Citizens March For Their Cause
If heart says anything about a cause this cause has heart. However, the hill to climb is steep (and expensive) . Tuesday late afternoon, I happened to be driving down Amerige when I came across a group of folks who were marching for a cause of saving Coyote Hills.
Then why aren’t they getting out their checkbook and saving it already?
Honk if you want Coke in the drinking fountains!
I am not.sure I,know Cris Tomson..But..I have a Some serious Concerns to Fullertin Police Department who Had No Clhe my Step Dad,And His Deceased Wife,Were Apart of some Seruous Conspiracys to Disaster that,Occured for the Fallen Officers During,The Homeless Man Beating,Causing Police Brutality. I tried to Reach out so hard that,I prayed in Church On My,Knee’s for Help! I am A.I…And God Brings US All Back as Servants ! I am in A lot of Pain,and Very Angry With All that I had been put through because I couldnt Pass toxJoin The Military. I lost.my,Mother,She was Murdered,and It Was Thrown out of Court! To All You Who Knew my,Step dad,He was A Fallen United States Marine,and Embarrassed the Shit out of Buena Park PD to Pico Rivera,La Habra PD,Whittier PD , and Many Of the Los Angeles County Law Enforcement Agency! It Hurt me,to Inform the FBI, To The Whitehouse,To the CIA,And United States Veteran Affairs,of what,You All Were Unaware of. My,Step dad,Was Selling,Cocaine since,1985 and Was Very Dangerous to Women. He was Perverted,and Was Thrown out of EL TORO MARINE BASE BEFORE THEY WERE FORCED TO SHUT IT DOWN. HE RAPED MY MOTHER WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL AND brain Washed my Mother who did not finish her education when she came here from ,New Mexico, Alberqerque. My Step dad, was Cheating on My,Mother,and Was having,An Affair with A La Habra Police officers ,Wife,Who,Was Aware of Her Cheating Habbits with My,Step dad. This Officer,Later Passed on due to heart failure. It was,Horrific,And Very Sick With what I was forced to be apart of Growing up ,trying To encourage my,Mother to Leave my,step dad. Due to the Illegal Cocaine sales in Mexico, and An FBI Agent that,was , killed im the Line of Duty, My,Step dad,returmed back to, Pico Rivera,Paranoid! He punished himself,By being,Self Distructive, and Gad his Hipp Crushed ,Why ,he did that,Was Pretty Obvious that He had a lot to hide! He drobe around Fullerton CA., and Lied to Officers that,he was once A Sheriff. He was thrown out for having,Drug Problems and Refused to,Seek Help. I am super Disappointed that,when I contacted ,911, That,I had to Pull my own Step dad over to Persude him to return back home. I Again Reported,that,he had,Medication Bottles filled with Meth,and No one.came to Investigate it But informed the FBI. I HOPE TO,GOD TO CHRIST, THAT OUR OFFICERS CHANGE AND DO A BETTER JOB OUT THERE. I UNDERSTAND ISIS,NOW,AND FUCK THEM! I WAS BEING,FOLLOWED AND THREATENED FOR RANSOM MONEY AND I KNOW MY,STEP DAD KNEW A LOT OF TJE WRONG,PEOPLE DUE TO HIS ANGER TOWARDS , PRESIDENT,BUSH! HE HATED THEM SO MUCH,AND IT,CONCERNED ME SO BADLY,THAT , NONE OF YOU OFFICERS IN THE LINE OF DUTY..WERE IN GREAT,DANGER. SO, PLEASE..A MESSAGE FROM AN ABUSED CHILD AND NOW AN ADULT,A FEMALE WITH SOME SERIOUS INJURIES WITH A HIRED STALKER THAT GOT THE BEST OF ME AFTER THE PASSING OF MY,STEP,DAD. FAREWELL TO ALL THOSE WHO GAVE UP ON THEIR OATH,TO,PROTECT AND TO,SERVE JUSTICE!
One flew over the nest.
I saw the same people marching towards City Hall. Any word on what happened at the City Council meeting? I’m assuming that’s where they were headed?
Well, I suppose Chris I could turn that same argument around and aim it at you for whatever gripes you have about your own life. You hate this or that? Take out your checkbook and take care of it, will you. But the truth is, we know you don’t so don’t try that caca over here.
I’m glad, and I know that several individuals on FFFF are glad that this little cadre is keeping at it. Unfortunately, they haven’t been the most organized, nor have they listened to others who had many good ideas on bringing in other organizations who could help them.
