10 (14)You don't often get email from Learn why this is important
Date:2/1/2026 10:05:21 PM
From:"Joni Gaynor"
To:
"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net, "Ashleigh Aitken" AAitken@anahe im.ne t, "Carlos A. Leon"
CLeon@anaheim.net, "Ryan Balius" RBalius@anaheim.net, "Natalie Rubalcava" NRubalcava@anahe im.net, "Norma
C. Kurtz" NKurtz@anaheim.net, "Kristen Maahs" KMaahs@anaheim.net, "Natalie Meeks" NMe e ks@anaheim.net
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Save Anaheim Hills
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 Members of the Council,
Thank you for allowing community members to participate in the review of the Festival project. I am writing to formally oppose the proposed
residential development at the Festival shopping center and to respectfully request that public comment be reopened at the March 3 City Council
meeting.
The developer has been granted additional opportunities to revise, clarify, and present their proposal with respect to them working with union
workers. Residents of this community deserve the same opportunity to respond, especially given the seriousness of the safety concerns
involved.There are still variables that need to be addressed such as alternative locations for this housing project, the traffic report that has yet to be
publically shared, etc. Reopening public comment is essential to maintaining fairness, transparency, and public trust in this process.
My primary concern is evacuation safety, not routine daily traffic. The proposed project relies heavily on the “Know Your Way” evacuation plan,
which remains untested, poorly communicated, and unrealistic under real emergency conditions. During an active wildfire or similar disaster, it is
not reasonable to expect residents to behave in a calm, purely rational manner. People will attempt to return home to protect family members, pets,
and property, regardless of guidance to do otherwise.This has been proven in fires such as Canyon 2 Fire, Altadena Fires, Paradise Fire, and the
Maui Fires.
There is no clear or workable plan for evacuating elderly residents, individuals with disabilities, or children. The facility just behind the proposed
Festival project is a senior residence housing facility and drng the last two fires, I had neighbors who could not gain access to them because the
road between the proposed Festival project and the senior housing was at a stand still. These populations require additional time, assistance, and
coordination, yet the proposal does not address how those needs would be met. The effectiveness of the evacuation approach has not been
studied, and there are no clearly defined evacuation timeline goals that demonstrate how long it would take to safely clear the area. This also
impacts me personally as I live in the tract just above the proposed Festival project and it took me 2.5 hours to drive from my home to Target (less
than 1/4 mile), jumping the sidewalk to get there.
Changing the Festival site from commercial to residential zoning significantly increases evacuation risk. When fire danger is high, few people are
shopping, but when an emergency begins, everyone attempts to go home. Residential development adds hundreds of vehicles that will all be
moving simultaneously during an evacuation, placing additional strain on already limited routes.
Finally, approval of this project sets a precedent. If the Festival project is allowed to move forward, it becomes more likely that other large scale
projects, such as Deer Canyon or future developments, will also be approved, compounding evacuation risks across the community.
For these reasons, I strongly urge you to reopen public comment at the March 3 meeting and to carefully reconsider this project with evacuation
safety as a primary factor. Our community deserves a meaningful opportunity to defend our safety and well being.
Lastly, you took an oath to protect the citizens of your community. I would say that approving this project does just the opposite. This project puts
ALL of your District 6 residents in HARM!
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Joni Gaynor
--
Joni Gaynor