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From Our Readers
Peninsula News – Saturday, August 11, 2007Risk not worth it
To the Editor:
The June 28 PV News editorial ("Slide repair is critical") stated that Laing Urban has agreed to pay for half of the $16-million to $18-million cost of the 10-year-old Deep Valley landslide repair in their process of developing the hillside. Laing Urban is floating the idea that the city of Rolling Hills Estates should participate in funding the additional $7 million to $8 million. The News editorial stated that the city “would be foolish not to consider the project”.At the June 26 RHE City Council meeting, City Manager Doug Prichard stated that it is “not the intention of the city to make up any shortfall” in the landslide repair. The landslide is on private property, and the city should rightly have no requirement to fund any part of repair activity any more than the city would assist in the repair cost for any of the multiple hill slides that have occurred on private property throughout the city. The city would be extremely remiss if they paid a dollar of public funds for the private Deep Valley landslide repair.
The potential liability the city would incur in any future hill slides, if the city provided funds, is unacceptable for the city and city residents. Contrary to the June 28 editorial, the city would be foolish to even consider the project.
The owner of the Deep Valley hillside, whoever they may be, should have repaired the hill 10 years ago, just as any homeowner would have had to repair their own slide. The city of RHE has no responsibility to fund any part of the repair.
The city of RHE should not have the promise to repair the Deep Valley landslide held as hostage to yet another developer's plan. The repair of the hillside is incumbent on the owner of the property. The approval of any development should stand on its own merits.
And to answer the question put forth by the June 28 PV News Editorial: “Is the risk worth thy potential reward?” Absolutely not!
Tom Judge
Rolling Hills Estates