Mr. Lucas' Misconception

December 24, 2003

Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to a recent editorial by Jim Lucas expressing his frustration in trying to obtain a permit for a 500-foot addition to his 1,000 square foot house. ("PART I: Just Saying No: A Planning Department Horror Story," Dec. 24, 2003 and PART II, Dec. 25, 2003)

Mr. Lucas clearly has the misconception that the house he purchased belongs to him. After all, we live in the People's Republic of Santa Monica, where all homes belong to the people. Mr. Lucas should be thankful that the city allows his family to use the house that he purchased and that city is not even requiring him share the house with other families.

He certainly should not be complaining that the city would be extra careful about changes to the people’s property. Mr. Lucas should be grateful that he is given any consideration at all. What’s several years of delay and tens of thousands of dollars in added costs, compared with the importance of insuring that any modification meets the aesthetic ideals of the city’s power elite.

Perhaps if Mr. Lucas had donated his $30,000 to SMRR, rather than wasting it on architects and engineers, he would have had a better opportunity to get the city to give his requested modification serious consideration.

Sincerely,

Jeff Segal
Santa Monica