24 (14)You don't often get email from tannissoto@sbcglobal.net. Learn why this is important
Date:3/24/2026 3:29:38 PM
From:"Tannis Soto" tannissoto@sbcglobal.net
To:
"Public Comment" publiccomment@anaheim.net, "Ashleigh Aitken" AAitken@anaheim.net, "Carlos A. Leon" CLeon@anaheim.net, "Ryan Balius" RBalius@anaheim.net,
"Natalie Rubalcava" NRubalcava@anaheim.net, "Norma C. Kurtz" NKurtz@anaheim.net, "Kristen Maahs" KMaahs@anaheim.net, "Natalie Meeks"
NMeeks@anaheim.net
Subject:[EXTERNAL] Rehearing request regarding Festival Development Proposal
Warning: This email originated from outside the City of Anaheim. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and are expecting the message.
Dear Mayor Ashleigh Aitken and City Council Members,
I write to make a plea that you all reconsider the decision that was made on March 3, 2026 approving the project at Anaheim Hills Festival Center and decide as a whole that the
proposed Festival Center project development should not be allowed to be built due to public safety and evacuation concerns.
In light of what occurred in the catastrophic and devastating Pacific Palisades fire I believe the only thing that prevented a similar fire occurring in Anaheim Hills is that there was not
a shift in the winds. Plain and simple......we were lucky last time. With the gridlock that happened the last time we had a fire in Anaheim Hills if you add hundreds of more people
and their cars to a similar situation the time frame for evacuating puts at risk lives significantly more especially if we were to experience winds similar to what happened in the Palisades. This area already
has experienced fires which proved there is limited ingress and egress making evacuation a known problem. At the March 3, 2026 City Council Meeting the Fire Chief made it clear that in order to
prevent sparks from a fire traveling via wind and an event similar to the Pacific Palisades fire and other catastrophic fires experienced in California in recent years happening here in Anaheim Hills that
additional preventable measures needed to be taken in Anaheim Hills. He said it would initially cost 1 to 2 million dollars to implement
needed weed removal and in order to keep that up yearly it would be a yearly expense of 1 million dollars per year. This is something he said was needed for preventative measures.
This is not something that is already going on. That alone is reason enough to not allow the development.
I propose that for any future proposed developments that the developer/builder be required to contribute a significant amount of capital towards needed safeguards.
While I appreciate that the Planning Department Representative indicated that they have met with Cal Trans and the County and have come up with ways to mitigate and prevent gridlock in the event of a
needed evacuation I just don't see where that is going to work given the current gridlock Anaheim Hills experiences on a daily basis during the work week and on most Saturdays. Allowing a major new
development without a proven, effective evacuation plan places us residents at increased risk. The safety of the residents of Anaheim Hills must be paramount to allowing a new apartment development
to be built.
I ask that all of you all deny the approval of the Festival Center's proposed building of apartments at this time.
I ask that the owners of the property look beyond and consider building other services for the community on that property. We don't need more housing up here. We could use more restaurants and
services. We no longer have a theatre in Anaheim Hills since the Festival Theatre and Cinema City theatres closed. We miss the theatres.
Thank you for your service to our community.
Peace,
Tannis Dunbar-Soto
138 S. Leandro Street
Anaheim, California 92807