A DRUG REHAB CENTER IN IMPERIAL BEACH TOURIST ZONE?

Readers Think Not

Editor's note: Because of production limitations, we are unable to publish
a separate South County Opinion page today. The following letters were
generated by a Jan. 18 South County editorial supporting the establishment
of a Delancey Street drug rehabilitation facility in Imperial Beach.

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I cannot express how deeply and personally offended I am by your editorial
characterizing Imperial Beach as some sort of drug-infested community where
"substance abusers hang out on the streets."

You must not read your own paper, for, if you had, you would have read
dozens of news articles over the past two years about the renaissance of
this small seaside community. You would have read that we have finally
resolved the decades-long problem of pollution from Mexican sewage and that
our beaches have been clean and open, revitalizing our beachfront business
community.

You would have read about the three orchid awards we received for the $5
million renovation of our Pier Plaza, which, along with the expansion of
Dunes Park and a new state-of-the-art safety center, have completely
changed the face of Imperial Beach, attracting new businesses.

You also would have read articles about our public art and very successful
Neighborhood Revitalization Program, along with our family-oriented
festivals that attract visitors from all over the country -- Sandcastle
Days, The Bird Fest, The Chili & Jazz Festival, The California State BBQ
Championships and Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships.

You have every right to your opinion of the Delancey Street Foundation, but
you lose credibility when resorting to mean-spirited civic character
assassination.

Diane Rose, mayor Imperial Beach

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First, it was heavily laden cargo aircraft flying over our city. Now you
want to locate a bunch of ex-convicts and not-so-ex-drug addicts here.

Hey, I live on a street that has 20 or so kids -- nice kids all showing
evidence of good parenting. I'd like these kids to grow up free of
deafening airplane noise and encounters with drug addicts and ex-criminals.
And who was the genius who decided to locate a drug-treatment facility in a
town that you claim is loaded with drugs and the map shows is about three
miles from one of the world's foremost providers of illegal drugs?

LeRoy Wright, Imperial Beach

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Describing the Delancey Street projects as a "self-help" group and a
"job-training facility" paints an incredibly benign picture of its
residents. This is a rehabilitation program for convicted felons sent by
the court and prison system.

According to a Aug. 22, 1994, Union-Tribune article, the typical program
resident is "a skinhead, a prostitute, a former drug dealer, robber or
murderer -- or all of the above. The average resident has committed 18
felonies before coming to Delancey Street."

Elise Oldfield, Imperial Beach

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Let us unwaveringly state our stance on the proposed drug rehabilitation
center in our tourist-serving area, which is only 10 blocks long.

This is quite clearly a land-use issue only. The Delancey Street Foundation
should not take this as a personal affront. If applications for tattoo
parlors, second-hand stores, massage parlors or other businesses that are
not tourist-serving were before us, our opposition would be just as
adamant, for the sole reason that these are not approved uses in our C2
commercial zone.

We do not wish to engage in a debate on the merits of these types of
programs. We are all well aware of the necessity for such facilities.
However, our ordinances prohibit such uses in our beachfront commercial zone.

We, as a city, have a vision for our community, which is stated in our
general plan. That vision does not include a drug rehabilitation center for
convicted felons in our coastal residential and commercial district.

We extend an open invitation to any proponents of the project to visit our
"classic Southern California" seaside community. We are confident that,
upon examining the geographic location of the proposed facility, they will
wholeheartedly agree that this is not the appropriate location. We wish the
Delancey Street Foundation good luck in finding another location to
continue its good works.

Lorie Bragg Kerr, Executive director, Chamber of Commerce Imperial Beach

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All city officials should be well aware that drug addicts will relapse in
treatment centers and likely then be terminated onto the streets.

Cities should look closely and consult a number of experts on the
demographics of the drug-abusing population and the laws that protect these
addicts' rights. For example, sex offenders will come to such treatment
centers in higher numbers because other centers might be located too close
to schools or day-care centers. Violent gang offenders from prisons may be
ordered by parole officials to complete a treatment program upon release.

And please don't ever gauge the success of any treatment center on its size
or number of programs it runs. Drug treatment has become a
business/industry complete with its own sales people looking for another
opportunity to increase profits.

Patrick Keith, Imperial Beach

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I have spoken to friends and relatives in the San Francisco area, and they
have assured me that Delancey Street is one of the best organizations at
what it does. I commend it on this. But that is not the issue.

Imperial Beach is a small community that has been struggling to overcome
its inadequacies and, most important, its reputation. We have come a long
way in recent years. One of the driving forces is cleaning up our
beachfront from both pollution and haphazard developments. For the Delancey
Street Foundation to occupy one of 10 blocks of the only commercially zoned
property of our beach is not appropriate.

A business that generates revenues and services for our community is
imperative for the continued survival of this small town. The establishment
of a Delancey Street facility on our limited beachfront is not in our best
interest.

James Janney, Imperial Beach

___

Your editorial was irresponsible, inaccurate and unfair. The line, "You've
already got plenty of (drug-and alcohol-abusing addicts)," was especially
egregious, along with your selective use of crime statistics in comparing
Imperial Beach unfavorably to Lemon Grove.

The FBI Crime Index for Lemon Grove is 31.7 crimes per 1,000 population.
Imperial Beach's is 32 per 1,000. Both are consistent with cities of
similar demographics, both below the county average. Imperial Beach fares
better under the California Crime Index. Meanwhile, we issue more
misdemeanor alcohol citations because we are a beach community with large
special events such as the Annual U.S. Open Sandcastle Competition, and we
have banned alcohol on our beach.

You also need to read your own newspaper. Check out the articles on the
city's overhaul, our coastal renaissance, the over $12 million in port
improvements, our Classic Southern California marketing program,
Neighborhood Revitalization Program, The Tin Fish pier-end restaurant and
our recent Sav-On redevelopment deal.

The city has turned the corner. Imperial Beach is redefining itself. The
city has a vision. Frankly, it seems that with an eye toward
self-determination, the citizens don't like someone else's idea of
redevelopment being shoved down their throat.

Also, read your 1994 article on Delancey Street trying to find a San Diego
location. Its president, Mimi Silbert, talks about first needing a
community's support by achieving buy-in on the benefits of such programs,
including having a citizen committee to select a site. None of this
occurred in Imperial Beach. Rather, it is increasingly difficult for our
residents to accept the merits of the Delancey Street organization, given
its recent efforts to put a project in the community under the cover of
darkness.

All of the above aside, this is a land use issue. The tourist-oriented
zoning does not allow for a dormitory-style job training facility,
regardless of its reputation and record of success. This town is sensitive
about land use and its General Plan. We won't wink and look the other way
for Delancey Street, any more than we would fill in our wetlands if
Disneyland wanted to locate there.

Barry Johnson, City Manager and Frank Urtasun, Port Commissioner Imperial Beach