Stop Growth Plans in Rancho Mission Viejo

Re “Little Benefit Seen for Parks in Growth Plan,” July 21:

Once again our elected representatives prove what little regard they have for the future of our natural resources.

By voting to allocate only a 1,600-acre portion of land for public parks while 14,000 more homes will be built in Rancho Mission Viejo, they are disregarding the fact that we don’t need more building in Orange County.

We are already greatly impacted by overpopulation and too much growth. This is evidenced by the constant beach closures due to sewage and toxic waste spills, the energy crisis in which we all are admonished to cut back on our electric usage, the coyote and mountain lion attacks as we increasingly infringe on their territories, and a myriad of other problems.

The only ones who benefit from growth and development are corporations, developers and politicians. How long will it be before every open piece of land will have a housing development and strip mall?

We are turning Orange County into a concrete jungle. The building needs to stop before we destroy all of our beaches, pollute our water and eliminate all wildlife. I advocate that the public insist on a moratorium on new development in the county and allow open land to remain in its natural state.

Gabriella Rollins

Yorba Linda

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The very powerful and influential O’Neill and Moiso families and Rancho Mission Viejo have begun their public communications in the newspapers and with invitations to select city council and planning officials to hear their vision of developing their last big open space and ranch area.

Unfortunately, not all city council members or planners were invited at this time. Some citizens may not know that there have been three public meetings already, part of the environmental impact studies process.

This involves federal, state and county agencies, whose jobs also involve keeping the public informed.

The company seems to be preempting this process and communicating only with like-minded players. Is it fair to exclude other elected officials in this process? The citizens elected all of these public officials.

The Natural Communities Conservation Plan is already in place to handle the process of developing open space. Much is at stake. Keep the process open with all information available to our citizens.

Barbara Rosenbaum

Coto de Caza

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Unfortunately, Rancho Mission Viejo has elected to go the way of the routine and build out inherited land to the joy of the development community and to the detriment of the rest of south Orange County.

This is no longer even an issue about wildlife, habitat, rare plants and animals, all of which live on the property proposed for development.

This is not about the destruction of the last privately held, ecologically diverse, large contiguous area in Orange County.

This is about the further degradation of lifestyle in this part of the county and the forces that continue to drive the maximum build-out as allowed by law.

Most people moved to this part of the county to get away from L.A.-style sprawl and urban blight. With large tracts of open space and fairly clean skies, with good schools and low crime rates, South County was the place to live.

Now with the idea that we will stuff in another 14,000 homes in front of the mountains, increase traffic congestion, pollution, crime and all else that follows urbanization and overcrowding, South County living will be only a memory.

Next they will want to blast a larger road through the Cleveland National Forest to allow for even more traffic and pollution so commuters can work in this new megalopolis called South County.

The only people who will be happy and lick their chops with all of this will be the developers, who will maximize their multimillion-dollar lifestyles, as well as the large chain stores and businesses that will put up mini-malls in all of the new “villages.”

The powers of development have all the money, all the advertising, all the politicians bidding for their favors and contributions. We just get the polluted beaches, destruction of peace and serenity and the option to move to another place looking for a piece of paradise lost.

Leon Baginski

Laguna Niguel

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In the flurry of articles about a development corporation’s ideas for the historic Rancho Mission Viejo, one thing is missing: Nobody asked the public what it thinks.

Therefore, it is time someone asked what is best for Orange County families. If the Board of Supervisors doesn’t put an accountable process in place, Orange County will end up like where I live: Los Angeles.

Dan Silver

Coordinator

Endangered Habitats League Los Angeles

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I don’t understand why there have to be 14,000 new homes built in the former ranchland near San Clemente.

With all the foul beach water we are having, we don’t need those homes. They will do nothing but pollute our coastline with runoff and sewage.

Air pollution will increase because of more cars; new roads will be needed to accommodate them, and the roads will wreck the environment. The greedy landowners and developers should go away and leave the place alone.

Diana Duke Grothe

San Clemente