Friends For Fullerton's Future

August 4, 2009January 9, 2010Fullerton City Council

Ironic Twist to “Euclid Commons”; City Wants To Make A Deal With Disabled Housing Foe

2. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR

Property: 626 & 700 S. Euclid Street
Agency Negotiator: Rob Zur Schmiede
Negotiating Parties: Paul Kott, Pierre J. Nicolas Trust
Under Negotiations: Price and terms

Affordable housing, like politics apparently makes for strange bedfellows. Take the case of Euclid Commons, a proposed affordable housing site that the City wants to buy. The agent for the owner is none other than Paul Kott, an Anaheim realtor and apparently a giant NIMBY, to boot.

About three years ago the City of Anaheim proposed a housing development for disabled folks near Kott’s offices on Lincoln Avenue, a pretty worthy goal you would think. But guess who marshaled neighborhood opposition that caused the city council back down? That’s right, Paul Kott.

Lest anyone think we make this stuff up, we thoughtfully provide a link to the LA Times article from 2006, here.

And speaking of money, here’s the money quote:

“Residents of the neighborhood, called Westmont, said a letter from real estate agent Paul Kott alerted them to the city’s plans for the vacant lot at Wilshire Avenue and Pearl Street. Kott, whose office is a few hundred yards from the site, wrote in his letter that “parolees, child molesters and mentally ill” could soon live nearby.”

Hey, Fullerton CC, nice guys you want to do business with!

August 4, 2009January 4, 2010Arts & Architecture

Barbara Giasone Puff Piece Ignores Historic Resource

by The Fullerton Shadow15 Comments

We really like architecture like this...

We are finally getting around to writing about an item our dear, squishy-soft Barbara Giasone scribbled out last week about the Grace Ministries sanctuary – a god-awful looking, overbearing monstrosity click here to enjoy Barbara’s pabulum . In her journalistic valentine, Babs passed along the grandiosity of the church (larger than Crystal Cathedral, oh joy!) but omitted mention that the Administration Building and “the gardens” were designed by world-famous architect William Pereira and are part of a larger original complex that includes the Hunt Library and the hideous “bark park” (more on that in another post!).

It’s not that we expect Giasone to know or even care about such things, but we really want to heighten Fullertonians’ awareness of this amazing architectural resource in their midst. The City has done very little to protect this resource as they handed out entitlements to the massive church that, we assume, pays no property tax. The filled-in reflecting pond is pretty symbolic of the disregard to this complex; the City’s bark park adds insult to injury.

Fullerton Fire Sale: Everything must go!

August 4, 2009December 28, 2009Marijuana

No Stems or Seeds That You Don’t Need

by Mr. Peabody23 Comments

Recently Fullerton’s Redevelopment Director, Robert Zur Schmiede (who also serves on the planning commission for Laguna Beach) decided to channel his inner MD for an impromptu prescription to the Laguna Beach City Council to ban all medical marijuana dispensaries from the city. An OC Register article detailing the issue is available here, but here are a couple of noteworthy quotes:

“While acknowledging the needs of ill patients to access marijuana, I will not support — and will, in fact, vehemently oppose — the allowance of collectives in the city,” Commissioner Robert Zur Schmiede said.

“Why anyone with a grain of sense thinks this is something we should do is beyond me,” he added, to some murmurs in the audience.

Father Schmiede Knows Best — Father Zur Schmiede Knows Best

Let’s get this straight:

the majority of voters in California elected to legalize marijuana for medical use 13 years ago
Zur Schmiede is fully aware that there are ailing citizens who have a legitimate medical need for the drug
Zur Schmiede does not have a medical degree

Despite all that, he actively seeks to deny patients access to a drug that a licensed medical doctor has recommended for treatment.

Hmm... No medical marijuana for you! Trust me. I'm not a doctor.

Does Zur Schmiede really have the public interest in mind here? Can we expect this sort of reefer madness to echo in Fullerton? Or can we reasonably expect our city staff to uphold State law?

08/04/09 UPDATE BY THE FULLERTON HARPOON:

We have delved deep into our photo archives and have uncovered this image. And so continuing in the Robert Young leitmotif we share it with our Friends.

But I'm sick and need help! Nein! Ve vill never approve this pprescription! — But I'm sick and need help! Nein! Ve vill never approve zis prescription!

