BRUCE GARLICH
With regard to Martin Millard's commentary on my City Council
candidacy, I can think of no greater endorsement than Millard's
opposition ("Council candidates can't possibly represent everyone,"
Thursday). I eagerly await the announcement by any Costa Mesa City
Council candidate who does not consider the rights and concerns of
homeowners/residents, business owners or property owners to each be
legitimate considerations in how they would govern.
Better yet, which of them shares Mr. Millard's view of our
society? If you don't know what that view is, go to
www.newnation.org/Millard/ and decide for yourself. I have. I suppose
if you don't agree with the ideology you find there then that makes
you a "liberal." That's just plain nonsense. For the record, I'm a
fiscal conservative and social moderate.
With regard to the Westside, I believe that it is anti-property
rights positions like Millard's that have stymied progress on the
Westside. It is my opinion that the failure of both the old Westside
Specific Plan and attempts to use redevelopment as a tool for
Westside progress can be traced to an inability to find common ground
on which the stakeholders could agree. The Westside Revitalization
Oversight Committee, on which all stakeholders are represented, is on
the verge of finding that common ground, thanks to the good work of
the group's "re-zone" subcommittee, among others. I wish them well.
Based on the work the committee is doing and my own independent
assessment, here's where I stand on Westside revitalization:
* Do the environmental assessment that will support the "bluffs"
overlay zone change to medium density residential from its current
low density designation.
* Consider the possible expansion of the overlay territory as an
option to be pursued later after evaluating lessons learned from the
initial overlay development results.
* Do not "re-zone;" i.e., do not create legal nonconforming
properties.
* Rely on private sector proposals to activate the overlay.
* Incorporate the West 19th Street territory into the existing
redevelopment area.
* Adopt a specific plan for the area to guide redevelopment.
* Adopt an eminent domain policy that is limited to ensuring
necessary lot combinations at fair market prices; i.e., discourage
"holdouts" that unfairly prevent redevelopment.
* Rely on private sector redevelopment to fund property
acquisition, not tax increment revenue.
* Review and make decisions regarding all recommendations of the
