In our neighborhood, the Simon Properties Group (owners of Northgate Mall) is now defining our future culture, our contemporary Main Street experience. I don't believe that Simon is the appropriate visionary.

What we need are overlay district covenants, economic development councils, and community development boards with decision-making responsibility. Since our design review boards and citizens advisory committees can only make recommendations, they are simply dressing up a pro forma process. What we have now is land use regulation that doesn't assure us that we will be able to achieve our plans.

Our meetings offered our neighborhoods an opportunity for broad public discussion during a period called "comment." Many participants first learned that such a significant development plan was in review, and boy were they shocked. But "comment" is not the time to look for change and all hope for reconsideration was disappointed. When you reach the comment period, folks, the deed is already done. Prayer and meditation are likely to be more successful than honest comment.

This is the time to speak out. Ask your mayor and councilmembers why there is this disappointment and sense of betrayal in Northgate and if and how they intend to protect your own efforts from the same fate. We are the first neighborhood group to ask for our plan to be honored. All of our futures are connected, Seattle neighbors, and this first path will likely be the one you will follow unless we make some course corrections now.

-JOEL TUFEL, Maple Leaf