Dear Editor,
In reply The Mirror’s Dec 21- 27, 2012 front page issue about the lawsuit filed against the City regarding Mountain View mobile home park I can’t believe that four residents of our Park would sue the City over what sounds like nothing. Apparently a few of our residents want to try to embarrass themselves and majority of the rest of us very happy and respectful residents at Mountain View.
First the Resident Association has only few members. In 2009 I myself refused to run for a fifth term as president of the Association because these same trouble makers, which are angry, selfish and actually enjoy causing trouble. I’ve never attended one of their “Association” meetings.
I personally thank the City for keeping our rents low and Rent Controlled. The City spent a lot of money putting in new sewer, natural gas, water, cable and electrical utilities. Each utility had to be placed at different levels and in different locations, the sewer at 11 feet and so on. Before the utility upgrade most of us used propane tanks that cost twice as SoCal gas does now. The Park hadn’t replaced these utilities since the Park began in 1947. The City did all of this at one time, they even took out the telephone poles. The work was dirty but most of us really appreciate what the City did for us. It is a mystery to me that these trouble makers are bitching and suing about dust and dirt. This issue typifies how frivolous their lawsuit is. It is ridiculous to think they are owed millions when we the residents have been safeguarded and our living conditions greatly improved.
In 2000 the City bought the Park and zoned it as a mobile home park for 55 years. The City has kept our rents low as most of our residents are extremely low income individuals and families.
The next thing the City did for the residents was to replace the 20 or so trailers that the City owns and rents with brand new energy efficient manufactured homes each with a new washer/dryer, microwave, dishwasher and solar panels to keep the electricity and gas usage down for us. And then the City offered to buy privately owned trailers in return for new manufactured homes. I sold my dilapidated trailer and was able to purchase a new gas sipping car and put a down payment on some dental work at the UCLA and prepay some rent. Since I live on SSI my rent stays the same!
It’s too bad some people here had to park in new spaces due to the widening of some of our narrow rows to move in new homes and to ensure that fire and rescue vehicles can get in quickly. This was necessary but in no way was it done to persecute anyone. Knowing that some of us would lose our regular parking spaces the City made the effort to accommodate people with spaces closer to their trailers if they could show evidence that they had a medical reason. I just had knee replacements and was given a space fairly close to my unit, it was that simple.
You can’t please all the people all of the time. But the City has made a tremendous effort to safeguard our Park’s future, replaced the infrastructure, kept rents low and replaced many trailers with new manufactured homes.
As very low fixed income person I feel very lucky to be living in Santa Monica where the beauty of the ocean, the sky and over all seascapes is next to none. As a 16 resident of Mountain View and 4 time past president of the Residents Association I can assure you that the great majority of our residents are extremely appreciative to be living here. There will always be complainers and trouble makers but these folks are in reality a tiny group. It’s very hard for me to believe their assertion that 15 residents have signed on to this suit. I know I won’t.
I just want to thank the City for everything they have done for us at Mountain View, thank you so much!
Randy Walburger
Santa Monica