One thing for sure, it’s a lock that the city council will approve everything. After all, they’ve done it every single time. Preservation? All one has to do is look at the el cheapo housing along Brea Blvd. and there you go.
I have a strong opinion on property rights even when I don’t like what someone else might do with their own property.
There is a system in place for developing all land in the City of Fullerton. If you think that the plan is to generous towards property owners, change the plan by getting involved with the Planning Department and Planning Commission. Show up to meetings, seek appointments to commissions. That is an inexpensive way to affect change.
I was working on a development in the hills of a nice city when an owner asked e how they could stop the development. At this point, it had been approved and permits/maps issued/filed. I suggested she buy the land. It was the only FAST and SIMPLE way to STOP ANY DEVELOPMENT on this property. Aside from purchasing the multi-million dollar site, she could spend about the same amount of money litigating the matter which she would like loose. An attorney/friend requires a $250,000 retainer before he get’s started with any property litigation and the average cost when the parties finally quit is generally in the millions of dollars.
So, as off-handed as Chris’s first comment is concerned, he correct that buying the land outright is the quickest and simplest way to stop anyone else from enjoying (or profiting further) from the use and enjoyment of their property.
What is the cost of preservation worth to you?
The protestors did go to City Hall and sat in on the council meeting. Go to the City’s Agenda page on their website and watch the video of the meeting.
The issue of “property rights” is entangled in the land use process. Chevron has no inherent “right” to a rezone from oil/gas to residential (while keeping the underlying mineral rights, of course) that will create a massive windfall profit to them. This can rather be construed as a gift of the people of Fullerton – via their City Council who makes the legal determination to change the zoning/General Plan, etc.
On top of that there are the CEQA issues. Development in the west Coyote area will create unmitigated environmental impacts. These impacts will have to be brushed aside by the City Council making findings of overriding considerations – findings making the project a virtual necessity. Of course that would be all eyewash.
So it’s up to the the City Council (the Planning Commission’s role is advisory).
Do you have faith in the folks that sold us all out to Amerige Court and Jefferson Commons?
The group marched to city hall, and a representative (Helen Higgins of Friends of Coyote Hills) addressed the council on behalf of the group. She named three potential sources of funding, but buying requires a willing seller. The owner has expressed a willingness to consider an offer and the city has said it would broker a deal, but last the Friends knew, Chevron was still refusing access to the property for assessment purposes.
OC Register on one potential source of funding: http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2009/12/18/transportation-agency-to-spend-millions-saving-habitat/17445/
My post suggesting the hills should be an issue in the campaign for supervisor in 4th district: http://www.westcoyotehills.org/2010/02/should-the-hills-be-a-campaign-issue/
My post on the march: http://www.westcoyotehills.org/2010/02/protesters-march-to-fullerton-city-hall/
About 75 people marched to city hall where a representative of the group (Helen Higgings of Friends of Coyote Hills, shown in the center of your photo), naming potential funding sources. Jim Pugliese, project manager for the developer, has said publicly that Chevron would consider selling the land and the city has said it would broker a deal between Chevron and a buyer who wished to preserve the land as open space, but I’ve been told that Chevron has so far refused access to the land for assessment purposes.
My post on the march: http://www.westcoyotehills.org/2010/02/protesters-march-to-fullerton-city-hall/
My post suggesting the hills be a campaign issue in the supervisorial race in the 4th district: http://www.westcoyotehills.org/2010/02/should-the-hills-be-a-campaign-issue/
The OC Register on Measure M as a source of funding for open land. West Coyote Hills is already under consideration: http://greenoc.freedomblogging.com/2009/12/18/transportation-agency-to-spend-millions-saving-habitat/17445/
If a prospective buyer would like to have the property surveyed, access would not be a problem. Find someone that wants to pay $75,000+ for an ALTA survey and I will give you the survey!
You are correct that Chevron, or any owner for that matter, does not have an inherent right to have their property rezoned or granted a zoning variance; however, ALL property owners have a right of due process to attempt these changes.
The Planning Commission is MORE than simply an advisory body. They do have some authority to move a project forward or to halt it in its tracks. If the PC gives a developer approval by approving a vesting tentative map, the council’s actions at the end of the project become somewhat ministerial. Of course the council has the final say on a project but they will likely incur some serious civil liability if they do not approve a project that has been vetted through the city’s own bureaucracy simply because it is not popular. CEQA and EIR’s are the two easiest ways to shoot down any project because most developers and even agencies do not follow the strict timelines that California law requires.
