EditorialCenter is in proper hands

The Huntington Beach City Council earlier this month did the right thing by deciding to give voters the final say on a new senior center proposed for Central Park. That way, like it or not, clean campaign or dirty one, the decision will be final, the people’s opinion heard.

Giving the decision to voters is how our government is supposed to work ? and specifically how Huntington Beach’s is supposed to under Measure C, the 1990 voter-approved measure that requires the people’s support for any construction, lease or sale of city park or beach property of more than 3,000 square feet or $100,000. The proposed senior center would be built on 14 acres of land in the western part of the park at Goldenwest and Talbert streets. It will cost an estimated $23 million and be 45,000 square feet. Clearly, if the council wants to consider this location, a vote must be taken.

During the coming months, the reasons to support construction of the center ? starting with the fact that the present building, the Rodgers Senior Center, is too small to handle the number of seniors using it now, regardless of any increases ? and the reasons to oppose its construction in Central Park ? beginning with the loss of open space and natural habitat ? will get a full airing. Thus far, the debate about the proposed center has largely focused on the issues, though a few times the discourse has turned toward the personal.

Sadly, it’s reasonable to assume that such attacks and such superficial arguments will continue to play a key role in the election campaign. At some point, the issue likely will come down to an artificial question along the lines of: Do you support seniors or not?

We can hope, though, that such tactics will be few, and that when the “for or against seniors” mailer appear, voters will see through the rhetoric. The decision is too important, and potentially too expensive, for them not to do so.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Was the City Council correct to put the proposed senior center to voters? Call our Reader’s Hotline at (714) 966-4691 or send e-mail to [email protected]. Please spell your name and include your hometown and phone number for verification purposes.