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10 (052)Date:2/27/2026 11:14:49 AM From:"Rick Moyer" dr.rickmoyer@gmail.com To:"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net Subject:[EXTERNAL] Opposition to Festival Center Development Warning: This email originated from outs ide the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachments unles s you recognize the s ender and are expecting the mes s age. Dear Mayor Aitken and Anaheim City Council Members : The purpos e of this corres pondence is to voice objection to the Fes tival Center development, as well as any other propos ed high-dens ity hous ing projects in Anaheim Hills . 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, two doors down from us. We live on Via El Es tribo and s pent the day protecting our home from embers and s pot fires us ing our fire pump and protective gear. Around one minute and 47 s econds into the clip, the reporter des cribes the evacuation route on Serrano Avenue as "ABSOLUTE GRIDLOCK". This refers to a total s tands till in traffic, where movement is impos s ible in either direction. https ://abc7.com/videoClip/2512964/ My wife and I can attes t to the GRIDLOCK as we can s ee Serrano from our backyard. At one point in the day, when we were s urrounded by fire and exhaus ted beyond meas ure, we had to decide whether to s tay and keep fighting 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 s hould mention that the fire commander on s cene (from Camp Pendleton, not Anaheim) recruited us and our equipment to s top the forward progres s ion of the fire. We were s ucces s ful and later received recognition from Cal-Trans for our involvement in what was referred to as the “Zone of Danger” (no mention from Anaheim). Whether it's Lahaina, Paradis e, Anaheim Hills or anywhere els e for that matter, a "DEATH TRAP" may be created by a bottlenecked evacuation route or GRIDLOCK. Although Serrano is uphill from Santa Ana Canyon, the GRIDLOCK on Serrano was due to back-up from conges tion further down the hill on Santa Ana Canyon. In wind-driven fires s uch as the Canyon 2 fire, s moke blows hard, s tays low to the ground, and may engulf vehicles . Unles s you have s pecialized res piratory equipment, you cannot avoid inhaling the carbon monoxide (and other toxins ) that are pres ent in the s moke. Once in the bloods tream, the carbon monoxide molecules dis place oxygen molecules from red blood cells . This leads to low oxygen levels , or "hypoxia", which in turn caus es s edation, confus ion, pos s ible s eizures and potentially even death. Complications of s moke inhalation and carbon monoxide pois oning are a major reas on why people are found dead in their cars following evacuations from a fire. Our community was fortunate not to have more victims during the failed evacuation that occurred during the Canyon 2 fire. I have jus t provided you with eyewitnes s and televis ed accounts of the ABSOLUTE GRIDLOCK that occurred during the Canyon 2 fire evacuation. I have als o provided you with information regarding the DEATH TRAP that is created by GRIDLOCK. You can s earch the internet and s ee how many people died in the Lahaina and Paradis e fires . It is als o my unders tanding that dozens , if not hundreds , of Anaheim Hills res idents have s ent emails , attended City Council meetings , etc. voicing their objections to adding high-dens ity development in Anaheim Hills due to the traffic problems that already exis t. My wife, who grew up with NASCAR racing legends Bobby and Donnie Allis on, recently commented that due to the freeway s hort-cutters and conges tion, getting on Serrano and Santa Ana Canyon in the afternoons carries the s ame danger and anxiety as leaving a pit s top and entering a NASCAR race. Pleas e VOTE NO to any current and/or future high-dens ity development in Anaheim Hills until s uch time that an Evacuation Plan can be developed that is proven to be s afe and effective, thoroughly tes ted and approved by the res idents . Sincerely, Richard J. Moyer, M.D. -- Dr. Rick Moyer Date:2/27/2026 11:19:22 AM From:"Rick Moyer" dr.rickmoyer@gmail.com To:"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net Subject:[EXTERNAL] Opposition to the Festival Center Project 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: Why do people die in their cars during wildfire evacuations? Let’s ask AI: “People die in their cars during wildfire evacuations primarily because they become trapped by fast-moving flames in, or get stuck in, dense traffic on narrow escape routes, leading to asphyxiation from smoke inhalation or extreme heat exposure. The intense heat—up to 1,500°F—can cause vehicles to catch fire, melt, or fail mechanically, leaving occupants helpless. Key reasons for fatalities in vehicles during wildfire evacuations include: Trapped in Traffic Jams: In major disasters like the 2018 Camp Fire and 2023 Lahaina Fire, limited, narrow roads became congested, preventing escape and making vehicles sitting ducks for advancing flames. Delayed Evacuation: Many victims wait too long to leave, attempting to flee only when the fire has already reached their location, turning routes into death traps. Smoke and Heat Inhalation: When fires overtake a road, the air becomes filled with smoke