Editor:
Opinions are your columnist Bill Bauer's right (and stock in trade), but when my statements are factually misrepresented, I must set the record straight.
My comments at last Tuesday's council meeting about water didn't extend to development in general, but were specific to one building, where exemplary environmental work deserved recognition. New apartments for a hundred households, with ground floor retail and restaurant, will be consuming LESS water than the single-story chain restaurant formerly on the site.
That's a remarkable accomplishment, and takes a lot more than low-flow toilets and showerheads.
Santa Monica is successfully reducing water use through conservation, and that's a hardship we all share. When a new building is designed to help us, not hurt us, we should acknowledge and applaud that.
Mayor Kevin McKeown
Santa Monica