August 4, 2009August 4, 2009Dick Jones

Euclid Commons: What Is It?

by The Fullerton Harpoon8 Comments

Yesterday we ran a post on the duplicitous way the City started the ball rolling behind closed doors on a big housing project that promises CEQA impacts on its neighbors. In fact decisions are already being taken that should have been done under the illumination of a public hearing.

The project even has a name, “Euclid Commons” that makes us wish to make a quick pit stop at the West Harbor Alley Improvement Project vomitorium. A couple of comments provided descriptions of what was being proposed that seemed to differ considerably and so we provide la tabula rasa for our Friends to chime in and see if any clarifications are forthcoming.

The issue of starting negotiations is being addressed tonight (Aug 4th) behind closed doors since the public can’t be trusted to even know that a project is now officially (if secretly) sanctioned by the City Council. There will be “reporting out” but no public comment. Really, what have they got to hide?

August 3, 2009December 30, 2009Behind Closed Doors

HEY WHAT’S WITH ALL THE SECRECY; THIS IS A DEMOCRACY, RIGHT?

by admin32 Comments

closeddoor

Here’s an item on tomorrow’s agenda to be addressed by the City Council behind closed doors:

2. CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATOR

Property: 626 & 700 S. Euclid Street
Agency Negotiator: Rob Zur Schmiede
Negotiating Parties: Paul Kott, Pierre J. Nicolas Trust
Under Negotiations: Price and terms

Why is the Redevelopment Agency negotiating to buy this property? — This is a big deal. Where's the public hearing?

Let’s get this straight. The Redevelopment staff (aka Rob Zur Schmiede) is asking for council permission to begin negotiations for a huge piece of property off Euclid, presumably to build low income housing. He’s trying to do it behind closed doors under the cover of the “closed session” where he can get the ball rolling on a project that has NEVER been authorized by anybody. The key phrase here is “price and terms” which justifies the secrecy but that in reality is being used as a fig leaf to hide the fact that the council is giving tacit approval to a project that has never been offically authorized by them, in public – even in concept. In fact the very nature of the request is the first in what will be a long series of incremental approvals. In fact, this process is called incrementalization for that very reason.

Well, WE object to these shennanigans even though it happens all the time. Authorization to negotiate price and terms is premature, and at this juncture issues that are not covered by under Brown Act exclusions are already occuring. What is involved is a secret commencement of the process that will lead to land use entitlements and rezoning. This is wrong, wrong wrong. This is obviously going to be a major project with major policy and CEQA implications.

The City Council should agendize this issue for a public hearing immediately with proper notification to all the neighbors. If they choose to go ahead with this (likely monstrosity), THEN they can schedule their “price and terms” meeting in the cozy confines of the backroom!

August 3, 2009August 3, 2009Downtown Fullerton

The West Harbor Alley Improvement Project

by Mr. Peabody21 Comments

The other day I took my elementary-age children to Cafe West for a cool drink, and found this postcard on the counter:

harbor-alley harbor-alley2

The triptych above seems to reflect a strategy all too common in the city:

Phase #1: tear out trees (and put in a subsidized fire line for the “night clubs”)
Phase #2: fill holes with temporary asphalt
Phase #3: ask questions later

To most of us, this would seem a bit like putting the cart before the horse, but one has to wonder if the RDA sees it that way.

donkeywork — Redevelopment Project Overload; Council Loses Traction

What’s the mystery here? For goodness sake, this is just an alleyway, all they’ve done is yank out a few trees! What kind of “design” is required here? Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill!

My own kids provided some helpful suggestions as to what to do with the freshly vacated space in the alley. One of them thought a modern sculpture would be appropriate, while the other mused that perhaps another luxury apartment complex could be squeezed into that tiny space. Hey, where there’s a will, there’s a way.

The view's not all that great, but the rent is reasonable! — Or how about affordable housing? Alley-style!

However, given Fullerton’s recent trend of rolling out the red carpet to the bar scene, perhaps a European-styled “pissoir” could not only provide a visually attractive option, but one that’s functional as well.

True, a few fumes may greet the occasional pedestrian walking through the alley, but this would be one project the RDA could actually claim where form follows function.

