Written Public Comment
From:
To: 9 tcanme„t
Subject: North nch
Date: Monday, January 23, 2023 2:M W PM
My name is Mike McCuistiou at 11258 Cherry Craft Dr Yucaipa in the North Bench (NB). I have lived in beautiful Yucaipa since 1987 and served for 5 years on General Plan (GP). We had foresight about the state and affordable housing and recommended 3 places: 1) the 8 at risk hailer parks (identified by the sheriffs Dept) to incentivize the Pk owners to sell and then a developer build there; 2) senior housing like the one o t the Blvd or by Abby's restaurant; 3) build affordable housing at the property south if Crafton near the Blvd It's been 5 years since the GP committee finished and not much been done no those 3 items. Why!? We spent money on an outside consultant and a boat load of meetings. Ray Casey told me in November at a WineryNineyard committee mt (WV) that the city hasn't i acentivized the Pk owners enough; and the council has not made the Crafton area enough if priority. The North Bench was to remain the rural area in Yucaipa and ability to have horses and trails and homeowners own some sounds. At one time it was zoned 5 acre parcels and that got changed to one home per acre and now the winery/ vineyard committee is recommending to the planning commission and then to council changing the general plan again Why have a general plan? Cluster homes on 10,000 sq It lots with 5 It setbacks is changing the culture, the lifestyle and the general plain Then hide all those homes with vineyards on the exterior of the property. Usually money is behind everything. I don't drink wine, but if I was Donna Snodgrass (who ended up chaning the WV committee and now is on the Planning Commission) and lived in the NB and owned vineyards then I would be all for this change of GP. I met Mr. Weldy who represented the 200F acre Casa Blanca property at the WV committee. hi the last two months, he has now sold that property to a man named Bruce ( so I'm told) who has now also bought the 300+acre laud property north of Casa —so over 500 acres. Put that all together with the Yucaipa Ridge property and you can see the future direction of the NB for our children and grandchildren. That is not what the GP committee had in mind. Now we have two new city council members who hadn't been in a full meeting nor worked with Ray Casey asked to let our city manager go and the attorney. And after hearing from Duck Riddell, Diane Smith, George Sorensen, Kathy Sellers and others the let them go and on the very same night vote in Chris Many who I hear was outside in his car and the told to enter the hall) and the council votes Main in as new city manage and his attorney friend that very sane night. To most of us it sounds like developers and wine industry along with politicians are moving all this in a wrong direction. They say councilman Duncan is behind thus "cabal". I hope to meet with Mr Duncan and hear his side of the story. I have asked Mr Beaver at the recent Sat meeting a[ Boons home to help make that happen My hope is we can stand up to the state pressure, not bow to the winery in the North Bench area ( perhaps look a[ wineries further east) and follow the GP made lines on their 3 recommendations. What is the motive behind all this disturbance in the city we live. Those are my thoughts. Mike McCuistion.
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