Bolsa Chica Wetlands Decision Leaves Divisiveness in Its Wake

I am appalled to read Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder’s comments in The Times (“O.C. Supervisors OK Wetlands Development,” Dec. 14) in relation to her reason for voting in favor of developing the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

“The county needs economic development, particularly given the events of the past two weeks. Large projects like Bolsa Chica need to be brought on line as quickly as possible,” she said.

Does Supervisor Wieder really see the solution to the county’s financial woes as one that would cause environment disaster? The county government has ruined any kind of decent financial rating it may have had; please don’t ruin the few remaining environmental treasures in Orange County with Supervisor Wieder’s reasoning (if that can be called reasoning).

MARILYN J. VASSOS

Irvine

I would like to commend the Orange County Board of Supervisors on the fine job they have done with regard to the Bolsa Chica wetland restoration issue.

On Dec. 14, this body of people, in the midst of all the O.C. bankruptcy madness, kept cool heads and forged ahead with business in a manner very complimentary to them.

The opposition to the Coalition Plan for the restoration did not miss a step in its mud-slinging campaign to discredit everyone from the Koll Real Estate Group to the coalition supporters, or the Board of Supervisors themselves. Harriett M. Wieder stood tall, along with the other supervisors, to show the grit and gumption of our elected officials.

As was pointed out by several of the speakers for the project, the citizens of Huntington Beach showed their support of the plan by voting all four of the new city council seats to supporters of the Bolsa Chica plan.

Now that the Board of Supervisors has voted the plan in, after long, grueling hours of hearing public comment, I hope the opposition groups will join with the citizens of Huntington Beach. There has been far too much taxpayer money spent in opposing this project over the past few years.

Let’s not be bad sports. Democracy is the American way, and it has now been voted. The majority has made its wishes known.

LYNN BEACH

Huntington Beach

“This county needs economic development,” says Orange County Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder, defending her vote to allow development on the environmentally sensitive Bolsa Chica wetlands.

Since when are jobs for builders economic development? It is a specialized and short-term fix at best. But then the Orange County Board of Supervisors is practiced in short-term fixes.

In 1985, eager to make a fast buck, the board members ignored the warnings of financial experts to pare down their risky investment portfolio. Today, still holding fast to their myopic vision, and eager to satisfy the appetite of yet another developer, they ignore the warnings of economic, traffic, pollution and environmental experts, along with the city councils of Huntington Beach and Seal Beach, and vote unanimously to allow Koll to build 3,300 homes on the wetlands.

Where will the board be when the bill comes due, which it surely will, on this fiasco?

HARLENE GOODRICH

Seal Beach

Even with the worst financial debacle ever hanging over the Orange County Board of Supervisors’ heads, it’s business as usual with the approval of development of the Bolsa Chica wetlands. The Koll Real Estate Group is the direct benefactor of this project. Even after an eight-hour meeting (during which) numerous speakers voiced opposition to this project, it seemed like it was a slam dunk for approval.

It could be as Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder indicated: “The county needs economic development,” or could it be that the special interest that controls Orange County won out again?

It would be very interesting to see who gave financial contributions and how much to election campaigns of our Orange County supervisors. Then one would understand why this project won approval.

FRED SCHWARTZ

Irvine

At last! We’re finally going to see some actual wetlands restoration! Our County Board of Supervisors’ recent action in approving the Koll Real Estate Group’s plan for Bolsa Chica was long overdue.

Once again we’ve seen how a noisy few can delay progress for their own selfish reasons!

But for them, we could have seen restoration underway a long time ago.

Thank you, supervisors, for your great gift this season--for the “inhabitants” of the Bolsa Chica wetlands and indeed for us all!

CECIL W. BIRNBAUM

Huntington Beach