News that a new developer has purchased the partially constructed Paramount condominium site in downtown Escondido was welcome. ESCONDIDO: New developer buys downtown site, presents plans

Probably anything that might be built on the site would be an improvement.

I do have one suggestion for the new developer. Keep some open spaces so Centre City Parkway and the downtown area do not become claustrophobic and uninviting to shoppers, tourists and others who pass through Escondido.

When my wife and I were searching for a new home in the early 1990s, nothing caught our fancy until we crossed the Lakes Hodges Bridge and entered southwest Escondido. There was something about the area that was more relaxing and less stressful than other places we had visited.

We eventually learned that early Escondido civic leaders had made open spaces a priority in virtually all construction projects. Homes were built on large lots. Businesses and malls had an abundance of green strips of lawn and vegetation. Apartments and condominiums were neatly fringed with flowerbeds, green lawns and native vegetation. The overall effect was a community that seemed like an extended park. It was enticing, and my wife and I became deeply attached to Escondido.

Fourteen years later, open spaces are under assault. Recently constructed concrete walls, condominium projects, commercial buildings and apartments are often built right next to sidewalks, creating a claustrophobic effect. Many developments, including some on Escondido Boulevard, have failed to preserve any open spaces whatsoever.

One could argue that land is valuable, and owners and developers have to make use of every square inch. However, communities that preserve open spaces also protect property values. Rancho Bernardo has done an admirable job of preserving open spaces, thus property values are high and shoppers feel welcome.

Water shortages could be another rationale for limiting opening spaces in new developments. However, other communities in the Southwest have found innovative ways to preserve open spaces. Chandler, Ariz., has created remarkable visual relief with desert plants, trees, rocks, boulders and low walls. City planners have also refused to place buildings and concrete walls right next to sidewalks.

There have been numerous studies of the effects of open spaces on communities and businesses. Some studies have demonstrated that the lack of open spaces has a negative mental health effect on residents. Still others prove that open spaces make businesses more attractive and inviting to tourists and consumers. Most importantly, open spaces build community pride, whereas the absence of open spaces contributes to vandalism and crime.

Given the obvious benefits of open spaces in urban planning and development, why did Escondido veer so sharply from the patterns established by earlier civic leaders? Those leaders seem almost visionary in terms of what they understood about the advantages of preserving open spaces. With hope, Escondido's City Council and new developers will follow their example so the downtown area can attract business and be a source of community pride.

Escondido resident Dennis M. Clausen is a freelance columnist for the North County Times.