This triptych seemed to reflect a strategy all too common in the city:

August 2, 2009August 2, 2009Redevelopment

Huell Howser – Redevelopment Whore? Say It Ain’t So.

by The Fullerton Harpoon14 Comments

Every things lookin' good! — Everything's lookin' good! For me.

We read in the LA Times this morning a story about Redevelopment by Jessica Garrison. It was a kind of weird hybrid about State budget raids on Redevelopment agencies and about how the California Redevelopment Association had paid to produce a series of TV shows touting the wonders of redevelopment and hosted by Huell Howser click here for story .

We have always considered Howser something of a menace to culture and intelligent television with his dopey drawl, his inability to ask an insightful question, his perpetual overstatement of the obvious, and his complete disregard for whatever his “guests” happen to be saying. The transfiguration of the mundane into the near metaphysical (hey Louie, you gotta get a picture of this bubblin’ mud hole!) is another annoying part of his tiresome schtick. But on balance he seemed to be fairly innocuous, little kids who didn’t know any better liked him, and we remember with fondness his attempt to save the Long Beach Naval Shipyard facilities.

According to Garrison’s article Howser has now been bought and paid for by the Redevelopment lobby, who undoubtedly saw an opportunity to co-opt a voice for preservation and employ it for themselves. Howser should be ashamed of himself for getting into bed with the same greedy, self-interested thieves who have done inestimable harm to the historic built environment in California. For every historic building it has saved (remuddled, more likely) redevelopment has deployed its bulldozers against a hundred others.

Hey Louie, you gotta get a picture of this!

Well, Huell has got his thirty pieces of silver. But as the article points out, the State’s raid on Redevelopment coffers may well spell the end for many Redevelopment agencies. Let’s hope so. And let’s make sure to boycott Howser’s puff piece love notes to the CRA.

August 1, 2009August 1, 2009Coyote Hills

Coyote Hills; The Last Piece of Chevron’s Pie

by thedivinemissk17 Comments

Great things happen over an al fresco meal of fresh veg accompanied by gin & tonic.
As we looked out over the valley, we remembered the time one would drive up Beach Blvd. and is soon as you hit Rosecrans, darkness would descend until you hit Imperial. There was nothing there. But of course, in the name of progress there are houses and apartments there now. Dusk was settling over La Habra Heights –a great thing to see since you can still see the hills. No home is allowed to build above the ridgeline. And then we talked about the work of a sainted few in faraway La Habra Heights, who saved a special place called Powder Canyon.

Which brought us to the issue of Coyote Hills and the small group of people who have been trying to get our attention with their hand painted signs on Euclid and Bastanchury. You see, they get no respect. Which is a painful thing because damn….they’ve been toiling for so freakin’ long.

But of course this is the problem. Because if you’re going to do work of this sort sometimes taking the meek respectable posture isn’t the way to go.

Sometimes you just have to be all out –well, “Heightsian” for lack of a more diplomatic word.

Seems to us that the problem with the whole Coyote Hills fandangle is that this sucker wasn’t put to bed long ago.

That’s right, a lack of vision has hindered what seems to us to be an obvious move.

Chevron has owned the land bordered by Beach, Rosecrans, Imperial and Euclid since before you or I were born. They have drilled, pumped, done research and in the process not only made money here, but also used the research to help make more money elsewhere.

Now, we could get rely on the spinal cord reaction and say “property owner’s rights to do whatever they damn well please,” but that’s not our style. When Chevron pulled out, they left behind a large parcel of undeveloped land behind what was then their research HQ.

Since the mid 1990’s, the area has been graded, millions of cubic yards of dirt have been moved and the result was not one, but at least three housing developments on Rosecrans, Beach, and Euclid, but also the addition of big outdoor shopping center.

So what we have in Fullerton is the very last parcel of undeveloped land. No orange groves have been planted –it’s pretty much in its natural state.

So we ask, why do they need to build more homes? Looking at the big picture, they’ve already built enough. And looking at our real estate ads, there are no shortage of homes for sale. It’s not the money. They get $40 bucks from us each time we fill up the tank. Multiply this by 4, that’s $160 a month. Then do that by twelve and yes, it’s Chevron easily can take in $1200 a year from on individual (since a lot of Fullertonians don’t take either the bus or the train).

