To the editor:

I am writing my first “letter to the editor” in my life to address the needless sturm und drang around the paid parking program in Old Town. This program has unequivocally changed life in the neighborhood for the better. I can now almost always find a place to park on my own block, which was a rare thing indeed before the current program was in effect.

Having attended the city council meetings and read the other letters written to the paper, I find it strange that some of the most vocal opposition is coming from people that don’t even live here. The residents are here every day, all year round, and being able to park on your block with a car full of kids or groceries is a wonderful thing.

The neighborhood is also home to many senior citizens that absolutely benefit from proximal parking. So let the weekenders and other visitors pay the quite nominal charge to enjoy our city. For the amount we residents pay in property taxes, being able to park cars within 100 yards of our home really doesn’t seem like much to ask.

-Lt. Col. Drew Pache, U.S. Army, Ret., Alexandria