General (05)
Susana Barrios
From:James Oppeau <jamesoppeau@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, August
To:Christine Nguyen; Public Comment
Subject:\[EXTERNAL\] Builders Remedy Deer Canyon & Festival Projects
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This ar?cle from October 30, 2024
VOICE OF OC
Kinda says it ALL, NOTHING HAS CHANGED EXCEPT THERE IS MORE TRAFFIC CUTTING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
DUE TO THE CONGESTION ON THE 5, 55, 91 FREEWAYS………AND OUR WEATHER IS DEFINITELY CHANGING TO HOTTER
SUMMER DAYS…..
SEEMS LIKE A NO BRAINER DECISION FOR THE FESTIVAL AND DEER CANYON PROJECTS.
Anaheim Officials Deny Nearly 500 New Luxury Apartments in Wildfire Prone Hills
Avatar photo
BY HOSAM ELATTAR
Oct 30, 2024
Why you can trust Voice of OC
Credit: Hosam Ela?ar / VOICE OF OC
Anaheim officials denied a nearly 500 luxury apartment development in Deer Canyon a?er pushback from nearby
residents over concerns it will increase fire evacua?on ?mes in a wildfire hazard zone.
The city council’s decision also comes a?er city staff – including the fire chief – recommended denying the project.
It’s a move that SALT Development, the developers, have threatened would lead them to force even more homes in the
area without city approval through a state law known as Builder’s Remedy.
A host of nearby residents have been raising concerns that the proposal would increase evacua?on ?mes and increase
fire risk in an area the California Department of Forestry and Fire Preven?on has deemed a very high fire hazard severity
zone.
They also say it will endanger wildlife, increase noise pollu?on and worsen nearby traffic.
Proponents of the project – including the developer and local labor union representa?ves – argue the city is in desperate
need of housing amid a statewide crisis and the hills need to do their part to meet the city’s state mandated housing
needs.
The developer also says the project will make the area more resilient to fires.
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\[Read: Anaheim Considers Nearly 500 New Apartments in Wildfire Prone Hills\]
Early into Wednesday morning, officials voted 5-2 to deny the development a?er over three hours and half of public
comments mainly against the proposal. Councilmembers Carlos Leon and Norma Campos Kurtz were the dissen?ng
votes.
Councilwoman Natalie Meeks, who represents Anaheim Hills, said the fear experienced by residents in a fire evacua?on
is real and there other opportuni?es for housing in Anaheim Hills
“Safety needs to be our highest priority,” she said “It’s not the right place. It’s a severe fire hazard zone, and you can’t put
that many people there and it really is only one way out.”
Mayor Ashleign Aitken, who also lives in Anaheim Hills, said that her part of town is not an?-housing, but residents’ fire
safety concerns are not negligible.
“If our own team and our own staff that has decades and decades of combined experience are hesitant that this project
can be built safely and can be delivered in a way that doesn’t further impact our community – I don’t know how I can
ignore that and approve this project,” she said.
Councilman Stephen Faessel, who previously received thousands of dollars in campaign support from SALT execu?ves,
also said he would not support the project because city staff didn’t recommend the project.
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