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Correspondence - #13
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08/17/2021 Regular
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Correspondence - #13
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<br />Orozco, Norma <br />From:Sean Drexler <drexler.sean@gmail.com> <br />Sent:Tuesday, August 17, 2021 3:53 PM <br />To:eComment <br />Subject:Item 13: Willowick Golf Course Update on Santa Ana City Council Meeting (8.17.2021) <br />Hello, <br />My name is Sean Drexler and I am a member of the Rise Up Willowick Coalition. I am emailing in regards to <br />Item 13: Willowick Golf Course Update. <br /> <br />First, I would like to state my disappointment that the City of Santa Ana (“the City”) did not inform Rise Up <br />Willowick that the City would be presenting this update. Residents from Rise Up Willowick have talked to City <br />staff and Council Members regarding the disposition of the Willowick property numerous times, including as <br />recently as this summer. The lack of transparency with and engagement of residents is frustrating and we hope <br />it improves moving forward. <br /> <br />Second, I would like to point out a few issues with the staff report submitted with the agenda item. To begin <br />with, there is absolutely no mention of the lawsuit filed in October, 2019 that forced the City of Garden Grove to <br />comply with the Surplus Land Act. The City of Garden Grove’s sale/lease of Willowick to McWhinney, LLC in <br />December, 2019, was not merely “cancelled.” It was deemed illegal because the City of Garden Grove was in <br />violation of the Surplus land Act (“ the SLA”). Both the City of Garden Grove and McWhinney, LLC were fully <br />aware that this was an issue given that residents had raised this concern prior to the filing of the lawsuit. The <br />fact that the City omitted the lawsuit in the staff report highlights another issue-- there is absolutely no mention <br />of the fact that it was residents’ efforts through Rise Up Willowick over the last two and a half years that has <br />forced the City of Garden Grove to consider residents’ voices through the SLA. It was RUW who pushed for <br />the SLA lawsuit and who has monitored the City of Garden Grove’s compliance with the SLA. <br /> <br />Another issue with the staff report is that it validates the City of Garden Grove’s $90 million appraisal of the <br />Willowick property. The staff report fails to mention that the $90 million valuation of the property is based on <br />Willowick being converted to a “Master Planned Community” that will be primarily market-rate housing with <br />commercial and retail development, a little affordable housing, and a negligible amount of open space. The <br />City of Garden Grove basing this appraisal on these residential and commercial uses is incorrect because <br />these uses are currently not allowed by the City of Santa Ana on this property. The Willowick property is <br />currently zoned as open space. The appraisal assumes, without justification, that the property will be rezoned. <br />It is an appraisal based on a fictitious scenario. The City of Santa Ana should have done its due diligence in <br />pointing out the flaws in the City of Garden Grove’s appraisal in the staff report. <br /> <br />Furthermore, not only is Willowick zoned as open space, the community has firmly stated they need open <br />space and not market-rate housing. This appraisal stands in complete contradiction to the resident’s stated <br />needs. The community has always stated their need for publicly accessible parkland and their rejection of <br />market-rate housing given it is not affordable to residents. The staff report also fails to mention this. To make it <br />clear, the ONLY project the community supports is that of the Trust for Public Land as it is the only one that <br />meets the community’s needs. <br /> <br />Council members should keep everything stated in this email in mind as they listen to the City’s “update” on <br />Willowick. <br /> <br /> <br />Thank you, <br />Sean Drexler <br />1 <br />
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