September 12, 2023
City Council Meeting
Written Public Comments
General Public
Comment
Jennifer Connally
From: Janice Brownfield
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2023 7:57 PM
To: City Council Public Comment
Subject: Public Comment Non-Agenda Item
Councilmember Jon Dumitru, or alternate delegate, Mayor Pro Tem Arianna Barrios, may have the opportunity to learn how to make Orange City Hall more energy efficient and sustainable at the second day of the League of California Cities conference in Sacramento that begins 9/20. The conference agenda for 9/21 includes a speed session at 1:15 p.m. entitled Building America's Greenest City Hall about the City of Sunnyvale becoming the nation's first net zero energy city hall, features of which include a solar energy system and microgrid.
Orange is already on the path of making the outside of our city hall sustainable by the council voting on 6/13 to create a nature park in front, replacing the non-functional turf with native and drought tolerant plants. Besides being more attractive and providing a place to meet and relax, such a park can be a microcosm of what the much larger Santiago Creek can become with input from an advisory commission soon to be established. Restoring and rehabilitating the creek can reduce greenhouse gases with the addition of more carbon-absorbing trees and the removal of water pollutants.
By asking the City to provide and plant trees for free, hundreds or thousands of residents are helping to reduce air pollution. At the 8/22 council meeting one of your constituents announced that residents can obtain a free tree by calling Micah Jean, the City's arborist, at They can select one from hundreds of varieties, including shade trees.
Poor air quality, which we often experience in Orange, causes and contributes to lung and heart disease; prostate, colorectal, breast and endometrial cancers; and dementia, as well as early death, and is a consequence of hotter weather and fossil fuels. Our warmer climate also increases the risk of exposure to West Nile virus, which was recently found in mosquitoes at the cross streets of Lincoln and Glassell in Orange. Health experts are increasingly concerned that rising temperatures could worsen the spread in less common places and bring it to new ones.
Anything you can do to decrease hot temperatures and air pollution in Orange will help to lower our risks and improve our health.
Item 7.3
Grand Street Parking
Lot Preliminary Design
Alternatives and
Recommendations
Pamela Coleman
From: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, September 8, 2023 11:53 AM
To: Pamela Coleman; Jennifer Connally
Subject: New eComment for City Council
New eComment for City Council
Guest User submitted a new eComment.
Meeting: City Council
Item: 7.3. Consideration of Potential Grand Street Parking Lot Preliminary Design Alternatives and Recommendations.
eComment: It is disappointing to see the old Fire Station site across from City Hall on the City Council agenda for 9/12, with a recommendation for a parking lot, which would include demolishing affordable housing units. The parking lot plan includes minimal landscaping and trees, and would also include the loss of a community gathering space, since the old Fire Station is used during multiple City events, including Street Fair and Tree Lighting. The staff report for the item includes zero discussion of the impacts of demolishing affordable housing units in the City, including whether it would conflict with State law, or cause issues with the Housing Element, which has not yet been certified by HCD. City staff recently completed an Old Towne parking study which showed the neighborhood doesn't actually need additional parking, just better wayfinding to the available parking. It's really disappointing that there's been no community outreach, and that the project, instead of supporting a community space, would not only become an unnecessary parking lot, but take away needed affordable units in our City. This feels like a missed opportunity to create a Civic Center that is a place for community. There should be public outreach to get community input on what to do with the City-owned property.
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1 Pamela Coleman
From: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 1:04 PM
To: Pamela Coleman; Jennifer Connally
Subiect: New eComment for City Council
New eComment for City Council
Paul Kim submitted a new eComment.
Meeting: City Council
Item: 7.3. Consideration of Potential Grand Street Parking Lot Preliminary Design Alternatives and Recommendations.
eComment: I do not support the plan to demolish the apartment building for more parking. The city is already experiencing a housing shortage and to me, it seems shortsighted to demolish housing for parking, when it is not necessary. From my experience, the parking structure at 130 N. Lemon Street is underused with plenty of consistent vacancies. I would honestly prefer if the firestation is demolished and affordable housing is built there instead. Thank you.
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Item 9.2
Establishment of the
Santiago Creek
Commission
Susan K. Hori
manatt
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Direct Dial: (714) 371-2528
manatt | phelps | phillips
E-mail: [email protected]
September 11, 2023
Mayor Dan Slater and City Council
City of Orange
300 E. Chapman Avenue
Orange, CA 92866
Re: City Council Hearing of September 12, 2023; Agenda Item 9.2 Establishment of the Santiago Creek Commission
Dear Mayor Slater and Members of the City Council:
This comment letter on Agenda Item 9.2 is submitted on behalf of OC Reclamation. OC Reclamation owns property abutting the Santiago Creek (commonly known as the Hurwitz Property) and as an adjacent landowner is concerned with any regulation of the Creek that could affect the use of its property and adjacent properties - whether directly or indirectly.
