Upset that LA Fitness was voted down
Upset that LA Fitness was voted down
Dear Editor,
It’s rather disappointing that the Planning Commission for the City of Seal beach played to the emotional appeal of a vocal group of outsiders, voting against the LA Fitness development in spite of their own professional staff’s recommendation.
Did these commission members read the Environmental Impact Report (EIR), and are they working for the City of Seal Beach?
I recommend that the City Council carefully consider the facts and make the appropriate decision that is in the best interest of the City of Seal Beach’s residents, free of the unsubstantiated claims and hysterical reactions to what seems to be a reasonable business development in a business zone.
The Final Environmental Impact Report comprehensively addressed the many unfounded and generic complaints about traffic, crime, accidents, noise, aesthetic, etc.
The actual problems identified within the EIR, e.g. traffic and noise, do comes with reasonable mitigating measures with minimal impacts to current conditions at the shopping center.
The EIR also addressed concerns from the many Orange County governmental agencies. The numerous pages of complaints from Rossmoor residents against the development of the LA fitness failed to provide one piece of hard data. Personal experience and anecdotes about crime wave or children safety with a gym should be disregard without actual data.
Sorry but in this day and age, no fake news, just the facts please. Traffic impact to Rossmoor itself is minimal because there is still plenty of capacity left on Seal Beach boulevard and improvements to Rossmoor Way.
One person indicated that he would not shop there because of the potential increased traffic.
Frankly, if you live in Rossmoor, you should be walking or bicycling to the shops. Some also complained about the aesthetic of a large building in a back parking lot.
I would wager that most Rossmoor residents will never even see the gym without driving on Rossmoor Center Way, and have you seen those ginormous columnated mac-mansions sprouting in that neighborhood?
The primary consideration for the City Council is whether the gym will be good for Seal Beach and its residences. Being a good neighbor, we certainly should account for our neighboring communities, but we should not accede our interest to a vocal minority of NIMBY outsiders whose only concerns is about themselves and no one else.
It’s perfectly fine for Seal Beach residents to drive to neighboring communities to use their gyms, creating traffic, pollution and run over the kids in those communities, but don’t do it next to Rossmoor.
Tellingly, the opposition to the gym is rather a small group of people even in their own communities, as evident with the few opposing signs compared to the number of homes in Rossmoor. Perhaps the NIMBY-ists can build their own mini-Trump wall to save themselves from Seal Beach while luxuriate in their own segregated community.
Nick Ta
Seal Beach
This letter ran in our sister publication the Seal Beach Sun Newspaper last Thursday.
Response to Nick Ta’s letter
Dear Editor
Nick Ta’s letter is filled with multiple cheap shots and bitterness towards the residents of Rossmoor because they expressed their legitimate concerns and hold a strong opposition towards the massive LA Fitness project.
It’s clear that Nick Ta fails to understand that the Public Commission did an outstanding job listening to all of us; and, contrary to his opinion, the City Council does not need his advice or recommendations. Their decision was based on, not only all presented facts, but collectively what is in the best interest for the communities of Seal Beach and Rossmoor.
With two nearby LA Fitness facilities — Garden Grove, 3.5 miles away; Long Beach, 4 miles away, is there really a need to build yet another LA Fitness in Seal Beach?
Those that say they are going to start working out don’t need a new LA Fitness; they just need to join one of the existing ones.
Bertha De La Cruz
Rossmoor
Fourth of July in Rossmoor was great
Dear Editor
We live in Downey and we dread every Fourth of July because its like living in a war zone. Bottle-rockets, M-80’s, etc. It’s terrible.
So we were happy to have the opportunity to spend the 4th this year with our friends in Rossmoor.
We could not believe how nice it was driving through the neighborhood. We drove on street after street and never saw any fireworks.
What a difference to live in a community where fireworks — even the so-called safe and sane kind — are illegal. The only exception was someone on St. Albans who didn’t follow the rules.
They were shooting off really loud fireworks — some that sounded like bombs — and that was disturbing, but our friends said next year they will call the sheriff. Except for the inconsideration of that one moron, Rossmoor is filled with law-abiding, nice citizens. We look forward to coming back next year.
Theresa Blackfore
Downey
I-605/Katella project is a ‘waste’
Dear Editor
I attended the Public Information Meeting held at the Los Alamitos Recreation Center for the I-605/Katella Avenue Interchange Project.
Upon entering I was handed some information and told that the six stations would inform me more on the project. I was very disappointed with what was presented.
To begin with, it seemed that Los Alamitos City Planning had nothing to do with planning the project. One of the main presenters stated, “I am not from around here,” which didn’t seem appropriate for what he was presenting.
His presentation seemed to be about two things happening.
One was to have places for vehicles to pull off and not block traffic if they are having trouble. Having used this interchange ever since it was in existence, I know there’s space to pull off if there is trouble.
The other, which he stressed, was the congestion on Katella. In discussing it with him, it finally came out that the congestion was caused by the traffic light at Los Alamitos Boulevard.
In his following presentation he informed that nothing in the project was going to lessen the congestion from the Los Alamitos traffic light. I know what congestion he was talking about, since I see it as I am traveling in the opposite direction and I agree the project will not correct this congestion. He gave no further reasons for the project.
