25 (003)You don't often get email from vishal.doctor@gmail.com. Learn why this is important
Date:3/4/2026 7:40:44 AM
From:"Vishal Chheda" vishal.doctor@gmail.com
To:
"aaitken@anaheim.net.com" aaitken@anaheim.net.com, "caleon@anaheim.ne t" caleon@anahe im.ne t, "Norma C. Kurtz"
NKurtz@anaheim.net, "Kristen Maahs" KMaahs@anaheim.net, "Natalie Me e ks" NMeeks@anahe im.net, "Ryan
Balius" RBalius@anaheim.net, "Natalie Rubalcava" NRubalcava@anaheim.ne t
Cc:"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net, "City Clerk" cityclerk@anaheim.net, "Indhira Y. Gagnon"
IGagnon@anaheim.net
Subject:[EXTERNAL] URGENT: Legal & Safety Opposition to Second Reading of Fe stival Anaheim Hills Project (EIR No. 358)
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.
To the Honorable Mayor and Council Members,
I am writing to formally oppose the final adoption of the 447-unit project at the Anaheim Hills Festival site. The 4-3 vote on March 3rd was based
on an incomplete and legally vulnerable record. We urge the Council to reverse its decision based on the following:
1. Failure to Mitigate the Documented 24-Minute Evacuation Delay (not 14)
According to EIR Appendix C (Responses to Written Comments), the City admits this project results in a "potential extension of time to evacuate
by approximately 24 minutes." In a wind-driven wildfire in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ), a 24-minute delay is the difference
between life and death. Per SB 99 (2020) and Gov. Code § 65302(g)(5), the City is required to ensure residential developments in hazard areas
have adequate evacuation routes. A $200,000 developer payment does not create a new road; it merely funds a plan to manage a gridlock that
you are knowingly creating.
2. Omission of Regional "Shadow Traffic" and Bypass Volume
The Traffic Analysis (Section 4.17) is fundamentally flawed because it ignores inter-city bypass volume. Fairmont Blvd and Weir Canyon serve as
primary "shortcuts" for thousands of commuters from Yorba Linda and the Inland Empire trying to avoid the 91 Freeway. This "shadow traffic" is
not documented in local VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) studies but is a daily reality. Adding nearly 900 cars to a corridor that is already a regional
relief valve is a direct violation of the General Plan Safety Element.
3. Economic Destabilization of the Home Insurance Market
The Council has failed to study the project’s impact on our crumbling insurance market. With premiums in 92807/92808 already surging by 20–
30% this year, adding high-density units to a high-risk zone signals to carriers that the "risk density" has exceeded safe limits. This project acts as a
"tipping point" for mass insurance non-renewals, potentially rendering thousands of existing homes uninsurable and unsellable.
4. CEQA Inconsistency and Lack of Overriding Considerations
The "Statement of Overriding Considerations" is invalid because the City has not exhausted feasible alternatives in safer, transit-rich areas like the
Platinum Triangle. You are prioritizing developer convenience over the physical and financial survival of your constituents.
Thank you to the council members who voted NO on 3/3 and for those that voted yes, please consider the facts above and Vote NO on March
24th.
Sincerely,
Vishal Chheda
From Anaheim Hills