Thank you for your recent coverage of the difficult situation we have in Oakmore, with the excavated construction site at 2055 Leimert Blvd. We appreciated the article by Tricia Caspers. I am writing to balance the comments that I read in a letter to the editor today, from the property owner Matt Dutton.

Oakland city officials including Jean Quan, Calvin, Wong and others have indeed made a concerted effort assist our neighborhood and facilitate a solution to the public nuisance at the construction site. Their help has been invited and welcomed by the neighbors, whose properties have been seriously jeopardized. Officials have attended our association's meetings. They have brought the parties together at the City Council offices for negotiations. They have made direct contact with Mr. Dutton, the neighbors, the bank, etc. They are actively working to protect the safety and well being of the community and we appreciate it.

Yes, the situation has plenty of blame to go around and yes we all feel badly for Mr. Dutton's unfortunate circumstances. However, the city fines and neighborhood pressure being applied to the construction site are the direct result of a broader public nuisance created by Mr. Dutton's failed private enterprise. As we understand it, the city fines and construction conditions now binding on that property are designed to assure mitigation of the hazards there, regardless of ownership changes.

We remain hopeful that productive development of the property can occur along with a guarantee that the public nuisance will be addressed.

Kurt Lavenson, president