To the editor: The op-ed by guest contributor Zachary Steinert-Threlkeld cites survey data he claims shows overwhelming, widespread support (15 of 16 City Council districts) for additional apartment construction throughout the city, including in single-family neighborhoods (“Not so NIMBY, Angelenos want more housing in their neighborhoods,” Sept. 23). The survey results are not surprising given that the majority of residents in the city are renters. Given the option, of course, most renters would surely prefer to live on a quiet, tree-lined, clean, less congested, more stable single-family neighborhood street in Santa Monica or Bel Air rather than on Wilshire or Van Nuys Boulevard. I know I would.
I would be interested to see a survey of the single-family homeowners in the city who have worked, saved and sacrificed to invest in their neighborhoods. I’m certain the results would be quite different.
Instead of destroying the character of the city’s single-family neighborhoods, let’s focus on making our higher-density neighborhoods more livable and more desirable. We could start by planning and requiring developer funding for more neighborhood open space and by committing to provide better city services, such as more policing and street maintenance, in these areas.
John Lorick, Los Angeles