Planners, Council: Builders’ Puppets?

I’m confused! I’ve been reading about and seeing what I consider excessive amounts of building in the city of Huntington Beach over the last five years. I understand that the city is on the verge of annexing the Bolsa Chica Wetlands for a 5,200-home development: new apartments, condos, etc., along PCH; the Waterfront Hilton complex, the ongoing pierside development controversy; downtown redevelopment, not to mention the many new homes on “Edwards” Hill.

Now the Planning Commission is on the verge of stopping a development at the Wintersburg school site (“Wintersburg Project Decision Is Delayed,” Jan. 13) because we don’t have enough water and sewer lines for 260 condominiums and a small shopping complex. Isn’t it ironic that the proceeds from that development would help schools and our children, but maybe not the builders?

Are the Planning Commission and the City Council puppets of the builders in Huntington Beach? Perhaps the coalition of builders, council members and planning commissioners runs deeper than we think! Considering that the new chairwoman (Jan Shomaker) of the Planning Commission comes from the Board of Realtors is perhaps indicative of why the Huntington Beach/Fountain Valley Board of Realtors opposed a needed school maintenance funding issue last summer.

Why do we have water and sewers galore for the builders and the developers, but not enough for a school district trying to educate our children?

RONALD G. HOBBS, Huntington Beach