Wall at Hueneme Beach Park

* The wall that is being constructed at Hueneme Beach Park presents a distinct and significant public hazard for several reasons:

* Those intent on criminal behavior are able to hide from public scrutiny (and police activity) on the beach side of the wall.

* The wall greatly impedes emergency vehicle access. We must assume that the city is going to increase the budget for police patrol of the beach area to prevent criminal activity, and also that the city plans to mark as a no parking zone the few remaining vacant feet from the west end of the wall to the rocks for emergency vehicle access.

* The wall has already proven to be a desirable bilateral urban canvas. Beach residents can only assume that the city has generously budgeted for graffiti removal.

The wall is purportedly being built to keep sand from blowing onto Surfside Drive. We assume that the city has budgeted and planned for sand removal from the wall once it accumulates to the top. Will this be much of a savings from removing sand from Surfside Drive?

The wall may have been a part of the general plan, but that 22-year-old plan is out of touch with current times.

As with the view tax, we assume that the unfortunate circumstance of legal action will be required to get the wall removed. Perhaps the city would prefer to be sued by a victim of crime or the family of an accident victim to whom emergency vehicle access was impeded due to the wall. As taxpaying citizens of this community, we would prefer that the wall just simply be removed.

DAVID J. DePAOLO

Port Hueneme