Habitat housing project is not best use...

Habitat housing project

is not best use of site

I would like to invite these Newport Beach residents in favor of

Habitat for Humanity housing projects to the proposed construction

site in Costa Mesa and to show them where these new homes would be

situated. They would be right behind the loading docks of Home Depot,

where noise is common.

When Home Depot was constructed four years ago, a 14-foot wall and berm were constructed and trees planted to reduce the noise (reduce

-- not eliminate -- since we are still exposed to it). This project

would increase the noise that College Park homes would be exposed to,

and living conditions would be much worse for Habitat residents. The

Habitat residents would also be exposed to diesel fumes, which recent

research is showing to cause serious medical problems. With the

14-foot walls surrounding the proposed property, the housing project

would look like a prison yard.

The new homes will be built between College Park and Home Depot,

about 80 feet from the loading docks. We at College Park are

heartened by the support of the Newport Beach residents for Habitat,

and we are sure that they can find a more suitable environment to

build a place for families to live in Newport Beach, instead of being

charitable with someone else’s cast-off dump. They could show real

kindness by providing a healthy environment themselves.

The College Park residents do not believe that this is a suitable

place for anyone to live. One of their alternative recommendations

for the use of the area is for a park, which is an excellent idea for

two reasons. First it can be attached to the current Wilson Park,

which is overcrowded. (Just come over on any weekend, and you will

see for yourself.) And secondly, the population of Costa Mesa has

seen a large increase in population with no comparable increase in

park area for picnics and playground areas.

DAN GOLDMANN

Costa Mesa

Field condition is a

condition of laziness

Regarding “Difference in fields called ‘discriminatory,’” Saturday

in the Daily Pilot, I feel that the parents at Estancia and Costa

Mesa’s school district are just lazy.

If they could get off their laurel oats on Saturday and Sunday and

go out and put some work into the fields, they would look as nice as

Newport Beach’s. The parents in Newport Beach get out there, and they

work on the fields. Estancia and Costa Mesa just expect the school

district to do it. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense. Gimme, gimme,

gimme, and I’m not going to give anything back.

It’s not the responsibility of the schools all the time. I don’t

think there’s any discrimination. I just think it’s laziness on the

parts of the parents.

GEN RYAN

Newport Beach

Report prompts dog account, memories of shoddy shelter

The Daily Pilot’s report, “Vet denies allegations by shelter

volunteers,” Wednesday about activities at the Orange County Humane

Society is important. It, hopefully, will draw enough comment to you

to cause you to keep following and reporting what action Costa Mesa

officials quickly take to resolve the problem.

The Tuesday following Memorial Day this year, I found myself

visiting the shelter to pick up a dog that had been incarcerated over

two nights. Depressing does not describe that place. It was the same

exactly as it was 22 years ago when I first saw the place. The poor

dog’s condition coming out of a “humane” shelter was unbelievable. He

was partially wet and smelled to high heaven -- it was not a

disinfectant smell; it was probably urine. The poor dog acted

disoriented and very downcast. After an immediate bath and a couple

of days among friends, he was OK.

Take a tour of shelters from Santa Ana and through South County,

where you will find bright, clean, well-run places. You will remember

Costa Mesa’s choice and shudder. I am amazed that Costa Mesa or any

city would use such a place. As a resident of Costa Mesa, I am

ashamed of us.

PAUL C. MOORE

Costa Mesa