City of Industry Isn’t Abusing Housing Law

Regarding the article “Bill Would Allow City to Skirt Housing Rule” (Times, Aug. 18): I think you should know that the bill referenced in that article and currently being drafted by state Sen. Frank Hill, which would allow redevelopment agencies throughout the state to meet their low-to-moderate income housing requirement by alternatively providing new public educational facilities, is not an effort on the City of Industry’s part to abuse current redevelopment laws, as was implied by Anna Cearley’s article.

In fact, this legislation was proposed by those of us lobbying for the new northern Diamond Bar High School and, in my opinion, it is unjust of your publication to insinuate any devious motives on the part of the City of Industry. The truth is that the City of Industry, acutely aware that their every action in the area of redevelopment would be immediately criticized regardless of merit, was but a reluctant supporter of this proposal.

There should be no question that this proposal works in the best interest of the City of Industry. I will not argue that it doesn’t. In fact, it would be a case of gross mismanagement if they supported a proposal that didn’t work in their best interest. More importantly, however, this proposal also works in the best interest of the citizens of the cities of Diamond Bar and Pomona, the Pomona Unified School District and, most importantly, the children who will be served by this new high school for many years to come.

GARY L. NEELY

Diamond Bar