Mailbag: Peotter needs to represent the entire community

Newport Beach Councilman Scott Peotter’s troubling rant in which he tries to weave his personal right-wing political views into the Museum House controversy shows just how far an elected representative in Newport Beach thinks he can go to support developers in lieu of his constituents (“Commentary: Why I voted in favor of the Museum House proposal,” Dec. 2)

Aren’t SPON, Greenlight and the museum itself part of his constituency? Are there any constituents he did not insult? Even Newport Center’s boring buildings were skewered. All residents were derided in his restaurant comments.

Why is he so troubled that a restaurant needs approval from residents who want to sleep at night? Ironically, if more of those residents felt they could get through the traffic on Coast Highway now, many businesses might actually do better.

Museum House opposition has nothing to do with these divisive views. Anyone who has experienced South Beach in Miami has seen the good, the bad and the density of high-rise development along the shoreline. Is that what we want for Newport Beach?

Already traffic, noise and bright lighting from existing Newport Center high rises intrudes into surrounding residential areas. Not considered anywhere in his rant is the loss of a cultural institution. This museum was a gem of a collection choked out by too little support.

Newport Beach does need growth, and it needs to be intelligent, considered growth, not kicking the can down the road one high rise at a time.

Comparing SPON to Hillary Clinton supporters read like the old Brer Rabbit story, “Oh please don’t throw me into that briar patch!”

News flash: Orange County voted 62% Democratic in the national election for the first time. Mr. Peotter needs to do his job and represent the entire community, the residents, the activists, the environment, the cultural institutions, as well as a few developers.

If he cannot do that it would be fine with me if he moves to Detroit to join the Trump majority he endorses.

Gail Kalscheur

Newport Beach