Joshua Karlin-Resnick’s Feb. 27 article provided greater information than has appeared in The Boston Globe on this subject (Kenmore hotel to get facelift,” pg. 1). The article includes extensive quotes from Pamela Beale, who is described as “chairwoman of BU’s Community Task Force”. I serve on the Task Force as the representative of the Cottage Farm Neighborhood in Brookline.

Perhaps some readers of the article may get the impression that the Community Task Force addressed the Kenmore hotel project. This would be incorrect, as the Task Force was not called upon to do so. Perhaps if the Task Force had been involved, the project may have been better served. I have no serious problems with the Kenmore hotel, which may be preferable to the Boston University brick box designs that BU now seems to lean toward. But the Task Force had no role in this project.

Oddly, the new Master Plan for 2003-2010 recently approved by the Task Force includes as a potential development site (Site S) the location of the Kenmore hotel, although it had been pointed out to BU that the hotel had been built and does not serve an academic purpose. I understand that BU owns the underlying land. But is this private hotel considered by BU to be part of its Charles River Campus? Over the years, going back to the 1940s, BU has had much experience in converting hotels in Kenmore Square into dormitories. Perhaps that may be the future for this new Kenmore hotel.

Back to Pam Beale; while I understand her concerns with Kenmore Square, so may the Task Force. She has a voice as a member and chair of the Task Force in BU developments far from Kenmore Square, in particular the John Hancock Student Village. Why should she and others from the Kenmore Square communities included in the Task Force have such a voice while other Task Force members have no voice regarding the Kenmore hotel project?

I would suggest holding off on a facelift until more time has passed, the hotel has been in operation for a while, the streetscape improvements on the southern side of Commonwealth Avenue have been completed and the improvements to the central bus terminal have been completed. A new look at that time just might be pleasing to all. If the hotel is a little funky, then that may be okay: it might make up for the loss of the Rat. Let’s see the hotel in action before $1.9 million is spent. Perhaps the money could be used to prevent the double, triple and quadruple dorm room occupancies possibly upcoming this fall, or otherwise used to benefit the student body.