Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Editorial

Democratic process moves slowly, surely

For all the vitality that characterizes public hearings on hotly debated issues, the democratic process can sometimes feel like a mind-deadening exercise in futility. Just when one side thinks justice has been done, the other side recovers, and the battle begins anew.

Several stories in the news this week call to mind the reality that the wheels of progress move slowly. And that, just maybe, this is for the best.

Preservationists fought off Pete Denevi's attempt to build a golf course in the Lexington Basin a year ago. Now Denevi is back, but not with the same old plan. Heeding concerns raised last time around, Denevi has taken steps to make the golf course more environmentally friendly.

The environmentalists still aren't buying it. On the other hand, recognizing that once the environmental objections are mitigated, a golf course becomes more likely, environmentalists are now talking about putting up hard cash and actually trying to buy the property from Denevi.

In the democratic process, progress must be measured by movement--no matter how small--toward common ground.

It remains to be seen what the county Committee on School Organization will do with the now-completed report on the desirability of changing school boundaries in the West Valley.

But no one can argue that we haven't moved a long way from the early proposals that suggested turning 11 school districts into two. And certainly no one can argue that there has not been a public airing of the issues.

There may be more rounds in the battle, but the next round will start with a better understanding of the issues.

Calvary Church was due back in front of the Town Council this week. Although the Planning Commission liked the architect's plan to disguise a huge gymnasium as townhouses, not all the neighbors were amused. At least one appealed the decision.

This project has been back and forth between committees and commissions and back to the drawing board more times than most council watchers can remember.

Still, there has been movement toward common ground. While some neighbors remain unhappy with the church's expansion plans, others say the church has bent over backward to be accommodating.

When local citizens heard that PG&E intended to build a substation near Lark Avenue and Winchester Boulevard, there was an uproar. Now PG&E has responded with a list of alternative sites. PG&E is still touting the one at Lark and Winchester as the best. But we're now a little further along by knowing what the alternatives are and what price would have to be paid if an alternative were chosen.

It's fashionable in our quest for quick fixes to criticize "the process" for throwing roadblocks in our paths. We'd like to suggest, however, that it is "the process" that is the very heartbeat of our democratic society.

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