Letters to the Editor: You don’t have to be conservative to side with Huntington Beach on housing

To the editor: Rarely do I concur with the political stances of cities in Orange County, but your editorial slamming Huntington Beach is a true exception.

I can completely empathize with Huntington Beach’s stance on opposing the state‘s drive to force communities to overdevelop and devalue their social and natural environments. In South Pasadena, we have also struggled to see the logic and fairness in the state’s housing directive.

South Pasadena is being forced to plan for an additional 2,067 housing units. Our neighboring city of San Marino is planning for another 397 units. South Pasadena occupies 3.41 square miles with a population of 26,000, of which about 53% are renters. San Marino is 3.77 square miles and has 13,000 people, of which around 15% are renters.

South Pasadena is already fully built out, features a multicultural community and offers many rental options. Yes, it is expensive to live here, but the state will not bring down the cost of housing. It is, and always will be, market driven.

Frankly, I am opposed to the entire state housing push as government overreach, but if not reversed, at least make it fair for cities that are already built out.

Tom Dolan, South Pasadena

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To the editor: Did the “red wave” surge in Huntington Beach because of four City Council members united against both clean energy and more housing? Or are they actually doing what the residents want?

And did Huntington Beach residents want the LGBTQ+ Pride flag to be banned from city property, and the new council majority voted to do? There does not seem to be a poll on any of these questions.

All four conservative members of the Huntington Beach City Council made their intentions clear regarding rejection of state housing laws, and they are exploring pulling out of the clean-power provider Orange County Power Authority.

I for one reject their stands against what I see as the common good, but the party they represent seems to apply the common good to large corporations and big money.

Jim Hoover, Huntington Beach

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To the editor: I applaud Huntington Beach for defending its quality of life. I wish Los Angeles would defend its residents against this profit-driven invasion of our peaceful communities.

I live in Baldwin Hills, and the new arrivals in our community are typically not interested in the bucolic, manicured, peaceful residential atmosphere that we longtime residents have tried to maintain.

Many are buying homes from our older residents. As speculators, if they don’t completely remove their house and replace it with apartments, they take away the architectural features that give their homes character and add accessory dwelling units to boost the resale value.

If this new building boom were more community focused and included more condominiums (which are something residents might invest in and call their homes) instead of apartments, it would be better received.

Linda Bradshaw Carpenter, Los Angeles