School district proposal for Newport Coast is...

School district proposal for Newport Coast is out of line

We are very upset about the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s

decision to bus our children to another school, namely Lincoln

School. We live in Newport Coast, and we pay property taxes in

Newport Coast that support our school and infrastructure.

In fact, Newport Ridge and Newport Ridge North have perhaps been

paying property taxes to support the new school longer than any of

the other communities recently built in Newport Coast.

Why are these new communities not the target of your annihilation?

Why is the large apartment complex in Newport Coast allowed to

continue to go to Newport Coast Elementary School. They do not pay

property taxes. These children are perhaps more transient than those

families who choose to purchase homes and live and support their

community.

Why did the Irvine Co. sell more land to the developer if they did

not have the school or infrastructure to support their decisions?

The district’s decision not only affects our children, but our

future children, and it divides our families. Its actions are also

dividing our community. We purchased our home in Newport Coast for

many reasons, but one of the main reasons was the new school.

I am positive that the school district’s actions will directly

affect our property values since we would not have moved into Newport

Ridge North had we known of this. Every family who owns a home in

this community will be negatively affected by this decision.

Shame on the Irvine Co. and our elected officials who have chosen

to shortchange our children and their education!

Shame on the district for dividing our families and our

communities.

CHERYL RICE

Newport Coast

Council should allow residents to speak freely

Residents hoping to express their opinions at Newport Beach

Planning Commission or City Council meetings are given this

admonition: “If in the future, you wish to challenge in court any of

the matters on this agenda for which a public hearing is to be

conducted, you may be limited to raising only those issues that you

(or someone else) raised orally at the public hearing or in written

correspondence received by the city at or before the hearing.”

My interest in the St. Andrew’s expansion matter led me to City

Hall. My appearance before the Planning Commission was cut short when

the audience was told that no discussion of property values would be

allowed and to take that to the City Council.

My appearance before the City Council was cut short when the

audience was told that no discussion will be allowed about the St.

Andrew’s application except to express an opinion about kicking the

matter back to the Planning Commission.

What’s going on? Those interested in this matter deserve to know

what many respected real estate agents say about the adverse impact

on property values in the St. Andrew’s area should this expansion go

forward.

It’s time for the city to stop passing the buck to someone else

and to make some decisions; they can start by rejecting the flawed

environmental-impact report.

RICHARD ENGLAND

Newport Beach