Mailbag: Plan for LeBard needs rethinking

A recent Huntington Beach Independent article (“LeBard homes project revisited,” Dec. 12) about the City Council study session Dec. 9 gave the misleading implication that $1.1 million would be transferred to the city by the Huntington Beach City School District as part of a 25-lot development plan for LeBard Park.

Rather, that is the amount the school board would provide only for the razing of the current six Little League baseball fields and their reconstruction, as well as the building of a clubhouse and a children’s play area. That plan, however, calls for the city to cover any additional costs, including staff time, an unknown but potentially large liability.

The reconfiguring of LeBard Park to accommodate the 5 acres of new housing would also eliminate two acres of what is now open space available to the public for virtually any casual activity.

A third plan called for only 15 lots on the current 3.5-acre site of the district office. That plan would retain all the park’s recreational facilities in their current state.

It would also provide enough funds to move and renovate the former Kettler school into a new, first-class district office. The plan has been endorsed by surrounding neighborhoods and is a win-win for all parties.

The City Council will be negotiating with the school board over the financial implications. Hopefully the option will be to keep our public parkland intact.

Alan Walls

Huntington Beach

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Plastic bag ban is haphazardly enforced

The banning of plastic in Huntington Beach has been in force for nearly two months. Since Nov. 1, stores have been charging 10 cents per paper bag.

Yet I know of two supermarkets that are charging 10 cents for plastic bags that are just a bit more durable than the ones that were free before Nov. 1. They are labeled reusable. The Golden West swap meet bags everything in the plastic bags that were “banned.”

Now that plastic is banned, why are we paying for paper bags when they were free before Nov 1? I’m all for reducing the products that harm our waterways, trash our streets and take years to break down. If plastic is the banned item, what law addresses what the stores charge for paper?

Who is keeping the 10 cent per bag, the stores or the city? The city should be straightforward on what the new laws are and enforce evenly.

Janice Goodwin

Huntington Beach