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From:Bernal, Sarah <br />Cc:Kelaher, Selena; Fregoso, Vince <br />Bcc:Angie Cano; Cynthia Contreras-Leo; David Benavides; Eric Alderete; Kenneth Nguyen; Lynnette Verino; Mark <br />McLoughlin <br />Subject:PUBLIC COMMENT_Proposed Expansion of the Coptic Church on Edinger_ WELLS <br />Date:Thursday, January 24, 2019 1:23:50 PM <br />Commissioners: <br />Please see below comment for your review and consideration regarding an item on the January 28 <br />agenda (agenda packets will be posted this afternoon). <br />Thank you. <br />From: Pat Wells <r >  <br />Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2019 9:25 PM <br />To: eComment <eComment@santa-ana.org> <br />Subject: Proposted Expansion of the Coptic Church on Edinger <br />Dear Ms. Bernal: <br />As a twenty year home owner in the Little Texas neighborhood, which is adjacent to the Archangel <br />Michael Coptic Orthodox Church on Edinger, I am vehemently opposed to the expansion of the church's <br />proposed addition of a 9,928 square-foot community service building. <br />The neighborhood residents were opposed to the building of the church, but acquiesced when we were <br />led to believe that the church did not intend to expand. Since that time, the church has purchased several <br />properties in our neighborhood, which they do not maintain and are basically blights on the neighborhood. <br />Now, their goal is to consume more of our neighborhood for the purposed of a school and parking lot. <br />Our neighborhood is unique in that it is horse property and some of the residents have horses and other <br />animals. There are very few properties in Orange County where horses and other livestock can be kept. <br />My main concern is one of safety. There are two streets leading into and exiting the neighborhood. One <br />of the streets has an elementary school at the end of the street. School ends at various times with cars of <br />parents, students in the street, and buses virtually shutting down the street when students are arriving at <br />and leaving school. During the week, most residents use the other street to exit the neighborhood. With <br />the proposed expansion of the church, the only other street that we can exit the neighborhood during the <br />week would also have a school and a large parking lot, which will create the same issues as the other <br />school presents. Basically, during school hours, there would be major congestion with parents' cars and <br />students crossing the street, etc., on both exit streets. Both of our exits would be virtually shut down <br />during school hours. If an emergency were to occur, the fire department and/or an ambulance would be <br />delayed due to the school congestion. In addition, exiting the neighborhood in an emergency would be <br />extremely difficult. Leaving for work already presents its challenges at one end of the street. The <br />proposed new building and parking lot at the other end of the neighborhood would present the same <br />challenge. <br />The church should have originally been built in another area where there was adequate space for <br />expansion. It has been like an amoeba slowing taking over our neighborhood. Judging from the past, it <br />is doubtful that the church officials will ever be satisfied with the space they have and will continue to <br />erode our neighborhood.