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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCorrespondence - Item 17 Becerra, Alexis From: SALSA Food Hub <salsa.foodhub@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 10:37 AM To: eComment Subject: Letter of Support - Re: Item 17 Public Hearing - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street Attachments: SALSA FOOD HUB LLC- Letter of Support.pdf -Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana.Use caution when opening attachments or links. Hello, Please see the attached file for item 17 of tonight's public hearing. Thank you, Regards, SALSA Food Hub Urban Regenerative Farming Cooperative 1901 West Walnut St, Santa Ana Website Reserve Your Harvest Box 0 000,0��, �ry.Mo�aoe�,........ .,o.......F.... o..... Fom... ........ 1 SALSA FOOD HUB, LLC February 17, 2026 Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Item 17 Public Hearing - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street Dear Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Santa Ana City Council, Please receive this letter as our enthusiastic support for the Purchase and Sale Agreement of 1901 W. Walnut Street, also known as La Colmena.As you may know, our organization, Salsa Food Hub, is one of the worker owned co-op that resides in La Colmena. We work on urban farming with an ecological and regenerative approach to increase local biodiversity, and provides community supported agriculture with food that is grown right here in La Colmena. La Colmena is a result of deep community engagement over the past decade, and we have witnessed the many benefits it has brought to the City of Santa Ana to date. The community land trust model of THRIVE Santa Ana empowers impacted communities to be part of the decisions of land use and development, addressing community needs and sustaining public benefit. We therefore steadfastly support the City in making La Colmena the first CLT-owned asset in Santa Ana. This proposed sale would result in a highly positive fiscal and community impact for Santa Ana. The City would generate $852,000 in unrestricted revenue deposited directly into the General Fund. La Colmena has already demonstrated its value by transforming a long-vacant and blighted property into a vibrant community hub that enhances neighborhood safety, economic activity, and quality of life. Since opening, the project has generated at least five permanent, full-time jobs and more than ten temporary jobs, in addition to over thirty jobs created during the construction phase. It has created commercial space beyond the permanent food and retail businesses through open air markets that serve as an entryway for entrepreneurs and small businesses. La Colmena supports workforce development through partnerships that provide training and capacity building for workers, and asset-creation through worker-ownership. Furthermore, La Colmena supports localized supply chains for food that is produced locally, reducing carbon footprint in transport, and creating sales opportunities for local farmers through a Consumer Supported Agriculture platform. Across the country, more than 300 CLTs empower communities to collectively own and steward land, ensuring long-term access to affordable commercial spaces, housing, urban agriculture, and open space.As THRIVE advances additional projects in the coming years, the acquisition of La Colmena will represent a foundational step in establishing the CLT model in Santa Ana. SALSA FOOD HUB, LLC We respectfully urge you to approve the Purchase and Sale Agreement of La Colmena, with economic subsidy, to become a permanent community asset for the residents of Santa Ana. Salsa Food Hub (Local Community Supported Agriculture Co-op) Flores, Dora From:Radiate Consulting Orange County <ocinfo@radiateconsulting.coop> Sent:Tuesday, February 17, 2026 1:33 PM To:eComment; Luis Sarmiento Subject:Letter of support from THRIVE Attachments:Letter support - Radiate Consulting Orange County.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links. Carta de apoyo de la cooperativa Radiate Consulting O C. Radiate Consulting Orange County Worker Cooperative ocinfo@radiateconsulting.coop www.radiateconsulting.coop/orange-county The linked image cannot be displayed. The file may have been moved, renamed, or deleted. Verify that the link points to the correct file and location. 1 Radiate Consulting Orange County February 17, 2026 Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Item 17 Public Hearing - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street Dear Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Santa Ana City Council, Please receive this letter as our enthusiastic suppor t for the Purchase and Sale Agreement of 1901 W. Walnut Street, also known as La Colmena. As you may know, our organization. Radiate Consulting Orange County is a community-based consulting cooperative specializing in community outreach, rapid response organizing, and community engagement among primarily first-generation immigrant communities in Southern California. Radiate OC's cooperative worker-owners are themselves low-income community members from disinvested neighborhoods in Santa Ana, at the heart of Orange County, California. The cooperative members integrate a health equity focus with popular education methods, operating through a lens of solidarity and mutual aid. T hey firmly believe in the inherent resilience and strong interconnection of historically marginalized communities. La Colmena is a result of deep community engagement over the past decade, and we have witnessed the many