and poisonous gases, which are more likely to cause death than fire itself. Vehicle Failure: Extreme heat can cause engines to fail, electronics to break down, and tires to melt, leaving drivers stranded. Disorientation: Dense smoke can make it impossible to see the road, causing drivers to drive off-road or abandon their cars in panic. While staying in the car is generally considered safer than running, it becomes fatal when the vehicle is directly consumed by the fire front.” You all know that traffic in Anaheim Hills is already congested and there is no immediate remedy for the freeway cutters. The fire evacuation during the 2017 fire was a total failure, highlighted by ABSOLUTE GRIDLOCK. No measures have been implemented to prevent gridlock from occurring again during the next fire evacuation and Councilwoman Meeks admits there is no way to test the current evacuation plan proposal. I understand that, according to Mayor Aitken, the Festival Center housing development is not necessary for Anaheim to meet its housing requirements so there is no justifiable reason to approve any high-density development in Anaheim Hills other than to pacify a developer. Please do the right thing and VOTE NO to the Festival Center. Sincerely, Rick. -- Dr. Rick Moyer Date:2/27/2026 11:23:02 AM From:"Rick Moyer" dr.rickmoyer@gmail.com To:"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net Subject:[EXTERNAL] Avoid the same mistake..... 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. As I first learned in college and later in medical school, humans are the only species in the Animal Kingdom that don't learn from their mistakes. In the 1970's, the City of Anaheim mistakenly made plans for high-density development in Anaheim Hills. Engineers later determined this was not feasible due to geography, geology and other factors (see Landforming excerpt attached)). What has changed in the past 50 years that makes anyone think that high-density development in Anaheim Hills is now OK? The geography has not changed. The geology has actually worsened significantly due to multiple landslides. The street infrastructure is essentially unchanged. The only major change is that the State of California has designated most of Anaheim Hills to be in the highest category of risk for wildland fires. Common sense and history dictate that high-density development is not a good idea for Anaheim Hills. Hopefully, the deciding parties will not make the same mistake twice. VOTE NO on the Festival Center project. Sincerely, Rick. -- Dr. Rick Moyer Date:2/27/2026 11:47:16 AM From:"Rick Moyer" dr.rickmoyer@gmail.com To:"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net Subject:[EXTERNAL] Gridlock on Santa Ana Canyon (SAC) Attachment:Forward view of traffic on SAC 2.26.26.jpg;Rear view of traffic on SAC 2.26.26.jpg; 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: On Thursday, February 26, 2026, just after 1 PM, I left my house to go to Home Depot. This usually takes around 12-13 minutes each way. I exited Serrano onto Canyon Rim then turned onto Fairmont. I then turned right on SAC. Just as I passed the Festival Center on my right I encountered a back-up and then total gridlock. I sat through several light changes before moving onto Weir Canyon, adding about 20 minutes to my travel time. As I sat in my car I could not help but wonder what this would be like in a fire evacuation; stuck in my car, facing fire and smoke. I've attached photos taken from inside the car, both looking forward and backward, demonstrating the gridlock. I looked for a crash or emergency vehicles to explain the gridlock, but did not see anything. The problem seemed to be the left turning lanes from SAC onto Weir Canyon. Everyone headed for the 91 freeway was jostling to get into the rightward left turning lane, to access the freeway on-ramp. Most notably, this was not even rush hour. By approving the Festival Center Project, you will compound the existing traffic problems in Anaheim Hills, putting tens of thousands of residents IN HARM'S WAY in the next fire evacuation. And for what? So a developer can get richer? First and foremost, please consider the lives of our local residents and VOTE NO on the Festival Center Project. Sincerely, Rick. -- Dr. Rick Moyer Date:2/27/2026 12:03:44 PM From:"Rick Moyer" dr.rickmoyer@gmail.com To:"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net Subject:[EXTERNAL] The Dudek Papers and the Festival Center Project 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: I've attached a recent letter written to Fire marshall Young regarding the Dudek papers. Dear Fire Marshall Young: As a resident of Anaheim Hills who is gravely concerned about fire evacuation, I recently performed a preliminary review of the Evacuation Travel Time Analysis for the Anaheim Hills Festival Specific Plan Amendment Project (“Project”), as submitted by Dudek Fire Protection Planning Team on May 29, 2025. I do not claim to have expertise in this matter, however, there are problems that are grossly apparent to a layperson that warrant your immediate attention. The most glaring issue is that the City of Anaheim has not adopted criteria for determining whether evacuation travel time increases are significant. This is important as