Writer issues a plea to save special piece of land in Allentown

I am writing to notify your readers of a deplorable situation which is developing in Allentown.

The borough has decided that it wants to enlarge its municipal parking lot and wants an adjoining property (lot 37.01) in order to do this. Their problem is that this adjoining property is owned by Cal Mailey, a local teacher who tends this property and shares it with his neighbors. Cal is not interested in selling this well-tended and beautiful property. The borough’s solution is to condemn this property and take it from this local resident and taxpayer.

Cal now is paying for a lawyer to defend his back yard and himself from his local government and their lawyers (who he is also helping to pay for through the taxes on this property).

I feel this is a sad abuse of power by the Borough of Allentown and is a warning to all property owners that if this is allowed to occur, that no one’s property rights are safe. If the government wants it, they can just take it.

Save property 37.01.

Ken Kinter

Allentown