Talk on Fourth returns

To suggest that the solution to one day of excessive partying

(Fourth of July) a year, at a cost of $90,643, is to ban summer

rentals or as the mayor suggests, “changing the character of the

neighborhood from a summer rental place to an area where owners live

in their properties year round,” is ridiculous (“Fourth of July

craziness on council radar,” Wednesday).

Summer rentals are usually occupied by families that contribute

millions of dollars to the Newport Beach economy. Banning summer

rentals would damage many businesses in Newport from restaurants to

the Fun Zone, not to mention the impact on city coffers (the city

collects a 10% tax on summer rentals).

Newport Beach shouldn’t overreact to this one-day problem because

the economic consequences could be severe (why are we spending $7

million on downtown Balboa anyway, to attract locals?). We need to

study how other tourist towns, such as Palm Springs, have dealt with

these problems. Surely their solution wasn’t to “ban rentals or

change neighborhoods.”

WALTER SEBRING

Corona del Mar

I am responding to the article about our City Council members and

their plans to attempt to control the parties on weekend and

holidays.

We have lived on the Ocean Front of Balboa Peninsula for more than

40 years. Each year gets worse. We have not been able to have our

family for Fourth of July for 10 years. Visitors come early in order

to find a parking place and stay late.

Closing the liquor stores will not solve the problem. Party-minded

people will stock up before the holiday or have their guests “bring

their own.”

I think it’s time the Peninsula residents get a break. We pay the

taxes here and can’t find a place to park. Somehow the amount of cars

that invade the Peninsula need to be limited.

How about some “resident only” parking? It use to get better after

Labor Day but since the bicycles and in-line skaters have discovered

the boardwalk, it’s hard to park on any weekend.

HAPPY ZANT

Balboa Peninsula