Perspective Missing in Canyon Fight

It is not surprising that the feud between two neighbors over a canyon adjacent to their property (June 6) should elicit a great deal of response. But to castigate the family involved is to lack the perspective needed to judge their action.

Gary and Charlene Dapelo received permits and went through planning reviews like any other citizen. They did not build a toxic factory; they built a grass field surrounded by trees.

There are probably not a dozen people in all of Orange County who could locate the canyon in question. It is neither visible to, nor usable by, the public. The reason? The above portion of the canyon was filled in to build roads nearly 30 years ago and homes up the canyon have all but obliterated it.

This was not an untouched priceless ecosystem; it was the last remnant of a geological formation that has been destroyed acre by acre over the last three decades.

The Dapelos’ action is a microcosm of Orange County’s development, similar to the building in Laguna Canyon, the oak grove in San Clemente or the stretch of once pristine coastline between Corona del Mar and Laguna.

The loss of California’s open spaces is understandably mourned. But it is the responsibility of the governing bodies to review the laws and represent the people. Mr. Dapelo went through the proper procedures; he did not ignore or subvert the process. It seems unfair to penalize him for what he was given full entitlement to do.

JIM KEMPTON

San Clemente