Tribune ‘spins’ its report on lawsuit against Dana Reserve development in Nipomo | Opinion

The other side of CEQA

“SLO County neighbors sue to stop major housing development,” (sanluisobispo.com, May 31)

Your report on the lawsuit against the Dana Reserve couldn’t resist quoting the foes of the California Environmental Quality Act, calling CEQA a “notoriously effective means of delaying or stopping an approved project from moving forward,” and opining that “delay tactics are unfortunately a common strategy that home-owning neighbors use to prevent the development of affordable housing and contribute to the high cost of ownership in our state.”

If you felt a need to quote the propaganda line of CEQA’s foes, you should also mention the recent report of The Housing Workshop, which found that the number of new housing units subject to legal challenge has been less than 10% statewide, and the rate of CEQA litigation through 2021 was 1.9% of permitted projects. The report concluded that “residents depend on CEQA to ensure the health and safety of their communities,” and that “CEQA cases not only have exposed hazards relating to projects’ remote location or lack of infrastructure, they also have ensured reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation for significant impacts on sensitive species and protection of historic resources.”

Andrew Christie

San Luis Obispo

Conflict of interest?

“SLO County neighbors sue to stop major housing development,” (sanluisobispo.com, May 31)

What is happening with Nipomo’s water and the Dana Reserve housing project? The Nipomo Community Services District has negotiated with the NKT LLC to import water from Santa Maria into an area outside of its service district boundaries. The agreement between the services district and the City of Santa Maria prohibits the export of Santa Maria water beyond the existing boundaries of the district, which excludes the Dana Reserve site.

Golden State, another water purveyor, holds that the services district may be legally liable for using the 500 acre-feet intended to be used only to serve infill development, not new projects like Dana Reserve. The Environmental Impact Report supports this view, stating the water was intended for existing district boundaries. This raises concerns about water security and fairness as other developers have been denied water for their projects within the services district’s sphere of influence.

It also raises questions about this local agency’s complicity with the developer, self-serving justifications and total disregard of community input. Responsibly, Supervisors Jimmy Paulding and Bruce Gibson questioned this and other aspects of this urban sprawl, mega development.

Apparently the three other supervisors received campaign contributions from this developer. Conflict of interest much?

Irene Woo

Nipomo

Justice system upholds name

“SLO County Republicans react to Trump’s felony conviction,” (sanluisobispo.com, May 31)

Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 counts shows that, for all its flaws, the American justice system can live up to its name. Presidents are not — and should not be — above the law.

Roscoe Mathieu

San Luis Obispo

You’re Convicted

“SLO County Republicans react to Trump’s felony conviction,” (sanluisobispo.com, May 31)

We now have been reassured that at least one part of our legal system — the jury — still works the way it was designed to, while the rest of the judicial system, from the Supreme Court down, wallows in the muck left from egregious presidential appointments.

Donald Trump has been convicted by a jury of his (and our) peers, whose impartiality was vetted in court by Trump’s own legal team. No politics here.

Is it still possible that the Trump Travesty might still be reinstalled in the White House by that larger jury of Trump’s intellectual/moral peers among the general public (none of whom would ever be allowed to sit on any legitimate jury)? Let’s see if we can distract him before that even becomes a nightmarish possibility.

Let me propose to Mr. T that he instead return to the airwaves with a sequel to his early TV show, which you may remember was called “You’re Fired.” This replacement can be called “You’re Convicted,” and will feature, as contestants, Trump’s former henchmen, sycophants and colleagues who are now in prison.

I would not be averse to backing it. How about you?

Gene Strohl

San Luis Obispo