Your reporting & comments on tonight’s Los Alamitos City Council Meetings, 6/17/2013

June 17, 2013 in 2013 Issues, City Budget, City Council Meetings, Planning & Community Development

(Los Alamitos, 6/17/2013)  We’ve got 2 Los Al City Council meetings tonight:

  1. A 5 pm, 45 minute, non-televised workshop/information meeting on the Land Use Element of the City’s General Plan Revision (more on that below).
  2. The 6 pm regular monthly meeting, which will be televised live on Los Al TV3, and rebroadcast tomorrow morning and evening.

I was afraid the Council would be encouraged to pass the Land Use Proposal tonight.  After all, the agenda for the 5 pm meeting recommended the Council:

Review and discuss the proposed Land Use Plan and recommend a Land Use Plan to be studied in the Environmental Impact Report. The Land Use Plan studied in the EIR will then be up for consideration by the City Council at a future City Council meeting sometime in January.

However, Community Development Director Steven Mendoza began the meeting explaining that this meeting was essentially an opportunity for the Council Members to get a basic understanding of what was being proposed, to ask questions, and to then have time to consider the proposal prior to another meeting.

Mr. Mendoza told me that tonight’s power point presentation will be available online tomorrow, either on the City or the General Plan website.  If you find it before I do, please put up the link in a comment.

Interestingly, Cypress’ George Pardon, Associate Director for  Citizens for Responsible Development, was in attendance, although I only had a chance to speak with him briefly.  Although George and I are on opposite sides of Measure A, I respect his commitment to his community and diligence in attending every Cypress City Council Meeting.

But enough of my reporting.  This post is your opportunity to report on what you saw & what you thought about either of tonight’s meetings, whether you were there in person or watching on Los AlTV, live, taped, or replayed.  You can also link to other media reports.

Multi-story mixed use zoning proposed for “downtown” Los Alamitos

June 16, 2013 in 2013 Issues, City Council Meetings, Commissions, Planning & Community Development, Traffic

Coming soon to Los Alamitos?

(Los Alamitos, 6/16/2013)  At 5 pm this Monday night the Los Alamitos City Council will take a major step in determining what their city will look like 20, 30, and 50 years from now.

They will vote to “lock in” the results of years or work by City Staff, Consultants, City  Commissioners, and a variety of residents and local “stake holders.”

There’s a lot to like and a lot to discuss in the Land Use Plan, and there have been multiple meetings and opportunities for discussion.  I’ve been in the loop on many of the discussions, and there’s a lot I like, but a few things that cause me concern.

Of course, I could be wrong, and doubtless am in some areas.  So I’ll start with a couple areas I like before moving to a couple I think need  Read the rest of this entry →

Land Use, Trash fees on agendas for 2 Los Alamitos City Council Meetings 6/17/2013

June 16, 2013 in 2013 Issues, City Council, City Council Meetings

(Los Alamitos, 6/16/2013)  So much going on in Los Al it’s going to take two meetings tomorrow to cover it all!

First meeting, at 5 pm Monday, is to “lock in the Draft Land Use Plan” for the General Plan Update.  Click here for the 5 pm agenda & staff report on the Land Use changes.

Second meeting at 6 pm this Monday includes a Consent Calendar item to approve a 2.57% increase in trash fees that was the subject of a flyer distributed in some neighborhoods today.  The flyer noted that we’re already paying Consolidated an “overcharge” of $6.5 million to Consolidated (over the lowest qualified bid).   Also on the agenda is setting time limits for Council Meetings.

Cypress Council 6/10, Los Al 6/17, Commission Omission, General Plan, Food Trucks

June 9, 2013 in 2013 Issues, City Council Meetings, Commissions, Community Calendar & Bulletin Board, Cypress, Planning & Community Development, Traffic

(Los Alamitos/Cypress, 6/9/2013) Lots going on in the next few weeks, so it’s time to update our Community Calendar & Bulletin Board Post.

First, we’ll give you what we’ve got so far, then you can add events you’re aware of via a comment.

Monday, June 10:  Cypress City Council

 5:30 pm:  Closed session with Labor Negotiators

7 pm:  Regular meeting, opportunities for Public Comments/ Oral Communications for a half hour near the beginning and at the end of the meeting.  Click here for the agenda & links to staff reports.  Biggest item appears to be adoption of the 2013-14 budget, but lots of other items.

Monday, June 10:  Los Alamitos Planning Commission, 7 pm,  click here for agenda.   Public hearings  on  Secondhand Shop/Social Service Facility on Katella &  Zoning Amendment to implement the City’s Housing Element Relating to “Half way homes,”  residential care facilities, single room occupancy, & parking for studios and affordable housing.

Are our Cypress readers getting “Planning Commission Envy,” because  Read the rest of this entry →

Cypress’ Prologis/LART Debacle…1989 & today

June 6, 2013 in 2013 Issues, Cypress, Cypress Mesaure A, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property)

(5/6/2013, Cypress/Los Alamitos) This amazing lesson from our past is an excellent read, and worth forwarding to everyone you know in Cypress!

by Highlands Guy: As much as I would like to chat about more mundane local happenings, I feel we cannot let up on the fight to keep the Prologis truck distribution center from impinging on our quality of life.

I foresaw a more vocal and visible opposition, but alas, it was not to be.  And as much as I do not want to hear folks say, “Oh, here he goes again,” I feel it is really important to keep this conversation going.

