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Susana Barrios
From:Jennifer Jacobs <jennifernjacobs715@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, October
To:Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Deer canyon development project
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To whom it may concern,
I have live in Anaheim Hills for the last 15 years, I even convinced my then fiancé, now husband, to move from Santa
Barbara and we are now raising our son in this wonderful community. We love how it only takes us a few minutes to get
to everything we need, markets, restaurants, medical, my son’s sports and other ac?vi?es. We love our son’s school and
have made great friends. While we love our current home, we have been searching for our forever home. With the
pending development we have been hesitant to buy in Anaheim Hills due to the increase in traffic and possibly more
crowding in schools and other effects this may cause. We do know there is always a risk living in the hills, but we always
had a plan. However, our experience in 2017 was very trauma?c and we pray that it never will happen again. With that
being said I would like to share a bit of our experience on the day the fire started.
I was on my way to take my 18 month old son to a class when I saw a plethora offire trucks speeding up Serrano as I was
going down towards the 91. I stopped at Target and checked, social media, thanks to the Anaheim Buzz and Anaheim fire
I was able to determined there was a fire close so I headed home, while no?fying my husband who works in Irvine, to
come home. About 30 minutes later a helicopter was over our house sta?ng to evacuate. While my husband was driving
home he stated he saw many people not obeying traffic laws, and this was before the true gridlock started.
We loaded up the car and quickly le? with our important documents and memories, along with medical supplies for our
18 month old. We hit traffic from The Highlands to Canyon Rim rd, to Nohl Ranch rd all the way to the city of Orange. At
one point flames were coming over the hills where Canyon Rim intersects with Serrano. I was nervous the embers flying
may start a fire in front and block our way, and with no movement I was prepared to run.
I think it took at least 1.5 hours if not longer just to get to chick fil a in Orange, with a screaming 18 month old in the
back..it was very scary and hec?c. By that ?me more neighbors were trying to get home, driving the wrong way, in the
medians and doing anything they could just to get home to get their belongings and protect their loved ones. With the
91 east closed it took me 5 hours to get up to my mom’s house in San Dimas, a drive that should normally take a hour
during heavy traffic, this did include a 20 minute stop to feed my son.
I know the planning commission discussed the “know you way plan”, but with many commuters who don’t “know the
way plan” and neighbors who will do just about anything including disobeying traffic laws, to protect their loved ones
and property, building this property and widening Santa Ana Canyon will only add to the chaos and traffic. Even on a
typical day Santa Ana Canyon gets back up with commuters trying to bypass the 91 traffic. Serrano ave is congested
star?ng at 3:30 when I leave to take my son to prac?ce. The very thought that when, not if, but when there is another
fire and all of those commuters, current Anaheim Hills residents and the poten?al new residents, get on the streets to
leave it will be even more chao?c. I have seen pictures of Paradise, please don’t let that be us. There is a reason why it’s
harder for “the hills” to take on large housing projects as opposed to the flat lands. The infrastructure with the roads and
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the topography is not conducive to high density housing. The fes?val center is already slated for housing. Between that
and this pending project, I can guarantee during the next fire, the know your way plan will go to the wayside and it will
be mass chaos.
Finally, during the last mee?ng, Lucille Kring said she would pray that a “perfect storm” will never happen during the
next fire. While I believe in the power of prayer and pray this never happens again, this is the perfect opportunity to be
the solu?on and deny this project. Approving this project will only add to the “perfect storm.”
Lucille, thank you for your prayers, at this point we will need them more than you will ever know. I too will pray for you
that you never have to experience an evacua?on and I pray for our community that we won’t have to go through one as
chao?c and trauma?c as the one in 2017.
Thank you for you ?me,
Jennifer Williams
Sent from my iPhone
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