the 2017 Canyon 2 fire evacuation was marred by “Absolute Gridlock”, as reported by ABC news and residents. The correspondence submitted by Dudek provides the reader with a comparison of the evacuation travel times "without the Project, with the Project, and with the Cinema", but fails to consider problems related to previous evacuations. In the absence of criteria, it is not possible to determine the impact of the increases in evacuation times noted by Dudek. A critical component of the “scientific method” is the formation of a hypothesis that can be tested. Based on the Dudek paper your hypothesis might look something like this; “Evacuation of the Project will add 22 minutes relative to the evacuation time of the theater”. OK, so how do you test this? You can’t. Consequently, the Dudek results are merely an untestable opinion or speculation and should not be used to make critical decisions. Dudek decided to model spotting using the MAXSPOT tool embedded within the FARSITE software tool. Unfortunately, this tool is not designed to model spotting from large, running crown fires or surface fires. It does not predict the exact number of embers or precise landing locations, only the potential range and direction. As such, this model may underestimate spotting distances under intense wind-driven conditions such as those seen in the 2017 Canyon 2 fire and anticipated in the future. Human behavior during wildfire evacuations has been well studied. While most evacuation planning models assume that the evacuation will be orderly, in the real world there are four common behavioral patterns, with the most common listed first: 1. “Wait and See”. These individuals don’t evacuate until they see smoke or fire. 2. Social Verification or “Milling”. These individuals seek confirmation of the threat from neighbors, family, or social media before acting. 3. Follow-the-Leader or “Herd” mentality. These individuals follow the actions of others, which may include ignoring evacuation orders. 4. “Stay and Defend”. This small group of individuals chooses to stay and defend their properties, based on a perception of preparedness or past experiences. The Dudek paper does not mention human behavior in any of their models. This is truly unfortunate as this is a critical matter when comparing the evacuation times of the theater versus the Project. For comparison we’ll assume there are 1000 vehicles in the Festival Center parking lot patronizing the theater and other retail shops. At face value, I could accept that the evacuation of either the apartment complex or retail establishments will generate around 1,000 vehicles into traffic. Patrons of the theater and other retail outlets in the vicinity currently enjoy “free, self-parking in an open lot” - there is no parking deck. And these patrons are likely to be locals. In the event of an evacuation, they can quickly exit an establishment, head to their cars and leave through any of the lot’s multiple exits. But they are not headed into the Evacuation Route – it is more likely they want to head home, up the hill, to check on the 6P’s: People and pets, Papers (documents), Prescriptions, Pictures (and memorabilia), Personal computers (hard drives, storage devices) and Plastic (cash). If one road is closed off, they will try another. And so on. Their goal is to get back home, and they will be traveling against the Evacuation Route traffic. The developer of the Festival Center project plans to build a 447-unit apartment building with a residential parking deck that will accommodate nearly 1000 vehicles. Based on my research I believe this will be the largest residential parking structure of its kind in Anaheim Hills, posing a new challenge to police and fire personnel; A fire breaks out nearby. The smoke is already heavy. All tenants of the project have received notice of evacuation and are simultaneously trying to check on their families and neighbors and get to their vehicles in a smoke-filled multi-level residential parking structure. The elevators will be shut down and only the stairwells will be accessible. This will result in mass chaos. People will panic and if they abandon their cars, they will create an impasse. Can you imagine being stuck on the top floor of a parking deck during an evacuation mired in total gridlock? Simultaneously, other people may be trying to get back into the parking deck to get to their homes. There could also be an influx of emergency personnel adding to the chaos. Those residents that manage to get out of the parking structure will likely head towards the Evacuation Route, adding to the congestion and back-up. Keep in mind that patrons of the retail center will have already evacuated and most will be trying to get back home, going against the traffic created by the Evacuation Route. The net result is that virtually everyone who makes it out of the residential parking deck will add to the congestion on the Evacuation Route. If 1000 vehicles make it out, then 1000 vehicles will be dumped into the Evacuation Route. In my humble opinion, I believe the Dudek report grossly underestimates the time it will take to evacuate the new apartment complex and parking structure. Please VOTE NO to the Festival Center project. Sincerely, Rick. -- Dr. Rick Moyer