An open letter to Mayor Domogan (opposing the planned Parking Facility at the Melvin Jones Grounds)

Dear Mayor Domogan:

Upon learning of your proposed construction of an underground parking facility at the Melvin Jones Footbal Grounds, and after studying the plans as you have presented to the media and published in various new publications, I proceeded to initiate an online petition expressing our opposition to the plan (http://www.change.org/ph/mga-petisyon/the-hon-mauricio-g-domogan-mayor-baguio-city-we-oppose-your-plan-to-build-a-parking-facility-at-the-melvin-jones-football-grounds-burnham-park).

The full text of the petition is as follows:

"The renowned architect and city planner Daniel Burnham specifically designed the park for the benefit "of people of moderate means" (Robert Reed, City of Pines: The Origins of Baguio as a Colonial Hill Station). Turning it, or even just portions of it into a parking facility runs directly counter to this vision. Also, constructing an underground parking facility below the football grounds will greatly affect the ecological balance of the area which has already experienced flooding in recent years.

There are other areas in the vicinity that are better suited for your intentions, such as the current parking lot at the former location of the city library.

We hereby declare our opposition to your proposal to forever deface one of the city's enduring vestiges of its glorious past."
While we acknowledge the need for parking facilities in the central business district of Baguio City, there are other suitable locations for such that will not require defacing what may be considered as one of Baguio’s most relevant heritage sites. We also believe that a construction project of such magnitude could have an unimaginable, irreversible adverse impact on our already fragile environment and the ecological balance of the park. It is our conviction that Burnham Park is one of the few remaining public parks that continue to serve the community invaluably, particularly those, as Robert Reed cited in his book, “of moderate means.” Turning the area into a parking facility would serve the interests primarily of the privileged, in direct contradiction with the vision of the city’s pioneers.

With all due respect, Sir, we hereby request, nay, plead, that you reconsider your proposed parking facility at the Melvin Jones Football Grounds. We are also furnishing the office of Coun. Leandro B. Yangot, chair of the Committee on Urban Planning, Lands and Housing a copy of this letter.

Attached is the list of signatories of the online petition, which to date numbers 2,165. We are also initiating an offline petition to gather actual signatures and we shall submit this this to you at the soonest possible time.

In our shared desire to do what’s best for our beloved City of Baguio, I shall remain,

Yours sincerely.