25 (025)You don't often get email from melaniepollak@gmail.com. Learn why this is important
Date:3/10/2026 8:26:57 PM
From:"Melanie Pollak" melaniepollak@gmail.com
To:"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net
Subject:[EXTERNAL] No to The Festival Center Development in Anaheim Hills
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sender and are expecting the message.
Hello,
My name is Melanie Pollak. I'm a 20-year resident of Anaheim Hills and a Destination Services Manager with Visit Anaheim. In my role as a
Services Manager, I am always excited to champion new projects and developments in Anaheim, and I work hard to get others excited about
new things, as well. However, the 400+ unit development in Anaheim Hills recently approved by the City Council is nothing to be excited about.
While I realize that we need to surge housing in Anaheim, as well as every city in Orange County to meet rising demand, Anaheim Hills lacks the
infrastructure to support 600-750 more cars on Santa Ana Canyon, Weir Canyon, and the other roads near the Festival Center. During the last
terrible wildfire, it took residents up in the neighborhoods near Festival Center and above, 4 hours to evacuate. Had that fire been fast moving, like
the Paradise and Palisades fires, those residents would be dead.
There is an additional safety issue in having so many more cars on roads that house several elementary and middle schools. If parents have to deal
with gridlock traffic when getting their kids to school and having to then go to work, there is an increased risk of accidents. Speaking of schools,
how many additional students will the schools in Anaheim Hills have to absorb? If there is an increase in students and an increase in drive time to
get kids to school, schools will have to allocate additional funds for before and after school care for students who have to be dropped off early in
order to allow for parents to get through increased traffic to get to work on time.
If you are quick to say that the cars can just hop on the 91 freeway, you've obviously never been on the 91 West during the morning hours. It's a
parking lot. The main streets of Anaheim Hills will also turn into parking lots during heavy morning, afternoon, and evening drive times, and there
will be a big countdown to the inevitable of losing green space on the shoulders of our major streets in order to create additional lanes to
accommodate increased traffic.
I will say it again, as a champion of new developments in Anaheim, this project will have a significant effect on the quality of life in Anaheim Hills. I
strongly urge the Council to reverse course on this development and reject it.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Melanie Pollak - Destination Services Manager, Visit Anaheim
144 N. Rose Blossom Lane, Anaheim Hills
(714) 204-6183