31 (038)
Susana Barrios
From:Maria Bessem <maria.v.bessem@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, October
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Read your Employee’s Report and Findings
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10/27/24 Following up to make sure included.
As my email to the Mayor and Council members has been not responded to.
Also, my husband Eric Bessem and myself, are both disabled and unable to attend the meeting in
person. Since we would like to be heard, I would like to designate my 3 minutes to Linda Kovac-Hurley
and my husband Eric would like Kevin Gillette to have his 3 minutes.
We are unable to attend even with disability accommodations due to our pain, and have missed being
able to speak on several prior meetings.
Thank you,
Maria Bessem
Eric Bessem
ANAHEIM, CA 92808-1001
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Maria Bessem <maria. com>
Date: Wed, Oct 23, 2024 at 8:55 AM
Subject: Read your Employee’s Report and Findings
To: <AAitken@anaheim.net>, <nmeeks@anaheim.net>, <Rcobian@anaheim.net>,
<AKheirmand@anaheim.net>, <REmami@anaheim.net>, <CMorales2@anaheim.net>
10/23/24
Dear Mayor and Council Members,
Respectfully, read your employee’s report.
https://anaheim.net/DocumentCenter/View/57192/Staff-Report?bidId=
Watch the complete 6 hour Planning Commission hearing. Observe how the various planning
commissioners blatantly insulted Anaheim Hill’s ( East Anaheim) residents.
The basic gist of it ‘ We don’t care about the findings, a team spent two years assessing feasibility and
appropriateness, we are going to ‘ stick it to the hills, from those in the ‘low lands’.
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Kring and Lieberman specifically had those tones. Both, were wildly inappropriate, in my opinion, making
ridiculous references to their lost youth and wanting to live at such a place as the SALT project. A
structure more suitable for Las Vegas than ‘ The Hills’. The SALT representative choosing to publicly
threaten the panel and constituents with Builder’s Remedy. If you don’t give us this proposed 408 unit
project, the one they ‘ want to build’. Well then watch out, as we force in 1280 low-income apartments.
No one on the commission even objected.
Then, when all of the discussion and 95% of public commenters oppose the project, one of the
commissioners wanted to bring a motion in favor of the SALT project. He and others relied almost
exclusively on the City Attorney and admins to even have the knowledge of how to do so. I was shocked.
At that point, I felt as if I were at a long-running PTA meeting, where the PTA president would motion what
they wanted, personally, all along. With a ‘ second’ waiting in the wings.
I was confounded, as the City Attorney had to guide the Planning Commissioner into how to use the EIR
redundantly to cover ALL of the negative findings in the project report!!!
Please watch what level of guidance was needed, specifically obvious in the last 30 minutes of the
9/30/24 marathon meeting.
Well, the city and your residents are relying on you. Maybe you can’t feel the Santa Ana winds in the ‘low
lands’. But , I feel it right now!!! Every major fire we have had has been in October/November timeframe.
Listen to your constituents, leaders in Fire and Safety in our community.
And definitely, do not disregard Zoning, Habitat Safety, Scenic Corridor, density, height variances.
Turning Santa Ana Cyn into a 6 lane freeway, would sandwich my husband and I in essence, on a strip of
land, surrounded by two freeways and little quality of life. With are both disabled and currently a one car
family. I have a go-bag with me at all times. I am scared to leave my husband and dogs home alone. I
have lost all confidence in my city, having our very lives at forefront of their minds. If a fire breaks out, I do
not know if I can make it back in to my home for my family.
Please refocus back onto that. SAFETY . QUALITY OF LIFE.
And do the right thing.
Vote NO on this high density housing project SALT DEER CANYON PRESERVE
Build single family residences on the property. Allowed with in existing zoning. That preserves the park
and provides additional housing.
Sincerely,
Maria and Eric Bessem
ANAHEIM, CA 92808-1001
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