‘Giveaway’ Questioned

The San Diego City Council has just approved one of the biggest giveaways in city history: The agreement between the city and McMillin/BCE governing development around Miramar Lake (“Deal Clears Way For Limited Miramar Lake Development,” Sept. 19).

While the local press has meekly portrayed this agreement as a constructive compromise between the developer and the Scripps Ranch community, the truth is that taxpayers, already hassled Interstate 15 commuters, environmentalists, and even prospective home buyers in the rest of the city will suffer dearly.

First, the developer has been handed a $24-million credit toward paying citywide impact fees. We taxpayers will pick up this tab either through higher taxes or, more likely, reduced public services.

Second, the entire development was completely exempted from the environmental protections offered by the city’s Resource Protection Overlay Zone.

Third, the council approved a precedent-setting $55-million Mello-Roos bond for the project. This tricky form of financing for public facilities and infrastructure will make it far easier for McMillin to pass the costs of the new development on to home buyers, rather than bear its fair share.

Finally and most ironically, despite this massive giveaway to the developer, the agreement still allows for significant development on the view shed of Miramar Lake.

The question remains: Why did the council vote to approve this giveaway over the objections of both the city attorney and the city manager? It’s a question for which no adequate answer has been forthcoming.

PETER NAVARRO, Chairman, Prevent Los Angelization Now