Foothills Sentry November 2020
Foothills Sentry Page 2 wishing you a safe & joyful HOLIDAY SEASON! GETTING BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS jadtec.com $ 15 95 /mo SECURITY JADTEC 714 282 0828 | jadtec.com | ACO4202 PEACE OF MIND PROTECTION November 2020 Orange welcomes new fire chief The City of Orange appointed Sean deMetropolis to serve as Chief of the Orange City Fire De- partment, effective Oct. 1. Chief deMetropolis was origi- nally hired by the Orange City Fire Department in 1995 as a fire- fighter, and was assigned as a fire- fighter/paramedic while still only halfway through his probationary period. He was promoted to Fire Captain in 2008 and Battalion Chief in 2015. In addition to his regular du- ties, Chief deMetropolis has been a member of the department’s Urban Search and Rescue team, where he served as part of the training company. He was award- ed the Medal of Valor in 2003 for rescuing a person out of a burning car. In 2005, he was named Fire- fighter of the Year for his contri- butions to the department. As Chief, deMetropolis plans to make training and recruitment a priority. With a number of se- nior firefighters reaching the end of their careers, the department will see a lot of transition over the next 12 months. His top priorities include helping newly promoted firefighters become familiar with their increased responsibilities, and ensuring that younger hands get the training and instruction they need. Chief deMetropolis takes over from Chief Christopher Boyd, who retired in September. Orange resident and Orange Park Association Director John Reina is supporting the Orange Police Department by encouraging citizens to place appreciative signage in their front yards or businesses. Orange Police Chief Tom Kisela, front left, was presented a sign by Reina, on behalf of the Orange Park Association, as on-duty officers looked on. Signs may be purchased for $20 by contacting Reina at cobra4me08@ aol.com. Proceeds support Orange Park Association events. Santiago Hills corner will get new landscaping A contract for refreshed land- scaping in Santiago Hills was awarded to Nieves Landscaping Inc. by the Orange City Council, Oct. 13. The $205,777 contract covers the parcel at the corner of Skylark and Canyon View. It will be up- dated with environmentally and fiscally sustainable landscape, as approved by the Santiago Hills community. Homeowners pay for landscape maintenance via an assessment on their tax bills. The renovation was identified as a priority by residents. The goal is to incorporate lower water use plant species and low-flow sub- surface irrigation. Projects are de- termined annually based on avail- able funds. Nieves currently provides land- scape maintenance for Santiago Hills, and has already complet- ed some landscape renovations there. This project includes demo- lition and removal of existing turf and landscape; soil preparation; minor adjustments to the existing grade; conversion of the existing irrigation system; and installa- tion of new plants. The project is scheduled to start this month. comments objecting to the revi- sions outnumbered those in sup- port by 17-2. A letter from the Old Towne Preservation Associa- tion asking for clarification and suggesting more moderate curbs was signed by 57 citizens. Skin in the game The two favorable comments submitted Oct. 13 were from de- veloper Gary Frazier and Plan- ning Commissioner Dave Simp- son. Frazier wrote that the DRC review of his proposal was “mis- placed” and an “insignificant con- tribution.” “My [affordable housing] proj- ect had undergone six months of staff review,” he reported. “The DRC public hearing de- volved into design suggestions that were not practical in the con- text of code provision and then into questions about the city code, state law and their interrelation. The process of the DRC appears to be one of continuing the hear- ing over two to three meetings. Because of the cost of retaining land opportunities and paying consultants, such delays are ex- tremely threatening to the fruition of any new development project.” “While serving on the planning commission,” Dave Simpson ad- vised, “I have had many appli- cants explain that delays on proj- ect approvals are not only inef- ficient, but costly. It is important for the council to know that the proposed changes are driven by the need to be business-friendly.” A closer look The public comments opposed to the DRC shortcuts focused on neighborhood preservation, the appearance of a “giveaway” to developers, and the need for fur- ther analysis before rushing into revisions. "Council" continued from page 1 Sean deMetropolis Asked about the issue during a candidate forum sponsored by the Old Towne Preservation As- sociation, incumbent Mike Alva- rez noted that he had asked for the continuance in September. “This is the one commission where you have to be a professional,” he said. “We’re coming up with good ideas. We’re not close to what we want there. We need more discus- sion.” Mayor Mark Murphy, running for reelection, answered the same question with the advisory that the codes are being updated to reduce inherent conflicts between them. “There will be changes,” he said, “mostly to keep the findings legally defensible.”
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