Have you noticed the ever present searchlight in the sky above downtown each night? Could you possibly miss it? Anyone curious enough to follow this beacon to its source will find it right outside of Joe’s restaurant in Soco:
Say, do you think Joe’s has some kind of permit for that thing? If they do, I’ll bet they didn’t tell anyone they were going to park it in the middle of a sidewalk, blocking access for everyone, including people in wheelchairs. I’m guessing they probably aren’t supposed to have it set up in front of a handicapped parking space either. And I’m pretty sure they aren’t supposed to cable it to a natural gas meter pipe!
And while you’re there be sure to turn around and wish Rosco’s a Happy New Year!
This corner is where it all got started in Fullerton almost 125 years ago.
Now that Tiger Yang’s safely down the road, the building at the northwest corner of Harbor and Commonwealth is being remodeled, or as is more likely, given Fullerton’s history of downtown Redevelopment and design foilbles, remuddled.
Still, it’s hard to imagine anything worse than the aesthetic horror that’s there now – pure 1970s schlock.
We just received the following notice from Friends for a Livable Fullerton:
The Fullerton Transportation Center “Specific Plan” is an approximately 40 acre project at the southeast corner of Harbor and Commonwealth. Built over the next few decades, it will take up over 6 full city blocks at one of our prime city intersections and will have a huge effect on our historic downtown and on alternative transportation for years to come. Maximum buildout would be about 2 dozen (!) 3- to 9-story buildings:
1,560 multi-family residential units
100,000 square feet of retail
100,000 sf office space
120-room, 120,000 sf hotel
Note the density and scale compared to the surrounding area:
While the plan doesn’t yet have specific building designs, the approval of this Plan and its 2,290 EIR will allow it to proceed.
City Admits Many Unavoidable Impacts
An unusual aspect of this plan is the large number of City–admitted significant environmental impacts the City Council will be called upon to “override” due to the project benefits outweighing the impacts:
Who is Jesse La Tour? I have no idea. But he is the first candidate to throw a bone to Fullerton’s poultry-loving voters.
A cursory search of the new Fullerton city council candidates revealed the blog of La Tour, who is bent on discovering the secrets of the culinary curiosities known as “chicken fingers.”
Nine out of 10. Winner!
On his blog, Jesse journals his journey to five Fullerton eateries, tasting varieties of fried fingers at places like Bill’s Burgers, Stadium Tavern and the Cajun Swamp.
“I love chicken strips. They are delicious,” writes La Tour, who began his quest at Roadside Burgers where he observantly declared that the nuggets probably came in a frozen bag. His suspicions were heightened later when he discovered that the fingers of Bill’s Burgers a few blocks away were almost identical. Both eateries earned a 6 out of 10 on La Tour’s scorecard.
He's not messing around.
So who won? After five plates of simulated poultry appendages, Jesse La Tour finally declares that the best Fullerton fingers can be found at The Pint House in downtown. “These strips are made from scratch, hand-dipped in beer batter and fried to perfection, so they are crisp on the outside and juicy in the middle,” he writes. Sounds tasty.
It is unknown if any other candidates will capitalize on La Tour’s willful abandonment of vegan voters, although some hope other candidates will be as forthcoming as Jesse has been on his carnivorous preferences.
In all seriousness, the lineup for Fullerton’s city council races are nearly complete. Today is the day when FFFF begins combing through the histories of each candidate, distilling fact from fiction and shining light on everything they hoped you would never find out. Despite what you may hear from those who prefer to keep their heads in the sand, this process is not about negativity, personalities or vendettas. This is about the truth, our choices, and ultimately, our future.
The following commentary was sent to us by a friend who is concerned about a questionable Metrolink service expansion from Fullerton to Laguna Niguel.
A fourth track is currently being built at the Fullerton Station, exclusively for Metrolink’s new Orange County service — dubbed Metrolink Service Expansion Program (MSEP) by the folks at OCTA. I believe the concept is flawed from the start, and last I heard it is costing taxpayers at least $417 million.
Anyone up for a ride to Laguna Niguel?
I’ve asked numerous people at Metrolink how OCTA justifies the demand for this service. Nobody has an answer. Since it will run between Fullerton and Laguna Niguel only, it’s totally useless for commuters needing to get to Los Angeles. In my experience riding Metrolink, there are very few passengers riding such short distances in Orange County. If a person can afford $14 for a round-trip ticket Fullerton to Irvine and back, there’s a very good chance they already have a car and won’t bother to ride the train.
Furthermore, this service won’t appeal to bus riders unless OCTA drastically reduces the fares. That won’t happen… they just raised the fares again on July 1st. OCTA’s pipe dream to operate this service “every 30 minutes” makes a stupid idea all the more ludicrous.
There’s an angle to this which will affect the Fullerton Station (and the surrounding area) in a big way. Since the northbound trains terminate at Fullerton, the station area will become a layover terminal (akin to an airport) for people needing to get to Los Angeles. Suppose somebody takes the wrong northbound, thinking it goes to Los Angeles, and finds themselves in Fullerton having to wait HOURS for the next train to Los Angeles. There will be people sleeping on benches, sleeping on the ground, leaving their trash all over the place, etc, etc. The local restaurants will have to deal with freeloaders using their bathrooms. It just won’t be a good situation.
Last year a few downtown Fullerton property and business owners lobbied the City Council to impose an tax assessment on downtown Fullerton. The purpose of this “Business Improvement District” was to raise money to clean up the mess introduced into Downtown by the numerous booze joints and illegal dance clubs.
