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To the editor: Re: "Indian restaurant stares down city hall over facade," March 16. This is truly unbelievable.

To the editor:

Re: "Indian restaurant stares down city hall over facade," March 16.

This is truly unbelievable. East is East is a small business trying to make a small difference and fit into the kitschy (City of Vancouver staff description) nature of Main Street. Not everyone may like the style of the store front, but the restaurant is definitely fitting in with the eclectic nature of Main Street.

Before criticizing the efforts of East is East, council should also consider that not everyone likes the thought of the "poodle on the pole" street art that the city is going ahead with in front of 3333 Main despite considerable neighbourhood opposition.

In addition, the city allows the likes of Shoppers Drug Mart to enter neighbourhoods with an absolute minimum of effort to their storefronts, which completely goes against the grain of the Main Street look and feel. The city and council's criteria for what is appropriate for Main Street seems to have very little relationship to what the residents of the neighbourhood actually want. We could also add the Rize and Little Mountain developments into the discussion-both of which have strong neighbourhood opposition but which the still seems intent with ploughing ahead.

Mark Stoakes, Vancouver