MAILBAG - Sept. 9, 1999

I have just returned from a summer vacation to confront the

massive, industrial-looking concrete box that arose at Harbor Day School.

To fully understand why this building is upsetting to people, I encourage

anyone to drive to the top of Sandcastle Drive and see what Harbor View

Hills South residents now view from their homes.

The approval to build a structure too big for a site -- a structure

that destroys the aesthetic balance of the community -- is a mistake

forever repeated by our city.

Apparently, the city notified the minimum number of nearby residents

by means of an innocuous postcard describing a proposed height variance

and general plan amendment. However, current city laws do not require

staking as does Laguna Beach and other cities. This is wrong and should

be immediately corrected to allow the lay public a chance to visualize

the three-dimensional impact of proposed projects such as the Harbor Day

gym before they are irreversibly constructed in our backyards.

Why wasn’t Harbor Day School required to have a greater setback off

the street so it didn’t appear to be towering over San Joaquin Hills

Road? Did it not occur to anyone in the city that approving a building of

this size on that tiny bit of land would present a problem when it was

built? Doesn’t the Planning Commission and the City Council have a duty

to communicate with homeowners and homeowner associations about potential

projects like this so they are informed of the consequences before it is

too late?

Yes, the city appears to have followed the strict letter of the law.

But, nowhere was there any thought, planning or vision exhibited by our

elected and appointed officials to protect and preserve the character of

our community.

LIZANNE WITTE

Corona del Mar

Lovell story was biased and unfair

The reporter writing about the arrest of Dr. Steven Lovell

accomplished producing one of the most biased stories I have ever read.

Lumping Dr. Lovell with two other men accused of molesting women and with

the quote from the police, saying something like, “These men will get

whatever they want” was irresponsible and shoddy.

We have known Steve for at least 15 years and consider him and his

family to be friends. He has helped my son, daughter, wife and me with

various chiropractic problems over the years, with great results.

If it took a woman seven months to figure out that she was molested,

what could have been on her mind? Being adjusted, by a chiropractor, as

in any medical procedure requires touching. If this is uncomfortable for

a person, he or she should communicate this to the doctor.

A person is innocent until proved guilty, not the other way around, as

your article suggests. When Steve is proven innocent, will the Pilot

print that story on the front page? A person’s reputation should not be

taken so lightly.

PATRICK AND CHRISTINE SULLIVAN

Newport Beach

Reader gets it wrong on lottery money

Marie Margaret’s “Where’s all that money going?” (Mailbag Aug. 31)

letter concerning money to the schools from the California lottery. Her

assumption that the lottery would solve schools’ money problems is

exactly the reason why so many school people voted against it. Despite

what many thought, the lottery was never designed to solve schools’

financial woes ... and it hasn’t!

About 35% of the lottery sales income is evenly distributed to the

schools on a per-student basis, where it represents a small portion of

the district budget. Actually, the amount has ranged from a high of

almost 4% to a low of 2% in 1997-98, and it must be spent for

instructional purposes. Not one cent can be spent on buildings that we

need desperately!

Bond elections allow boards of education to borrow money to build

schools. Most of us need to take on a mortgage to build our homes.

Similarly, school districts raise the money to build schools through the

sale of bonds, which have been approved by two-thirds of the voters.

Virtually every district in Orange County needs new classrooms

desperately to house our steadily increasing enrollment, which is now

about 480,000 K-12 students -- an increase of 20,000 over last year!

Board of education members are committed to providing a clean,

respectable and safe learning environment for every student at the lowest

reasonable cost. Our responsibility to this and subsequent generations is

to provide the schools where that can happen. As responsible community

members, we must do no less!

JOHN F. DEAN

Orange County superintendent of schools

More thoughts on El Toro airport debate

Subscriber Linda Wooters’ letter Aug. 26 asked what next for Newport

Beach residents if the proposed El Toro airport does not happen?

It is likely that those people who advocate the need for additional

airport capacity anywhere in Orange County will look to an expansion of

John Wayne. That is why the Safe & Healthy Communities Initiative is

needed. It provides the residents of Newport Beach the same protection

against an expansion of John Wayne that opponents of El Toro have or to

those fighting against a large jail site in their communities. The voters

of Orange County should decide whether airports, jails or toxic dumps

should be built or expanded in their communities. Such projects should

only be built if approved by a consensus -- and not just a simple

majority -- of the county voters because of the significant risk that

such projects may cause to the affected communities.

While I am opposed to an airport at El Toro, I share Wooters’ fear and

concern that an unnecessary and unpopular expansion plan for John Wayne

will be approved by the board of supervisors that does not reflect the

will of the people. Our measure will protect her and keep our communities

safe and healthy.

JEFF METZGER

Laguna Hills

In the matter of the airport at El Toro, some questions need to be

asked. First, I have lived in Newport for 20 years, and own businesses in

Lake Forest. The questions are these, and they are for those,

particularly in Newport Beach, who favor an airport at El Toro.

Do you really believe that more flights will come to John Wayne if the

county supervisors vote against it?

Do you really believe that noise is in any way a major issue in the

proposed airport?

Do you really believe that an airport at El Toro will, as some

proclaim, reduce traffic around the El Toro “Y”?

Do you really believe that some rich guy on a very secluded island in

the harbor would pour millions into the plan for a new airport, oh, just

because he’s a “good guy?”

Could it be that you really don’t know what an airport does to a

community? You don’t know about Schiller Park, Stone Park, Rosemont,

Bellwood? You don’t know about Century Boulevard, Mannheim Road, River

Road or the Pomona Freeway around the Ontario airport?

Do you really believe that the county general plan will protect the

local communities from similar destruction? Count the number of plan

amendments, variations and deviations that have already been arranged in

the county plan.

Finally, let the goofy Newport Beach City Council be aware that there

is sanity in the community and it will oppose the airport, primarily

because the whole truth about this misadventure has not been told and the

$600,000 already spent on this foolishness could have been put to a much

better use.

RICHARD SPEHN

Corona del Mar

Newport Coast commercial site should stay that way

My comment concerns the Irvine Co.’s possible purchase of the

commercial site, situated at the intersection of Newport Coast Drive and

San Joaquin Hills Road.

If the Irvine Co., or any other developer is permitted to build

apartments, rest assured the decision is based on “negative impact,” that

will never be discussed openly by the county or the city of Newport

Beach.

Should the city of Newport fail to annex Newport Coast, the city would

lose significant sales tax revenue that would likely be generated in

shopping courts such as those where Bristol Farms, Gelsons and Albertsons

are located. This is both a short-term and long-term concern to the city

of Newport Beach. The best scenario for the entire site is a retail

complex. Not apartments. Poor planning decisions always seem to have an

economic upside to one of the players.

M.A. GILLETTE

Newport Coast

Businesses should be able to display merchandise

I am commenting about the Daily Pilot’s over enforcement issues. I

understand the difficulties the city has regarding the liability issue,

but it is more important the city show its charm and allow this

merchandise to be seen outside of their properties. It is very pleasant

to the eye and that should be our concern for our own community. Let the

liability issue be settled among insurance companies and attorneys. Leave

that out. Let’s enjoy our city.

MARTIN STUKA

Corona del Mar