Commentary

by Chris Boyd, September 6, 2001

I'm Just a Long Point Junkie

I don't know about you, but I can't get enough news about the proposed Long Point project. Never before have so many people read our newspaper and sent in dozens of letters to the editor. We have received some well-written and some not-so-well-written letters supporting the continued use of Upper Point Vicente as parkland or, alternately, supporting its use as part of a golf course. I look forward to proofreading these letters, regardless of whether I agree with the viewpoints. While I get tired of going through an endless line of similar arguments, I'm glad there is an issue that fires up hundreds of people.

Then there are the articles written by my colleague Josh Cohen. I don't know how he does it, but Josh sits through numerous meetings that can drag on until the wee hours of the morning, listening to the same arguments. One guy gets up and talks for 10 minutes about how the development of Upper Point Vicente will destroy precious open space and ruin Rancho Palos Verdes for his grandchildren. Another guy calls him a weed-lover and speaks for 10 more minutes about how not developing the vacant lot will mean financial ruin for the city. After 60 such speakers, I would have to fight the urge to run screaming. Somehow, Josh manages to distill the comments into a cohesive article.

And, like any good council gadfly, I practically drool at the prospect of reading those articles. I'll admit it: I'm just another Long Point junkie, watching from afar and waiting for the City Council's fateful decision. As Long Point supporter Sonja Hayes said, I have a one-track mind. Every once in a while, I get the urge to write down my own concerns about Long Point. This column space is the perfect place to do so. Josh, whatever opinions he may have about the project, doesn't dare air any of them in this column. He must uphold his reputation as an objective reporter.

Well, since I'm not covering the city of RPV and have just as many opinions as the rest of you, I'm once again hopping on the Long Point bandwagon so I can get my own 2 cents in before I proofread another letter.

What frustrates me most about Long Point is the fact that the current discussion doesn't belong on the table. It's disgusting that city officials would even consider renting or leasing public land -- a rare commodity these days -- for private use. Federal government officials deeded the land to RPV so the city could open it to the public. A golf course, as many have argued correctly, is open to a select few. City officials will argue that they have to discuss all options, including a golf course, or risk a lawsuit from the developer. Make that one for the lawyers and zero for the residents.

I'm also frustrated by the number of ignorant letters sent in by Long Point supporters. Often, rather than making any valid arguments, they point fingers at the opposition, calling them tree-huggers and weed-lovers. I doubt these supporters have ever picked up a book about the relationship between humans and the environment. If they have, it was probably written by Rush Limbaugh. It amazes me that people firmly believe their actions have no bearing on the world around them. One letter writer seemed to think that preserving land would send us back to the Dark Ages. Such a lack of knowledge about the environment is downright scary.

Yet, no matter what side of the argument they're on, letter writers must be frustrated by the length of the process. I understand that government officials have to study things to death in order to make an informed decision, but this is ridiculous. My favorite letters on the subject came from a couple of residents who told officials to get off their duffs and make a decision. Amen.

Long Point has been around for more than a decade. The other day I looked at a couple of articles I wrote about the subject in 1997. I don't care if the plans have changed in the meantime -- it's still the proposed Long Point project.

To complement those changes, Long Point, like the Hydra, has many heads. At one point, developer Jim York attended meetings and tried to convince the RPV City Council to support his project. When that didn't work, he hired Destination Development and the smooth-talking Mike Mohler. So far, that tactic has paid off. To his credit, Mohler has convinced many members of the public, as well as planning commissioners, that the project is good for the city In addition, the aforementioned Long Point supporters, who write letters extolling the virtues of the project, provide a bit of free public-relations work. I can't help but think that some of them get paid a salary by Long Point representatives. Those of you who are against this project may think I'm doing Long Point a favor by mentioning its name so many times. Actually, I'm not too worried. I'll go out on a limb and say that by this winter, council members will vote 3-2 to deny the developer the use of Upper Point Vicente, essentially killing the project. Then again, it may take more of a Herculean effort to defeat the Hydra that is Long Point.

by Chris Boyd, Editor
Palos Verdes Peninsula News
September 6, 2001