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Date:2/1/2026 9:44:50 PM
From:"Rick Moyer"
To:
"Ashleigh Aitken" AAitken@anaheim.net, "Public Comment" publiccomme nt@anahe im.ne t, "Natalie Meeks"
NMeeks@anaheim.net, "Ryan Balius" RBalius@anaheim.net, "Carlos A. Leon" CLeon@anahe im.net, "Natalie
Rubalcava" NRubalcava@anaheim.net, "Norma C. Kurtz" NKurtz@anahe im.ne t, "Kriste n Maahs"
KMaahs@anaheim.net
Subject:[EXTERNAL] "Absolute Gridlock"
Attachment:Landforming excerpt.pdf;
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachme nts unle ss you recognize the
sender and are expecting the message.
Dear Mayor Aitken and Anaheim City Council Members:
The purpose of this correspondence is to voice objection to the Festival Center development, as well as any other proposed
high-density housing projects in Anaheim Hills.
To understand the basis for my objection, I need to provide some background. My name i s D r. Ri ck Moyer and I am a retired
Internist. After working in Emergency Medicine at a Level I trauma center for a few years at the begi nni ng of my medical career, I
established a medical practice in San Bernardino, while my wife Kaye completed a resi dency in Anesthesi ology at Loma Linda.
In 1995 we purchased the home of former Angel baseball player Fred Lynn. Our home i s si tuated on a 2 acre parcel uphill from
Serrano Avenue, within the Santiago Geologic Hazard Abatement District (SGHAD). From our backyard we can see a large
portion of Serrano Avenue. While working in the field of Emergency Medicine I worked with a group of doctors who manned
helicopter rescue missions. This provided me with experience in caring for burn victims i n the field.
At the end of this paragraph is a link to a Channel 7 news clip from October 9, 2017, the day of the Canyon 2 fire. We live on Via El
Estribo and spent the day protecting our home from embers and spot fires using our fire pump and protective gear. Around one
minute and 47 seconds into the clip, the reporter describes the evacuation route on Serrano Avenue as "ABSOLUTE GRIDLOCK". This
refers to a total standstill in traffic, where movement is impossible in either direction. ht t p s ://a b c 7 .c o m /v i d e o C l i p /2 5 1 2 9 6 4 /h t t p s://a b c 7 .c o m /v i d e o C l i p /2 5 1 2 9 6 4 /
My wife and I can attest to the GRIDLOCK as we can see Serrano from our back yard. At one point in the day, when we were
surrounded by fire and exhausted beyond measure, we had to decide whether to stay and fight the fire or evacuate. Noting the
GRIDLOCK on Serrano, which was the only way out, we decided we’d be better off taking our chances fighting the fire than becoming
victims of a failed evacuation. I should mention that the fire commander on scene (from E l Toro, not Anaheim) recruited us and our
equipment to stop the forward progression of the fire. We were successful and later received recognition from Cal-Trans for our
involvement in what was referred to as the “Zone of Danger”.
Whether it's Lahaina, Paradise, Anaheim Hills or anywhere else for that matter, a "DEATH TRAP" may be created by a bottlenecked
evacuation route or GRID LOCK. Although Serrano is uphill from Santa Ana Canyon, the GRIDLOCK on Serrano was due to back-up
from congestion further down the hill on Santa Ana Canyon. In wind-driven fires such as the Canyon 2 fire, smoke blows hard, stays
low to the ground, and may engulf vehicles. Unless you have specialized respiratory equipment, you cannot avoid inhaling the carbon
monoxide (and other toxins) that are present in the smoke. Once in the bloodstream, the carbon monoxide molecules displace
oxygen molecules from red blood cells. This leads to low oxygen levels, or "hypoxia", which in turn causes sedation, confusion,
possible seizures and potentially even death. Complications of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning are a major reason
why people are found dead in their cars following evacuations from a fire. Our community was fortunate not to have more victims
during the f a i l e d e v a c ua t i o nfailed e v a c ua t i o n that occurred during the Canyon 2 fire.
When D r. Kaye Moyer and I served on the SGHAD board a few years ago we learned a little bit about Anaheim's inner workings. For
example, we learned that Anaheim often relies on outside vendors to provide summary reports and recommendations. This serves to
transfer liability from the city to an outside party. Although I’ve not seen a recent report regarding the E vacuation Plan for Anaheim
Hills, I believe you have probably been provided with a report indicating the Plan is acceptable and therefore you should approve
the development.
However, I have just provided you with eyewitness accounts of the ABSOLUTE GRIDLOCK that occurred during the Canyon 2 fire
evacuation. I have also provided you with information regarding the DEATH TRAP that is created by GRID LOCK. You can search the
internet and see how many people died in the Lahaina and Paradise fires. It is also my understanding that dozens, if not hundreds, of
Anaheim Hills residents have sent emails, attended City Council meetings, etc. voicing their objections to adding high-density
development in Anaheim Hills due to the traffic problems that already exist. My wife, who grew up with NASCAR racing legends
Bobby and D onnie Allison, recently commented that due to the freeway short-cutters and congestion, getting on Serrano and Santa
Ana Canyon in the afternoons carries the same danger and anxiety as leaving a pit stop and entering a NASCAR race.
Also while serving on the SGHAD board, we came across a book called Landforming, by Horst Schor. A chapter of the book
(attached) is dedicated to the development of Anaheim Hills. In his book, Mr. Schor describes how the development of Anaheim Hills
was almost scrapped due to challenges created by steep topography, unfavorable geology and canyon conditions. Original plans
which included high-density housing had to be ditched and the City had to implement a novel and unproven method of grading
called “Landform grading and revegetation”. Consequently, the geography of Anaheim Hills only allows a limited capacity for ingress
and egress. Many of the roads from “up the hill” exit onto single lane roads before exiting the area, setting up multiple opportunities
for “DEATH TRAPS” during an evacuation. The geography cannot be changed. All of this was previously reviewed by the Anaheim
City Council back in 1975 but apparently long forgotten. Anaheim Hills just cannot handle the increase in vehicular traffic that will
come with high density development. Why is high-density development in Anaheim Hills even being discussed?
Is the city that is home to “The Happiest Place on Earth” so desperate for additional revenue that you would jeopardize the lives of
the residents of Anaheim Hills? Please say NO to any current and/or future high-density development in Anaheim Hills until such time
that an Evacuation Plan can be developed that is proven to be safe and effective, thoroughly tested and approved by the residents.
I'll close with one last question for each of you - Will you be able to sleep at night if you personally approve of any of these projects
and we have casualties from another failed evacuation?
Sincerely,
Richard J. Moyer, M.D.
--
Dr. Rick Moyer