Reader takes a swing at Agoura's Baseball City

The article on Baseball City's closing contained more nonsense from developer Bill Tucker than I hear from any politician. Seems his investment group purchased Whizin's mall in 2007 and closed Baseball City to begin redevelopment of the site as part of the Agoura Village project. And, it seems that he closed what some felt "part of the community" in consideration of "several alternatives for the land, including a parking lot or a building."

A parking lot in the Whizin's mall, which, in my opinion is already a parking lot? Does Canyon Club need more spaces? Is Farmers' Market coming back? Or perhaps we could use a new building so we can add to the unoccupied office space now along the 101 corridor.

Still, all this pales in comparison to Tucker's vision for Whizin's mall, namely, "we want to create a very pedestrian friendly neighborhood, an urban living room." An urban living room in Agoura Hills? Haven't most, if not all, of the recent conflicts over development revolved, in part, around a concern of becoming urbanized like the San Fernando Valley? And here we have a developer with the vision of a "pedestrian friendly urban living room."

I guess baseball, being a part of the community and providing a place for our children, does not have the stopping power as do horses, oak trees and reportedly extinct species. Still, Baseball City's closure does, in a way, involve horses and "extinction," for gone will be Pony Leaguers and one of the last places in Agoura for all-family exercise and fun.

In last week's editorial, The Acorn asked "does it mean our community is becoming less friendly to children," to which it responded "not at all." Au contraire. Agoura is not only becoming less friendly to children, it's becoming less friendly to families.

Find some land for a healthy and fun family amusement park or nature park or petting zoo. Something! Surely we have the land and, if not, can tear down a partially occupied office building or two.

Dan Gersten Agoura Hills