What’s wrong with a council candidate taking money from developers? – Orange County Register

Recently, an aspiring candidate for Irvine City Council knocked on my door.

We had a pleasant conversation. She was nice. When I asked her what she stood for, she assured that she would not accept money from developers.

I replied, “I don’t know why you wouldn’t accept money from developers. I actually think you should!” She looked at me like I was from another planet.

This is so predictable, so commonplace and so wrong.

As an architect practicing in Orange County and living in Irvine since 1987, I would argue that no one has done more to provide a positive and innovative vision for the future of Irvine than the developers working here, along with the landscape architects Architects, planners and designers who worked with them before Irvine was incorporated as a city.

From the beginning of Irvine Ranch’s development, the Irvine Company, in collaboration with other developers, builders and professionals, has envisioned and implemented a unique vision for the livable environment we take for granted here, from the village structure to the lakes, hiking and From bike paths, open spaces, landscaped paseos to some of the most innovative living, office and shopping ideas available.

Instead of going door to door and sending out negative campaign literature about what candidates could do to make the housing crisis worse by driving out developers, perhaps they should think rationally about how their wonderful homes and communities came to be. (Note: It wasn’t the politicians.)

Donald Pender, Irvine