As the City Council is aware, OC Reclamation has submitted an application to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board to conduct land reclamation work on its property located at Santiago Canyon Road and Cannon. The proposed work pending before the Regional Board includes, among other activities, the expansion and enhancement of the Creek habitat. A public workshop was recently held by the Regional Board staff at the Orange City Council chambers to provide information regarding the proposed application and address questions and comments from the public. Given the pending application before the Regional Board, the action being considered by the City Council to establish a Santiago Creek Commission is of great concern and interest to OC Reclamation.
Because the City Staff Report on the proposed ordinance was very brief, we had a number of questions regarding the proposed Commission, the City's objectives in forming this Commission, its scope and role in City planning decisions, and the proposed composition. We would appreciate either Staff or the Council responding to these questions as part of Council and Staff discussion at the September 12, 2023, public hearing.
1. What is the scope of authority of the proposed Santiago Creek Commission? The proposed ordinance describes the role of the proposed Commission as advisory in nature "for matters pertaining to the Santiago Creek" and "implementation of portions of the Santiago Creek Vision Plan." This is very broad and could potentially be quite wide-ranging. 695 Town Center Drive, 14" Floor, Costa Mesa, California 92626-1924 Telephone: 714.371.2500 Fax: 714.371.2550 Albany | Boston | Chicago | Los Angeles | New York | Orange County | Sacramento | San Francisco | Silicon Valley | Washington, D.C. manatt
manatt | phelps | phillips
Mayor Dan Slater and City Council
September 11, 2023
First, how will the actual scope and authority of the proposed Commission be delineated and established, and by whom?
Second, the proposed Ordinance refers to recommendations on the public open space and City-owned land adjacent to the Creek. Does this mean that the proposed Commission will restrict its work to only publicly-owned land, and have no power or authority to make recommendations regarding privately-owned property at all? Third, will the proposed Commission have the authority to make recommendations regarding land use changes - on City-held or privately-owned property -- if such land use changes would promote the implementation of the Santiago Creek Vision Plan? For example, will the proposed Commission's scope include open space zoning recommendations? And if it does, isn't this within the purview of the Planning Commission, and if so, why is a separate Commission being proposed to do the job of the Planning Commission? See Section 2, below.
2. What is the role of the Santiago Creek Commission vis-a-vis the City's own Planning Commission?
The proposed Ordinance states that the proposed Commission is intended to act in "an advisory capacity to the City Council for matters pertaining to the Santiago Creek" and "provide recommendations to the City Council regarding implementation of portions of the Santiago Creek Vision Plan." Given that a majority of the goals and measures set out in the Vision Plan concern the improvement of open space, recreational facilities, and flood protection on publicly- owned lands adjacent to Santiago Creek, it would seem that these land use and planning-type. decisions would have a considerable overlap with the City's Planning Commission whose job it is to make recommendations on land use, planning and development issues to the City Council, including the provision of recreational facilities, parks, bikeways and flood protection in the City. Why is a separate Commission required to be created when the City's Planning Commission already exists to undertake these responsibilities? The proposed Commission would report directly to the City Council and, as currently envisioned, would have no obligation to coordinate or consult with the City Planning Commission. It would seem that given the high degree of overlap that the City is 1) creating a redundancy in scope and expertise between the proposed Santiago Creek Commission and the existing Planning Commission, and simultaneously 2) creating a conflict between the two advisory bodies by not requiring any coordination or consultation between these two bodies in carrying out their overlapping responsibilities.
manatt
manatt | phelps | phillips
Mayor Dan Slater and City Council
September 11, 2023
3.. Shouldn't each member of the City Council be allowed to appoint a member to the proposed Commission, instead of having all members be selected by the Mayor?
The proposed ordinance states that the Mayor may appoint each member of the Santiago Creek Commission. Although other Councilmembers may suggest appointments to the Mayor, this is not required, and the Mayor is not bound to accept the recommendations of other Councilmembers. Given that the proposed Santiago Creek Commission should reflect and represent the views of all citizens of the City, it would seem only logical that each member of the City Council and the Mayor be entitled to each nominate a representative to sit on the proposed Commission, subject to approval by the full Council.
We also note that the proposed ordinance provides for a four year term of office; however, there is nothing in the ordinance that addresses whether a member of the proposed Commission could serve multiple, successive terms or if each member is allowed only one term.
We appreciate the opportunity to submit these questions to the City Council and look forward to hearing your responses during the Staff presentation and Council discussion on this item.
Very truly yours,
MANATT PHELPS & PHILLIPS LLP
susanktin
Susan K. Hori
Cc: Tom Kisela, City Manager
Michael Vigliotta, City Attorney
Pamela Coleman, City Clerk
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