Laguna Niguel Elitism

Elitism is alive and well in Laguna Niguel as shown by Thom Taylor’s fervent plea to restore the Pan Pacific Auditorium (Letters, July 9). What chutzpah for someone 30 to 40 miles away, completely insulated from about 10,000 daily automobile trips anticipated for this project by the Environmental Impact Report and the six intersections adjacent to the project, which are now at gridlock levels as well as the six additional intersections which would be raised to unbearable levels by this development.

Taylor’s rhetoric is offensive to a community plagued by massive traffic problems and a dearth of parks and open space, which would be exacerbated by this so-called renovation. When he says (with no factual support) that “the significance of the Pan is far beyond detractors perceptions,” he is slandering an entire community now cursed with the effects of uncontrolled development.

Taylor naively says “the developer has stated the fire would actually give them a bit more latitude with the renovation plans, while respecting the historic fabric of the building in a dignified manner.” To those of us who have seen the almost complete destruction caused by the fire and who know how little so-called “historic fabric” remains to be respected, the developers’ reaction sounds like a self-serving statement by those who recognize a rare opportunity to further exploit scarce park land for commercial development.

MAX W. STRAUSS

Los Angeles

Strauss is a planning consultant with the Beverly Wilshire Home Assn.