A ‘Consensus Vision’ Found in General Plan

Why are some trying to repeal the (Diamond Bar) General Plan under the guise of saving Tonner Canyon?

(A residents group has filed petitions with more than 4,000 signatures requesting repeal of the General Plan. The petition is under review by the city clerk to see if there are at least 2,481 valid names, the first step in determining whether the city might be required to hold a special election on the issue.)

Some were driven by concern for the environment. But the driving force is political ego.

Read the General Plan. Tonner Canyon remains zoned agricultural. What the organizers said the goal of the petition was--to save Tonner Canyon--was best accomplished in the original document.

A special election will now cost taxpayer dollars. It also defies fiduciary responsibility. The General Plan was not rushed: It took three years. The General Plan Advisory Committee’s first draft was revised in response to critical public feedback.

The plan was thoughtfully reviewed and strengthened at multiple public meetings by the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Traffic and Transportation Commission, and the Planning Commission. More public hearings were held by the City Council. All these meetings were public. But except when the TV cameras were present, there was little controversy and no posturing. The document that was finally approved deserved approval.

The General Plan is not supposed to be the vision of any one person or group. It is supposed to be a consensus vision of what is best for this community. The document approved meets that test. To send the total document back to the drawing board is a waste of taxpayers’ money and endangers the future of Tonner Canyon.

LYDIA E. PLUNK

Diamond Bar