I am shocked at your newspaper. In your March 25th issue Helen Lind wrote a letter to the editor criticizing me and my "opinions" regarding the proposed St. Dominic's sports complex. I did not know it was your paper's policy to allow private citizen's letters to be published criticizing other private citizens, by name, without at least checking the facts.

First, Ms. Lind said that we met on several occasions. This is a distortion of fact. We sat next to one another at one of the St. Dominic's meetings. We had a very brief conversation. She told me I should favor the sports complex because it was "morally right." I said drug rehabilitation centers are also "morally right" and asked her if they belong on Mill River Road where she lives. She said, "why not?" Obviously, Ms. Lind does not understand what her neighbors want their neighborhood to be like.

She goes on to say that I live at the end of a "secluded private lane" a good distance from Mill River Road. This, also, is not true. I live on a village road which runs directly off 25A and directly into Mill River Road. It is anything but a secluded private lane. I also live just a few houses from Mill River Road. She further says I live in Brookville. Again, this is untrue. I have lived in Muttontown for the past 13 years.

She mentions that my "exposures to the ebb-and-flow of traffic" is insufficient to have my "opinion carry weight in this matter." How she knows what my exposure is I do not know. She says her house is close to the road (Mill River) and she is a "keen gardener." She claims this makes her qualified to have an opinion regarding traffic. I didn't know that being able to plant tulips and not having a fence around one's property qualifies one to have an "opinion" about traffic. I hope that the traffic consultant which St. Dominic's hired had more qualifications than a green thumb.

Ms. Lind goes on to say that anyone who buys a house 1/2 mile from a four-lane road with heavy traffic (25A) cannot expect an "unchanging rural existence." This is absurd. Our zoning laws and our village's Master Plan assure its continuing existence. St. Dominic's is trying to change the zoning law and Master Plan to end our rural existence.

Ms. Lind says that my concern regarding the sports complex was based on the potential bus and student driver traffic on Mill River Road. She did not mention any of my other equally important objections, some of which are:

1) Traffic and accidents are already far too plentiful on Rte. 105, Mill River Road and 25A.

2) Precedent will be set for the other properties on 25A, leading to commercialization of 25 A in the future.

3) Our village will be forfeiting over $200,000 in school taxes alone.

4) St. Dominic's scaled its project back from the initial plan due to neighborhood resistance. Once it is developed it can easily escalate to a much bigger project with frequent outings and festivals held there.

5) There will be CYO camps on this property during the summer This will bring people from all five boroughs into our neighborhood.

6) This project is not for the benefit of Muttontown residents unless they have children attending St. Dominic's. The property was donated by people who do not live in Muttontown, to be used by an institution which is not in Muttontown for students, most of whom do not live in Muttontown.

I am very disappointed in your paper. I hope you will print this letter so that my actual objections to the project can be heard and that the misinformation about me can be corrected.

Peter R. Kandell

Muttontown Resident