Many Erred in Building of Homes on Public Land, but Only Public Suffers

L.A. Times Archives

Nov. 10, 1991 12 AM PT

<i> Editor's note: The Orange County Board of Supervisors last week gave up claim to land near Trabuco Canyon that had been designated as open space but on which a developer had built 21 homes. These letters represent readers' reaction to the building of these homes on open space</i>

It boggles the mind: An engineering company, a title company and a developer, plus county officials, are all unaware that houses were to be built on public land. To “help” the developer, the Board of Supervisors (gave) up this public land.

Considering that Hunsaker made a similar error in Laguna Niguel, it would appear that their engineers are unusually inept or deliberately ignore verification. A title company whose title clearance was meaningless?

As an Orange County taxpayer, I wonder if there is any connection between this apparent appropriation of public land by developers and the supervisors’ decision to “give” this land to them and the articles a few days ago in The Times indicating that the supervisors’ campaigns are largely funded by real estate developers.

I was under the impression that the Board of Supervisors represented the public, not developers.

REGINA E. POGER, Cypress