Mailbag: Affordable housing is a relative term in O.C.

The story about the proposed fate of the Costa Mesa Motor Inn and the accompanying protests bandy about the term “affordable housing” very loosely (“Protesters voice concerns over plans to replace Costa Mesa’s Motor Inn with luxury apartment,” Oct. 22).

Isn’t all housing “affordable” to someone? Newport Coast and Beverly Hills are filled with affordable housing. They must be. Many people are living there, so it is affordable for them. Personally, I cannot afford to live there, but does that mean it’s not affordable?

Should those communities be required by our government to provide housing in those communities that is affordable to me? Why?

Maybe instead of hiding their true demands with misleading euphemisms, the Costa Mesa Affordable Coalition and your reporters should be honest and say what they really mean and want: Taxpayer-subsidized housing. Plain and simple. And truthful.

I’m not saying taxpayer-subsidized housing is good or bad. It is one of many factors when trying to build and maintain a community. But if you feel strongly that you want our tax dollars to assist low-income people in paying for housing that they cannot afford otherwise, then stand tall and own it. Just tell the truth.

Stop trying to hide behind the deliberately vague term “affordable” because you are not fooling anyone.

Randy Stratton

Costa Mesa

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Return Lido church to original congregation

In reference to the article (“Memorial stained-glass window in limbo amid St. James church saga,” Oct. 16) on the Rose Window written by Hannah Fry, it seems the Rev. Cindy Evans Voorhees is quick to use the article to gain sympathy for her church, St. James the Great.

The church on Via Lido was built and paid for by a congregation that celebrated 75 years there. They were actually there when the memorial window was given — not her congregation, which was there for less than two years.

In my opinion, the Griffith Co. should be seeking to return the property to the original congregation, which the property was given to more than 75 years ago. It was first known as St. James Episcopal Church Newport Beach and later as St. James Anglican Church Newport Beach.

Philip A. Brady

Newport Beach

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There’s not enough parkland

I agree with Thomas J. Peterson about the Great Park project (“Voters bamboozled by Great Park project,” Oct 28). I choose to call it “The Great Land Grab.”

My theory is that the Irvine city politicians realized that taking over the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro would give the city excess parkland, which would enable the city to build thousands more residential and industrial property sites.

The rest is history. Hopefully, the citizens of Orange County will actually benefit from the acquisition of the parkland.

One of the definitions of parkland is “open land consisting of fields and scattered groups of trees.” Boy did we get the short end of the stick.

We need to be wary of all city governments when it comes to our parkland sites. For some reason, politicians and developers look at parkland as needing development.

Larry Courter

Fairview Park Advocates

Costa Mesa