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Dale Helvig <br />2536 N. Valencia St. Santa Ana CA 92706 <br />714-541-7254 helvig_denny@msn.com <br />August 17, 2020 <br />Mayor Pulido and Santa Ana City Councilmembers <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, 8th Floor <br />Santa Ana CA 92702 <br />Subject: The Bowery <br />I think over the course of time we have lost sight of what constitutes "open space". I like the comment in <br />the draft General Plan Open Space element. It states: <br />"Open space is so important that its presence (or absence) can profoundly shape physical, social, <br />mental, and economic health and well-being of our communities." <br />I understand the Parks Master Plan is underway to better define and guide the City's strategies <br />and investments in the coming years, but shouldn't this be completed in conjunction with the <br />"comprehensive" update to the General Plan? Without it we are just setting the City up for a <br />piecemeal product. <br />The Open Space Element goal OS-1 is to "provide a safe, accessible, sustainable, and diverse park <br />and facility system with recreational opportunities accessible to all residents." Somewhere along <br />the way we have allowed developers to say they are adding acreage of open space when in fact it <br />is paeso's, plazas, walkways and landscape areas, which are neither parks nor will it be used by <br />residents other than those living in the development. <br />Look closely at page 75C-12 of the Bowery staff report. Both the staff report and presentation for <br />the Bowery states it is adding publicly accessible open space acreage of 2.44 acres located on the <br />ground floor. This is nothing more than walkways, fire lanes to access the project buildings, and <br />landscaping. I doubt that Santa Ana residents that do not live in this development would be <br />welcome to have picnics and use the area for recreational purposes. <br />I also doubt the Parks Master Plan can defend the inclusion of these paeso's, plazas, walkways, <br />landscape areas, fire lanes, balconies and swimming pools as meeting the requirements for the <br />acreage requirement of 2 acres per 1000 residents. <br />Call it what it really is, Common Space for only tenants of the project, be it residents or businesses. <br />Thank you for your time. Stay safe, stay healthy. <br />Page 1 of 2 <br />2020-08-17 Letter to City Council -The Bowery <br />