Battle Over Playa Vista

Robert Jones’ column of Aug. 9 echoes Playa Capital’s own marketing spin. The plans for restoration at the Ballona Wetlands brokered by Friends of Ballona Wetlands are seriously flawed. The 86 neighborhood, environmental, social and church organizations that form the coalition opposed to the massive pollution and gridlock that Playa Vista will produce encourage Steven Spielberg to do the right thing for all life at Ballona.

I have always thanked Ruth Lansford for getting the deal she got. She set the stage for more preservation. Many in the community have asked her to let us build on her success. She refuses, primarily because of her settlement agreement with the developers.

The entire Ballona Wetlands ecosystem is the natural soul of Los Angeles. Our preservation of Ballona is the single most important recognition of good work and love our culture can ever bestow on our children, and it is a sad sign of our times that men who applaud themselves as human philanthropists could confuse this precious bed of life as a commercial treasure.

ROBERT KINSLOW, Member

Ballona Wetlands Land Trust

Venice

*

Jones’ essay struck at the heart of the battle over the Playa Vista development. Project opponents harass developers with frivolous lawsuits and spread misinformation to the public, while caring little about how the delays impact the rapidly degrading wetlands.

I have lived in the Playa del Rey area for more than four decades and I am anxious to see Playa Vista complete its $13-million restoration of the wetlands as quickly as possible. Playa Vista will be built and the wetlands will be restored, but I ask project opponents: Will I be alive to see it?

HOWARD B. DROLLINGER

Playa del Rey

*

I find it quite intriguing that Marcia Hanscom has decided to quote Vaclav Havel in her materials opposing the Playa Vista project. While I, too, respect the wisdom of the Czech leader, I would offer instead the following quote by Havel and invite Hanscom to join all of us at Playa Vista in striving to make sure everybody benefits in the end:

“Let me salute, above all, those among you who have goodwill, and ask them not to fear in the face of obstacles, but to try, in the greatest possible variety of ways, to project their goodwill into what they do, so that as a result of their actions everybody will benefit in the end.”

DAVID A. HERBST

Vice President

Corporate Affairs

Playa Vista