In this spirit, I offer the following recap of a Los Angeles Times article, dated Feb 12, 1989, by Mark Landsbaum and Ken Yamada:

The piece was written on the eve of a special election, after years of legal Read the rest of this entry →

What’s not to like about Cypress’ Measure A?

May 29, 2013 in 2013 Issues, Cypress, Cypress Mesaure A, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property), Local Media review & reporting, Our Future, Parks and Recreation

(Cypress/Los Alamitos, 5/29/2013)   Today’s informative News Enterprise Guest Post on Cypress’ Measure A kicks off our weekly local media post:

What’s wrong with Measure A?

    1.  Measure A takes 46.9 acres of what little open space remains in Cypress out of the hands of the voters.  Instead, control is handed to politicians and to the Race Track owners’ lawyers.

    2.  Measure A continues the piecemeal development of the Golf Course and Race Track property with absolutely no Master Plan in place.  “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.”  Lets start with a plan the people agree with. . . or just stick with the current Open Space/ Public Use designations.

The land rezoned by Measure A (3 sections in red) and last year's Measure L

The land rezoned by Measure A (3 sections in red) and last year’s Measure L

    3.  Measure A betrays Measure D, the legacy of Cypress’ voters who fought  Read the rest of this entry →

Connect the dots

May 23, 2013 in 2013 Issues, Cypress, Highlands Guy's Thursday Columns, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property)

Christo Bardis

(5/23/2013, Los Alamitos/Cypress)  by Highlands Guy:  Over the last few months I have been trying to keep up with the news and comments on the Prologis/Cypress debacle. And it ain’t easy.

Not only are there a lot of articles to be digested, but one also has to try and root out the facts from the prejudicial, emotional rhetoric. A May 20 post on Orange County For Us (OC4Us.com)  noted a direct connection between Cypress City Councilman Doug Bailey and a gentleman by the name of Cristo Bardis.

The connection was directly tied to the Bardis family via political donations.  Specifically, the Read the rest of this entry →

Weekly Local Media post: No on A: 4; Yes: 2

May 22, 2013 in 2013 Issues, Cypress, Cypress Mesaure A, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property), Local Media review & reporting, Your reporting and comments

One of 3 lakes slated for destruction by Measure A.

One of 3 lakes slated for destruction by Measure A.

(Los Alamitos/Cypress, 5/22/2013)  It’s Wednesday, so it’s time for our weekly post where you get to report and comment on anything of local interest in any media.

One of our readers in Cypress was so excited about today’s News Enterprise that she unknowingly wrote my intro for this week’s column before I’d even my N-E.

Her e-mail arrived in my inbox early this morning:

Today’s News Enterprise (May 22, 2013)-

Front page : “Recording causes stir at meeting” … Chris Frost quotes a lot from Council Member Bailey in article, but also many other people, including Mayor Warren Kusumoto.

The Guest Column is titled: ”Bailey did disservice to all local residents” – great piece by Carol Biri.

Letters to the Editor: There are 4 of them; 3 are Read the rest of this entry →

N-E reveals conflict between LAUSD and youth sports over field fee increase

May 15, 2013 in 2013 Issues, City Budget, Local Media review & reporting, Parks and Recreation, Schools, Your reporting and comments

(5/15/2013, Los Alamitos) (Weekly Wednesday local media reporting & comments post)  Three things caught my attention in today’s News Enterprise, and two of them related to a controversy that’s been brewing for several weeks, when our School Board announced their intent to dramatically raise the field use fees charged to local youth sports groups such as AYSO and Friday Night Lights.

The District’s Athletic Fields have deteriorated badly, and the district is dramatically raising use fees to finance renovation and upkeep to avoid deterioration this time around.  The groups that use the fields haven’t had their fees raised for ten years, according to super-volunteer  Pete Carvajal, who wrote an excellent Guest Column on the subject that appears on page 4 of today’s N-E.  Pete’s headed up volunteer proprams for both Rossmoor School, AYSO, and also chaired Los Al’s Parks & Rec Commission, so he probably has as balanced a perspective as anyone on this.  As usual, Pete is both  Read the rest of this entry →

ProLogis cuts truck bays, not square footage

May 14, 2013 in 2013 Issues, Cypress, LART ("Los Al Race Track" property), Traffic

trucksx-large(Cypress/Los Alamitos, 5/14/2013)  ProLogis Senior V.P. Pat Maloney (rhymes with “baloney”) kicked off his “[Traffic] Jam on Katella Reunion Tour” with live appearances at Cypress City Council Meeting last night and Cypress Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast this morning.

The breakfast meeting was held at the “Marriott Residence Inn Cypress Los Alamitos,” which is both south and east of the 33 acres where ProLogis plans to erect three buildings so massive that 15 pro football fields  could be housed inside them!

I’m guessing Mr. Maloney might have spent the night at the Residence Inn rather than confront the morning rush hour gridlock on Katella his firm will be adding to if their proposed facilities are ever built.

At the  ”open house” ProLogis hosted two months ago I had a revealing discussion about trucking bays with Mr. Maloney.  Way back then he told me that ProLogis would be happy to replace truck bays with additional parking.

Pretty much a wash

However, Mahoney said the result would be pretty much a wash in terms of traffic impact:  Lots 

Read the rest of this entry →