Paying for Bolsa Chica Wetlands
I’m somewhat perturbed to hear that the city of Huntington Beach is now taking the giant step of attempting to acquire the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in lieu of allowing the Bolsa Chica Coalition plans to go forward.
This seems to be somewhat woolly thinking on someone’s part.
Prime coastal property is at best, at any time, expensive. Public-sector acquisition of this property will be in some way an added burden on us as taxpayers. What services will the city remove in order to balance its budget now in order to obtain funding for this purchase? What bond issue will it float in the hopes of creating the degraded wetlands into a paying proposition?
I have admired the Bolsa Chica Coalition plans as a good example of public/private partnership in which needed homes are provided to the community and which added homes and improved property will increase the tax base for the community government.
On top of this, the public and Mother Nature gain an increased and restored wetlands at private-sector cost. I’ve seen the plans, I’ve heard the rhetoric from both sides and I support what Koll Co. and the coalition have done. It is a reasonable plan and a pretty good deal.
MIKE ROBERTS
Huntington Beach
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