10 (287)Some people who received this message don't often get email from tgtaguchi@hotmail.com. Learn why this is important
Date:3/3/2026 11:37:10 AM
From:"TG Taguchi" tgtaguchi@hotmail.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] Vote "NO" on the Shea/Festival Center apartments – It's a safety issue and would save families from
future injury and loss of lives
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sender and are expecting the message.
Dear Council Members,
Good afternoon, I am writing to you as a resident of Anaheim to ask you to please vote "No" on the proposed apartments at the Anaheim Hills
Festival Center. This area is unique in that it borders the 261 and 91 freeways and the fires seem to always come from east to west due to the
Santa Ana winds. This creates a huge issue for this exact area as there are only a couple ways to get out if the two freeways are completely closed
(which they have been at times in the past fires). I lived here during the Canyon Fire 2 in 2017 and other fires before that, and I will never forget
the feeling of being stuck in my car with my family, watching the smoke get closer, and literally not moving for over an hour and a half. It wasn't just
"traffic"—it was a total standstill. My wife and I and our two daughters were stuck in the Vons parking lot trying to get away from the fire. When I
think of adding hundreds of new apartments and about 1,500+ more people to that exact same escape route, it is terrifying to those of us who
have actually been in that situation in the past.
The reports for this project say that adding these cars will "only" add about 7 minutes to the evacuation time. As having living through it in the past,
this will certainly add significantly more than seven minutes. But when I have experienced it and you're already stuck for two hours and the fire is
moving towards you, seven minutes is a lifetime (and could be the end of ours). We don't have extra roads or "secret" ways out of this Anaheim
Hills area; we all end up on the same few lanes usually heading west. Also, the freeway was exiting cars and they too were heading west on the
same few lanes as the freeway was closed. Adding more people to a neighborhood that is already a proven huge bottleneck during a fire just feels
like a tragedy and lawsuits waiting to happen. Your estimates need to include the cars exiting the 91 freeway at Weir Canyon since the freeway
would typically be closed off due to the fires. This is informational for you so that if in the future there is a lawsuit from residences due to this exact
hazard for loss of lives and property and your knowledge of this area condition before adding apartments. This is a written document informing you
of what has happened in the past and will surely happen again as approving the proposed apartments will make this future issue much worse.
I am writing this as a plea for the safety of my family. I really do understand that the city of Anaheim needs housing, however it should NOT be
built in an area where people have been already struggling to get out safely in the past. Please don't make an existing danger even worse just for a
new development. We are asking you to prioritize the lives and safety of the people who already live here and pay taxes here. Please, help our
community in our time of need for the safety of our families. I'm sure you can relate as most of you probably have families yourselves and would do
the same for your family.
Thank you for your time to read this and caring for existing Anaheim families,
Thomas Taguchi
7908 E. Altair LN
Anaheim, CA 92808
(East Hills community right behind Anaheim Hills Festival Center)