Open Letter to Council Members
Compensate homeowners for loss

It has come to my attention that the council would like to erect a cell tower next door to my house on Valpariso Street. This project will affect the property values and aesthetic value of my house and the area in general in a negative way. It will affect you as council members in a positive way because it will bring additional income to the city of Mission Viejo.

Our neighborhood will lose this fight. Therefore, I propose that in the interest of fairness that the revenues from this project be divided equally between the impacted parties and the city. Over time, this would compensate our neighborhood for the loss in value. This could be very simply achieved by determining who is impacted and to what degree and distribute the neighborhood’s portion accordingly on a biannual basis.

I believe that this is a fair and practical solution to this impasse, and I am sure that the fair-minded city council will want to do the right thing. To do otherwise would be considered a taking, and it would leave itself open to lawsuits – a position that nobody wants.

Jim Bentley
Mission Viejo homeowner