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From:timrush@bhhscaprops.com <br />To:Bernal, Sarah <br />Subject:Agenda item for this evenings Planning Commission study session, item No 3 <br />Date:Monday, October 14, 2019 11:31:04 AM <br />Mark McLoughlin <br />Chairman <br />City of Santa Ana Planning Commission <br />Sent via email <br /> <br />RE; Your agenda item no. 3 for meeting on 10/14/19 <br /> <br />Dear Chair and members of the Planning Commission; <br /> <br />At your last meeting you asked the applicant Toll Bros. & First American Financial to meet with <br />representatives of the preservation community regarding the above item. The purpose as we <br />understood it was to organize a plan to explore the status of the buildings and determine IF there <br />was a structure worthy of saving to integrate into the new development. <br /> <br />We did meet (minutes were distributed to you this morning) and unfortunately there was no <br />willingness to proceed in any direction. We are disappointed that the developer has taken such a <br />difficult stance given the opportunity that is before them. We would like to propose that the money <br />they have set aside in their budget for the building (we are told $300K) as well as funds they would <br />expend to move the building to a college campus in another county (they revealed this plan at our <br />meeting at the Planning Department on October 1st, 2019 @1;00pm) likely another $200K would <br />instead be used to hire a preservation architecture firm to collaborate with their existing architect <br />MVE to merge the old and new and preserve an important block of our downtown. <br /> <br />The block between 4th and 5th up until the later seventies was a bustling commercial corridor after <br />First American demolished the historic Montgomery Wards Art Deco building {to create a walled off <br />parking lot} and the other buildings along that block except for their original home office building <br />and the brick building immediately to the south. We look forward to this Toll Bros. project adding a <br />wonderful component to the downtown provided these adjustments are made. We want to <br />advocate for their project………but it needs to properly fit in with our historic downtown. <br /> <br />I ask that you delay a decision on this project until Toll Bros can do the investigation to properly <br />determine the best path forward. Thank you for your consideration. <br /> <br />Sincerely, <br />Tim Rush <br />Yost Carlton House <br />Wilshire Square, 92707-1207 <br /> <br />