READERS RESPOND

AT ISSUE: The Irvine Co. last week scrapped its plans to expand in

Newport Center, what Greenlight supporters declared a victory.

I’m responding to the comments of the Greenlight supporters who claimed

victory last week in getting The Irvine Co. to withdraw its remodel plans

for Fashion Island (“Newport Center the first Greenlight casualty?” Jan.

28). If this is the effect Greenlight will have on new investment in our

city, what does this proposal mean for the peninsula, Lido Marina

Village, Mariner’s Mile and other parts of our city that are in need of

reinvestment? And what happens to Fashion Island in 10 years, when it is

outdated and in need of attention?

I remember the $150-million renovation of Fashion Island in 1986. Would

that have taken place with Greenlight on the books? I suspect other

investors will simply walk away from Newport Beach. I understand the

desire to limit development, but if we don’t like the direction our city

is going. Let’s elect new leaders and not permanently amend the city’s

charter with a law that will guarantee a future of blight and mediocrity.

KELLY PURCELL

Newport Beach

Newport Beach residents supporting the Greenlight Initiative sound a lot

like South County residents supporting Measure F. Neither want continued

pollution, traffic and degradation of quality of life. Unfortunately, the

Newport Beach political leaders don’t recognize the concerns of South

County relating to a proposed 24-hour a day international airport, or

their own residents concerns about local traffic and open space issues.

KEVIN L. COOK

Aliso Viejo

I didn’t know that when I elected a city council I also elected to turn

off my brain. The notion that the residents of Newport Beach are too dumb

to read an environmental report is ludicrous. You don’t have to be a

hydrologist, for example, to determine from an environmental impact

report if a project will increase the amount of runoff and by how much.

While most increases are deemed “insignificant” by the developer, the

residents are capable of determining if they agree with this judgment,

just as they are capable of determining if they want the project in their

city.

NANCY GARDNER

Corona del Mar

I will be there to vote yes for Greenlight. Some comments by our city

fathers have urged me on, one in particular, that this proposal makes

them feel like they are not good stewards. Well I agree they have not

listened to the residents and now the residents are going to force the

issue. Apparently they think it’s all right to build a Taco Bell on every

corner. Well I don’t and I think the residents of Newport Beach are in

agreement. Maybe taxation without representation is cheaper.

S. DENNEHY

Newport Beach

I think that Chris Welsh ought to be ashamed of himself for misconstruing

the facts in his recent rebuttal to Claudia Owen’s letter to the editor

published on Jan. 20 (“Greenlight’s method is its madness,” Jan. 25).

As one person who gathered a substantial number of signatures for the

Greenlight petition, I want to assure Newport Beach residents and voters

that everyone I talked to, if they were willing to listen to an

explanation, knew that this initiative would amend the city charter to

require voter approval for any major amendment to the city’s general

plan.

Furthermore, the summary and subsequent text had numerous statements

regarding such provision. Many people also asked for a copy of the

petition and thus had ample opportunity to read it. Giving the voters of

Newport Beach a check or oversight function doesn’t “eliminate the review

process” nor does it “handcuff the city.”

If he knew anything about the policy process, he would know that both

legislation and initiatives are never presumed to be perfect. That is why

we have legislative amendments, as well as public administrators who

write regulations to implement the laws and the court system, which rules

on the legality.

I would also like to point out that Bob Caustin, as a spokesperson for

Defend The Bay, is the one who declared “we’ll make it tougher.” He is

not one of the three principal proponents of the initiative nor is he an

official spokesperson for Greenlight.

JENNIFER W. FRUTIG

Newport Beach