Fox Block: The Missing Slide
At a recent Fox Block community workshop, the Redevelopment Agency made every attempt to direct public discussion away from the height and scale of the proposed commercial structure. The agency even went so far as to not show any elevational drawings, although they did pepper the room with 1st and 2nd floor plans. Even the blunt question of “how many floors will it be?” was answered with reassuring answer “We don’t know, we’ll figure that out later”.
Well Friends, we have discovered the elusive drawing in Arteco’s proposal that was submitted last year. This is what the audience should have been shown:
Why didn’t the public get to see this important drawing at the meeting? There were plenty of concerned neighbors at the meeting who would have loved to see what their neighborhood will look like should this project be completed.
After the nasty battle over the height of the Amerige Court boondoggle, don’t you think they would bring this issue into the light at the very beginning? Why can’t Arteco Partners and the Redevelopment Agency be honest with the citizens of Fullerton?
I’m sure that will blend right in.
Its a known fact that the Amerige Court boondoggle was the pet project of the prior Development Services Director Paul Dudley. He tried to stick us with that ill-conceived idea development as his own tribute to himself but wasn’t able to resist sucking on the underfunded public employees retirement fund tit. Fortunately, we are finally free from his narcissistic rule and his lack of creativity. The “Fox Block” (another Staff driven obsurdity) and its creator Terry Galvin have met the same fate. Citizens of Fullerton unite! Death to the Fox Block!
I was in that meeting. The tension between citizens and the city was very high. If they would have been shown that drawing, the crowd would have started rioting. Thanks for finding it.
to see how this city operates-backwards.
Nice job of showing us the truth !!
Krusty, would you like to write a post?
I am a newcomer to FFFF. Although I don’t agree to everything that is posted here, Your right on regarding city council and their bone head decisions… espicially recently. As I gain more insight into city government workings I may…
Friends, Citizens, Fullertonians,
Lend me your ears;
I come to not to bury Fox Theater, nor to praise it.
What good Fullerton Consuls can do tomorrow will live long after them;
But their apathetic evil may be interred with bones of a Six Million Burger; gather ’round to hear this sad tale.
So let it be with The noble FFFF Administrator
He hath told you Fox Village was too ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous Redevelopment fault,
And grievously hath Fox’s friends not answer’d it.
Here, under leave of Consuls Bankhead, Quirk, Keller and Jane Reifer’s starry-eyed band of Fox Savers.
For these Councilpersons and preservationists are honourable;
So too are the Fox savers all, all honourable–
Come I urge all Fullertonians tomorrow to speak at Fox Village’s funeral, City Council Chambers.
While not my friends, Fox Theater’s followers were faithful and just to Fullerton:
But noble FFFF Administrator says Fox Village was too ambitious;
And FFFF Administrator is an honourable man.
He hath brought many honors home to West Truslow
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did FFFF Administrator’s own deeds in Fullerton seem ambitious?
When that poor deceived citizens have cried, FFFF Administrator hath wept, too:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet FFFF Administrator says Fox Village was ambitious;
And FFFF Administrator is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the FFFF web page
He has spurned a kingly Council crown,
Which he did repeatedly refuse: was this ambition?
Yet FFFF Admninstratior says Fox Village was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what FFFF Administrator spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did once love McDonald’s fries, not without cause:
But what cause withholds us then, to mourn for a Six Million Dollar Burger?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And three Consuls who had before lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the future coffin which contains Fox Village,
And I must pause till it come back to me.
First Citizen (College Park Codger)
Methinks there is much reason in his sayings.
Second Citizen (Terry O))
If thou consider rightly of the matter, Fox Village
has caused us Fullertonians great wrong.
Third Citizen (Sage of Skyline)
Has it, masters? I fear there may become an even worse project in its place.
Fourth Citizen (Enabler)
Mark’d ye FFFF Administrator words? He would not take the Council crown; Therefore ’tis certain he was not ambitious. Kill the Six Million Dollar Burger! Kill it!
First Citizen
If it be found so, some will dear abide it.
Second Citizen
Poor Enablerl! his eyes are red as fire with weeping.
Third Citizen
And there’s not a nobler man in Fullerton than AnTony.
Fourth Citizen
Now mark him, AnTony, he begins to speak.
AnTony
But yesteryear the words of Redevelopment
Sneered against the Fullerton world; but now lies Fox Village bared to the world.
And no citizen should no more do it nor them reverence.
O Fullerton citizens, if I were disposed to stir
Your hearts and minds to mutiny and rage,
I should do you wrong, and Councilpersons wrong,
Who, you all know, are honourable men and women:
I will not do them wrong; I rather choose
To wrong the soon-to-be-dead Six Million Dollar Burger, to wrong myself and it,
Than I will wrong such honourable men and women.
