We Get Screwed. Again.
You know when last week’s volunteer proposal to put public employees in ambulances popped up, I had to smile, just a little. The whole thing was so shaky, so duplicitous, so-ill conceived that you had to admire how the Heroes were able to so easily put up a hollow con job that a little kid, unlike our City Council, would question.
Of course the interests of the Fire Department and its employees jumped ahead of the interests of the citizenry.
And then it struck me. There are all sorts of ways our elected officials put others’ welfare ahead of the public, and nowhere is this better seen than in the way massive development projects that overwhelm Fullerton’s landscape. There is never any dissent. The councilpeople fall all over themselves to approve giant cliff dwellings for no discernable reason other than someone wants to do something to make a shitpile of money, and City staff gets to charge hours against fees and permits.
In short: no one is looking out for the interests of the people as the infrastructure gets taxed, neighborhoods get overwhelmed, and parking deficiencies are assumed by everybody – except the developer – who comes up with the best tale about why his project doesn’t need cars.
Which brings me, finally to the god-awful monstrosity going up on Chapman Avenue. I think it’s called “The Hub” a pathetic marketing tag that the developer hopes will generate buzz among the crowd that can afford a $3000 per month one bedroom apartment.
Just look at this hideous cliff-dwelling, which must now be the tallest residential building in Fullerton. Seven stories, eight stories? Forget about how this project was completely deficient in parking and how it’s going to impact traffic for everybody who uses the Chapman corridor. Think about the thousands of toilet flushes into the City’s sewers every day; think about the stress on Fullerton’s antique water transmission system needed to bathe these new residents and wash their clothes. Just think about the poor bastards who live across the street and will get to ponder this ponderous pile of overbearing, overbuilt, over-dense, under thought-out mess – for the rest of their lives.
Remember, Friends, this project, just like so many before it was a voluntary erection on the part of the City, rubber stamped by the people we elected. Nobody forced anyone to vote yes on this, but they all did, and they would all do so again. And they looked the other way as the burden of environmental impacts were shifted to the public. This project required General Plan Amendments and zone changes. These government entitlements are worth a fortune to a developer and that benefit reflects the shift of negative externalities to everybody else. What did the people of Fullerton get for the entitlements giveaways?
So take a drive along Chapman one of these days and see if you think our City Council is working for you…or somebody else.
Of course they’re working for somebody else. Look at that Sunrise Village fiasco.
NIMBYs or old timers said the same thing about Amerige Heights and the Library Foundation project off Bastanchury. Maybe try blaming the state for its insane housing mandates. Or how about the fact that the city let car dealerships go to Buena Park, a mall to Brea and Trader Joe’s to La Habra, etc. Not sure this falls squarely on council or staff. You need some other names on your dartboard or this is a lame post.
There are no names on this post. That’s the problem. Jung talks about “mandates” but was happy to vote on this shit when he could have said Hell No. Ditto Dunlap.
Zahra voted for it, so follow the money.
“Not sure this falls squarely on council or staff.”
I know! Let’s blame the neighbors in Chapman Park!
What a monster. Who voted for that?
“voluntary erection”
Voluntary, involuntary, does it really matter if it gets the job done
Every time I’ve asked a council person why they approve projects like this, they say that if the city resists, they’ll be sued by the state. They tell me all they can do is provide some initial resistance to try and get the developer to maybe add a little more parking or remove a building story, but ultimately the project gets approved and built because the state of CA has mandated it.
That’s because you’re being lied to by cowards who would rather give developers what they want than eat ice cream.
Staff is ALWAYS on board because of the fees that they can bill against and or that go into the general fund.
The State DID NOT mandate this monstrosity on Chapman and don’t let anybody tell you different. This was a choice.
Now I’m not saying the developer didn’t use the State as a cudgel. However, the approval was purely elective.
They like all the development impact fees too.
Of course the City bureaucrats love ’em some high-rise crapola. The entitlement fees go right into their pockets and the park dwelling fees…
Come to think of it, the millions in up-front park dwelling fees were postponed on this hot mess.
All you have to do is look at the Councilmembers own 460 election forms to see why they approve these kinds of neighborhood-killing ghetto cubes. Greasy developers and their parasitic lobbyists keep those campaign coffers full so they can ruin neighborhoods unimpeded.
Most young people I speak with complain that the rent is too damn high. They’re right.
Older residents complain about the traffic worsening. They would know.
I say keep building housing units, drive less and walk more.
No one says don’t build housing. But a lot of people do say don’t kill the City with massive penitentiary blocks.
Harpoon, provide examples of recently built Fullerton housing that meet your approval.
I can’t. That’s the point of this post, I guess – giving away entitlements worth a fortune and getting cliff-dwellings that the Anasazi wouldn’t be caught dead in.
For the people of Fullerton it’s all give and no take. Except take the shit and smile. We know who we work for you and it isn’t you.
That’s exactly the point. It’s like having 12 little plastic cups of different animal feces put in front of you and being crititcized for not liking any of them. It’s HeeHaw/Camber of Commerce Thinking.
It’s a block away from the largest university in California and a freeway is the view. You guys complain too much. This is a bit of much to do about nothin.
See comment above. Dolt.
Since when did an 8-story, 1500 ft long cliff dwelling become “nothin?”
Say that to the folks who have lived in the single family homes directly across the street from this monstrosity for many decades.
Going to have to plant a couple more trees so I can’t see it from my backyard.
Disgusting