CORRESPONDENCE - Closed Session #3

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To increase the amount of parkland available to residents, the City should incorporate into the General the Coalition's recommendations, which include increasing the City's parkland standard to 3 acres per every 1,000 residents as recommended by the California Quimbley Act and implementing the No-Net-Loss of Open Space Policy. Policy language and more information regarding these recommendations can be found in the letter Rise Up Willowick sent to all council members and submitted as public comment for the City Council meeting on December 7, 2021. Lead soil contamination, poor air quality, and the increase in market-rate development in the General Plan's five focus areas are other environmental issues the General Plan fails to properly address. Adopting the proposed draft General Plan would be irresponsible given how impacted Santa Ana is by environmental injustice. Many of the census tracts in the focus areas are in the identified DACs. This means that future residents will be impacted by a disproportionate level of environmental pollution in these areas and, also, that the increase in population in these areas will exacerbate the existing environmental problems facing current residents. The City has often cited the increase in community outreach efforts during the past year as evidence of the validity of the proposed General Plan. While community outreach is important, it is equally important that, in addition to providing opportunities for residents to provide input, the City crafts policies that actually address the concerns raised during these community outreach opportunities. Unfortunately, the proposed General Plan does not do this. Closed Session Item 3: Willowick Property Negotiations In addition to the recommendations provided in our December 7, 2021 letter, the Coalition also believes the preservation of Willowick as primarily parkland is essential to addressing the City's deep park deficit as well as complying with the CA Surplus Land Act. Given the low availability of undeveloped land in the City, without the 102 acres that make up the Willowick property, it will be nearly impossible for the City to address its deep park deficit. Mayor Sarmiento stated in the December 21, 2021 meeting that he was interested in acquiring Willowick for the purpose of creating a large park.As the City holds discussions over the Willowick property tonight with the property owner, the City of Garden Grove, the Coalition encourages the City of Santa Ana to acquire the property and work with the Trust for Public Land to ensure that more than 80 acres of the property are used for the creation of a large-scale park. The Coalition requests that the Council not adopt the proposed General Plan and instead work with residents and community groups to develop policies that truly address the residents' environmental concerns, and specifically work with the Coalition to develop strategies to increase the availability of parkland in Santa Ana. You can reach the Coalition at ruwillowick(@gmail.com . Sincerely, The Rise Up Willowick Coalition 1 of 2