From the Monterey County Herald
Serving Monterey County and the Salinas Valley

March 5, 2005

L E T T E R S

Editor:

To hear Pebble Beach Co.'s lawyer Tony Lombardo tell it, the Coastal Commission doesn't know what it is talking about when it says PBC's huge development program has major problems in store for the environment (March 2). But when the developers were pushing their project to the public (as "Measure A") they told voters not to worry about potential harm to the wildlife, water supply, spectacular dunes, native Monterey Pine forest, endangered plants, and all the rest.

Why? Because these would all be looked at carefully later -- by the Coastal Commission!

And indeed, the harm this project would do IS being looked at carefully by the Coastal Commission. And it is warning county officials of serious ecological concerns and violations of local coastal plans. For instance, the commission noted that 15,000 Monterey Pines, among other natural treasures, would be destroyed for the big golf-development wish list, while the compensating "mitigations" are largely experimental.

The developers want us to forget the voters were misled about "Forest Preservation" and to believe their paid consultants and lawyers, rather than the Coastal Commission experts with no financial or other interest in their project. They fear the commission is doing its job.

Mary Ann Matthews
Carmel Valley