Mailbag - Oct. 28, 1999

Although we appreciate the Huntington Beach Planning Commission’s attempt

to eliminate PLC’s “reign of dust,” we are less than pleased with the

watered-down approval allowing the fox to monitor the chicken coop.

As it stands, Public Works is left to monitor PLC’s adherence to

specifications designed to eliminate blowing dust. This is the same city

department in which inspectors somehow were unable to see a 45-foot-high

mountain of dirt where our rain of dust originated.

When asked at the Oct. 12 Planning Commission meeting why the inspectors

did not notice Mount PLC, Jack Miller, chief inspector, had no

explanation.

The only way we residents will be relieved of blowing dust is to have PLC

pay for a full-time, on-site inspector with the ability to shut down the

soil detoxification work whenever the work is out of compliance with

stipulations in the permit.

JAY KREITZ

Huntington Beach

Still think development is good?

I wonder if anyone has considered the part that excessive development and

growth in our city has contributed to the urban runoff that some believe

is the source of our beach pollution? I wonder if our Planning

Commissions and City Councils of the ‘80s and ‘90s still believe there is

no cost for growth and development? I wonder if they still believe that

growth and development are good for all of us?

Look around our city. Thousands of added new homes, many in very

high-density developments, like the developments surrounding the area of

Main and Garfield streets. Remember, these projects were approved by our

Planning Commissions and City Councils with the admonition that “growth

is good for all of us,” especially the developers, and will increase the

city’s tax base.

And now that the city’s infrastructure and ecosystem have been pushed

beyond their limits by this growth and development, the City Council will

ask the taxpayers for money to “fix our problems.”

The madness continues.

GIL NIXON

Huntington Beach

Let the residents vote on Wal-Mart

I believe there should be a vote on Wal-Mart as quickly as possible, and

it should be a straight up or down vote on the rezoning, with no other

sham “advisory” issues to stack the deck against the petition gatherers.

Council members Dave Garofalo, Ralph Bauer, Shirley Dettloff and Pam

Julien should rethink their desire to deter the will of the more than 10%

of the city that desires to have a special election on whether a

130,000-square-foot big box belongs in a residential neighborhood across

the street from a church and the city’s only cemetery.

I do not live in the Crest View area, but I am concerned about the level

of city services, and their costs, and the interests of all of our

children. My belief is that the elected officials should uphold, not

thwart, the integrity of the initiative process.

I applaud councilmen Dave Sullivan, Tom Harman and Mayor Peter Green for

upholding the legislative process and the people’s right to govern.

GINO J. BRUNO

Huntington Beach

The vote should have been just an up or down vote in January: Do you want

a Wal-Mart in a residential neighborhood?

The majority of the City Council, Shirley Dettloff, Pam Julien, Dave

Garofalo and Ralph Bauer, have voted to cloud the issue by pushing the

vote back to March and adding other issues to the ballot.

And what about their idea of asking voters whether they want 50% of the

sales tax from the store to be spent on a sports field and senior center?

I think they made a mistake not including apple pie and motherhood in

there someplace. That’s always a vote-getter.

EILEEN MURPHY

Huntington Beach

Other issues should not be on the ballot. We specifically obtained the

number of signatures needed to have a special election. The March ballot

is not a special election.

SUE SPECTOR

Fountain Valley

At least once is better than never

New math. Good morning, students. Let us begin our daily math quiz.

Ever since the honorable Mayor Peter Green announced the twice-monthly

street cleaning policy in Huntington Beach, our street has been swept

zero times.

When we had the once-a-month policy, our street was cleaned about once

every three months.

Now, what is the probability that our street will be cleaned this month?

Zero, you say? Very good. How did you arrive at the answer? One third per

month times zero per month equals zero? Very good, students.

Now another question. How many of you would favor going back to the

once-a-month policy?

CHARLES (REX) MYLES

Huntington Beach

Doesn’t anyone care about the nude juice club?

The nude juice place they’re going to put in makes me furious.

We have property near there, and my kids go near that area. I know

everyone’s protesting the Wal-Mart, which personally I would like to

have. But no one is saying anything about a strip club, which is going to

lower property values and bring in drugs and prostitution.

Is there anything we can do stop it? It really makes me angry that

they’re going to do that by the end of the year.

MARCIA HENDRICKS

Huntington Beach