CORRESPONDENCE- #04 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Middleton, Samuel From: Dana Jazayeri <dj@shopunlisted.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2022 2:40 PM To: eComment; Sarmiento, Vicente; Phan, Thai; Penaloza, David; Lopez, Jessie; Bacerra, Phil; Mendoza, Nelida; Hernandez, Johnathan; Morris, Angie; Ridge, Kristine; Mendoza, Steven; johnathan@hernandezforsantaana.org Subject: OC Streetcar Project — Orange County Transportation Authority Statement Esteemed Mayor and City Councilmembers, My name is Dana Jazayeri, and I am the owner of Marcas Gallery/Unlisted Located at 305 E 4t' St. # 104, between Spurgeon and French. And I am a resident residing in Heninger Park. I have felt the impact as a business owner and resident caused by the OC Streetcar project. Financially, my business is operating at a 30% loss as of this date compared to years past. My commute to work from my business to residence during rush hour times has increased 500%. One day on a Wednesday it took me 40 mins to navigate the consistently changing roadways, that is a 0.7-mile car ride. If I as a resident who navigates these streets daily has issues getting through the downtown, I can only imagine the issues non-residents have. My complaint today has a few points. Care should be made to mitigate the negative impact to the customers. By customers I mean any commuting resident or non-resident attempting access to the downtown or passing through it. The customer experience is an important factor. The negative experience will live past the completion of the streetcar project, and it may take years to bring those impacted by the project back to the downtown. I feel for my residents who have added commute times. These added times equate to money losses in gas and maintenance. Let alone the loss of quality time with their families. I have immense sympathy for any non-resident attempting to access the downtown to interact with the businesses and services as they are the least knowledgeable about the area. The on -street and detour signage are abysmal. We were promised proper wayfinding signage so customers who have victoriously arrived to one of the parking structures, could locate the businesses effectively. What they are presented with is a confusing unnavigable landscape that changes daily. Signage promoting the project continues to be placed through out the downtown and it provides no substance. Customers are not here to gawk over this project. They are here to interact with the downtown sector in some way and they should be provided with proper wayfnding signage. We were promised proper detour signs. And we received the same run of the mill detour signs that are small and detour you to nothing specific. Example, the one way at 5t' St. and French St. I have nearly been in a head on collision as drivers are confused about where to go. Ultimately, OCTA has shown little care to how this project plays out. It's clear Utilitarianism. OCTA is not a stakeholder here and they are showing it. City representatives are the stake holders, and they are the ones who were to sit down prior to this project and discuss how to mitigate business losses and lessen the customer/community impact of this project. OCTA is clearly not qualified or aware on how to execute this project properly. I have spoken with representatives at the Federal Transportation Bureau and the mitigation conversation was to occur at the Local Level. The cities representatives should of began the dialogue with OCTA to organize a mitigation program to minimize impact caused to its residents and acquire funding for businesses impacted. Only after businesses and residents voiced themselves about this failure have conversations started. As I appreciate the opportunity to receive a grant to support the impact I have received the amount is not enough. The FTB representative provided me with an example of a proper mitigation program organized by the city of Los Angeles and LA Metro. Through local (Measure M), state and federal funding their Business Interruption Fund or BIF has a $10,000,000 reserve to assist "small mom and pop" businesses with less than 25 employees along the purple line construction route, a similar project to the OC Streetcar. The fund provides up to $50,000 or 60% of annual business revenue losses per business. Multiple requests for financial assistance can be made during the duration of the construction project. The city and OCTA need to work together to find the proper funding to mitigate the impact of this project and correct the current signage issues. If the current investors cannot survive the duration of this project and benefit from its completion this project will be built upon a financial graveyard. Thank you for your time in reading my statement. Dana Jazayeri If you wish to learn more about the LA Metro BIF please follow the link below. htlps://www.metro.net/about/business-interruption-fund/