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Date:2/28/2026 8:55:04 PM
From:"Grace Branche" gracebranche@yahoo.com
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] Traffic and Evacuation Concerns – Festival Project (March 3)
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sender and are expecting the message.
Dear Mayor and Members of the City Council,
I am writing ahead of the March 3 consideration of the Festival project in Anaheim Hills to reiterate and clarify my concerns regarding traffic impacts and
evacuation safety.
At its core, my concern is simple: I do not believe the traffic and evacuation analysis being relied upon reflects current, real-world conditions in our area.
The theater previously located on the Festival site has not operated regularly for some time. Even when it was open, it primarily served nearby residents
and did not create a sustained, permanent increase in daily traffic volume. The current proposal, by contrast, would introduce an ongoing and
concentrated traffic load into a corridor that already experiences routine gridlock.
My family has lived here for approximately five years, and traffic conditions have worsened significantly even within that relatively short timeframe.
Congestion is no longer occasional — it is daily. Any evaluation that relies on off-peak assumptions or theoretical flow rates does not align with the lived
reality on these roads.
More importantly, emergency planning cannot assume ideal timing. Wildfires do not occur at convenient hours. If an evacuation were to coincide with
peak congestion, the consequences could be severe. While I appreciate the City’s efforts to strengthen preparedness since 2017, the proposed “Know
Your Way” framework remains untested under worst-case conditions. Neighbors who experienced the Canyon Fire have described evacuation
bottlenecks that exposed serious vulnerabilities in our infrastructure.
Before approving additional density in a high fire-risk area with known congestion constraints, I respectfully urge the Council to require a more rigorous,
stress-tested analysis that evaluates evacuation capacity during peak traffic conditions — not modeled averages.
I also ask for clarity regarding precedent. The SALT development proposal at Deer Canyon was rejected in part due to concerns about traffic impact and
infrastructure strain in this same general area. From a resident’s perspective, the Festival proposal raises similar issues. To date, no clear explanation
has been provided as to how this project materially differs in a way that meaningfully reduces risk. If the Council’s assessment has changed, residents
deserve a transparent explanation.
Finally, I ask that you carefully weigh the concerns of the residents you represent. Many of us in District 6 have consistently raised issues about traffic
congestion and evacuation safety. These are not abstract objections — they are grounded in daily experience and legitimate public safety
considerations. As our District 6 representative and as Mayor, your leadership is especially important in ensuring these concerns are fully heard and
addressed before irreversible decisions are made.
This is not opposition to development in principle. It is a request that public safety — particularly evacuation feasibility under worst-case conditions — be
evaluated with the highest level of rigor. With wildfire risk increasing year after year, assumptions in this area carry real consequences.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,