Foothills Sentry June 2024

Foothills Sentry Page 4 JUNE 2024 Circulation … 40,000 Published on the last Tuesday of each month and distributed to residences, businesses, libraries and civic centers. Printing by Advantage, Inc. 714-532-4406 Fax: 714-532-6755 foothillssentry.com 1107 E. Chapman Ave., #207 Orange, CA 92866 © Foothills Sentry 2024 Publisher/Editor Anita Bennyhoff 1969-2013 Editor Tina Richards editor@foothillssentry.com Sports Editor Cliff Robbins sportseditor@att.net Graphic Designer Jef Maddock graphics@foothillssentry.com Advertising Sales Andie Mills advertising@foothillssentry.com 714-926-9299 Office Manager Kathy Eidson officemanager@foothillssentry. com Guest Commentary EIR for Orange Heights development should be updated By Joel Robinson The Irvine Company proposes to destroy almost 400 acres of wildlife habitat by developing 1,180 new homes between Irvine Regional Park, Peters Canyon Regional Park, Jamboree and the CA-241. Formerly known as "Santiago Hills Phase II," it is now called "Orange Heights." In typical marketing fashion, The Irvine Company promotes itself as a hero for setting aside other land, but this crucial wild- life corridor, located between two of the most popular parks in Orange County, is not an appro- priate location for a large-scale development of expensive single- family homes because of the fol- lowing. Wildfire risk The proposed project is locat- ed in a Very High Fire Severity Zone, which would put thousands of residents in harm’s way. In 2017, the Canyon Fire 2 burned the entire area, including Irvine Park and Peters Canyon, for a to- tal of 9,217 acres. The Silverado Fire threatened the same area in 2020. A wildfire burned in Irvine Regional Park in July 2023. Other similar proposed projects in Los Angeles and San Diego County have been stopped for this exact reason. Even if the developer pays for a fire station, it won't pay for firefighters’ salaries or equip- ment in perpetuity, so the city will be on the hook. Also, there is the issue of fire insurance. Many in- surance companies are pulling out of California and refusing to write new policies when they come up for renewal. Who will insure the new homeowners? Traffic and road safety Santiago Canyon Road, Chap- man Avenue and Jamboree Road are already impacted by severe traffic congestion and traffic- related deaths. This project, be- ing car-dependent and far from transit stations, will worsen traf- fic congestion for other Orange County residents. The outdated EIR (Environ- mental Impact Report) contra- dicts California's SB743 from 2013, which now requires agen- cies to look at Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) instead of Level of Service (LOS). The Orange Heights development would force residents to rely on person- al automobiles to access job cen- ters, as it is not transit-accessible. It would entail a high VMT in violation of SB743 and contrib- ute to greenhouse gas emissions. This is the opposite of what new housing developments should strive for. The Irvine Company has pro- posed widening Santiago Can- yon Road as part of this project, and providing a Class II painted bike lane. Road widening proj- ects have been shown to induce demand and worsen congestion long-term. A Class II bike lane, which offers zero protection to bicyclists riding along the 50 mph road, would be unsafe and shows that The Irvine Company has failed to consider the safety of all road users. Impact on environment The Orange Heights housing development would bulldoze an existing wildlife corridor and eliminate a critical habitat for a number of native California ani- mal species. Mountain lions, mule deer, bobcats, white-tailed kites, northern harriers, long-tailed weasels, roadrunners, California quail, coastal California gnat- catchers, coastal cactus wrens, least Bell's vireo, butterflies and bats require large amounts of con- tiguous undeveloped open space. They are all heavily reliant upon this proposed project site as cru- cial habitat (food, shelter, cover and space for movement) -- es- pecially because it is perfectly situated between Irvine Regional Park, Peters Canyon and the San- ta Ana Mountains. M317, a single male lion just past dispersal age, was observed on the property within the last 10 months. Other large-scale devel- opments (thousands of dwelling units) and the toll roads have al- ready decimated the populations of these sensitive species in Tu- stin, Anaheim Hills, Irvine, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano. The open space that has been set aside cannot ful- ly accommodate the species that are relying on the habitat at the proposed project site. The property also features prehistoric Native American ar- chaeological sites, including CA- ORA-556 which qualifies for the California Historic Register and is considered a Culturally Sensi- tive Area by the Gabrieleno Tong- va Band of Mission Indians. The project contradicts the City of Orange’s own efforts to prevent urban sprawl, preserve valuable open space and focus on sustainable infill and redevel- opment near transit hubs, jobs and services. The EIR for this project was approved by the Orange City Council in November 2005. A new EIR needs to be drafted and circulated to take into the con- sideration all of the new housing developments, recent wildfires, wildlife habitat loss, increased pollution, traffic congestion and other issues that have plagued Orange County since that 2005 EIR was written. Please contact Mayor Dan Slater and Orange city council- members. Tell them to stop this destructive project and require a new EIR. We cannot afford to lose more of our open space to inappropriate urban sprawl. Joel Robinson, director of Naturalist For You, leads “No Orange Heights,” a voluntary movement that represents con- cerned residents of Orange and beyond who are opposed to this proposed development. For more information, please visit naturalist-for-you.org/noor- angeheights. Battered budget Dear Editor: As an Orange resident, I am disappointed to learn about the City's previous administrations' failure to recognize the budget and financial troubles that apparently began over 10 years ago, causing a $19 million deficit