Foothills Sentry September 2023

Foothills Sentry Page 4 September 2023 JOHNSON MOTORCARS 34 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 @ ramblingroseoc natural space and offered reasons why the permit should be denied. Public opinion counts The first speaker, attorney Jan Breslauer, advised the water board staff that courts have, in land use cases, ruled that the “opinions of residents familiar with a site were valuable and carried weight.” She also asked, as did many others, for a full EIR to be completed before the permit is issued. “We’re here to listen,” Jayne Joy said. Residents familiar with the site reported many concerns. They ranged from loss of natu- ral open space in Orange to dis- trust of Chandler, to the impacts on neighboring Oakridge Private School, to truck traffic, to the hill- side erosion caused by Chandler itself, to the project’s noncompli- ance with two city/county specif- ic plans in place since the 1970s, and the lack of a good reason to bring the property up to street level and reroute Santiago Creek. Several speakers asked where the inert waste was going to come from, because some suspect Chandler plans to move the mounds of waste material from the Sully-Miller site down the half-mile of road to its site. And who’s going to monitor what is dumped there? David Lancaster, from the Of- fice of Chief Counsel, guaranteed that the permit will prohibit Chan- dler from using the Sully-Miller waste. And, he said, there’s a program in place where they have to provide documents recording what they dumped there. Been there, done that “We don’t trust Chandler,” said Dru Whitefeather. “Chan- dler doesn’t have a great record in our community.” Others added that it was Chandler who dumped unknown material at the Sully- Miller site and kept no records for years. Naturalist Joel Robinson point- ed out that the slated mitigation site doesn’t have the same fea- tures as the Hurwitz property, and can’t realistically mitigate the loss here. Any mitigation should happen locally. “The proposed mitigation site is not even in the same watershed,” he said. “It’s in Aliso Creek.” A Santa Ana man reported that he lived downstream from the Hurwitz site, and that the existing wetlands are a safety measure to capture storm water. Losing them will impact the safety of people downstream. Several speakers noted the state’s 30/30 plan, wherein 30% of California’s natural land will be protected by 2030. “Don’t you work for the state,” was the question. “The neighbors have been watching over this site for 20 years,” Sherry Panttaja stressed. “It’s never been cleared before. Chandler cut an unpermitted road without remediation. That’s what caused the erosion.” It ain’t broke “This project doesn’t make sense,” Kim Plehn emphasized. “The public has given you tenfold reasons to deny it. If ever a project denial fulfills your mission statement, this one does. You have many reasons to deny it, pick one.” “Our job is not to determine the merits of a project,” Joy sum- marized. “We just look at what can be done. We’re responding to the application. We’re listening to your comments. That’s what this public forum is for. Once we know what we’re going to do, we’ll hold another public hear- ing.” According to its mission state- ment, the Water Quality Control Board is tasked, “To preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of California's water resources for the protection of the environ- ment, public health, and to ensure proper water resource allocation and use for the benefit of present and future generations.” "Infill dump" continued from page 1 Let it be Dear Editor: During the Aug. 17 Santiago Creek workshop, one of our el- derly community members spoke of when Irvine Lake was full, up to being level with Santiago Can- yon Rd. That was 1969, when I was fresh out of La Habra High and hadn’t a clue about any of this vastly wonderful wilderness area, filled with extraordinary wildlife and beauty. I had rented my first fishing skiff and caught a five- pound bass in a cove next to the road. Thrilled to no end, I thought someday I’d like to live here. In ’96, my wife and I bought our first house - in Orange. This relates to what the gentle- man spoke of, the high water level and how the area of con- cern should be left as a buffer for weather events such as dur- ing those special times. If a poll was taken of Orange, Villa Park and canyon residents, I have little doubt 95% would favor keeping Santiago Creek wetland as is. To note, California wetlands have been decimated, with but 10% re- maining. For the sake of financial greed, to destroy another would be a catastrophe. We will not tol- erate this project. Stephen Tyler Orange Dear Editor: I attended and spoke at the State Regional Water Board’s Public Workshop for the OC Reclamation Inert Waste Disposal Operation, held on Aug. 17, to solicit “discussion” of the proposed project. The workshop panel included only water board staff. OC Reclamation LLC applied for a Waste Discharge