I wanted to voice my agreement with the column written by Aubrey Menard regarding the storage facility being built next to the rail trail in Hadley [“They paved paradise and put up storage facility,” Gazette, Jan. 30]. This is a huge loss for everyone who uses the bike path.

Perhaps if the Hadley Planning Board has engaged the public more, they could have understood that a “beautiful building” cannot replace the views we used to enjoy of the Seven Sisters and farmland from the bike path. With so many empty storefronts and hotels on Route 9, do we really need new construction on farmland?

The Planning Board should recognize our farmland as a precious resource, for us and future generations. Preserving the beauty of the valley and the ability for future generations to feed themselves feels more important than storing junk, especially when there are plenty of other places to put it!

Kaylee Brow

Hadley