Glendora Pride’s Record on Preservation of Hillsides

In response to the statement in this morning’s Times (Nov. 23), I believe that it is time to set the record straight.

For the last two years Glendora Pride Inc. has been fighting both City Hall and developers in an effort to control the boom-town growth that threatens to destroy the beauty of the foothill areas of Glendora. In response to our pleas, several months ago Mayor Len Martyns appointed nine Glendorans to a “Hillside Conservancy Advisory Committee.” This group of people has worked hard, and the report they submitted to the City Council is, in our opinion, both thoughtful and comprehensive. It includes a list of ideas and recommendations which might be used to protect the hillsides. Among them are: proposals for the formation of a conservancy, a tree ordinance, re-thinking the hillside zoning laws, imposing a short moratorium on new subdivisions in designated foothill areas until some of this work is done, and imposing temporary property and sales tax increases to raise funds with which to purchase some of these lands.

We are grateful to Mayor Martyns and to his committee for their good-faith effort to accomplish what we feel is so vital to the future of Glendora: to preserve the foothills. Because of their work we believe that we are close to achieving a position of agreement with the council and the developers that will be acceptable to all.

Glendora Pride Inc. fully supports the proposals for the formation of a conservancy, for the hillside zoning law update, the tree ordinance, and the moratorium. However, contrary to current rumor, Glendora Pride Inc. has taken no position on the proposal for tax increases. We believe that the impact of such a tax on property owners would be different in each case, and only a vote of the people should determine this issue, if indeed the question should become an issue.

We are, of course, deeply disappointed that false rumors have been circulated, and that some unsuspecting people, both merchants and citizens, have been deceived into believing that Pride is “trying to raise taxes.” We are not, and we have not endorsed such a proposal.

We only hope that calm and reason will prevail instead of hysterical misinformation.

JUDY LAWFORD

President

Glendora Pride Inc.