Developers and New Parklands
David Willman’s articles on parks (“O.C. Running Short of High Quality Parkland” and “Developers’ Park Fees Far Below Land Values,” Aug. 27) were stunning.
To think that the county spends so much time assessing private landowners so as to correctly tax us but hasn’t bothered to use correct figures when assessing developers’ land for fee dedication or contribution to parks in order to meet General Plan mandates is yet another example of the disparity between the regular folk and heavy-handed campaign donors who are not.
Supervisor Thomas F. Riley’s comments about imposing additional parkland fees are ludicrous. Had Riley had the brains to even think about transportation problems 10 years ago, he would have realized that building houses causes traffic. Now his thoughtful dissertation on increased park fees raising the price of homes is a joke.
What does he think road fee programs, Mello-Roos districts and proposed new taxes do? Apparently, Riley thinks that imposing additional fees on parks is something different than he has consistently supported and imposed for transportation.
Worse, he votes for every new development that comes before him. Then, he shoots down parks. This article exposes the county system for what it is: a bunch of developers controlling politicians who tell planners what to do (if they want to keep their jobs or get promoted).
No wonder this county is such a mess.
SHERRY LEE MEDDICK
Silverado
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