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Tuesday, April 7, 2015


Foothills Sentry Neighborhoods join forces to protect themselves and each other United Neighborhoods of Or-


ange, an alliance of residents formed last year by people intent on protecting their communities from unwanted development or other incursions, got together last week to compare notes. The meeting, held at Moreno’s restaurant, included homeown- ers from Mabury Ranch, Per- alta, Orange Park Acres, the Re- serve, Saddle Hill, Hunter’s Way, Fairhaven, Walnut and Washing- ton Avenue. The group discussed issues of importance to specific neighborhoods, as well as those that impact a broader spectrum of the city. Topics generating the most in-


terest were sober living facilities springing up in residential neigh- borhoods, and the dust, runoff and unsightliness of the rock crushing operation on Santiago Road.


No dirty dozen While the state of California


has declared that sober living homes may be legally established in single-family neighborhoods, as long as they have six beds or less, several local facilities have recently sought approval to ex- pand to 12 beds.


The Orange


Planning Commission rejected the owner’s expansion plans, but neighbors fear that those existing homes will continue their bid for more beds. UNO opposes the expansion


of these facilities because they are disruptive to neighborhoods. Attendees reported that visitors’


vehicles block driveways and fill available curbside parking because there are no restrictions on how many cars can be there at once. Quiet neighborhoods are disturbed by marketing events held for doctors and health care workers who may in turn recom- mend those facilities. With some group homes earn-


ing up to $1,000 per day per client, UNO members consider them businesses and question the appropriateness of locating them in residential areas. Appropriate or not, they have a legal right to be there and, for now, UNO’s pri- mary focus is to keep them at six beds. Barbara Weiner, a home- owner on Hunters Way for 38 years said, “This has been a real eye-opener. The synergy and ex- pertise of UNO has been helpful. Our neighborhood had no idea such a money making venture could move into a residential area with little oversight. Any neigh- borhood is vulnerable.”


Pardon our dust UNO is also targeting the rock crushing, sand and gravel reposi- tory on the former Sully-Miller site bordered by Orange Park Acres, Mabury Ranch, the Colo- ny and the Reserve. The devel- oper who bought that property to construct a senior housing facil- ity, houses and a sports complex promised its opponents that if it lost its bid to build its project, activity at the rock crushing site would get worse.


It has. Trucks enter and exit the property all day. The mountains of dirt and gravel delivered from construction sites elsewhere is an eyesore. Dust blows into adja- cent properties and when it rains, runoff from the aggregate pile flows into Santiago Creek. The operator, Chandler Rio Santia- go, has been fined several times by the Air Quality Management Board for dust violations; screens erected around the site to inhibit dust flow are falling down. UNO is forming an action committee to investigate the community’s op- tions.


Meanwhile the property own-


er, Milan Capital, has contacted nearby neighborhoods to gauge support for another large-scale development plan.


Long-time


homeowners enlightened newer residents of the history and the fights to uphold adopted plans that govern the site. Tom David- son, former OPA president added, “We are organized and have a very cohesive group. Milan’s tactics to turn neighbor against neighbor didn’t work in the past and won’t work now.” Milan Capital does have en- titlements to build on 12 acres north of Santiago Creek near Mabury Ranch, and on seven acres where the Mara Brandman horse arena sits. The remain- ing 96 acres of its property have been designated permanent open space in three separate planning documents: the Santiago Creek Greenbelt Plan, the OPA Specific Plan and the East Orange Com- munity Plan.


Those plans were


upheld by both the Orange plan- ning commission and city council when they rejected Milan’s high density development last year. UNO meets quarterly; its activ-


ities are updated on its Facebook page.


Page 9


The Orange Elks made a $1,000 donation to Zack Collie at an annual St. Pat’s Day fundraiser held at the Old Orange Brewing Company. The donation, presented by the 14 Elks in attendance, goes toward the purchase of a wheelchair-friendly van. Zack is shown here (center) with his mother, surrounded by supporting Elks. This year he is a sophomore at Cal State, Fullerton. Zack has a companion dog, Sedona, and was recently the guest speaker for the Youth Apprecia- tion Night at the Elks. To keep up to date with Zack, visit zcollie. blogspot.com.


Orange police to get new motorcycles


The Orange City Council ap-


proved the purchase of five pur- suit motorcycles to replace five 2002 models that have reached their mileage limits. Under a cooperative purchase agreement with the City of Gar- den Grove, Orange will pay $138,233.55 to Irv Seaver BMW


of Orange for the five motor- cycles. Garden Grove is buying four for its police department; by purchasing the vehicles together, the cities were able to negotiate a lower price. The last time Orange bought


new motorcycles for its police force was in 2009.


Grant will fund search for sidewalk gaps


The Orange County Transporta-


tion Authority (OCTA) has been awarded $163,333 in grant funds to complete the Orange County Sidewalk Inventory project. OCTA is building a countywide inventory of sidewalks that have gaps and obstructions that may block pedes-


trian activity and access. The study will take about 12 months to com- plete, and will cover 1,620 miles of roadways, major transit corridors and sidewalks within a half-mile radius of all 11 Metrolink rail sta- tions and six transportation centers in Orange County.


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