PLATFORM : Not My Own Judge

It is not that we are against development. We as a group are against irresponsible development. When we read the environmental impact report (for the 272-unit housing project recently approved for the Altadena area), we found it was not a very objective reflection of all that will be caused by the project. There will be unbearable impact on traffic. There is a question of floods, a question of fire. The San Gabriel Mountains is one of the most dangerous areas in the world. Whenever there is a storm, basically the whole mountain comes down.

If the people who prepare the environmental impact report are the designers, you’re in love with your own work. I cannot be the judge of my own actions. I think the (county) has a responsibility to the citizens, and they can’t let the responsibility go to a private person who has an interest in the development. We’re running out of open space in the County of Los Angeles. Invading the mountains, the open spaces, is not a solution for the housing problem.