for next year’s budget. A forensic audit is needed to more clearly identify causes of the deficit and appropriate short and long-term solutions. At the May 14 Orange City Council meeting, I presented these comments and also recognized the current city administration, Mayor Dan Slater and council members for their efforts to openly disclose the current deficit and pose various ways to balance this fiscal year’s budget. I support new revenue from new paid parking and parking citations. We need the city to support all viable sources of revenue from successful retail and fast-food businesses. I oppose selling the Taft Library, reducing park cleanups and canceling special events. I oppose increasing short-term rentals, which would necessitate additional enforcement costs. I oppose a citywide hiring freeze. I would support an occupancy tax hike on temporary stay residences, and, reluctantly, I may support a temporary sales tax hike. We definitely need to sustain all Orange city police and fire services. Lastly, I understand the need for closed-door council sessions, and I am glad to see the doors now open. I encourage the city to be forthright in discussing the means to bring in revenue and never allow any more budget deficits. Leslie Manderscheid East Orange Looming loophole Dear Editor: On May 14, the Orange City Council removed the prohibition in the Orange Campaign Ordinance that prevents Orange candidates from accepting contributions from other candidate-controlled committees. As the original author of the Campaign Ordinance, I strongly opposed the removal of this prohibition, as it weakens the ordinance by creating a loophole through which illegal contributions can be laundered. Councilman Jon Dumitru, who spearheaded the effort to undo this restriction, claimed it was unconstitutional and violated free speech rights. Dumitru is not an attorney, and is not qualified to judge the constitutionality, and for that matter, neither is the city attorney. City councils and city attorneys are not capable of writing effective campaign law because it is a unique specialty that requires extensive knowledge of campaign fundraising and awareness of the methods used to evade the contribution limits. The Attorney General's office has twice reviewed this restriction and found it to be constitutional; it was also upheld in the State vs. Alaska Civil Liberties Union case. In the 30-plus years that this provision has been in existence in Orange County, it has never been challenged. In spite of this, Councilmembers Dumitru, Denis Bilodeau, Kathy Tavoularis and John Gyllenhammer and the city attorney supported removing this important prohibition from the ordinance using the ridiculous argument that “it might be challenged. ” This decision will now allow Orange candidates to accept contributions from other candidates – which is the real reason behind their support, because it opens a new source of easy funding previously unavailable. Much easier to ask other elected officials for a contribution than to walk your district and meet your Orange voters. Shirley Grindle Author, Orange Campaign Ordinance All's quiet Dear Editor: Having attended the OUSD special board meeting on May 2, when the candidates for the vacant trustee positions shared their statements, I feel that our students can look forward to a new level of excellence and leadership. We can breathe a collective sigh of relief and feel hopeful that future board meetings and decisions that affect our schools will be made thoughtfully, and in the best interests of ALL, thanks to the selection and appointment of Sara Pelly and Dr. Stephen Glass. I am pleased that so many qualified and impressive candidates showed an interest in moving to elevate our board and our district back to its former level of professionalism and competence. The return of civility and congeniality among the board members, staff and community members in attendance is already evident, and signals a brighter future for OUSD. Cynthia Hicks Orange Dear Editor: I wanted to share some thoughts on recent developments at OUSD board meetings. There has been a positive shift in the dynamics, thanks to the new board trustees. Their commitment to transparency, professionalism and constructive dialogue has truly brought a sense of "boring" to the proceedings -- and I mean that in the best possible way. During the last meeting, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself engaged and actually learning more about the intricate processes and committees responsible for reviewing OUSD properties. The absence of contention, lies and misrepresentations was like a breath of fresh air, allowing us to focus on the issues at hand. This newfound civility and dedication to transparency have not only restored my faith in the integrity of our board majority, but also empowered us, as stakeholders, to make well-informed decisions for the benefit of our district. It's incredibly refreshing to witness trustees who prioritize the needs of our community above all else. I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the OUSD trustee majority for its commitment to fostering a culture of respect, collaboration and accountability. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed, and I am confident that with their leadership, we will continue to see positive changes and progress within our district. Carla L. Contreras Orange No deal Dear Editor: I attended the Ad Hoc Committee meeting held at city hall on April 17 regarding the Sully-Miller site owned by Milan Capital. I, along with other residents in attendance, expected to hear from Milan’s representatives as to how they were going to clean up the illegal disposal site they created. We quickly learned Milan’s lobbyists had no interest in speaking. Mayor Slater stated, “We are here to seek a solution.” The public expressed their dissatisfaction. I’m puzzled as to what the meeting was really about, and why everyone’s time was being wasted. I do not consider some kind of “bailout” the solution. Isn’t it time for Milan to act in good faith instead of their continued manipulation? Laura Thomas Orange Park Acres Mountain lion captured on cam- era in development area, May 7.