Dear Editor:
I just read . I have had the pleasure of sitting with her at City Council and other city meetings on more than one occasion. I too got involved in city politics because of things that happened in my neighborhood. A housing tract that was proposed and subsequently built in our old Leucadia neighborhood of pretty eclectic and diversified architecture and size just didn't seem to fit in. Because the neighborhood got involved, we got a bigger park and a lot of other things that the city and planning commission did not ask for from the developer. I have found that it pays to get involved in the beginning and stick with it. Looking back now I realize how naïve we were with our arguments and reasoning, copies of the general plan that supported our arguments, etc. Then we were told by the city that all those things that affected our neighborhood and community could be mitigated.
My only wish ten years later is that the city put the neighborhood/community before the developer. In general, that does not happen.
We had a champion in Maggie Houlihan. No matter where you lived in this city, she listened and tried to accommodate the public. She did not have the philosophy that she was elected so she got to decide how to vote based on her feelings or ideology. Or maybe she did. Maybe her feelings and ideology represented the vast majority of Encinitas. A few of her causes — community character, animal rights, open space, preserving old neighborhoods and most importantly the environment — seem to resonate with this community. So those of us who do watch what is happening at City Hall would like to see someone chosen who is not the polar opposite of what Maggie and the community stands for. Perhaps the best choice is to pick an interim person who is willing to serve until the next election. Then the people can decide...and I hope next year they vote for the person who represents the community and not the person who spends the most money. We'll be there watching tonight.
Sincerely,
Rachelle Collier, Leucadia
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