Mayor McBride and council members, I have followed the Potala Village story in the Kirkland Reporter and now the Seattle Times.

Your duty is to represent all of the residents of Kirkland, not just a segment objecting to Potala Village.

I have been involved in engineering and real estate for 55 years. My understanding of zoning law is that it provides rights and obligations, and that they vest at the time a building permit is requested. Fairness and justice demand this. You cannot change the zoning after an owner has made a proper effort to get a permit under the zoning and terms in effect at the time the permit was filed. Check with your lawyers.

The neighbors objecting to the project had the opportunity to be heard at the time the zoning was being considered. They are wrong to object now.

It appears that the owners of the Potala Village project have made a very sincere and generous effort to deal with the demands the city has made on behalf of the neighbors to the project, who are just a small segment of our city.

Now the Potala Village owners have a chance to win the right to build what they originally proposed, with no need to compromise with Kirkland.

Stop fighting the developer and stop spending taxpayer money and city resources that should be used for the good of the whole city.

I want the council to resolve this and do so at once without the expense of a trial that has not the faintest glimmer of success regarding the demands the city has been making.

Roger Lowe, Kirkland