Mailbag: Sunset residents want the chance

I just read the letter from Rick Taylor (“Sunset not fit to be on its own,” Mailbag, June 3), and wish to provide the following facts concerning Sunset Beach.

First, the Orange County Fire Authority collects taxes from the residents of Sunset Beach. O.C. Fire has an agreement with the city of Huntington Beach where O.C. Fire covers part of Huntington Beach and Huntington Beach covers Sunset Beach. Based on the number of calls, Huntington Beach is getting the better part of the deal.

Second, the county of Orange has allowed a number of new beach cities (such as Dana Point) to incorporate and not require them to take over beach ownership or maintenance. At present, the county pays for 13 public beaches including the Laguna Cove Beach, Capistrano Beach, etc.

Third, our study was supposed to look at various levels of service and new taxes. But at the end of the day, we all understood that the new city would have to take the beach and pay for same.

Fourth, the consultant has confirmed that other new cities can contract for services.

Our numbers speak for themselves. All we ask is to be given a chance to complete the process.

LYMAN K. LOKKEN

Sunset Beach

Different meanings of word ‘public’

Words matter — or, at the very least, should matter. Clearly defined words are our means of communicating. Without them, there would be no rule of law. Take, for example, the word “public.” Most persons would have very similar meanings they’d place with that word. We have a common understanding of the word. Nonetheless, the authors (i.e. consultants and city planning staff) of the recently released Poseidon Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) have a very different meaning in mind for “public.”

The proposed site for the Poseidon desalination plant is designated “Public(P)” by the city’s General Plan. Officially, permitted uses of areas with public “designation include governmental administrative and related facilities, such as utilities, schools, public parking lots, infrastructure, religious and similar uses.” That phrasing seems to make it reasonably clear as to the intent and meaning of the word “public.” But au contraire, the SEIR authors have another intent in mind that they’ve divined. According to the SEIR, the permitted uses “under Public(P) are not exclusive, but are examples.” Lo and behold, the meaning of “public” is neither exclusive nor inclusive, thereby having no meaning whatsoever. Therefore, the intention for the designation “Public(P)” was to include private industrial uses all along.

I find this reasoning unbelievable and a corruption of language. Maybe if Poseidon’s use was considered as a utility, this reasoning might, in a stretch, be somewhat valid. But Poseidon and city planning insist publicly that this use is not a utility. If it were considered a utility, the plant would come under the regulatory purview of the Public Utilities Commission. And they can’t have that now, can they?

DAVID HAMILTON

Huntington Beach

Why doesn’t ‘Surf City’ have a skate park?

Myself along with many others are frustrated beyond belief. As other cities all around Southern California are putting in world-class skate parks to facilitate their youth and adults, Huntington Beach is doing nothing. In fact, it’s doing less than nothing. The vice principal of Huntington Beach High School along with the PTA have pulled their support for a new skate park. Not to mention the principal at Dwyer Middle School wants to call the cops on kids who were skateboarding on “his” campus. All of this is complete nonsense and shows a lack of any ability to relate to the kids they work with every day. Some would even call it ignorant.

Meanwhile, we have neighboring cities like Costa Mesa who have embraced the skateboarding lifestyle and its benefits. Costa Mesa has a world-class skate park, Volcom Skatepark. Wait until you hear this part: The high schools in Costa Mesa support their skaters! Costa Mesa High School, Estancia High School and both middle schools now have skate classes offered to their students instead of chasing them away and calling the police on them. I wish the Huntington Beach City Council had somebody like Katrina Foley, a councilwoman for the city of Costa Mesa, fighting for skaters in Huntington Beach. It’s time to stop the hatred and prejudice toward our huge skateboarding population.

This city and its skaters deserve a world-class skate park right here in Huntington Beach.

Who is with me on this?

JEFF WESTERMANN

Huntington Beach