SAVE THE PALO ALTO BOWL!!!!

We the undersigned strongly urge you to please listen to us, the people, and think about what is best for current and future generations.  

Raising money to buy the center would not have a chance of convincing more people that the status quo needs to change; if anything, it would see an unaltered, broken status quo continue to flourish for years to come.  Cities are in trouble because of many boneheaded decisions in the past, and demolishing landmarks in hopes of a short-term monetary gain at the expense of long-term community character, recreation, reputation and involvement is completely naive and irresponsible of city government.  Plus, the council has expressed a great desire to give teens more places to go, and although the PA Bowl is extremely popular with teens (especially on the weekends), they want to get rid of it?  And when Mitchell Park closes for its remodel, where will the teens go? 

As one of the petition signers wrote:

"While I am not a bowler, it is still important to me that we not suffer the loss of one of the few remaining bowling centers, and the only one in the Palo Alto and Mountain View area.  In Palo Alto, we have numerous parks and more park land, including Foothills Park, than San Francisco.  Not everyone goes to parks nor does everyone bowl.  Nevertheless, both are important to a significant number of people.  If Palo Alto had a burning desire for more hotel space, there was a golden opportunity when Ricky's was desirous of replacing their no longer economically viable hotel with a modern, full-featured facility.  The city council, in its usual way, dithered away time and squandered the opportunity.  Now there are condominiums instead, but no expanded school space for the increased child population. Let us at least retain one of the recreation possibilities for those condo children and other people who gain excercise, entertainment, and social pleasure from this facility.  Once it is gone, it can never come back.

We need to preserve and retain those facilities that we need and enjoy. The city seems to believe that increasing the population density will result in less commuting and less traffic because they can work close to home. We have lived in Palo Alto since 1972 and very few of the people I have ever known here actually worked in Palo Alto.  Don't be beguiled by unrealistic wishful thinking that does not truly justify replacing something we want and need with something we don't want and don't need.  This has only become an issue as a result of averice by a developer."

Preserve the Palo Alto Bowl, one of the last reminders of a dying and glorious era!  One of America's last few, authentic bowling alleys...

Thanks so much for your time.