Good candidates support change As a 40-year...

Good candidates support change

As a 40-year resident of Huntington Beach I believe that the most

important question for the council candidates is “will you support a

radical change in governing to end the contemptible money management,

poor service and scandals that have plagued Huntington Beach for over

20 years?”

MICHAEL HOSKINSON

Huntington Beach

Two the two aspects of the Bolsa Chica

For the record about Bolsa Chica: The developer separated the

Bolsa Chica into two projects. What is before the Coastal Commission

is only the upper bench. This project has parks and trails in a gated

community, which keeps the public from enjoying the Bolsa Chica. Also

it has 100-foot buffers that are also used for parking, part of back

yards and trails.

In a separate deal, the developer agreed to sell the lower bench

for $63 million to the Wildlife Conservation Board which has

guaranteed the money until June 2005

If the project, as presented to the Coastal Commission at the

October 2004 meeting in San Pedro, is approved by Coastal Commission

the developer has until June 2005 to withdraw from the selling

agreement and with the approval of the upper bench can build on the

lower bench, too.

The Coastal Commission is willing to work with the developer to

make changes demanded by law (Coastal Act) for what the Coastal

Commission says is a feasible project on the upper bench.

The Coastal Commission meets in October to see what changes the

developer agrees to. The developer has never missed an opportunity to

miss an opportunity in the last 20 years. Let’s hope they don’t miss

this one.

EILEEN MURPHY

Huntington Beach

Contrary to recent statements in an editorial in the Huntington

Beach Independent, the Coastal Act violations found in the Hearthside

Homes’ Brightwater project design are significant and not subject to

minor modification and compromise to reach compliance (“Close but

it’s still not over,” Aug. 19).

The editor incorrectly states that denial is based merely upon

excessive size of the proposed residences and the gated perimeter of

the project and suggests that the if the developer eliminate the

gates and the Coastal Commission allow the larger homes, the project

could go forward. We would all wish that compliance were that simple.

Hearthside’s currently proposed design includes major violations

of the Coastal Act, including provision of inadequate buffers around

environmentally sensitive habitat areas, intrusion upon buffers that

are proposed by streets, parking and other active uses, the failure

to provide viable public access to a public park area, inadequate

water quality management that could impair the Bolsa Chica wetland

pocket area, Outer Bolsa Bay and our local ocean recreational area,

major landform alterations, elimination of significant wildlife

habitat areas, and creation of a residual developable parcel.

The Coastal Commission’s staff report is available for everyone to

read online. Hearthside, like all California developers, must comply

with the California Coastal Act.

It could easily provide a compliant project that would bring

significant profit to the company. Hearthside’s threat that they will

not sell the lower bench of the Bolsa Chica mesa to the state unless

their submitted project is approved without modification is nothing

more than extortion. The $65 million offered to Hearthside for the

lower bench is most likely far more than Hearthside would have ever

otherwise received even after development of that property. They are

owed no concessions for giving up the lower bench.

LINDA MOON

Huntington Beach

* EDITOR’S NOTE: The Independent’s editorial said that the large

size of the proposed residences and the gated perimeter of the

Hearthside project were among the reasons the Coastal Commission

staff suggested denying the construction.

Thanks for pointing out we need a pool

Kudos to Stephanie Kozowyk and others for pointing out that the

Sports Complex, if it is ever completed, should have a swimming pool

(“Sports complex should sport a pool,” Mailbag Aug. 19). The city of Huntington Beach only has the dirty, old indoor pool, the plunge and

a few high school pools that are only open a few times a week. Other

cities have much better swimming facilities with more opening hours

-- another example of how we as Huntington Beach residents almost

always need to leave the city for activities.

DAVID AND MARIANNE DELLINGER

Huntington Beach

Focus on bigger problems than my RV

This city never ceases to amaze me. Now the proposal is for us to

visit our police station so we can acquire a parking permit for the

short term storage of our RV. Do members of the community really have

nothing better to do than worry about the placement of personal

property in front of private property? Don’t confuse the people that

use their RVs for family fun for those who do not pay property taxes

and live on our streets. Attack those people with police powers with

regards to occupying an RV over night. Not the good taxpaying people,

again.

Deteriorate the appearance of the neighborhood? My $350,000 motor

home does not deteriorate the appearance of my neighborhood. I feel

it is an enhancement. Is the next move to determine what year

vehicles we are allowed to park on the street?

If it is a 1980 or less you cannot park it on the street, or in

front of your house? Where will it stop? As far as complaints go, I

bet there are more complaints from people who want speed humps in

their neighborhoods because of speed violators than those who are not

minding their own business about RV parking. I have yet to see

propaganda for the speed humps. The humps might even save a life or

two.

The people who are pushing this parking measure need to quit

spending time on the computer, get another job and move into Sea

Cliff or Laguna Nigel and wise up.

Got a problem with your neighbor parking his RV in your tract? How

about doing it the old fashioned way and talk to them about it. Our

police do not have time to issue parking permits to good people. If

they do, they should be out chasing down the knuckle-head contractor

who apparently stiffed all of us out of close to a $1 million for our

baseball diamond. Now that is an issue.

CHRIS HART

Huntington Beach

I am writing this response to the RV ban in Huntington Beach. I

have a motor home and we use it very much on weekends and on

weekdays, we have two small children and it would be impossible to

load and unload and clean out our RV in the time you are proposing to

be parked on the street. And to have to go to the police station to

just get a permit to put our RV in front of our own home is just

ridiculous. I do agree that permanent storing of a RV on public

streets is a nuisance, but we do have a storage space and it is not

fair to punish all RV owners for the one that abuse the right to park

on the streets. We do pay DMV dues so we do have a right to use the

city streets.

TERRI MANZO

Huntington Beach