Let’s keep this simple. Very complicated talk about recreation [including Riverside County’s] Economic Development Agency (EDA), Idyllwild Community Recreation Council (ICRC), and County Service Area (CSA) 36 [Idyllwild].
This letter is only for Idyllwild [residents], not Pine Cove or Mountain Center. CSA 36 doesn’t trust ICRC, ICRC doesn’t trust CSA 36 or EDA, and EDA used to trust ICRC, but not now.
They terminated them [Terminated the recreation management contract as of Aug. 1.] Terminated, it’s starting to sound like a movie. (Oops, Idyllwild Community Center (ICC) just popped up, a new branch of ICRC.)
Please don’t just turn it off in disgust, they’ve got big plans that are going to affect us, our children, and our children’s children. ICRC is still fighting. Their popularity has taken a big hit; many of us blame them for losing local control of Town Hall, for not serving the needs of the entire community during their four-year rule. But they still are a power-broker.
[The donor of the ICC property] gave them a big piece of land right at our town’s center. Why did he give it to a private company (ICRC)? Why not an organization with a publicly elected board? These are questions only [the donors] can answer, to this and future generations.
They’re moving quickly now. They want to get their stakes in the ground so they can hold it. Their plans for us keep changing, but now they’re talking modular buildings. Modular buildings, right along Strawberry Creek. Please, don’t destroy the beauty of Idyllwild!
Let’s get back to recreation. How many of us attend the wonderful summer concerts. Large audiences, meeting neighbors under the trees and stars, children playing; what a wonderful location. How happy we are to live in Idyllwild.
But here comes ICRC, with their plans. Tear down the trees; build an 18,000-square-foot center (with a large indoor pool, gym and auditorium).
These guys want real-estate development. But there’s plenty of vacant buildings elsewhere — just rent one.
Take a poll from the large crowd at one of the summer concerts. How many would be regular attendees to a community center? See how many would come to a park — their kids, teens, seniors and visitors.
Let me add that a park on Strawberry Creek would be a landmark for Idyllwild. The cultivated vegetation would be glorious. It would help our struggling local businesses. It would promote visitors and provide jobs.
Norm Cassen
Idyllwild
