MAILBAG:

We oppose the construction of Ripcurl and the Village. The original codes regarding height and density should apply to all projects in this area (and to all of Huntington Beach). We live in a neighborhood near Bella Terra. This mall itself affected the quality of our lives. Since its opening, our air quality has deteriorated. Bella Terra is an urban heat island. Traffic is already heavy on Edinger Avenue and on Gothard Street north of Edinger. Additional vehicles used by the proposed projects’ tenants, proprietors of the shops, their employees, delivery and service vehicles equal gridlock.

Elimination of any of the strip and clustered shopping centers on Edinger and in surrounding areas would be a loss to the community. Their goods and services are varied, easily accessible and are the source of livelihoods for their proprietors and provide jobs for their employees. A case in point is the small center on the southeast corner of Gothard and Center Avenue. With its low profile, readily accessible parking close to its shops, it is utilized by the community and by Golden West students, who need walk only across the street. Regarding any proposed high-rise construction in Huntington Beach: Should not the proximity of known and probable faults be a consideration?

These proposed developments would negatively impact the residents of this area of Huntington Beach.

Sara Gilliland

Huntington Beach

Development projects should scale back

I have nothing against the Village at Bella Terra and Rip Curl projects per se, but development should be planned in conjunction with available resources.

Consider the following facts. If the maximum number of planned apartments were built (1,153), and a family of four inhabited each apartment, these two buildings would consume approximately 265 million gallons of water per year. This figure is based upon the average number of gallons each American uses in the summer. It might be even more in the winter.

With no discernible conservation program in place, and a community that seems opposed to water desalination, I think the project planners are being shortsighted. Perhaps the Village at Bella Terra and Rip Curl need to be scaled back.

Michael P. Di Gennaro

Huntington Beach

Where are funds for senior center?

As a senior who has lived in Huntington Beach for more than 20 years, I am answering Ralph Bauer’s Oct. 9 Sounding Off (“Elect senior center supporters”).

It was the same old saw he pulled two years ago. Then he accused people who wanted a new senior center but didn’t want it built in Central Park as people who didn’t want a senior center.

Today he’s doing the same thing in the upcoming election.

His article means you are free to vote for all of the incumbents because they all want a new senior center just like they did two years ago. The difference is that some want it in Central Park and some want it at an alternate site, of which there are many. The incumbents, Don Hansen and Keith Bohr, voted for the senior center two years ago.

The city does not have the money promised by Makar, the developer of Pacific City.

The economy is not going to be able to complete this deal.

Elect your City Council by looking at the new people who are running and see if you think the time has come for Huntington Beach to vote in a change in the City Council makeup.

Eileen Murphy

Huntington Beach

Increase in seniors makes center crucial

Phillip Good’s Sounding Off (“Use the senior center we have,” Oct. 16) about the senior center defies logic on several points.

He claims that the number of senior citizens in need of services is not increasing because of medical advances.

The experts in the Office on Aging come to the opposite conclusion.

He fails to acknowledge that these medical advances have resulted in more people living into their late 80s and 90s. The huge increase in these age groups has made it necessary to increase senior center programs that allow seniors to remain independent and stay in their homes.

Good claims that the senior center is underutilized because it isn’t open when the library and stores are closed. The stores and library close at 9 p.m.; does he really think seniors will come out after 9 p.m.? He already postulated that younger seniors don’t need the senior center. Where’s the logic?

After falsely accusing council members of lying about seniors’ needs, he goes on to imply they want to sell the old senior center site to developers. He doesn’t know the facts. When the site was deeded to the city as parkland as required from the builder, the developer placed a codicil on the deed requiring that the land remain as parkland or it will revert to the developer. The city would never allow this land to go back to the developer and plans to keep the land as a park site and community meeting rooms.

Finally, after taking unfair and unsubstantiated swipes at the pro senior center candidates (Keith Bohr, Don Hansen and Devin Dwyer), he recommends two anti-senior center candidates who didn’t even care enough about the voters to publish candidate statements in the voter pamphlet.

Dave Sullivan

Huntington Beach

Who can do the most good for constituents?

The closer-than-expected congressional race between Debbie Cook and Dana Rohrabacher has led to something we haven’t seen in years: TV campaign ads.

Rohrabacher has not been compelled to spend money on TV in the past, and no Democratic challenger has had the resources to pursue it.

The contrasting styles are fascinating. Dana uses the staid and stale approach of the ’80s: puffery, fake sincerity and attacks on the challenger. Debbie uses a fresh approach focusing on what needs to be done and what she will do personally to achieve it. She doesn’t need to fake it.

The fact that whoever wins will need to navigate in an almost certain Democrat-controlled Congress has undercut all of Rohrabacher’s arguments for effective representation for this district (whatever the registration breakdown). Dana has no clout and no credibility. It’s time voters in this district get selfish and concerned about who can do the most good for constituents.

Tim Geddes

Huntington Beach