Readers Respond

AT ISSUE: The city is considering using eminent domain to take over

property for redevelopment.

Let’s inject a little reality into the Huntington Beach City Council’s

recent decision to reinstate eminent domain Downtown (“Council pursues

buying out some Downtown homes,” Aug. 19).

First, the City Council did the right thing. Sure, 25 -- not 50, Ron

Davis -- people spoke against the action Aug. 16. They constitute barely

one-tenth of 1% of the 200,000 people the City Council is charged with

representing.

It’s a safe bet that the vast majority of the other 199,975 residents

will only enjoy a Downtown that is rid of substandard housing, vacant

lots and oil operations, but also provides sales tax dollars to provide

the high level of service Huntington Beach residents are fortunate enough

to enjoy.

JACK MORROW

Huntington Beach

I live in Pier Colony and am very familiar with the property in

question. I feel that the owners should be compensated with a fair

replacement price, but if they refuse to sell, the city should use

eminent domain.

Did you notice that many of the owners who spoke were absentee landlords

living elsewhere? Yet the most vocal and angry were renters who know that

they can’t find another cheap place this close to the beach anywhere else

in Southern California.

I am a homeowner, and I chose to move Downtown because it was being

revitalized, not because it was run-down. I have expected progress to be

made and have been disappointed that it’s taken so long.

I was appalled at the hostile, unruly crowd at the council meeting and

would have been afraid to attend to express my opinions.

Like you, I am very impressed with the Huntington Beach City Council

for their courage and integrity in the hard-fought battle to change

Downtown from a drug-oriented slum into a beautiful place that will make

us proud.

PAUL STRAIN

Huntington Beach

It seems our city has a City Council that is totally out of control. The

council’s action in assuming powers of eminent domain to forcibly acquire

selected properties for development of commercial facilities would seem

to be a violation of the constitutional property rights of the owners.

The process of eminent domain was intended for use when private property

is required by government to provide facilities for public use.

Forcibly acquiring private properties for the establishment of

commercial facilities certainly doesn’t satisfy the criterion of being a

public facility.

And so it would seem to me that the council is not only planning to

acquire property illegally, but in doing so, may cause the city and its

taxpayers to be vulnerable to legal action.

When is the arrogance of this City Council going to stop? When is the

abuse of power by this City Council going to stop? When will the private

citizens of this community have representation on their City Council?

Answer: When the pro-business faction of this existing council is

replaced.

See you at the voting booth.

GIL NIXON

Huntington Beach