Making One Final Point

James Rainey’s article headlined, “Stable Evicted From Wetlands Property” was, for the most part, objective and well balanced, but the last paragraph left the reader with the impression that the Friends of the Ballona Wetlands environmental group supported the immediate eviction of the Playa del Rey Stables. The story appeared to have been cut to fit the size available, which resulted in omitting the other side of the story.

Ruth Lansford, government chairperson for the Friends of the Ballona Wetlands, wrote a “To whom it may concern” letter on April 16, which she gave to the Playa del Rey Equestrian Club, a large group of concerned horse-owners, protesting the abrupt eviction. Besides detailing many reasons horses and wetlands are incompatible, her letter states in part: “Our position is that as long as the horses do not tread on the wetland or the coastal strand area we have no objection to the presence of the stable and, indeed, find it a community asset.”

I would like to add one important point not mentioned in the story. The Summa spokesman was quoted about a possible lease extension “in terms of months and not years.” The residents and merchants in Playa del Rey are well aware of construction plans for the stable area, plans that involved obtaining permits from many groups before any construction can proceed. The bulldozers are not coming “in terms of months” but years.

If the stable is evicted long before construction begins, it seems inevitable that this area (which was built in 1911 and is adjacent to, but not inside, the wetlands or coastal strand area) will become the habitat of the homeless and the drug dealers. The entire neighborhood will suffer, not just the horses.

EVELYN CRUMPTON

Playa del Rey