More Trouble in College Park

After my post the other day, FFFF received this communication from a gentleman who refers to himself as Richard From College Park.

Dear Friends for Fullerton’s Future,

I’m reaching out about something deeply concerning in Fullerton that I believe needs immediate attention on your blog. You blogged about it yesterday.

The City of Fullerton has issued a permit for a development in our preservation district that is completely out of character with the neighborhood. As you can see from the attached image, this structure is a jarring addition that completely disregards the historic character and architectural integrity of the area.

What’s particularly frustrating is that this is happening in a designated preservation zone where there should be stricter oversight to maintain the neighborhood’s historic charm. The building looks completely out of place and frankly, it’s an eyesore that detracts from the surrounding properties.

I’m wondering how the city could possibly approve something like this in a preservation district. There seems to be a serious disconnect between the preservation guidelines and what’s actually being approved. This sets a dangerous precedent that could lead to more inappropriate developments that undermine the character of our historic neighborhoods.

I think this would make for an excellent blog post that could bring attention to this issue. Perhaps you could explore:

• How this project got approved despite preservation guidelines
• What recourse residents have when inappropriate developments are approved
• Whether there’s been a pattern of similar approvals in preservation districts
• How the city’s planning process might be failing to protect historic areas

I believe your readers would be very interested in this story, and it might help pressure the city to be more thoughtful about future development in preservation districts.

I really want my District Councilman Ahmad Zahra to do something about this travesty.

Please let me know if you’d be interested in covering this story. I’m happy to provide any additional information you might need.

Thank you for any assistance.

Richard from College Park

Thanks for the input. I’m going to stay on top of this. We need to find out who dropped the ball, and why Sunaya Thomas cooked up a rasher of bullshit for the City Councul.