Increased density in Charlotte neighborhoods is hardly a recipe for disaster

Increased density

Regarding “The 2040 plan,” (March 26 Forum):

I fail to understand why the prospect of townhouses, duplexes, and similar multiple-unit housing in a neighborhood would make the “American Dream of a single-family home” an endangered species.

Quadraplexes were common in Charlotte’s early 20th century development, and can still be seen in neighborhoods like Dilworth.

The first house my husband and I owned, in North Miami, Fla. was a townhouse — brand-new, in 1968. It was part of a three-block townhouse development that co-existed (and still does) very comfortably with the single-family houses on the surrounding streets, as well as duplexes several blocks away.

Increased density in residential neighborhoods is hardly a recipe for disaster; with good planning, it can be part of a more livable city.

Mary W. Cox, Charlotte

Reopening NC

Regarding “NC restrictions,” (March 26 Forum):

While I feel for this restaurant owner’s situation, Gov. Roy Cooper should be applauded for following the science and helping to restrict the spread of COVID.

South Carolina has half the population of North Carolina (5.1 million vs 10.5 million), yet on March 26 the latest numbers from the CDC showed that South Carolina had 175 deaths per 100,000 residents, while North Carolina had 113 per 100,000.

I sincerely hope restaurants can stay afloat with 50% capacity and takeout, but would opening up more be worth the lives that might be lost?

I’ve already lost a family member to COVID. I do not want to lose anyone else. Want to open up faster? Encourage everyone you know to get a vaccine when its available to them.

Charles Fortanbary, Charlotte

Voter suppression

The new voting rights bill in Congress must be passed.

Yes, states do and should have control of their own elections. But Republicans are trying to stifle the peoples’ right to vote by enacting all types of legislation hoping it will reduce voter turnout.

Legislators must remember that these proposed restrictions encumber all voters, not just those that Republicans think they are restricting.

Restrictions may prevent the factory worker, nurse or bus driver from leaving work to vote, or the small business owner who cannot leave or close his/her business to vote.

All of these Republican efforts to supplant and dilute the vote should be put into creating and fighting for political ideas that will attract voters to their party.

Walter Boris, Charlotte

Seeking a solution

I have a number of friends who own rifles and pistols they use for target practice and hunting. The pistols, kept safely in locked cases, somehow offer a sense of security while protecting their castles. A simple touch of a recognized fingerprint instantly provides access to them.

Every one of these friends abides by every rule and regulation and nuance affecting gun ownership, and none feel the need for high-capacity, rapid-fire weapons.

Somewhere in this fog of killing, a fresh wind needs to blow away the intractability on opposing sides so sunlight can penetrate it and lead us to a solution. Let’s all think of ways that could happen and share them with the other guys.

David Loughran, Indian Trail

Black men

Regarding the mass shootings in Colorado and Atlanta... Why is it that so many Black men who are perceived to be talking back to the police or not following directions perfectly wind up dead, but non-black mass shooters always seem to be taken alive?

Benjamin J. Harris, Charlotte

The homeless

It has been a month since the “tent city” was cleared near uptown — but what will happen to our homeless neighbors?

Until they were evicted in February, dozens of individuals and families made their homes on 12th Street. Instead of rooting out the rat problem there, the city uprooted Charlotte’s most vulnerable citizens.

A tent is a temporary solution for a lack of shelter. Breaking up the encampment was a temporary solution, too. Charlotte placed these residents in hotels, but permanent systemic changes must happen.

Just because we don’t see the camp on our commute to work anymore, we can’t pretend the problem is gone.

Mary Thompson, Charlotte

The oil lobby

Regarding “In shift, oil industry group backs federal price on carbon” (March 26):

I was thrilled to read that the American Petroleum Institute endorsed a carbon pricing policy.

It seems an adversary is becoming an ally, and for good reason: They can see the inevitability of climate change policy and want a hand in the outcome. And when it comes to outcomes, clearly business prefers a market-based approach over regulation,

As a citizen who has waited for climate change legislation for years, I like a carbon fee and dividend approach, where the carbon fees are distributed to citizens to offset increased costs.

It already had bipartisan support, but now with the oil lobby on board, it’s more than feasible. Let’s see our N.C. and S.C. representatives get behind this solution.

Molly Gassel, Tega Cay

This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 3:27 PM.