The following letter to the editor by Beth Muraida was published in the El Segundo Herald newspaper (HeraldPublications.com) on Thursday, July 14, 2011 in the Letters section on page 3. The El Segundo Herald has a strict 250-word limit.
Imperial Field
I wish to invite the public to the Planning meeting tonight. The subject is the property at 640 E. Imperial. Currently there is a field that ES Little League developed for rookie and Challenged children to play, as well as an unused school.
City wants to zone for single/multiple housing. ESUSD needs revenue. The only way to accomplish that is to lease the property to a developer. ESUSD needs the City to rezone for a planned assisted living and single/multiple use development. To generate maximum revenue, the property will have to be developed the max. The same overdeveloped noisy neighborhood is happening all over town. What will the value of property surrounding this project become?
The field ESLL provided is the only green space available on the north of town. Children use it daily. The field provides a quiet greenbelt between neighbors and whatever is developed. What if the City were to lease the field space creating a park giving the Schools continuous revenue, and a more downsized plan?
Politicians ran campaigns providing the community with assistance living, costing residents five-$10 thousand per month. Wouldn’t it be better to place this on Kansas and Grand, where there is business zoning?
City makes serious decisions about overdeveloping every square inch we citizens have enjoyed for many years as quiet neighborhood. Make your voice heard by the decision makers that don’t live near this project, so they won’t experience any of the side effects except the revenue generated for the schools.
Beth Muraida
El Segundo Police Officers' Association (ESPOA) Exposed