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Salas, Diana
<br />From: Ellen Koldewey <mrskold@yahoo.com>
<br />Sent: Monday, December 16, 2019 11:59 AM
<br />To: eComment
<br />Cc: Pulido; Miguel; Villegas, Juan; Sarmiento, Vicente; Solorio, Jose; Iglesias, Cecilia;
<br />Penaloza, David; Bacerra, Phil; Ridge, Kristine, Carvalho, Sonia R.; Gomez, Daisy
<br />Subject: Subject: Items 11 A (1) and (2) Consent Calendar (Second Reading Ordinances 2525
<br />North Main Street) City Council Meeting Tuesday 12-17-2019
<br />Greetings Mayor Pulido and Councilmembers,
<br />As your constituent and a Santa Ana voter, I respectfully object to the inclusion of Items 11A (1) and (2) in the
<br />Consent Calendar on the December 17, 2019 Council agenda.i I also object to the final adoption of these
<br />ordinances by Council on second reading without further informed discussion. The Consent Calendar should be
<br />reserved for "routine" items that can appropriately be enacted by one motion without discussion. With due respect, as a
<br />result of information that has become part of the record at or after the last Council meeting on December 3, 2019, that is
<br />not the case here. The final votes on adoption of the Development Agreement and Zoning Amendment for 2525 North
<br />Main Street are still clearly not routine and still must not be enacted with other agenda items by a single motion without
<br />further discussion. Therefore, I request that Council pull the two ordinances in 11A from the consent calendar for
<br />further discussion before voting.
<br />Here is the additional information that has recently become available that may inform your vote.
<br />1) At the December 3, 2019 City Council meeting, a two week continuance was granted to review the deficiencies of the
<br />Development Agreement pointed out by concerned neighbors. The resulting City Staff Report shows review/adoption of
<br />some of the recommended nonsubstantive changes. 2 Before the City agrees to be bound by the still flawed
<br />Development Agreement, I urge you to allow City Staff and the City Attorney additional time to complete a
<br />thorough substantive review of the Development Agreement to reach a better bargain for your constituents.
<br />2) Since the last Council Meeting on December 3, 2019, the local paper of record, the Orange County
<br />Register, published an informative series of articles on our state's housing crisis and the adequacy of the response of
<br />local cities and towns to that crisis. These articles provide current comparative housing data showing that Santa Ana
<br />has consistently led Orange County in permitting the building of sufficient high density housing at all income
<br />levels throughout our City to satisfy statewide requirements for addressing the regional housing crisis. Based
<br />on the data in these articles, it is not clear to me that there is still a compelling justification for building any more high
<br />density luxury housing projects in this City that would warrant spot zoning or rezoning of this particular parcel of
<br />land. Rather, based on the collected data, the newspaper gives Santa Ana a high grade for full compliance (A+) with
<br />statewide requirements for permitting of construction of new high density residential units at all income levels to address
<br />the statewide housing crisis and homelessness. 3 Before Council adopts the zoning amendment ordinance, I
<br />request that you review available current housing data to determine if the statewide housing crisis provides a
<br />compelling justification for the construction of additional high density luxury housing units in Santa Ana, and
<br />specifically, for this high density residential complex at this particular location.
<br />3) Also, please review carefully the information provided at and after the last Council Meeting that the 2525 North Main
<br />Street property has fallen into disrepair and reportedly has become an unsafe haven for homeless people, and
<br />that, therefore, the current agreement and zoning amendment should be approved. I do not believe that current reported
<br />neglect of the property, if any, provides a compelling justification for voting for this development agreement or zoning
<br />amendment. Rather, if true, such reports may demonstrate the continued need for our City to more vigorously enforce the
<br />provisions of the building and safety code against the current property owner.
<br />4) Finally and respectfully, please investigate the apparent allegations regarding the integrity of the current public
<br />process made on the record by your colleagues at the last Council meeting before proceeding with the final
<br />vote. I agree with those Council members who cautioned their constituents on November 19, 2019 that the strongest
<br />arguments for a development are generally those made on the merits of the project and that no one, including the
<br />developer, should be penalized based on mere allegations. However, I do not think we can responsibly ignore the
<br />remarks made about this sensitive subject on the public record by members of the City Council on December 3,
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