Order, and CEQA approval from the State Regional Water Board to obtain approval for dumping 14 acres of “inert” construction waste at the state-recognized wetland along the Santiago Creek watershed in Orange. My comments: “The OC Reclamation Waste Disposal Project Mitigated Nega- tive Declaration (MND) is fatally flawed in identifying the project setting, purpose and need. It fails to properly identify and analyze the environmental impacts and their significance, and it uses out- dated and faulty data throughout the document. "By releasing this faulty document, the Regional Water Board has failed in its responsibility to properly administer CEQA and the statewide Storm Water Program. "The site is a state-recognized wetland and natural habitat within the Santiago Creek watershed, not an 'open mine pit.' "Violation of the city’s noise Ordinance is a misdemeanor. This project would exceed the maximum allowable noise level of 70db near residences, schools and park facilities. Passing within 15 feet of the Oakridge Private School, the noise level from these diesel dump trucks would be at least 85db. The MND states that construction trucks will not drive on Santiago Blvd. during school pick-up and drop-off times. Note, the Oakridge School is a pre- school and day care center, in addition to an elementary school. Drop off times are typically from 7 – 9 a.m. Pick up times vary, and could be at noon and any time after 2:30-6 p.m. How is this going to work? "The traffic study is flawed. According to OCTA, dump trucks should be counted four to five times that of noncommercial passenger vehicles. Construction trucks entering and exiting on Santiago Blvd. would cause a significant impact to traffic along (the already congested) Santiago Canyon Road by adding an equivalent of 300 slow-moving vehicle trips every day. "The stated 'need' to remedy an eroding slope by dredging and filling a wetland pond is a ludicrous proposal. Deny the Waste Discharge Permit, fix the illegal discharge from the back lot of the Blue Ribbon Nursery and implement a simpler means to stabilize the slope. Let nature prevail at the Santiago Creek watershed in Orange.” At the end of the workshop, we were told that the inert waste to be dumped at the site would be inspected, but NOT tested. The waste could contain hazardous waste and other unidentified con- taminants. The water board staff also men- tioned that the required Health Risk Assessment had not been in- cluded in the originally-released MND. This technical study is currently being prepared, and will be available in the future. In other words, the MND is incomplete. It is unclear if the water board will make the appropriate decision and deny the Discharge Order. Or will they require an Environmen- tal Impact Report (EIR)? Or will they approve it? Based on all of the information presented at this workshop, it is very clear that if the Regional Water Board wants to fulfill its responsibility as a steward of state resources, it must “deny” approval. Leslie Manderscheid East Orange Downsize Dear Editor: Having read the Letters to the Editor in the August Sentry , I am struck by the level of frustration readers are displaying toward the OUSD school board. A huge part of that frustration stems from the sheer size of the district; it is nearly impossible to listen to, and meet the needs of, all its students. It is important that people know that there are options within the educational community, schools that are purposefully designed to remain small so that, indeed, in- dividual needs and concerns can be addressed in a directed fashion. Unity Middle College High School (UMCHS) in Orange is that kind of school for grades 9-12. With a current student en- rollment of under 100, it offers a perfect opportunity for its staff and support team of qualified vet- eran educators to work with fami- lies to determine unique learning pathways for each student. I am a 32-year OUSD teacher, and I know firsthand the excite- ment of working in a small school setting where, as UMCHS’ motto states, “Choice Has a Voice.” I highly recommend that fami- lies look into this opportunity. Cathie Hunsberger Orange Lovro Peretić, Featured Artist Concert September 16th, 2023 at 8pm Chapman University Salmon Recital Hall Tickets: $20 The Orange County Guitar Circle will kick off its 2023-2024 season with Lovro Peretić, the winner of the 2022 Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) Competition. Please join us in welcoming this amazing guitarist to the OCGC! For more information: www.ocgc.org Book Sale at Orange Library The Friends of the Orange Pub- lic Library will be hosting its an- nual “Fall Bag of Books” sale on Saturday, Sept. 23, in the Com- munity Room of the Main Li- brary. Members may enter early at 9 a.m., and the public may en- ter at 10 a.m. Memberships may be purchased for as little as $12 at the door. Only $5 fills a FOPL bag of books. Doors close at 3 p.m. Bring your used FOPL bag, and receive $1 off the entry fee.