Item 2 - Keith Olesen
From: Keith Olesen <
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2025 5:02 PM
To: Ashleigh Aitken <AAitken@anaheim.net>; Natalie Rubalcava <NRubalcava@anaheim.net>; Natalie
Meeks <NMeeks@anaheim.net>; Norma C. Kurtz <NKurtz@anaheim.net>; Ryan Balius
<RBalius@anaheim.net>; Carlos A. Leon <CLeon@anaheim.net>; Kristen Maahs
<KMaahs@anaheim.net>
Cc: Jim Vanderpool <JVanderpool@anaheim.net>; Public Comment <publiccomment@anaheim.net>
Subject: \[EXTERNAL\] General Plan
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Dear Mayor and Anaheim City Council Members;
My name is Keith Olesen. I’m a member of the Historic Preservation Committee and a 39 year resident
of the downtown area of Anaheim.
I’m writing to repeat and support the information sent to you by the HPC (letter attached) regarding the
upcoming General Plan reports (item 4 on your consent calendar for March 25,2025 meeting).
The letter contains a number of excellent points regarding the General Plan as applied to the downtown
area, primarily the 4 historic districts recognized by the city. Increasing the density in these areas will
result in irreparable damage to the fabric of the community, the integrity of these neighborhoods, and
the quality of life for residents. In addition it would be a repeat of an error made in the 1970’s from which
the neighborhoods have never completely recovered and which was reversed, much to the ongoing
benefit of the area, in the late 1980’s, and followed by the establishment of the first historic district in
1997.
As stated in the HPC letter, this area cannot handle the increase in density that would result from the
revised General Plan. The infrastructure in these districts is the oldest in the city, with insufficient
sewage, electrical power, and public safety delivery systems. Increased densities will, simply put,
overwhelm the infrastructure in these neighborhoods. It is also important to note, again as mentioned in
the attached letter, the 4 existing historic districts combined total less than 2 square miles, or
approximately 4% of the city’s 51 square miles. Exempting these 4 districts from the increased densities
proposed would have a major positive impact on the continuing improvement of these neighborhoods
without negatively impacting the overall goal of the revision of the plan.
Thank you for your consideration. If any one would like to individually meet and discuss this issue
further with me, with a small group of downtown residents (3 to 4 residents maximum), or with the
Historic Preservation Committee as a whole, I’d be happy to coordinate such a discussion and can work
around your individual schedule.
Thank you.
Keith Olesen