Letters to the editor: Costco gas station in Camarillo; T.O. district map; Biden judgment

Report needed on gas station

You may have heard about Costco’s proposal to build a new 160,000-square-foot warehouse, tire center, and 30-pump gas station here in Camarillo at the corner of Springville Dr. and Ventura Blvd. The proposed supercenter is estimated to generate anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 new vehicle trips per day and it will add dozens of big semi-truck deliveries for goods and fuel daily at all hours on local roads.

The addition of a mega gas station is most distressing. We’ve all seen vehicles idling for countless minutes at other Costcos resulting in significant amounts of pollutants being released. Unfortunately, the members of the City Planning Commission are relying on an Environmental Impact Report approved in 2008 for a proposed Kohl’s shopping center.

That report did not include, of course, the impacts of the Costco project upon nearby recently constructed residential areas just across the 101 Freeway including the 200-unit Las Posas rental development and Springville tract. A new Environmental Impact Report should be conducted so that nearby residents will know the impact this project will have on traffic, pollution, and public safety.

Joan Handzel, Camarillo

T.O. council chooses wrong map

Re: your July 13 story, “Council greenlights Thousand Oaks apartment complex”:

The article about July 11 Thousand Oaks City Council meeting missed the main story of the night, which was the vote on the district maps proposed as a result of the newly passed by-district voting which will start next election.

Chaise Rasheed, a Thousand Oaks citizen, had proposed Map 113 which gave the maximum representation to underrepresented minorities, connecting a large Latino population, mostly apartment residents with apartment dwellers in the central Thousand Oaks district. Many Thousand Oaks residents spoke passionately in favor of this map, and only one or two people spoke in favor of other maps.

Unfortunately, the majority of the Thousand Oaks City Council chose to completely ignore the will of the people and chose another map that favored the continued advantage of the incumbent councilmembers Mikey Taylor, Al Adams and Kevin McNamee to the outrage of almost everyone in attendance. At least Councilmen Bob Engler and David Newman listened to the many speakers who favored Map 113, but they were in the minority.

Next election we need to replace Taylor, Adams, and McNamee with people who will represent the people of Thousand Oaks and listen to them.

Sue Gunther, Newbury Park

Lack of sound judgment by Biden

Re: Ingrid Jacques’ July 13 column, “So much for Biden’s Mr. Nice Guy persona”:

Ingrid Jacques’ column is straight on point. Hunter Biden is “not” an elected official and does not represent any city, county, state, nor this country, so whatever bad acts he engages in are best left to in the gossip columns. He is President and Dr. J. Biden’s problem, not ours.

President Biden on the other hand is an elected official and he should demonstrate good character and sound judgment. He nor Dr. Jill Biden have done so here.

Little Ms. Roberts deserves the name chosen by her mother and she deserves love and unfettered and unbiased recognition by all of her grandparents. Her father maybe made a mistake, and her mother may have made a mistake, but she is not a mistake. All of God’s children are perfect.

I rarely agree with The Star’s columns, but I do here.

Steve Koep, Simi Valley

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Letters: Costco gas station; T.O. district map; Biden judgment