A question was raised by one of the other visitors as to what effect the proposed new Los Alamitos shopping center on Katella would have on this project. It was stated that nothing in the proposed project takes that into consideration and if the shopping center is approved that this project would have to be started over again to take it into consideration.
At another station the discussion was about the pedestrian and bicycle traffic. No mention was made of the improvements that the city of Los Alamitos had already made. The presenter as a side remark he made that maybe the bicycle and pedestrian traffic might be diverted much further North. I could only think of one place where the traffic could be diverted to and that was Spring Street. I feel that no bicycle or pedestrian traffic would utilize such a diversion.
Basically I feel that this project is a waste of Measure M funds and should be cancelled immediately.
As a side issue, as I was leaving I checked that I had been given all the literature available. The prepaid post card to the project my information was in Spanish and I had to go back and get an English version.
Jim Riley
Los Alamitos
Thoughts on Senator Josh Newman
Dear Editor,
This letter is for all freeloaders who live in Senator Josh Newman’s district. “Freeloaders” is the term Governor Brown used to describe working- and middle-class Californians who angrily complained about the liberal Democrat legislature passing the gas tax and vehicle registration fee increases.
If you’re like millions of Californians, including an overwhelming majority in the senator’s district, who are disgusted by the higher gas taxes and increased vehicle registration fees, you’ll want to share your views during Sen. Josh Newman’s open house on Saturday, July 15 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cypress Community Center.
Senator Newman represents a district that is almost evenly split between Republicans and Democrats so his votes should represent that constituency. Instead, Sen. Newman follows the liberal drumbeat of “raise taxes on the working- and middle-class to give more government money to illegals while making California a sanctuary state.”
And Sen. Newman wonders why he is being recalled!
On November 1, gas will increase 12-cents a gallon and diesel will go up 20-cents. Vehicle registration fees will increase between $25 and $175. Liberals like Sen. Newman will argue that isn’t too much money for taxpaying drivers to spend for roads that need to be repaired. However, once there is a tax, the only direction it can go is up. What will the gas tax and registration fee be next year? In five years? In ten years? And how about using the money spent on illegals to fix and maintain our roads?
When the increases take effect, every time you fill your car with gas and pay a vehicle registration fee, you can thank Sen. Newman, Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva and all the other liberals in Sacramento.
Governor Brown and the uber liberal “tax and spend/love illegal criminals” legislature can do their back room deals in an effort to try and save Sen. Newman in the recall, but it won’t matter. Whenever the recall election takes place, “we the people” will demonstrate that recalling Sen. Newman is the peaceful modern-day version of tar and feather.
Freeloaders unite – let’s welcome Sen. Newman at his July 15 open house and tell him our thoughts about his vote to raise our gas taxes and vehicle registration fees.
Robin Itzler
Rossmoor-Los Alamitos Republican Women Federated
Good job with the newspaper
Dear Editor
My name is Aidan Cheng, and I have lived in Rossmoor for seven years. I am going into 8th grade at McAuliffe. At school I am always being told by my teachers to read. In English class, I have to read a lot. My mom tells me to read the local newspaper so that I can learn what is going on in my community and the other communities around Rossmoor.
I wanted to tell you that I think your newspaper does a good job of writing articles about everything going on. I see articles and pictures of people, companies, stores, restaurants, sports teams, schools, and fun events. There is a lot of good information in the articles. Sometimes the articles I read and the pictures I see have people or friends that I know. There was an article and picture of the McAuliffe Jazz Band going to the Reno Jazz Festival. I’m in that picture!
I am learning that even though there are a lot of things happening in the United States and the world, there are also a lot of activities and stories in my community.
Aidan Cheng
Rossmoor
For those wondering about Barton Place development
Dear Editor
A number of residents have asked about the status of the Senior Housing development on the 33 acres on Katella just east of Cottonwood Church. Barton Place was the name of the project that the Province Group had proposed to develop on the 33 acre site. The Province Group ended up not moving forward with the project. It was recently taken over by William Lyon Homes. William Lyon Homes is the company that built the homes on the MacKay and Dickerson School sites.
I talked to the William Lyon Homes’ Sr. Project Manager for this project. I was told that this development will include 244 homes and have similar common space that was proposed in the Barton Place development. The beginning of construction will take a little while longer since William Lyon Homes is only recently coming on board with this development and is adjusting the layout to fit a William Lyon Homes product.
The developer expects model homes to be completed around the end of 2017. Price ranges will also be published around that time.
Rather than Barton Place, the new development is called Ovation at Flora Park.
This development is expected to include two new home collections: the Jasmine design is a paired home and the Bougainvillea design is a detached home.
Jasmine:
4 Floorplans
One & Two-Story Paired Homes
Approx. 1,400 to 2,220 Sq. Ft.
2 to 3 Bedrooms
2 to 3.5 Baths
Bonus Room in Select Floorplans
2-Car Garages
Bougainvillea:
6 Floorplans
One & Two-Story Detached Homes
Approx. 1,750 to 2,550 Sq. Ft.
2 to 3 Bedrooms
2 to 3.5 Baths
Bonus Room in Select Floorplans
2-Car Garages
You can add your name to an interest list at their website: http://ovationflorapark.com/. The website indicates that you will be informed as information about this development becomes available.
George Pardon
Cypress
