Mailbag - Nov. 29, 2001

Voters made the right call in overriding council

What a relief to find that the dominant paradigm has truly shifted

from developer-influenced growth to voter-directed growth (“Voters red

light Koll’s expansion,” Nov. 21).

Despite the endorsement of the Newport Beach Planning Commission, City

Council and Chamber of Commerce, the Koll project just didn’t pass the

sniff test for the majority of voters. Perhaps this indicates the

intelligence of the average voter, who was able to ascertain that an

annual addition to city coffers of $28,000 comes out to about 40 cents

per year per resident.

Or possibly it reflects the widespread disgust that dirty politics

would play such a large role in the Koll supporter’s campaign. Or maybe

Newport Beach residents are just tired of the endless roll call of

enormous projects that enrich developers at the cost of our own quality

of life.

Perhaps the next project approved by our City Council and presented to

the voters will actually benefit Newport Beach residents.

SUSAN SKINNER CAUSTIN

Newport Beach

Residents simply don’t want additional growth

The city elders just haven’t been listening. Most citizens of Newport

Beach want to stop growth, knowing it feeds on itself and never stops --

unless they do something about it. Nothing could be plainer than that

residents think the city is big enough. It doesn’t need any more

buildings, services or traffic.

Tax revenue? How much of that will be swallowed up in increased demand

from the growth that generates it? Do residents of large cities pay less

tax because of scale efficiencies?

Newport Beach is a fine place to work and live and will only cease to

be so when equilibrium with other cities is reached. We really like it

and want to keep it this way. That’s what Greenlight supporters are

saying. That’s what the pro-growth city officials find it so hard to

understand.

TOM MOULSON

Corona del Mar

El Morro residents have outstayed their welcome

Assemblyman John Campbell’s idea to extend the leases at the El Morro

Mobile Home park in Crystal Cove State Park for another 10 years beyond

their current leases that are set to expire in 2004 is not a good idea

and is terribly unfair to the vast majority of his constituents, as well

as the general public of California (“Agency seeks money for cove,” Nov.

8).

We taxpayers paid the Irvine Co. $32.5 million for Crystal Cove State

Park in 1978. At that time, the people in the mobile homes were given

very generous 20-year leases to adjust to the idea of having to leave. In

1999, they were given another five-year lease and now, as the time

approaches for them to leave, they are using every means possible to stay

on indefinitely, including disseminating misinformation, hiring a

lobbyist and public relations firm.

A public campground use of that wonderful El Morro beach with parking

and picnic facilities for the use of the people of California is planned

for this part of the park. In an area that is lacking in recreational

facilities, this need is great.

The mobile home leaseholders’ contention that crime would increase in

the area is not supported by any facts. Currently, there is a state park

campground in San Clemente, next to Concordia School. Not only has there

never been a problem there, but the park rangers and the school work well

together.

Only about 38% of the mobile homes in Crystal Cove are occupied by

those who hold the leases. Some are rented out at very high rates --

about $1,000 per week and more -- much of the year. We cannot allow this

travesty to continue.

Our hope is that Campbell will rethink his plan and allow the

campground and beach conversion to begin promptly in 2004. The State

Parks officials say they will have the necessary funds to proceed. After

25 years, it is time for the California public to have a chance to enjoy

this lovely spot.

FERN PIRKLE

Corona del Mar

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Fern Pirkle is president of Friends of the Irvine

Coast.

Several water issues must be considered

As a kid, I used to love to get the hose out and wash down everything

in sight. Since then, the world of water has changed (“Gates can’t stop

new clean-water regulations,” Nov. 10).

Now, rightly, I am discouraged from washing down my property. To clean

the paved areas around my home, I use a push broom and dust pan.

Washing the pavement after sweeping would only remove the dust that

has settled on the pavement. With the proliferation of leaf blowers all

over the city, most dust washed off the pavement would be replaced with

airborne dust in a matter of hours. Sweeping the area should take about

the same amount of time as washing the area. If it is a large area, such

as a parking lot, it should already be maintained using small vacuum

trucks or hand-operated vacuum units.

Street sweeping/no parking is a much more important issue. The city

already has a very good street-sweeping policy, except for the lack of

alley sweeping. Inland cities should be encouraged to implement like

policies. County or state support for this seems more appropriate since

the inland cities’ runoff affects the county and state coastal waters.

We live in a desert. Water should be treated as a valuable and, at

times, scarce commodity.

In addition to the issue of water quality, how about intelligent water

use? Water has a wholesale value of about $450 per acre foot. It will

cost more and be available less in the future. Water conservation should

not be ignored to clean pavement.

DENNIS BAKER

Corona del Mar

Carrying out Measure M mission will alleviate traffic

I was appalled to read the Pilot’s endorsement of the abbreviated

CenterLine rail system (“Costa Mesa is riding the right ticket,” Nov. 1).

Your only argument in its favor appears to be essentially the same as a

teenager wanting the same clothes as most of his classmates. That is, you

say Orange County needs a rail system because many other cities already

have one. But, of course, that does not provide any justification unless

there are some real benefits.

The only major city in the U.S. that improved its traffic congestion

problem in the last 10 years was Phoenix. They were late to the

freeway-building game but have made great strides to catch up. All the

new roads have meant that people get where they’re going faster and

easier. No city that has built a rail system in the last 10 years has

seen its traffic situation improve.

Orange County’s Measure M has helped us significantly. If we finish

the freeway improvements planned, we may join Phoenix as one of the few

areas to reduce congestion when the next statistics are released.

CenterLine won’t make a dent in freeway traffic, but it will take a huge

bite from the funds available for projects that will help. (No one,

especially you, should accept the optimistic cost projection offered by

CenterLine proponents.)

And as an at-grade rail system, CenterLine will cause congestion on

our streets.

Rather than emulate our friends who blow their money on the latest

fashions, Orange County can be like the young professional who succeeds

in spite of his lack of high school fashion and can look back in his

later life at the foolishness of his classmates.

DAVE CLOSE

Costa Mesa