Marinapark not good to city’s open space...

Marinapark not good

to city’s open space

There is much talk about the upcoming Marinapark issue, the $38-

million hotel development.

Stephen Sutherland is schmoozing at parties and shaking hands with

the Big Boys. Meanwhile, Newport/Balboa’s last bay-front, open public

space is being threatened.

The traffic issues alone should be the main deterrent to the

project. But slick ads are appearing all over town urging us

otherwise. I am not an advocate of the trailer park. It is my

opinion, however, that this last open space should be kept for the

people of Newport to enjoy as open space. There is so little left.

Let’s not watch this become another “Cannery Lofts” mistake by the

city fathers. And are we certain that Sutherland is thinking of the

people and the best use for this lovely open spot, or is he thinking

of his “retirement?”

SARAH PEDERSEN

Newport Beach

Garlich’s ideas would put

a ‘stake’ in the Westside

In response to “Planning now for Westside future” (Forum, May 29),

while I have watched with interest the “rolling-out” of the Costa

Mesa Council candidate corps, I am quite surprised to see Planning

Commissioner Bruce Garlich openly establish his anti-resident

position (“stakeholders”). Check your Webster’s under “carpetbagger.”

These “stakeholders,” as Garlich calls them, represent interests in

financial decisions that have no legitimate political options other

than those granted by the City Council through this euphemism.

As to Garlich’s points, while the Community Redevelopment Action

Committee represented the residents of Costa Mesa, the Westside

Revitalization Oversight Committee clearly does not have this

distinction. Check the membership listing.

As for incorporating 19th Street into the redevelopment area, just

what we need, an increased burden on the Redevelopment Agency. Note

that your stakeholders did not contribute. They were the recipients.

A quick review of the necessary area required to generate adequate

funds might change your suggested option.

Regarding the adoption of a specific plan for the Westside? Why

not the last four “plans,” or the general plan that seems to not

apply to the Westside? Remember 1901 Newport?

Hold “town hall” meetings? Is he kidding? We do this twice a

month. We call it City Council. This “town hall” meeting consistently

votes against the citizens of Costa Mesa.

Hearing a politician use the euphemism “stakeholder” is like being

in a proctologist’s waiting room. You know what is coming next.

MIKE BERRY

Costa Mesa

Oft-cheered column

irks reader this time

I look forward to reading Steve Smith’s Family Time column every

Saturday morning, although I must confess that I sometimes find his

attitudes toward the parental performance of his harbor-area

neighbors rather condescending. Nonetheless, his thoughts often

stimulate vigorous debate around our family’s weekend breakfast

table. I have always thought that the Daily Pilot made the right

choice in selecting Steve as its new weekly columnist.

That having been said, I still feel compelled to comment on

Smith’s recent observations concerning a criminal trial that has been

in progress for several weeks now in Santa Ana that involves the son

of a high-ranking member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department

among others.

Steve observes that he doesn’t care who lied either before or

during this trial because of the way the defendants acted. The

implication is that because these videotaped acts did occur, no one

should care whether the defendants have a legal defense to the very

serious charges that have been filed against them.

I have no idea what the verdict will be in this trial. That may in

fact largely depend upon who the jurors believe, and I have no better

insight into who that will be than anyone else who has simply

followed this ugly case in the newspapers.

I am confident only that these trial jurors will render a fair and

appropriate verdict as Orange County jurors almost always do. The

daily search for truth is an integral part of the criminal justice

system’s relentless pursuit of justice.

TOM GOETHALS

Newport Beach