For Lasting Achievement, Koll Should Deed Bolsa Chica to Public

The May 14 article on developer Donald M. Koll (“Koll, Calm and Collected”) has illuminated an unfolding story of almost biblical proportions. The Bolsa Chica is not just another pretty piece of dirt with a nice view. It is the irreplaceable site of not one but two critical elements in Western civilization.

By erecting another 3,300 homes, Koll wipes out any hope of continuing to unearth the record of those who lived here thousands of years ago. He also irreparably damages an essential portion of the North American flyway, home to bird species precariously teetering on the endangered list.

It is unremarkable that the Board of Supervisors has given its approval to this travesty. That is the enlightened crew that also approved the financial debacle ensuring affluent Orange County’s place in history as a bankruptcy.

Koll enjoys a well-earned reputation as a seasoned Orange County real estate developer. If he continues on his current course, he will be reviled for his role in destroying these public jewels rather than praised for his achievements.

The irony is that he is perfectly positioned to earn a place in history equivalent to that accorded Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist who made the free public library a national institution. Given his considerable personal fortune, Koll could readily deed his interest to the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, thus protecting these unique acres from commercial development for all time.

EVERETT GANTZ

Long Beach