Laserfiche WebLink
littps://outlook.live.com/mail/sentitems/id/AQNIkADAwATEO... <br />However, businesses also look at where people work. A class A office building with a healthy <br />supply of workers just as easily contributes to gyms, grocery stores, and other amenities. Tim, I <br />share your view that good, high quality apartments are worthwhile in any community. Perhaps <br />a project with half the density would have eventually won the hearts and minds of area <br />residents. The monolith proposed doesn't do it. I would of course go hand in hand with you to <br />City Hall to demand funding for code enforcement and then adopt a design ordinance which <br />would require landlords in Santa Ana to dramatically improve their rental product. Tim, I know <br />you quite well and do not believe you are making your case out of interest or loyalty to one <br />party or another. As for me, again, I am typically pro -development and pro -developer. <br />Nevertheless, once in a while you see a project like this that just jumps off the page as being so <br />out of whack you have to say something. Interestingly, I heard many colleagues in the <br />development field say the same thing at the hearings. I share your view that the project can be <br />made better. However, I don't see it happening. Better would mean (IMHO) a dramatic drop in <br />density at the very least. What is needed here is for a complete analysis and update of the <br />General Plan well before the City Council considers this. I think that is really one of the biggest <br />problems with this project. The General Plan assumes that this site would have fit in with a <br />much larger mixed use development for the area that was planned in the late 90s. That project <br />included a convention center and people mover. That project of course was never built and <br />designations of the site for a "node' are at best an outdated appendage of a plan that was <br />never built. My prediction is the developer will shave off another 5% or so, beef up the parking, <br />add some more landscaping, and throw some more money at the park. He will then come back <br />to the City and try to portray himself as being the victim of NIMBY neighbors. I think its going to <br />be close but my sense is he has already been briefing Councilmembers. Although the Planning <br />Commission voted against, I think Benvanides' comments foreshadow how the Council will go <br />but time will tell and Park Santiago and other neighborhoods are not backing down. It will be <br />interesting. 1 have previously opposed the project in writing and will likely send another letter <br />to Council opposing it. If that fails, I hope the City's staff does a better job at getting more <br />meaningful concessions. For my friend Tim -please feel free to stop by for some coffee. I also <br />roast it myself and have a bag of freshly roasted coffee waiting for you. <br />Cooking Post <br />santaana.org <br />New18h ago • 29 neighborhoods in General <br />From: Diane Fradkin <br />Sent: Friday, January 25, 2019 8:04 PM <br />To: mpulido@santa-ana.org; ciglesias@santa-ana.org; JSolorio@santa-ana.org; dpenaloza@santa- <br />5 of 6 2/11/2019.3:25 PM <br />