And to answer your question, “Do you have faith in the folks that sold us all out to Amerige Court and Jefferson Commons?”, my answer is NO. But the system is what it is and if there is a loophole that can be exploited, expect deep pockets to find it and use it regardless of the community’s wishes.
Greg, as an elected body a council’s actions are never ministerial – by definition.
Your observation:
Of course the council has the final say on a project but they will likely incur some serious civil liability if they do not approve a project that has been vetted through the city’s own bureaucracy simply because it is not popular.
This is certainly what staff and developers want everybody to believe, but it is simply not so. The Council’s thumbs up or down is the final word. There is no doubt that the bureaucracy becomes a part of the developer’s “team” in the process and comes to identify with that process – too much, I would argue. But they have no inherent authority to make a binding commitment with anybody.
P.S. The PC may vest a tract map – probably on appeal from a municipal subdivision committee – it’s decision making authority is limited to issues that are normally reviewed “ministerially” or by a staff committee, or a Zoning Administrator.
Where a zone change or GP Amendment is required the PC role is purely advisory. Only the Council can change the law of the city.
And I have zero confidence in our gang of five to even understand where their authority extends – although Quirk seems to be coming around. The rest are a lost cause.
“…as an elected body a council’s actions are never ministerial – by definition.” By definition perhaps, but the fact is that many a city has lost in court because they allowed a developer to move forward through the entire vetting process only to kill it at final approval. That developer had every reason to think that they would receive final approval and when that reasonable expectation is not met, the developer has a strong case against the city. There are numerous instances where a city official, or any agency official, might have the authority to approve plans or specifications which, by the time the authority sees the plans, is a ministerial act. Courts have held time and again that when an agency fails to act affirmatively and timely on these matters that the developer should prevail, less of course the contrary be shown.
There is an excellent, but dry, book on the subject titled The Map Act Navigator authored by Michael Patrick Durkee. He takes you though dozens of court cases, most are recent State Supreme Court cases, and how they work with/against California statutes. I have had more than one map that an agency attempted to squash that had been through the entire vetting process EXCEPT being signed by the City Engineer. The CE’s signature and seal are at that point ministerial. In my cases, the city attorney agreed with me and he compelled the CE to sign/seal the maps even after the tentative map’s expiration date. The State Board of Engineers and Land Surveyors has chastised more than one city/county engineer for not completing their ministerial act.
Again, however, it is important to point out that these projects were all ran through the entire vetting process before the official/council approved or refused to approve the final/parcel map. Many projects had development agreements which were breeched by the city’s refusal to make the final approval. In those cases, the absolutely incurs liability on the back of the taxpayers.
Why not take the 4th District share of the money wasted by the County on the harbor patrols and use the revenue stream to leverage a park acquisition bond?
Has anyone here seen the final plans of the Chevron for the property? I have and took a tour and it seems to be they are trying very hard to leave a large amount of the land as is. It is a beautiful spot and their property..as I see it if they follow the plan as I saw it you will hardly notice the homes once they are built.
We can only hope that Chevron even believes that the current proposal is a winning investment any longer. They might be smarter to just sit tight for awhile and then propose a much higher density project when the political winds are more favorable…which may be soon. I for one do not consider the desire of private companies to maximize profit to be a bad thing. One major difference between anonymous and I is that he would happily whip out my checkbook to get what he wanted.
“I for one do not consider the desire of private companies to maximize profit to be a bad thing.”
Chris you are resolutely missing the point. Nobody expects Chevron to do anything else but maximize their profits. They have no responsibility to the people of Fullerton other than to obey the Municipal Code.
Our City Council (such as it is) on the other hand is the agency that will bestow this maximization on Chevron simply because Chevron asked for it. And the Council (in theory only, obviously) is indeed responsible to all the people who will have to deal with the environmental effects of the development.
Why the pity for Chevron? Their proposal just reflects where the ball came to rest in its dealings with the city staff.
I think they should just keep extracting minerals from this site like they’ve been doing for the past century.
I received a mailer indicating why we should care about saving Coyote Hills. Very lame. Increased water usage from 760 homes and increased traffic congestion. That’s it?
It’s painfully obvious the push is not because the people that live there are environment freeks. It’s because they dont want their view ruined. I cant believe they have wasted taxpayer dollars over a fight they are going to lose anyhow.
Yep!