But here’s a parchment with the seal of Redevelopment;
I found it in Consul’s closet, ’tis Redevelopment’s will:
Let but the Fullerton commoners hear this testament–
Which, pardon me, I do not mean to read–
And they would go and kiss soon-to-be dead Fox Village’s wounds
And dip their napkins in its sacred blood,
Yea, beg a McDonald’s Corporation for money,
And many chunky children, sadly dying, mention it within their wills, this Six Million Dollar Burger
Bequeathing to Fullerton as a sad legacy
Unto their issue.
Fourth Citizen
We’ll hear the will: read it, Mark AnTony.
All
The will, the will! we will hear the soon-to-be dead Fox Village’s will.
AnTony
Have patience, gentle friends, I must not read it;
It is nice, you know, how friends of Fox Village once loved you Fullertonians.
You are not wood, you are not stones, but men and women;
And, being men and women, hearing the Redevelopment will of Fox Village,
It will inflame you, it will make you mad:
‘Tis good you know not that you are Fox Village’s payers;
For, if you should, O, what would come of it!
Fourth Citizen
Read the Redevelopment will; we’ll hear it, AnTony;
You shall read us the will, the Redevelopment Fox Village will.
AnTony
Will you be patient? will you stay awhile? I have o’ershot myself to tell you of it:
I fear I wrong the honourable Consul man and women
Whose three daggers have not yet stabb’d Fox Village; I do fear them.
Fourth Citizen
They were traitors: honourable Consuls!
All
The will! the Redevelopment Fox Village testament!
Second Citizen
They were villains, murderers: the will! read the will.
AnTony
You will compel me, then, to read the Redevelopment Fox Village will?
Then make a ring about the corpse of Fox Village,
And let me show you what folly Redevelopment made of its will.
Shall I descend? and will you give me leave?
Several Citizens
Come down.
Second Citizen
Descend.
Third Citizen
You shall have leave.
AnTony comes down
Fourth Citizen
A ring; stand round.
First Citizen
Stand from the Fox Village plan, stand from the corpse.
Second Citizen
Room for AnTony, most noble AnTony.
AnTony
Nay, press not so upon me; stand far off.
Several Citizens
Stand back; room; bear back.
AnTony
f you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this story: I remember
Last time ever Fox Theater Village was finally put out;
‘Twas on a summer’s evening, in Consul chambers,
That day, July 7, 2009, when Six Million Dollar Burger Fell to Fullerton City Consul’s wrecker balli:
Look, in this place ran Bankhead’s dagger through:
See what a rent the envious Keller made:
Through this the well-beloved Quirk stabb’d;
And as they pluck’d their cursed Six Million Dollar Burger, the other two Consuls smiled away,
Mark how the blood of Fox Village follow’d it,
As rushing out of doors, to be resolved
If Nelson or Jones so unkindly knock’d, or no;
For there were former errant three Consuls, as you know, who were once Fox Village’s angels:
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Fox Village was once loved by them!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;
For when friends of noble Fox Theater saw them stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms,
Quite vanquish’d it then burst their mighty once preservationist hearts; to rid Fullerton of a Six Million Dollar Burger!
And, in Fox Theater’s street corner muffling up its face,
Even at the base of downtown Fullerton,
Which all the while ran blood, the great Fox Village fell.
O, what a fall was there, my Fullerton countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us stood up tall!
Whilst bloody treason no longer flourish’d over us.
O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold
Our Fox Village’s Redevelopment fascia wounded? Look you here,
Here is Fox Theater, marr’d, as you see, with traitors.
First Citizen
O piteous spectacle!
Second Citizen
O noble Fox Village!
Third Citizen
O woeful day!
This blog is out of control!
Yes–blogs are not about control, but the lack of it. Hear ye, hear ye, oh wondrous Enabler. Your eloquence bespeaks a politically astute mind!
Are all these development goons made from the same mold? Check out the latest that’s happening in SJC:
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hotel-city-thomson-2480290-council-mission
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stroscher-hotel-mission-2471042-city-bring
This sounds amazingly similar to the Amerige project, right down to the “hidden” floor. Deja vu all over again! I think they’ve all got the same Cliff’s Notes for downtown revitalization projects.
You’ve got to be kidding! I can’t believe they thought they were going to sneak that by everyone.
When questioned by Keller, RDA Director Rob Zur Schmiede claimed elevations of the McMonster were produced at that citizens’s meeting. That sounds like a blatant lie. Was it? I wasn’t there, but obviously I trust Travis. If ZS did lie to the City Council he should be fired. Period.
Oh, but this is Fullerton and hindsight is 20/20!
Harpoon, I checked with 2 other people who were at the community workshop. Nobody saw that drawing or anything like it. Only the first two floors were shown to the public, and only as floorplans. Staff did NOT want to talk about the height of the building, but there were a bunch of angry citizens who forced a conversation.
I couldn’t find Keller’s question in the video, but perhaps she asked about elevations of the McDonalds (1 story), which he may have shown. But they did not show elevations of the Fox Block (5-7 stories?), which was the actual subject of the meeting.
I’ll review the tape tomorrow and report back.