| | Published April 11th, 2012
| Letters to the Editor
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Editor:
As Hollywood goes, so goes Lamorinda.
On March 29, The New York Times reported that "[a] far-reaching rezoning plan . . . would turn parts of Hollywood into a mini-city -- with residential and commercial towers rising on streets like Vine, Hollywood, and Sunset . . . "
The Times went on to say that the plan for Hollywood "has set off a storm of opposition from residents fearful that it would destroy the rakish small-town charm of their community with soaring anodyne buildings that block views of the Hollywood Hills (and its iconic sign) and overwhelm streets with traffic."
Similar environmentally disruptive plans are in the works for Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda.
Tall buildings and high-density housing are planned for the downtown regions of Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda.
In Orinda, for example, the city council voted unanimously in February to advance plans for a 67-unit downtown apartment complex. The complex would have room for about 37 cars.
Before Lamorindans are saddled with irreversible high-rise, high-density housing, the voters in each city must be able to decide, in city-wide referendums, whether or not to permit the construction of such housing. Locally elected politicians must be held accountable for their actions.
Moreover, unelected and unaccountable bureaucrats who serve on such regional authorities as the Metropolitan Transportation Council and the Association of Bay Area Governments are determining how the downtowns of Lamorinda should look. Also, powerful real estate developers want to give Lamorinda a facelift.
New high-rise construction would destroy the views of the nearby hills and lead to more traffic and parking problems. Life in Lamorinda would become less enjoyable and lead to lower property values -- values that have, in recent years, declined noticeably.
Richard S. Colman
Orinda
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA