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Editor: 

The second tallest structure in Berkeley—-surpassed in height only by the Campanile on the UC campus—-was recently built in a residential neighborhood.  

No neighbor had been shown a plan for it. No public meeting had reviewed such a plan. Its developer had no permit to build it. It has lowered neighbors’ property values. Its appearance has offended virtually everyone. 

This architectural monstrosity and renegade, this monument to the blatant violation of those standards of public taste and process that Berkeley nurtures so proudly, is our new Public Safety Building communication tower on McKinley Street. Purchased out of a catalog and slammed together over a weekend, it has to be seen to be believed. Citizens who value Berkeley’s thoughtful land-use standards are joining the outcry to dismantle the thing and insist that its replacement receive public review. 

Rob Browning 

Berkeley