This letter is written in response to that of Tom Schey, who notes his disappointment in the decision of the Californian Coastal Commission to deny building permits to “The Edge of U2.” While his extravagant claims for the project’s supposed “environmentally extraordinary protective measures” are obviously debatable and suggest a special interest, this letter aims to correct Mr. Schey’s apparent ignorance of geography.
The lots in question are not on Sweetwater Mesa. In fact, the project proposal constitutes a ridgeline development requiring massive grading and alteration of the landscape in order to create an extension that would make them reachable from the current Sweetwater Mesa Road. This is not a minor distinction, but represents a significant factor in understanding the potential impact of construction on adjacent private and public lands. As a Californian, a former member of the Advisory Committee of the U.S. National Park Service National Landmarks Commission and as a resident, with my family, of Sweetwater Mesa Road for over 30 years, I deplore Mr. Schey’s characterization of the public interest and applaud the expertise and fairness of the California Coastal Commission.
Jo Anne Van Tilburg