Growth in L.A. and ‘Vigilante Planning’

The Building Industry Assn. of Southern California agrees with The Times that vigilante planning is not the answer to managing Southern California’s growth and the problems that accompany it.

Nor do we support “ballot-box planning” where shortsighted growth-control measures attempt to deal with planning issues far beyond their scope.

BIA/SC believes that growth-management planning by coalitions of government, business and community leaders can provide the guidelines for development that will help make our community more liveable now and in the next century.

Our members are actively involved in such growth management in Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange and Ventura counties. By working together to meet community needs at a larger level than by individual neighborhood, we have the opportunity to create a reasoned, responsible plan for the development of the entire region.

We believe that clean air, reasonable traffic levels and a strong employment base are not incompatible goals. But to attain these objectives, it is necessary for community and business to coexist. Government’s role in this arena should be to coordinate diverse interests into working coalitions ready to make decisions. The time to start this process is now.

KENNETH W. WILLIS

Executive Vice President

BIA/SC

Los Angeles