Good for the MLC, although I'll confess that I don't really get why the project was so controversial in the first place. Other than the exclusion of a well-thought out pedestrian crossing to connect this new development with Lee Vining proper, every other point of disagreement else seems kind of...overblown? Am I missing something?
For reference, the five objections:
(1) aesthetic impacts to the scenic resources of Mono Lake, light and glare;
(2) unsafe exposure of pedestrians and cyclists to highway traffic;
(3) traffic safety impacts at the junction of Highways 395 and 120 West;
(4) cumulative project impacts to the deer herd;
(5) exposure of people and structures to catastrophic mudflows resulting from a nearby volcanic eruption.
I'm guessing that these are mostly post-hoc justifications for the real reason, which is NIMBYism.
Anyway, I've always been surprised that Lee Vining is just this dusty little backwater compared to Mammoth Lakes or even Lone Pine. You'd think it would be bustling, given its proximity to Yosemite and Mono Lake. Now I know that it's because the residents are extremely organized against it.