In response to Cam Noltemeyer’s column today (“Is Newhall Ranch’s river permit the right way?” July 1), Noltemeyer wrote: “Did the previous Army Corps permit granted for the center of our city in 1998 work to protect the species in the river as promised? If so, where are those birds and fish now?”
Who cares?
As I recall, the fish and animals you guys were wailing about back then were species nobody had ever heard of, and it was questionable if they even existed at the time. Who cares about some dinky fish that only sometimes shows up if the river’s flooding and the moon is full in Aquarius?
She wrote: “Other alternatives proposed both in the environmental documents and by environmental groups such as Friends of the Santa Clara River would have been far more protective of the river. But they didn’t fit the ‘project description.’”
Well, I have no doubt about that. What did you propose? One house per square-mile density, or something like that?
Unfortunately for you, the property owners actually do have some rights. Bummer, I’m sure.
Hey, if you don’t like what they’re planning, here’s a thought: Buy the property from them yourselves. Then you can “preserve” it to your heart’s content. I know; you can’t afford to do that. But you certainly aren’t shy about dictating to other people what they can do with their own property.
What a bunch of finger-wagging nags. You guys really need to get a grip.
Now, I do think you’ve raised some points that may, in fact, have some validity. The potential traffic issue certainly needs to be looked at, for example. And there are proper forums in which to do that. I’m not referring to the courts, either, though I have little doubt you’re going to drag this there, as per your usual standard operating procedure.
The bottom line is that we have processes in place to address all these issues, and sometimes we’re not going to like the outcome. In the case of SCOPE, since it objects to any shovel turning any dirt out here at all, that’s going to be pretty much all the time.
Too bad. Your job is to get people elected who agree more with your ideas — if you can.
