar to those in Dunwoody).

I may not like all the parts of CRB Realty's proposal, but I'm not prepared to throw the baby out with the bath water. Overall, I think there are great merits to the project.

My greatest concern is the infrastructure improvements we need along Holcomb Bridge. Start fixing that and we'll go a long way to being on the right path.

I believe that high-end single-family homes could be built on a portion of that land – more than CRB Realty is willing to admit. I also believe that the number of stories for the office/condos is excessive for the area. I think Mr. Brown knows this, too. Reduce the height of the condos, increase their square footage and charge an arm and a leg for them. People will buy them – and live in them. With small square footage condos the people who buy them will only turn around and rent them out. And that is what many who are opposed to this project are concerned with.

Those of us in Martin's Landing and other communities like it, enjoy the solitude and quiet that the trees, the river and the lake afford us. Several gleaming towers of glass, steel and concrete are not what we want to see when we look across the tops of the trees. We don't want the air temperature higher as a result of the reflective nature of the glass. We don't want to have to fight even harder to gain access to grocery stores and travel to work and play. We don't want our park land overburdened and further polluted by careless development.

Mr. Brown, Mayor Wood – you could get this project approved if you would just use a small town approach. This isn't Atlanta and the people who live here don't want to live in Atlanta...We don't want to live in a metropolis.

Jay Thomas