10 (144)You don't often get email from davidclux@gmail.com. Learn why this is important
Date:3/1/2026 10:09:13 AM
From:"David Lux" davidclux@gmail.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] Concerns about the Festival Center Project and Wildfire Safe ty
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sender and are expecting the message.
Dear Council Member,
I am writing to urge you to vote “No” on the Anaheim Hills Festival Center apartment project. My family lives in the Hills for its proximity to
nature, but that comes with a documented risk: wildfire.
We remember the 2017 Canyon Fire 2 vividly. I remember the frantic scramble to coordinate a pickup for our daughter at her school. The anger
of being physically blocked from reaching my wife at our house. My wife witnessed the desperation of other commuters driving into oncoming
traffic on the wrong side of the road just to escape the gridlock. That day, 'limited access' wasn't a statistic—it was a barrier that fractured our
family during a crisis.
The city’s reliance on traffic models to justify this project ignores common sense realities:
Residents vs. Visitors - Equating high-density housing with previous commercial uses like a movie theater is a dangerous false
equivalency. You don’t evacuate a theater with pets, family, and life’s possessions. Residents don't just leave; they try to get in to save what
matters most, doubling the gridlock.
Permanent vs. Transient Traffic - While the 91/241 connector may reduce "cut-through" commuters by 2029, this project replaces them
with permanent residents. Commuters do not evacuate into the Hills during a fire; residents do. We are being asked to trade temporary
traffic for a permanent safety risk.
The Overflowing Bucket - If evacuation already takes several hours according to the city’s own data, adding 1,300 new residents and
1,000 more cars to a known chokepoint is a public safety liability. A computer model cannot simulate the panic of a parent blocked from
their child's school.
We need leaders who prioritize the lives of current residents over a developer’s spreadsheet. We need better ways to get out of the Hills, not more
people trapped in them.
Please do the responsible thing and protect our community by voting “No” on this project.
Sincerely,
David & Denise Lux
8173 E Carnation Way
Anaheim, CA 92808