Tamar Goldmann
Regarding the proposed plan to develop eight Habitat for Humanity
homes in a Costa Mesa neighborhood and the Pilot editorial, "Habitat
project right fit for area," Oct. 3, it is amazing that the Pilot
continues to choose to assign motives to the residents of College
Park and then to criticize them while the statements of the
developers are taken at face value. Although you agree that issues in
most cases are "nuanced," you seem not to find any standing for our
position. We are simply "wrong."
Let's start with a simple misunderstanding and then get on to the
more complicated issues. The Pilot's editorial starts off with the
statement that "next to the site is an apartment complex that is
certainly large enough that eight homes wouldn't make a noticeable
difference in traffic or parking." However, the apartments do not
have access through College Park, and in fact, at the time they were
built, the city decided to protect College Park from through traffic
by allowing access only through Wilson Street. Obviously, if access
to the proposed Habitat project was not through Wake Forest,
currently a dead-end street, our traffic and parking concerns would
be eliminated, and the only concern remaining would be for the
prospective residents.
The neighbors, who have expressed the most concern for the quality
of life of the prospective residents, have homes that back up to the
20-foot or 40-foot protective berm. Despite this protection, they
have been awakened at night and have been subject to frequent daytime
intrusions of noise, including almost daily window-rattling. Without
knowing these kind and compassionate people, how can the Pilot decide
that their motivation is selfish and then criticize them for it?
The Pilot mentions Bruce Garlich's comment that the eventual
homeowners should make their own decisions about the noise. Yet he,
himself, told the story of homeowners who move next to an airport and
then want the airport to move.
How will the new homeowners be protected? Disclosures. That seems
designed more to protect Home Depot, Habitat and the city from
complaints than to ease the lives of the residents. Oh? Horns,
airbrakes, pallets banging and that window-rattling mystery noise are
disturbing you? Tough luck. We warned you before you moved in.
Why is the College Park request for five or six homes
"befuddling?" Just a little bit of background checking would make our
reasons clear. Our first choice, of course, would be to keep the
