Public opinion is very important, especially when drastically changing any area.
In this case, public opinion was ignored. The park commissioner and town manager should have realized they would encourage opposition to the plan. They were thinking only of the residents that had complained about parking, and did not take into consideration how other community members would feel. Any kind of contact with community members, such as town meetings or surveys at local businesses could have avoided the problem. Much time was wasted in negotiations with the electric company before either the park commissioner or the town manager realized there was opposition to grading over the area.