benefits it has brought to the City of Santa Ana to date. The community land trust model of THRIVE Santa Ana empowers impacted communities to be part of the decisions of land use and development, addressing community needs and sustaining public benefit. We therefore steadfastly suppor t the City in making La Colmena the first CLT-owned asset in Santa Ana. T his proposed sale would result in a highly positive fiscal and community impact for Santa Ana. The City would generate $852,000 in unrestricted revenue deposited directly into the General Fund. La Colmena has already demonstrated its value by transforming a long-vacant and blighted property into a vibrant community hub that enhances neighborhood safety, economic activity, and quality of life. Since opening, the project has generated at least five permanent, full-time jobs and more than ten temporary jobs, in addition to over thirty jobs created during the construction phase. It has created commercial space beyond the permanent food and retail businesses through open air markets that ser ve as an entr yway for entrepreneurs and small businesses. La Colmena supports workforce development through par tnerships that provide training and capacity building for workers, and asset-creation through worker-ownership. Furthermore, La Colmena supports localized supply chains for food that is produced locally, reducing carbon footprint in transport, and creating sales opportunities for local farmers through a Consumer Supported Agriculture platform. Across the countr y, more than 300 CLTs empower communities to collectively own and steward land, ensuring long-term access to affordable commercial spaces, housing, urban agriculture, and open space. As THRIVE advances additional projects in the coming years, the acquisition of La Colmena will represent a foundational step in establishing the CLT model in Santa Ana. We respectfully urge you to approve the Purchase and Sale Agreement of La Colmena, with economic subsidy, to become a permanent community asset for the residents of Santa Ana. Sincerely, Guadalupe Capistran Member Administrator Radiate Consulting Orange County ocinfo@radiateconsulting.coop Flores, Dora From:Marisol Ramirez <mramirez@occord.org> Sent:Tuesday, February 17, 2026 2:14 PM To:eComment Cc:Luis Sarmiento; Ivon Peña Subject:RE: Item 17 Letter of Support Attachments:SA Item 17 Public Hearing - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street .pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links. To whom it may concern, On behalf of Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD,) I am writing to respectfully submit our letter of support for Item 17 - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street (La Colmena) for inclusion in the public record. Please find our formal letter of support attached for your review. Thank you for your consideration of this important item. We look forward to continued partnership in advancing community-centered development in Santa Ana. In Solidarity, Marisol Ramirez (714) 621-0919 Deputy Director mramirez@occord.org www.occord.org 1505 E 17th St, Suite 122, Santa Ana, CA 92705 1 1505 E 17th St #122, Santa Ana, CA 92705 February 17, 2026 Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Item 17 Public Hearing - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street Dear Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Santa Ana City Council, Please receive this letter as our enthusiastic support for the Purchase and Sale Agreement of 1901 W. Walnut Street, also known as La Colmena. As you may know, our organization works to advance economic, social, and environmental justice by building grassroots leadership, advocating for equitable public policy and ensuring that working -class communities, particularly immigrant communities of color, have a direct voice in the decisions that shape their neighborhoods. Our mission is rooted in community -driven development, long-term neighborhood stability and the creation of systems that redistribute resources back into the hands of residents. La Colmena is a result of deep community engagement over the past decade, and we have witnessed the many benefits it has brought to the City of Santa Ana to date. The community land trust model of THRIVE Santa Ana empowers impacted communities to be part o f the decisions of land use and development, addressing community needs and sustaining public benefit. We therefore steadfastly support the City in making La Colmena the first CLT-owned asset in Santa Ana. This proposed sale would result in a highly positive fiscal and community impact for Santa Ana. The City would generate $852,000 in unrestricted revenue deposited directly into the General Fund. La Colmena has already demonstrated its value by transforming a long-vacant and blighted property into a vibrant community hub that enhances neighborhood safety, economic activity, and quality of life. Since opening, the project has generated at least five permanent, full-time jobs and more than ten temporary jobs, in addition to over thirty jobs created during the construction phase. It has created commercial space beyond the permanent food and retail b usinesses through open air markets that serve as an entryway for entrepreneurs and small businesses. La Colmena 1505 E 17th St #122, Santa Ana, CA 92705 supports workforce development through partnerships that provide training and capacity building for workers, and asset-creation through worker-ownership. Furthermore, La Colmena supports localized supply chains for food that is produced locally, reducing carbon footprint in transport, and