Opposing views on stalled housing projects

Re “Judge rules county’s OK of two housing projects is not valid” (Feb. 21): Although all politicians say they will address the critical housing shortage, nothing is being done by any of them. The construction of 800 reasonably priced homes that were approved by our elected supervisors has been stopped by a judge acting for a handful of NIMBYS who found an attorney to file a lawsuit under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the largest development roadblock there ever was.

A developer goes through all the steps spelled out in our laws, including the environmental studies required to get the approvals to build, and a few individuals with no skin in the game find a friendly judge to at least stall the process, which will increase the costs to everyone else, to provide “additional studies.”

Those filing these lawsuits suffer no costs for their frivolous lawsuits, however we need some politicians with some guts to repeal CEQA. There are enough environmental protection laws already. A.S. Fitzpatrick Scripps Ranch

Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal issued a final ruling on two of the recent general plan amendments the county Board of Supervisors approved almost 18 months ago.

Millions of dollars have been spent in legal fees in order to have a neutral party render the obvious decision, that these projects (Harmony Grove Village South and Valiano) were so egregiously deficient in their design that Bacal ordered the supervisors to rescind their approval of both projects. The judge found the projects would create an extreme fire hazard to future and existing residents, and that the projects and would contribute to future greenhouse gas emissions with no credible mitigation.

Several other housing projects approved since then, as general plan amendments, will likely fall to the same deficiencies after lengthy and costly legal battles. Vote “yes” on Measure A and demand the supervisors abide by the general plan. Jon Dummer Harmony Grove