Since I don't live near Rooney Valley, I'm not directly impacted by the proposed land swap but the precedent set by the upcoming special election could negatively impact us all.

Since development is inevitable, we need better land planning to minimize adverse impacts. This election may discourage flexibility, innovation and creativity in future planning.

This land swap creates a buffer zone, provides a wildlife corridor, and preserves the existing bike route while keeping the benefits of the current park. Getting a bigger bang for our buck (or in this case, more benefits from existing assets) is just being smart.

Conversely, if we stick Lakewood with our current park boundaries forever, we will be unable to take advantage of future land deals that might create better parks.

This land swap does NOT sell any parkland - there will still be 22 acres of parkland with or without the trade. The only difference is the park boundaries.

Finally, it's wrong to ignore the will of the people who years ago devised a Rooney Valley master plan that included a buffer zone.

Voters should allow the city to become smarter and more responsive by preserving the option of making parkland swaps when it's in the people's best interests.