Let’s Hear It for the Planners

Builder bashing is booming in the Los Angeles Times, thanks to your recent series of duplicative stories about the Laguna Niguel open-space controversy, as well as other recent articles and editorials concerning local public officials doing horrible things such as golfing with builders.

Specifically, we are writing in response to your editorial titled “County Planning--Pattern of Blunders (Aug. 5),” in which you manage to attack the county’s planning staff, the Planning Commission, City Council members, developers and the Orange County development planning process itself.

The approval process for building homes in Orange County is cumbersome and subject to excruciating and exacting scrutiny. It is a process which entails many public hearings and compromises. It is totally open to the public and to every private interest group that may want to comment on a proposed development project.

This process is the crucible for discussions and deciding the proper balance between environmental and economic issues; for parks and open-space issues; for transportation and low-density issues; for kangaroo rats and humans. In this process, projects are often rejected, and densities frequently reduced. All of these decisions directly impact the availability of all varieties of housing for residents of our county and region.

The process includes a tremendous amount of interaction between people--whether they are government officials, neighbors, consultants or builders.

We think it works for Orange County. Look around you. Orange County is world-renowned as a place to live and work and play. It didn’t happen that way by accident. It happened because of the process, because of thousands of dedicated men and women working within that process to produce homes, jobs, and recreation.

Is the process perfect? Of course not. Some people are bunglers and some people are dishonest. But by and large, the process, and the people involved, have done a pretty good job in helping Orange County respond to the human and social needs of its residents.

CHRISTINE D. REED

Executive Director

Building Industry Assn.

of Southern California Inc.

Orange County Region