Expansion of Raging Waters

“Arguments Rage Over Water Park Growth Plan” (Oct. 29) refers to the hearing by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on the new Bonelli Park Master Plan and environmental impact report, which includes improvements proposed for Raging Waters. The article’s phrase “dramatically expand” is very misleading. The expansion will not triple the size of Raging Waters. Today, the water park uses 49 acres for water attractions and parking, plus 24 acres of overflow parking. We propose to add just 27 acres to this, which results in a total of 100 acres.

Adding the 27 acres will allow us to improve the overflow parking areas, relocate our entrance, add a small (eight-acre) entry village and add water attractions inside the existing water park. These improvements to Raging Waters will solve traffic problems within Bonelli Park and neighborhood streets, greatly improve the parking conditions and reduce crowding inside the water park. Our improvement plan will bring approximately $121 million to the area economy and should significantly increase annual rent paid to the county by Raging Waters.

There has been extensive citizen input into the improvement plan. We made revisions to our plan to ensure preservation of sensitive habitat. Under the new Master Plan, over 70% of Bonelli Park remains undeveloped open space.

ANDREW HAWORTH-BOOTH

President, Raging Waters

San Dimas

This land was ceded to the county by the cities of Pomona, San Dimas, La Verne and Walnut to be developed as a park. It never crossed anyone’s mind that the county would allow a commercialization of precious parkland. It is absolutely amazing to me that the argument can be made that we need more asphalt and cement and shops, eating facilities and office space to replace trees, plants, trails and natural habitat. The acres that have been cemented over have been lost forever and now the Board of Supervisors and the developers want to expand this with a 1,000-seat amphitheater?

This land was ceded to the county as a public trust. Now recreational use is being defined as a “theme park.” God help future generations whose ideas of nature will be cement, asphalt and plastic!

SUSAN RENAKER NIKAS

San Dimas