Recent Letters contributors have written about residential redevelopment, rejecting multi-storeyed towers, with one contributor preferring ''low-rise, high-density''.
The latter could be code for wholesale destruction of tracts of our well-planned and serviced suburbs that predominantly consist of detached dwellings on decent-sized blocks the most socially successful and healthy settlement type for most demographics, especially families.
Any increased density needs to be equable (no exclusive zones), small-scale and incremental in nature, and driven by in-situ owner-occupiers (especially those who wish to ''age in place''), and not developers. Any high rise (say, more than four storeys) residential redevelopment (and there is a demand for it) needs to be in places where similar height structures exist, eg, in central business districts, either as new contextually appropriate structures or converted commercial buildings; and must never be allowed to creep into the suburbs, deprive places of solar access and/or views, or proliferate along major transport corridors in or adjoining suburbs, or along the edges of lakes, parks, etc.
Jack Kershaw, Kambah
One finds it so hard to understand why anyone would want the proposed 18-storey monster (''Apartments to tower over lake'', April 7, p2) towering over any lake, let alone Ginninderra.
Chief Minister Jon Stanhope supposedly states this will be a ''shock at first but people will get used to them''. I find this totally unacceptable and if we, the people of Belconnen have to get used to them then a referendum should be held to see if we want to. Many unit blocks are being constructed in the area of the Belconnen Town Centre and they are not 18 storeys in height. Belconnen residents should give much thought to the shadow this monster is going to throw. It will be too late to be sorry when it has been built.
Enid G. McLean, Melba
Barton's high place
Say what you wish about America, but that country certainly knows how to honour its giants of politics.
Its capital city is named after George Washington, its first president, and there is a 169m-high monument to him. There are also 23 other major monuments to him in the US.
In Canberra we have a tiny suburb named after our first prime minister, Sir Edmund Barton, a building, disrespectfully but understandably called the ''wheat silos'', and a 4m-high statue to his name. This great man, born in Sydney in 1849 and coming from a large family, was one of the key architects of the Australian Constitution, and Puisne Justice of the High Court of Australia.
I beseech the National Capital Authority, in this 160th anniversary of the birth of Barton, to reject any thought of allowing (with respect) metal monstrosities at Blocks 12/13, Section 9, Barton, the very memorial soul place of this father of our country.
Put the cars underground if you must, but preserve the ground above for a piece of historical sanctity worthy of a man who has arguably given more than any other to the foundation and history of this great country.
Colliss Parrett, Barton
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