creating sales opportunities for local farmers through a Consumer Supported Agriculture platform. Across the country, more than 300 CLTs empower communities to collectively own and steward land, ensuring long-term access to affordable commercial spaces, housing, urban agriculture, and open space. As THRIVE advances additional projects in the coming yea rs, the acquisition of La Colmena will represent a foundational step in establishing the CLT model in Santa Ana. We respectfully urge you to approve the Purchase and Sale Agreement of La Colmena, with economic subsidy, to become a permanent community asset for the residents of Santa Ana. In community, Marisol Ramirez Deputy Director Orange County Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD) Flores, Dora From:Bulmaro Vicente <boomer@chispaoc.org> Sent:Tuesday, February 17, 2026 2:49 PM To:eComment Cc:luis@thrivesantaana.org Subject:Chispa Public Comment 2.17 Attachments:Chispa Item 17 - Letter of Support.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links. Hello, Please find Chispa Letter of Support for Item 17 In Solidarity, Boomer Policy and Political Director | Chispa e: boomer@chispaoc.org c: 714.747.4271 1505 E 17th Street Suite 117 Santa Ana, CA 92705 Chispa is building a political home for young Latinxs in Orange County! Please consider making a donation to help us build our casita. Chispa is a project of Tides Advocacy, a 501c4 non-profit organization. 1 February 17, 2026 Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Item 17 Public Hearing - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street Dear Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Santa Ana City Council, I am writing on behalf of Chispa to support Item 17, the support for the Purchase and Sale Agreement of 1901 W. Walnut Street, also known as La Colmena. La Colmena is a result of deep community engagement over the past decade, and we have witnessed the many benefits it has brought to the City of Santa Ana to date. The community land trust model of THRIVE Santa Ana empowers impacted communities to be part of the decisions of land use and development, addressing community needs and sustaining public benefit. We therefore steadfastly support the City in making La Colmena the first CLT-owned asset in Santa Ana. This proposed sale would result in a highly positive fiscal and community impact for Santa Ana. The City would generate $852,000 in unrestricted revenue deposited directly into the General Fund. La Colmena has already demonstrated its value by transforming a long-vacant and blighted property into a vibrant community hub that enhances neighborhood safety, economic activity, and quality of life. Since opening, the project has generated at least five permanent, full-time jobs and more than ten temporary jobs, in addition to over thirty jobs created during the construction phase. It has created commercial space beyond the permanent food and retail businesses through open air markets that serve as an entryway for entrepreneurs and small businesses. La Colmena supports workforce development through partnerships that provide training and capacity building for workers, and asset-creation through worker-ownership. Furthermore, La Colmena supports localized supply chains for food that is produced locally, reducing carbon footprint in transport, and creating sales opportunities for local farmers through a Consumer Supported Agriculture platform. Across the country, more than 300 CLTs empower communities to collectively own and steward land, ensuring long-term access to affordable commercial spaces, housing, urban agriculture, and open space. As THRIVE advances additional projects in the coming years, the acquisition of La Colmena will represent a foundational step in establishing the CLT model in Santa Ana. We respectfully urge you to approve the Purchase and Sale Agreement of La Colmena, with economic subsidy, to become a permanent community asset for the residents of Santa Ana. Bulmaro Vicente, Policy and Political Director Flores, Dora From:Ana Urzua <ana.urzua@cooperacionsantaana.org> Sent:Tuesday, February 17, 2026 3:10 PM To:eComment Cc:Luis Sarmiento; Ricardo Muñiz; Ana Charco Subject:Letter of Support- Public Hearing Item 17 Attachments:CSA- Letter of Support 2.17.26.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links. Hello, Please receive our letter attached. Ana Urzúa (she/her) | Executive Director Cooperación Santa Ana 1505 E. 17th St Ste 117 | Santa Ana, CA 92705 w: cooperacionsantaana.org c: (714) 335-1528 Become a sustaining monthly donor here and support the growing worker cooperative movement in Santa Ana. 2 February 17, 2026 Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Council City of Santa Ana 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: Item 17 Public Hearing - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street Dear Mayor Amezcua and Members of the Santa Ana City Council, Please receive this letter as our enthusiastic support for the Purchase and Sale Agreement of 1901 W. Walnut Street, also known as La Colmena. As you know, Cooperacion Santa Ana is growing an ecosystem necessary to support community wealth building and advance health equity. We support Santa Ana and Orange County residents by promoting, training, and equipping the development of worker cooperatives—small businesses owned and controlled by their workers—as a viable solution to create dignified, sustainable work that fosters community resilience. Cooperacion Santa Ana has the pleasure of working with the businesses at La Colmena. La Colmena is a result of deep community engagement