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4.50 West Fourth Street Suite 130 Santa Ana, CA 92.701 Ph: 71 A-542.7192 fog: 714-a42-4853 IaFirrzrhenClhnre�ss,orcd March 3, 2020 Re: City Council Meeting Agenda Item 75A Dear Santa Ana City Council and Mayor: I am submitting this letter on behalf of Latino Health Access to express full support of THRIVE Santa Ana's proposal to develop a micro -farm on 1001 W. Walnut Ave. As an organization that has served the Santa Ana community for over 26 years, we continue to see the value of converting vacant public land into community -driven projects that meet local needs and activate neighborhood leadership to improve wellness and quality of life. We ask that you approve Item 75A: the Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA) with THRIVE Santa Ana, Inc. for the Walnut and Daisy Micro -Farm project and a 99-year ground lease, The Walnut and Daisy Micro -Farm project is a win -win all around for the community, the city, and THRIVE. The concept was designed in partnership with local community residents and by engaging area neighbors in the planning process. It will meet needs that the city has acknowledged and set out to address in city plans and community engagement efforts throughout the last ten years, such as much needed access to healthy food, economic opportunity, locally grown produce at affordable rates, social and educational gathering space for all ages. Urban farms have been shown to benefit local property values, tax benefits to the City as a whole, as well as the physical and mental health of participants. We look forward to the Walnut and Daisy project as it will be much more than a micro - farm. It will be an opportunity for the City of Santa Ana to model sustainability, using the community land trust (CLT) model to combine powerful resident participation and smart land stewardship. Over 250 cities and diverse communities in the United States are using the CLT model to make development projects more equitable and sustainable. CLTs have demonstrated effectiveness in strengthening the economy throughout the US, especially in neighborhoods of need. As a founding member of the THRIVE Santa Ana Community Land Trust, we wholeheartedly support the execution of a 99-year lease to develop the current vacant lot into a micro -farm. We encourage you to approve the Walnut and Daisy DDA that leads to CLT stewardship of the land. The importance of community stewardship and ownership in building community wealth has been studied and proven more; let's take this opportunity to establish a framework for locally -driven economic growth in Santa Ana that also promotes health, wellbeing, and intergenerational leadership. Sincerely, Nancy Mej a, MPH, MS Director of Community agement & Advocacy Programs rim eiiaga,latinohealthaceess.org PREVENTION EDUCATION ACTION