Playa Vista: the Smell of Lobbyists’ Money

Re “A $168-Million Boost for Playa Vista Project,” June 27: Once again Los Angeles has witnessed a land grab at the expense of the natural environment. Once again the City Council has allowed developers to circumvent citizen wishes to approve funding of Playa Vista. But in continuing this pattern of citizen alienation, the City Council only will find that it is fanning the fires of an adversarial relationship with the neighborhood councils.

Unfortunately, our elected officials cannot seem to see beyond their noses and the smell of money from Playa Vista lobbyists. And so once again we have fewer parks, more traffic and more bloated developers setting policy. Playa Vista’s toxicity will be difficult to mitigate. Once again Los Angeles suffers the protracted decay of corporate welfare for the super-rich.

Gregory P. Sotir

Venice

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Bulldoze L.A.’s remaining wetlands and use public bonds to do it. Create a freshwater containment pond and advertise it as wetlands restoration. Crowd more people and cars into the already overcrowded Westside. Finally, label the whole fiasco “a model of smart growth.” Call me ignorant, but the only thing smart I see about Playa Vista is that the developers and the City Council are getting away with it despite public outrage.

Scott Svatos

Santa Monica

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Thank goodness the City Council is looking after our welfare by supporting the bulldozing of just about the last open space anywhere on the Southern California coast. Taking away 1,087 acres of wetlands and adding over 13,000 residents is just the ticket for healing the Santa Monica Bay. I mean, really, the last thing this city needs is another park. Shame on you all.

Michele Levin

Westchester