The first step was predictable: hire yourself a “consultant” who will tell you what you want to hear. But the price tag was too steep and the promoters couldn’t get a clear majority of the Council to go along.
But apparently now Councilwoman Sharon Quirk-Silva has changed her mind about hiring a consultant to meet and greet and spread the BID propaganda.
The direction here is all too clear: build up some momentum toward the idea and then rely on the self-interested parties to vote their interest and hope that the other property owners don’t catch on.
Well I think this stinks. Why should all the downtown property owners pay to fix the problems caused by the bar owners and their out-of-control customers, not to mention a City policy that has enabled all these problems? And let’s not forget – former police chief and council candidate Patrick McKinley who liked to look the other way.
And why should the taxpayers keep footing the bill?
How many cops does it take to bust a drunk driver? A whole lot of ’em if they’re running a checkpoint.
Last month we asked Chief Michael Sellers a few questions on recent DUI checkpoints in Fullerton. The stats that we got back lead to the conclusion that DUI checkpoints are just a handy bonus program for Fullerton cops, with little effect on public safety.
Back in March the Fullerton PD ran a 6 hour DUI checkpoint which employed sixteen police officers, each of them earning overtime pay — that’s 150% of their normal wage. At the end of the night, the police had nabbed only four motorists for driving under the influence. The city also impounded a dozen cars from unlicensed drivers, but that’s a whole different shakedown.
Just stand here?
While hundreds of law-abiding drivers were being forced to stop and produce identification, patrons at downtown bars were spreading the word… intoxicated drivers should drive around the checkpoint on the way home.
So what is Chief Sellers’ excuse for such a blatant handout to his boys in blue?
Those guys made me do it.
The checkpoints are funded by state grants, says Sellers, as if that justifies any ‘ol squanderance that public employees can dream up. Around here, we call that “passing the buck”. It’s still our money, Chief, and we don’t want to fund overtime for your officers if they can’t be effective.
No local program should operate just because the state says it can. This is California, after all — a state renowned for it’s fiscal irresponsibility and zealous over-governance. Sixteen public safety employees on overtime without any significant accomplishments might slide under the radar in Sacramento, but we have higher expectations of our local agencies.
There will be another DUI checkpoint on tonight along Commonwealth in downtown Fullerton.
Tonight Fullerton residents have their choice of attending the special Earth Day Fullerton Market and/or attending one of two presentations, one by newly minted Assemblyman Chris Norby and one by the venerable Fullerton City Manager Chris Meyer. Take your pick:
Assemblyman Chris Norby invites citizens to share their thoughts on taxes, education, transportation or any other issue important to them.
7:00 – 9:00 pm, Fullerton Senior Center, 340 W. Commonwealth Ave.
Meanwhile…
City Councilwoman Sharon Quirk-Silva introduces citizens to the people who keep the city running smoothly and efficiently. Guest speaker will be City Manager Chris Meyer.
7:30 pm, Fullerton Museum Center, 301 N. Pomona Ave.
Or you can just drink in the beer garden. But there are so many things to talk about with both of them, so I do hope you will attend one or the other.
For months the 219 W. Commonwealth has stood depressingly empty, but at least the trash was on the outside. Now it seems that Commonwealth will sport its very own lingerie shop just two short city blocks from the Boys and Girls Club and the Senior Center. And that’s if we’re lucky, and they limit their wares to the wearable variety.
The lights went off one by one just as I began to take some snapshots of the buxom mannequins through the iron gated windows. Such class in our fair city–”The Education City”. Well, some kids are going to get quite an education from across the street at the friendly gelato cafe. I guess there will be something skimpy dressing these hotties to keep them from showing off too much, but is this really what was envisioned for our downtown? Where is zoning on this one? How long has this area been a redevelopment zone? Is there any better evidence of redevelopment engendering blight?
Several hundred people showed up for an “paycheck protection” rally yesterday behind the Slidebar in Fullerton’s Transportation Center. The small but enthusiastic crowd got to hear from several state and local political leaders including Fullerton’s pension spiking spoiler Shawn Nelson, pension crisis watchdog OC Supervisor John Moorlach, Assemblyman Chris Norby, Assemblyman Chuck Devore, gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and a very energetic Villa Park Councilwoman Deborah Pauly.
The event was sponsored by the Tea Partiers, but the focus was to those in attendance to go out and gather signatures for the paycheck protection initiative that would protect union employees from the union automatically taking dues from the paychecks of their members and use the money to fund political campaigns that might be distasteful the members..
DeVore, who is running to unseat Senator Barbara Boxer, read from old Abe’s famous “four score and seven years ago” speech and then related that to the current cycle of of money and politics that has pushed California and many local governments to the brink of fiscal collapse.
Devore explained the deal works:
Public employee unions take money from their members without consent.
The union then donates money to politicians of both parties.
These politicians enact a pro-union agenda which generally entails richer salaries and benefits and more union members. The unions increase in wealth and power all at taxpayer expense.
The funnest part of the event was confronting a Harry “Carpetbagging” Sidhu paid staffer who was handing out Harry fliers. I asked him if he knew where Harry lived, at first he gave me a line of baloney about how carpetbagging is a good thing and then admitted that he knows all about carpetbaggers because he worked on Ackerwoman’s scampaign, and that Harry’s probably going to lose, but he needed a job and Harry has deep pockets.
