Last week I wrote a post about trying to go the Arboretum Garden Show and the difficulty with Westfield Santa Anita Mall. I also wrote a complaint to Westfield.  This is a transcript of that correspondence:

The message was sent to: corporateaffairs@westfield.com from: Simon
Burrow.
Message is as follows:
Why wouldn’t you let us park in the corner of the mall for the
Arboretum Garden Show last weekend?
https://simonburrow.com//archives/politics/westfield-mall-and-the-
arboretum-garden-show.

I received a prompt reply from Michael Lattanzio:

On May 14, 2007, at 12:40 PM, Michael Lattanzio wrote:

Hi there –
I am following up with you to your email below. The Garden Show
was an event held and hosted by the Arboretum this past weekend.
Westfield Santa Anita Mall had no direct involvement with the
event. Please feel free to contact representatives at the
Arboretum 626.821.3222 for assistance or answers to your inquiry.
If for some reason I have misinterpreted this note, please feel
free to contact me at the number referenced below and I would be
more than happy to assist you.
Kind Regards,
Michael

To which I replied:

—–Original Message—–
From: “Simon Burrow”
To: “Michael Lattanzio”
Sent: 5/14/07 4:48 PM
Subject: Re: Westfield.com Contact Us submission

Michael
Thanks for answering my email.
I know the garden show was sponsored by the Arboretum. My question
was: If you want to be good neighbors in Arcadia why wouldn’t your
security people let cars park in the corner of your lot (which was
empty) and walk over to the show? It seems like a counter productive
move and made me, for one, think bad thoughts about Westfield.
Simon

Michael responded:

On May 14, 2007, at 10:56 AM, Michael Lattanzio wrote:
I cannot speak for the security individual who conveyed that message to you, but I have no problem with guests of the Arboretum parking at our site during non-peak business hours. Our weekends tend to draw high traffic demand therefore every parking stall makes a difference. We have provided parking for the Philharmonic every summer for the past 10 years and I cherish the relationship I have with the Arboretum staff.
If I could be further assistance, please let me know.
Kind Regards,
Michael

As you can see we are not communicating but I decided to give it one more try:

Michael
The Santa Anita Mall is Westfield’s property and you as General Manager can do what you want with it. But what I was looking for from you was:
An acknowlegement that a mistake was made not allowing garden show attendees to park in the NE corner of the mall that was empty.
An indication that you had changed your policy.
and perhaps an apology.
Your reply which began: “I cannot speak for….” does none of those things and further confirms my original assumption that Westfield is not a good neighbor to Arcadia. Why would we support your desire for a commercial monopoly?
I’m going to post this exchange on my blog site and in a spirit of fairness and goodwill will be willing to post any further remarks you wish to make.
Thanks
Simon

The world is changing.