Useless Development

The San Diego City Council recently gave final approval to the Sorrento Hills project, arguably the most useless and disgusting development it has backed in the past 10 years. This development will scar a beautiful hillside and canyon with ugly urban blight, will be visible for miles in a very scenic area of San Diego, and will adversely impact the adjacent Los Penasquitos Canyon Park, Torrey Pines State Park and Los Penasquitos Lagoon.

This careless and unfeeling attitude toward development in the city has been the hallmark of this and all previous city administrations. There is no pressing need for additional housing in the area other than to line the pockets of fat-cat developers. North City West is immediately north of the Sorrento Hills site and is not even half completed. It could be expected to supply any housing needs in the area for many years to come. This is “development for developers’ sake” only.

It is ironic that this development received final approval in a week dedicated to Water Conservation Awareness, a week in which the city virtually admitted that, under some conditions, it may not be able to supply future water needs of the present population of San Diego.

This is to serve notice that, in the future, whenever the City Council urges water conservation measures, I intend to go home and water my lawn. I will ignore every recommendation and disobey every regulation it passes until the City Council ceases to be the primary cause of the problem by approving new development which can make any future water shortage problem more serious.

CHARLES DIETZ

San Diego