Foothills Sentry September 2020

Foothills Sentry Page 8 September 2020 JOHNSON MOTORCARS 31 Years of Specializing in the Service and Repair of Mercedes-Benz Gary Johnson 714-997-2567 982 N. Batavia # B13, Orange, CA 92867 gary@johnsonmotorcars.com sidewalk in front of my house, and a fight breaking out where bottles were being thrown in the driveway. I’ve lived in my neigh- borhood for almost five years, and have never experienced something like this. I’ve never felt unsafe or had the need to call the cops. So when I called 911, and found out that the home is an Airbnb, I was completely caught off guard. I do not believe that our neigh- borhood should allow Airbnbs. I am a mother with two small children, and the thought of liv- ing next to a party house concerns me. We have a handful of other families with small children and elderly households in our neigh- borhood. What happened on July 22 was completely unacceptable. Diana Baratelle Orange Dear Editor: My neighbor’s house was sold in February, and remodeled for five months. The new owner told each neighbor different stories, and did not mention that it is her third Airbnb. On July 4, we real- ized what was happening, as the “guests” had a party -- lots of people outside, talking, laughing and smoking marijuana. None of them cared when, after midnight, we asked them to keep it down or go inside. Those renters left on the 5th, and one day later the next ones arrived. One group had a party with 35-45 people, ending at 2:10 a.m. with eight police cars arriving; we finally got to bed at 4:45 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. We find it disturbing to have new neighbors or vacationers every week. It just does not fit in our friendly, neighborhood family cul-de-sac. We don’t feel safe, and there is trash, marijuana, and parking problems. During one party, I stayed in my driveway, fearing damage to my house and cars, as bottles and other items were flying. I have texted the owner about the con- stant marijuana smoke. Her re- sponse was that she will tell them to smoke on the other side of the house – where there are small children. Conny Truax Orange Guest Commentary Read the fine print – big money to be dropped in Orange By Bonnie Robinson Get ready. Milan, the land- owner of the former Sully-Miller gravel site, is going to spend a fortune trying to convince you to vote for its bogus open space scheme. Your mailbox will be stuffed with fancy mailers with glossy photos. Milan is desperate to get the zone change for its San- tiago Creek development. Beware and read the fine print! These mailers will come from Milan and will say, “Yes to Open Space, committee funding by Mi- lan Capital Management.” The law requires this disclaimer. Milan is the developer trying to squeeze 128 homes near the congested intersection of San- tiago Canyon Road and Cannon Street. Milan uses a slick com- pany in Newport Beach, Hart and Associates, to orchestrate all its propaganda mail pieces. Vertical Marketing in Tustin will be post- ing ads for them on social media. By law, their ads must include the “funding by Milan Capital Man- agement” disclaimer. And then there are “slate mail- ers.” These are cleverly disguised as “voter guides” that are nothing more than paid advertisements. Look closely, because these, as well, must disclose they are paid endorsements. Most voters ignore them and just throw them away. During the referendum, Milan spent nearly $100,000 to try to stop Orange residents from sign- ing the petition. Its mail pieces featured blocked-out expletives and insulted residents, calling them “Orange elitists.” Their campaign failed. We needed 7,200 signatures and got more than 13,300 in 27 days. Maybe other cities fall for these tactics, but not Orange voters. Milan is big on promises, but small on substance. This out-of- town developer is promising the Santiago Creek development will replace the former Sully-Miller quarry with open space. The reality is: this will be a large housing development on a very busy and dangerous thor- oughfare. The so-called “open space” consists of a walking trail around the homes and unusable slope area along the Santiago Creek. Furthermore, this trail won’t happen unless an agency comes forward to manage it. The City of Orange does not have the re- sources, and OC Parks said, “No thanks.” As for the quarry, the county has issued an immediate cease and desist order because Milan misrepresented operations on the site. Fines could be $5,000 per day if it doesn’t comply. Milan promises to fix traffic by adding lanes. The only lane be- ing added is a very short merging lane so the new homeowners can enter onto busy Santiago Canyon Road. Restriping on Cannon may actually make traffic worse, with narrower lanes and/or less shoul- der. Milan does not have the right to build on the majority of this 109-acre parcel. Three city-approved plans des- ignate it as open space, which results in far more usable open space than touted by Milan’s de- velopment. Don’t be deceived. Fewer than 15 acres are zoned residential. Milan knows the ballot measure is a losing proposition. That’s why it has quietly submitted an application to the city to build on the only acres it can legally build on. This plan is nothing more than empty and misleading promises . Don’t be fooled by a slick mar- keting campaign. On the November ballot, AA stands for “Another Attempt” to mislead the public. Vote “NO” on measure AA. Bonnie Robinson is an Orange resident who has lived in the city since 1973. Orange term limits apparently termed out By Tina Richards Current city council candidate Mike Alvarez was thought to be, after two consecutive stretches on the dias, been termed out and disqualified from running in this year’s election. But court rulings on that topic say the city’s switch from