Planning Agency Fails to See Forest or Trees

Re “Zoning Change OKd; 446 Trees to Be Lost to Homes,” Dec. 19:

When the planning commissioners approved the destruction of almost 500 mature oak and sycamore trees in Trabuco Canyon for the SaddleCreek/SaddleCrest development, during the meeting, testimony became so heated at one point commission Chairman Chuck McBurney threatened to cut off one of the speakers ... namely myself. At the point that happened, I had merely mentioned our “notorious planning department,” which caused the august chairman to reach for his gavel and state flatly that he did not want to hear any more negative things said against that body.

Forgive me, but I was under the impression that in a public meeting one was entitled to state an opinion, without having to get agreement from an “official” that what was about to be said was what the person wanted to hear!

It has been widely reported that the Planning Department is in significant disarray. Wouldn’t you know, the very day that I and others were being chastised by the commissioners for questioning if there might be a conflict of interest for the Planning Department in approving SaddleCreek and SaddleCrest, the head of that group was busy resigning because he had received a nice retirement package. Of course, in the weeks leading up to that, there was much mention of missing millions, poor planning, lawsuits, frivolous spending and so on. I can see our taxpayer dollars are hard at work!

I imagine it goes something like this: Have the Planning Department spend several years in cozy back-room dealings with developers (check, done that), spend millions on new computer system and buy fleet of SUVs (yes sir), rubber-stamp approval by planning commission and attempt to stifle public dissent (yep), rubber-stamp approval by O.C. Board of Supervisors (coming), inevitable lawsuit (for sure), ruling by reactionary judge, bring in the bulldozers. At least local government stays fully employed. So maybe, instead of chopping down oak trees in what’s left of our pristine areas, we should be rooting out dead and diseased wood in whatever branch of government it lurks. Personally, I suspect dry rot in the Orange County Hall of Administration. And by the way, anyone know where we might find 500 or so tree-sitters?

John Sefton

Trabuco Canyon

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Here in Newport Beach, we go crazy when the city cuts down 20 ficus trees, imports that have nothing to do with the natural ecology of Balboa Peninsula. But where is the arbor committee when it comes to defending from the developer’s saw hundreds of mature oak and sycamore trees at Santiago Canyon and Live Oak Canyon (nearby in the Santa Ana Mountain foothills). These trees are the meager remains of true, indigenous Southern California forest.

In Santa Clarita, people who care about trees are fighting for one live oak tree by sitting in it for two months. For them, planting a seedling beyond the new road is not adequate mitigation. But here in Orange County, only a small band of environmentalists seems to care enough about our arboreal heritage to object to the destruction of so many trees that are highly significant to a vision of Orange County before it was overrun by paving and people. Where are the values of the mainstream regarding the preservation of nature and our continued ability to access it? We cannot be silent or delegate our collective responsibility for the preservation of California’s natural heritage to a small group of environmentalists. We are all responsible for preserving it.

How can 162 houses that require disfiguring mountain foothills and covering them with concrete possibly be more important than preserving 600 acres of rolling foothills and the more than 1,000 mature live oak and sycamore trees that grow on them? How can 162 houses be worth changing the zoning requirements of the Trabuco Foothill Specific Plan, designed to perpetuate the natural resources and rural character of this area? The Orange County Planning Department has abdicated its stewardship of preserving the meager remnants of true nature in Orange County, not only for us but for future generations.

This disdain for zoning ordinances is appalling. If it is so easy to overturn thoughtful ordinances protective of our natural heritage for the sake of 162 houses, why have any ordinances? The commission has behaved dictatorially and with condescension to the citizens who came to object to its abuse of power.

Christine Speed

Newport Beach