Letters to the Editor: Another dense project will not benefit Newport Beach

The article by Bradley Zint regarding Koll Center Residences was excellent (“Public gets early look at 260-unit, 3-tower condo plan for office park near JWA”). What is so interesting is the way the developer attempts to get this project approved along with the product type.

The hiring of high-powered, third-party consultants to push a project through and commission members recusing themselves simply does not meet the needs and standards of the community to ensure this project is in its best interests.

As a longtime developer, I know community needs come first. Newport Beach does not need another dense project similar to Central Park West, Irvine — less than one mile from the proposed Koll development. My office was in Koll Center Newport for several years, and the Koll Co. and I have been joint-venture partners. I know the subject property well, along with the community of Newport Beach, where I grew up and started in business.

The need for quality, affordable housing is not, and will not, be accomplished with this proposed project. The high demand for housing has driven the price of residential land higher than land intended for commercial property uses in this specific instance. This is a classic example of a proposed land-use change simply for economic benefit.

A dense residential project within an already master planned commercial area simply does not fit, or best serve, the community. Despite Shopoff Realty Investments being a talented developer, this project sacrifices a value for a temporary need. I am pro-responsible development, growth and well-conceived change. This proposed project is an afterthought based upon changed land values due to the high demand for housing.

Richard Hawthorne

Laguna Niguel

H.B. also faces climate change problems

Re: “Newport Beach should work to prevent, as well as prepare for, rising sea levels”: Thanks to the Pilot for printing this important op-ed, which is perfectly correct.

In Huntington Beach, we also face problems from climate change, with sea level rise at the top of our concerns. Others in Southern California are more worried about drought, severe weather, wildfires, mudslides. No matter which of the many problems from fossil carbon pollution, we need to act now.

If conservatives do not push for a carbon fee and dividend plan, liberals will push more government spending and regulations.

James A. Martin

Huntington Beach

Trump’s position on Israel does harm

We write as people of faith who are either attendees at, or members of, Irvine United Congregational Church. Our progressive, Christian faith prompts us to strenuously object recent moves by President Trump and his administration in regards to Israel and Palestine.

First, there was the foolish and provocative decision in December to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. This unilateral action upends decades of bipartisan U.S. policy, violates various United Nations resolutions, and seems to destroy hopes of making East Jerusalem the capital of an independent Palestinian state in the future.

More recently, on Jan. 16, the State Department announced that it would be withholding half ($65 million) of the planned U.S. contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) — and just this past week Trump threatened to cut even more funding.

This vindictive move apparently is meant to punish Palestinian political leaders. But it will have dire humanitarian consequences: There are more than 1.5 million refugees in 58 “camps” in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza, according to the (UNRWA).

The UNRWA aid provides life-sustaining assistance to children, women and men in the forms of emergency food aid, access to primary healthcare, access to primary education, or other critical support to extremely vulnerable populations.

News articles claim that the aid cut-off will be “a death sentence” for some in these sordid camps. As people of faith — and as U.S. citizens who believe our nation is better than this — we call for the U.S. to be an honest broker for peace in the Middle East and a compassionate country that cares for the least of these by providing assistance to refugees.

Full U.S. funding for UNRWA should be restored immediately.

David A. Smith and 50 other signers

Irvine United Congregational Church Advocates for Peace and Justice

Irvine

How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.