Why not leave this last parcel of land as it is –for us to enjoy? What we say is…. no houses. We’re not willing to concede a single foot of that land to build more houses.

If you think this is outrageous, well, maybe it is. But what’s even more crazy is that a high percentage of people here have little connection to nature whatsoever. Their lives are drive, mall, mall, internet, mall, mall, restaurant, drive… oh what the hell.

Besides, after the development of all the lands around Bastanchury and Brea Boulevard, quite frankly ….we’re on the side of those two scrawny coyotes that come out every day at 4 p.m. looking for food and water.

Alas, we could have offered them gin and tonic. But we know better than that.

July 31, 2009December 28, 2009OC's Fourth District

Democrat Daly Gets Endorsements from Fullerton’s Democrat Left Leaning Ladies

by The Fullerton Harpoon11 Comments

3 birds — Aren't birds of a feather are supposed to stick together?

Way back in March 4th District County Supervisor candidate Tom Daly announced that Sharon Quirk and Pam Keller were invitees to his annual fundraiser. We wondered aloud how come Fullerton’s two liberal ladies would be hitching their wagons to this generally faded star given the fact that Anaheim’s Lorri Galloway was rumored to be giving thought to running here. We felt they might be shortchanging an up and coming female politician.

Since then we have learned that Galloway has indeed claimed that she is running and is determined to grab Daly’s endorsements. Mercy! A dynamic, liberal woman politician in Orange County! Why, you’d think the heavens themselves had opened up and celestial music was playing. But apparently Galloway will now have to work to swipe Quirk and Keller. According to a press release that went out the other day these two worthies have given Daly their official endorsements. So has Art Brown, of Buena Park.

These endorsements of Quirk and Keller are clearly intended as a slap at Fullerton’s own Shawn Nelson, their council colleague who is also running; but not unexpected given Nelson’s independence and intelligence, and their lack of same. On the other hand Nelson is a Republican and they are Democrats, so what the Hell. Still, it seems they are giving short shrift to Galloway and even Rosie Whatshername from La Habra.

We can just skip over the endorsement Art Brown, the bearded, antiquated, and brain-dead Mayor of Buena Park who has never met a bureaucrat he didn’t like. But here’s a quote from our own blog-hating Pam Keller:

“I know Tom Daly will be a great Supervisor. He’ll help our families by making the County an active partner with the communities of the 4th District,” said Fullerton Councilwoman Pam Keller.

Families. Community. Partner. Whatever this blather means, we know what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean accountability and fiscal conservatism. It probably means boohoo liberal social spending with no one responsible. But we’re just guessing. Here’s one from Sharon Quirk:

“I am proud to support Tom Daly to be Fullerton’s next representative on the County Board of Supervisors,” declared Councilwoman Sharon Quirk. “The people of Fullerton can count on him to listen to our concerns and deliver results for our community.”

Ah, more “community” nonsense. Can’t these gals ever say anything intelligent or insightful? No. This is just outfall from a lifetime of indoctrination in empty Dem-speak. It means Daly will retroactively spike employee pensions if he gets the chance.

The release also includes some pearls from Daly himself that will be the subject of a follow up post as we try to discover anything intelligent in them. When and if he ever creates a campaign website we will be sure to harvest it for fun stuff to share with the Friends.

July 31, 2009July 31, 2009Coyote Hills

“Save Coyote Hills” Movement Losing Steam?

by Travis11 Comments

In her latest post, local blogger Cindy Cotter pointed out a notable trend at the various community and commission meetings for Coyote Hills development: the Save Coyote Hills crowd appears to be shrinking.

In the beginning of July an informational public meeting drew a boisterous crowd of 200. The next two commission meetings (where public voices are actually more important) drew only 75 and then 45 citizens. That is not the kind of showing that can stop a project with over 30 years of momentum. If these folks mean business, they need to get organized quickly.

On a related note, Pacific Coast Homes responded to our last post with an updated map that more clearly distinguishes the difference between “The Preserve” and the Robert E. Ward Nature Preserve. They’ve also promised to update the map on their own website, but at this point it’s still clear as mud. The co-mingling of the real preserve and the “open space” that surrounds it may not be the most honest communication effort, so hopefully they get it fixed quickly.