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Date:3/2/2026 8:32:27 AM
From:"Michelle Higgins"
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] Please vote NO on the Shea/Festival Center apartments – It's a safe ty issue
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Dear Council Member,
I am w ri ting as a 30 year resident of Anaheim to respectfully urge you to vote “No” on the pr oposed apartment
development at the Anaheim Hills Festival Center. I experienced the Canyon Fir e 2 in 2017 fi rsthand. I w i l l
never forget sitting in my car, unable to move for over an hour while tryi ng to evacuate. It w as not routine
congesti on—it w as a complete standstill during an emergency.
For those of us w ho lived through that evacuation, the idea of adding hundr eds of apar tments and more than a
thousand addi tional residents to the same limited evacuation routes is deeply concer ning. Whi l e project reports
state that the added traffic w ould increase evacuation times by “only” seven mi nutes, that figur e feel s far from
minor i n a real emergency. When roads are already gridlocked and a fir e i s advancing, even a few additi onal
minutes can make a critical difference.
Anaheim Hi l l s does not have multiple alternative escape routes; residents funnel onto the same primary roads
during a w ildfire. Increasing density in an area that already functions as a bottl eneck dur i ng evacuations raises
serious safety concerns.
I recognize the importance of expanding housing opportunities in our city. How ever, new development should
not come at the expense of public safety—particularly in a high fire-risk ar ea w i th constrai ned infrastructure. I
respectfully ask that you prioritize the safety and w ell-being of the residents w ho al ready call thi s communi ty
home.
Thank you for your consideration.
Si ncerely,
Michelle Higgins
“The Summit”