Letters to the Editor: Chinatown residents who want the Dodger Stadium gondola should get a voice too

To the editor: As someone who has spent years working together with fellow Chinatown residents through the public review process for the proposed gondola, I found this column to be a deeply one-sided account of a far more complex conversation (“Dodger Stadium gondola plan about to hit heavy turbulence as state park defenders play hardball,” Aug. 1).

It ignores the many residents, small business owners and community organizations who have spent years advocating for the project because they see it as an opportunity to invest in Chinatown’s future. For many of us, this is about more than a gondola. It is about investing in a neighborhood that has too often been overlooked, supporting small business, connecting spaces and a rare opportunity for Chinatown to shape its future rather than be displaced by it.

The public deserves to hear from all sides of the debate, not just those who oppose it. It’s maddening to see our voices silenced. By failing to acknowledge the coalition of Chinatown voices that have supported this project and worked to secure meaningful community benefits, Steve Lopez’s column presents an incomplete narrative that does a disservice to Los Angeles Times readers and the community itself.

Enrique Pineda, Los Angeles

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To the editor: I read Lopez’s column and thought, “here we go again.” As a lifelong San Fernando Valley resident, access to parks isn’t something we take for granted. The Valley has some of the worst park deficits in the Los Angeles area. In neighborhoods like Van Nuys and Panorama City, families have access to only a fraction of the parkland that experts recommend.

That’s why I don’t understand why leaders are being urged to treat a great downtown park as if making it accessible is a bad thing. Public parks should serve all Angelenos. A family from the Valley should feel just as welcome spending an afternoon there as anyone else — whether they’re heading to a Dodgers game or simply looking for a place where their kids can run and play.

With so little green space across our city, every great park should be shared. Is L.A. not for all?

Steve Martinez, Panorama City

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To the editor: I live just a short distance from Los Angeles State Historic Park. Despite living so close, getting to the park has never been as easy as it should be.

Lopez’s column focused almost exclusively on those who oppose the project. I wish he had also spoken with residents like me who see this as an investment in our neighborhood and an opportunity to make the park more welcoming and accessible for the people that live beside it every day.

Heidi Rodriguez, Los Angeles