over the past decade, and we have witnessed the many benefits it has brought to the City of Santa Ana to date. The community land trust model of THRIVE Santa Ana empowers impacted communities to be part of the decisions of land use and development, addressing community needs and sustaining public benefit. We therefore steadfastly support the City in making La Colmena the first CLT-owned asset in Santa Ana. This proposed sale would result in a highly positive fiscal and community impact for Santa Ana. The City would generate $852,000 in unrestricted revenue deposited directly into the General Fund. La Colmena has already demonstrated its value by transforming a long-vacant and blighted property into a vibrant community hub that enhances neighborhood safety, economic activity, and quality of life. Since opening, the project has generated at least five permanent, full-time jobs and more than ten temporary jobs, in addition to over thirty jobs created during the construction phase. It has created commercial space beyond the permanent food and retail businesses through open air markets that serve as an entryway for entrepreneurs and small businesses. La Colmena supports workforce development through partnerships that provide training and capacity building for workers, and asset-creation through worker-ownership. Furthermore, La Colmena supports localized supply chains for food that is produced locally, reducing carbon footprint in transport, and creating sales opportunities for local farmers through a Consumer Supported Agriculture platform. Across the country, more than 300 CLTs empower communities to collectively own and steward land, ensuring long-term access to affordable commercial spaces, housing, urban agriculture, and open space. As THRIVE advances additional projects in the coming years, the acquisition of La Colmena will represent a foundational step in establishing the CLT model in Santa Ana. We respectfully urge you to approve the Purchase and Sale Agreement of La Colmena, with economic subsidy, to become a permanent community asset for the residents of Santa Ana. Sincerely, Ana Urzúa Executive Director Flores, Dora From:Jacki Valentin <jackiv@kennedycommission.org> Sent:Tuesday, February 17, 2026 4:47 PM To:eComment Cc:Cesar C; luis@thrivesantaana.org Subject:Public Comment Letter for Public Hearing Item 17 Attachments:Santa Ana Letter.docx.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links. Hello, On behalf of the Kennedy Commission, I am submitting a public comment letter regarding Item 17, Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street, for tonight's city council meeting. -- Jacqueline Valentin Assistant Projects Manager | she/them 3 February 17, 2026 Mayor Valerie Amezcua Santa Ana City Council Santa Ana City Hall 20 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701 RE:Item 17 Public Hearing - Purchase and Sale Agreement for 1901 W. Walnut Street To The Honorable Mayor Amezcua and Members of the City Council, The Kennedy Commission (the Commission) is a broad-based coalition of residents and community organizations advocating for the production of homes affordable for families earning less than $30,000 annually in Orange County. Since 2001, we have successfully partnered with jurisdictions across the county to create housing and land-use policies that increase affordable housing opportunities for lower-income working families. La Colmena is a result of deep community engagement over the past decade, and we have witnessed the many benefits it has brought to the City of Santa Ana to date. The community land trust model of THRIVE Santa Ana empowers impacted communities to be part of the decisions of land use and development, addressing community needs and sustaining public benefit. We therefore steadfastly support the City in making La Colmena the first CLT-owned asset in Santa Ana. This proposed sale would result in a highly positive fiscal and community impact for Santa Ana. The City would generate $852,000 in unrestricted revenue deposited directly into the General Fund. La Colmena has already demonstrated its value by transforming a long-vacant and blighted property into a vibrant community hub that enhances neighborhood safety, economic activity, and quality of life. Since opening, the project has generated at least five permanent, full-time jobs and more than ten temporary jobs, in addition to over thirty jobs created during the construction phase. It has created commercial space beyond the permanent food and retail businesses through open air markets that serve as an entryway for entrepreneurs and small businesses. La Colmena supports workforce development through partnerships that provide training and capacity building for workers, and asset-creation through worker-ownership. Furthermore, La Colmena supports localized supply chains for food that is produced locally, reducing carbon footprint in transport, and creating sales opportunities for local farmers through a Consumer Supported Agriculture platform. Across the country, more than 300 CLTs empower communities to collectively own and steward land, ensuring long-term access to affordable commercial spaces, housing, urban agriculture, and open space. As THRIVE advances additional projects in the coming years, the acquisition of La Colmena will represent a foundational step in establishing the CLT model in Santa Ana. We respectfully urge you to approve the Purchase and Sale Agreement of La Colmena, with economic subsidy, to become a permanent community asset for the residents of Santa Ana. Sincerely, 1 Cesar Covarrubias Executive Director 2