at-large to by-district elec- tions changes the grounds on which term limits are based. Orange will, for the first time this November, elect council members, based on districts. The city established six districts last fall, as part of a settlement in a lawsuit claiming the at-large vot- ing system limited minority rep- resentation on the council. Now, candidates for a given district are elected by voters in that district only. The entire city, however, still votes for mayor. Before seeking another four years on the council, this time for the newly-established District 3, Alvarez sought legal counsel to determine whether he could run again. Square one Attorney Mark Rosen identified several court cases that set legal precedents, allowing a termed- out candidate, originally elected at-large, to “reset the clock” and run again in the district he or she resides in. The candidate is “es- sentially running for a new of- fice.” “Representing a district,” Rosen said, “is a different posi- tion than being an at-large coun- cil member. Previously, a council member represented the entire population. Now he or she will represent approximately 23,120 people.” The smaller number of constit- uents, according to Rosen, also negates the need for term limits. Orange voters approved term lim- its in 1996 to, in part, eliminate “entrenched incumbents.” Small- er districts make it easier for challengers to get traction. With fewer people to reach, campaigns are cheaper and grassroots efforts more effective. “No incumbent is safe or entrenched in small dis- tricts,” Rosen asserted. In the legal challenges cited by Rosen, the courts recognized that the California Voter Rights Act (CVRA) gives by-district voting precedence over term limits. In Jauregui vs. Palmdale, the court found that the CVRA made at- large elections “illegal and had to be remedied.” Past “illegal elections” should not “bar Mr. Al- varez from running in a properly constituted district.” No word on the street Despite the legal precedents cited to support Alvarez’s run for District 3, the City of Orange has said nothing about it. The city ordinance still states: “No per- son shall serve more than two consecutive four-year terms as a member of the City Council. No person who has served more than six consecutive years as a mem- ber of the City Council, whether appointed or elected, may serve an additional consecutive term as a member of the City Council.” In addition, the amendments made by the city council to the city’s municipal code were in- tended only to conform city council voting requirements with the by-district electoral system for six city council members and a separately elected mayor. Term limits were not mentioned. Because term limits were en- acted by voters, Alvarez explains, the city council cannot make ad- justments to them. Any modifica- tions to term limits will have to be approved by voters. In the short term, Alvarez considers the city’s silence to be consent. “The city qualified my candidacy,” he says. “If the city believed I couldn’t run again, it would not have qualified me.” be held accountable for what it has created and not be allowed to shift the liability to the taxpayers. Thank you to those who re- fused to acquiesce, and to the more than 13,000 signers of the referendum who put this issue on the ballot for us to vote down once and for all! As for our city council – shame on you! All should resign due to their dereliction of duty. Vote “NO” on Measure AA! Sharon Seelert Orange Faith, hope and polarity Dear Editor: The Orange City Council unan- imously approved The Trails at Santiago Creek after three years of study. On Election Day 2020 when you get the chance to vote on Measure AA, you should too! 
A YES vote on Measure AA will replace a century-old quarry operation with 70 acres of open space and greenway along Santi- ago Creek, along with 128 homes on 40 acres at the site. The property owner must also donate the entire 50-acre Ridge- line property for open space and recreational use, in addition to the 70-acre open space greenway at the quarry. This means Measure AA will create 120 acres of new open space for the public to en- joy, at no cost to taxpayers. The project pays its own way, and more. Voting YES will complete a missing section of the Santiago Creek Trailway and provide $3 million for improvements to ex- isting city parks, trails and rec- reational areas. The builder must pay $4 million to improve the trail and revegetate the greenway. Measure AA will also help fix traffic. Before one home is oc- cupied, the builder will provide $1 million in traffic improve- ments by adding a westbound lane at Santiago Canyon Road and a northbound lane on Cannon Street. By replacing the quarry opera- tion with new public open space and homes, Measure AA will re- move large trucks from nearby streets and alleviate air quality and public health issues for resi- dents and the nearby schools. Join the Orange residents that support the proposal for The Trails at Santiago Creek. The HOA board of Mabury Ranch supports this plan. The HOA board of The Reserve unanimous- ly supports this plan. The Santi- ago Greenways and Open Space Alliance, composed of members of the community surrounding the gravel pit site, support this plan. The former president of the Orange ParkAcres Association it- self, Tom Davidson, supports this plan. Vote “yes” on AA. It is good for everyone that lives in the city - and county - of Orange! Mark Moore The Reserve The streets where we live Dear Editor: On July 22 at about 2 a.m. my family and I were awakened by a disruptive and violent party two doors down. I looked out my bedroom window, and saw cars illegally parked and a car driv- ing backwards down the street at a dangerous speed. There was an intoxicated man lying on the Letters continued from page 8