WE NEED YOU TO ATTEND/SPEAK @ ORANGE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, TONIGHT, 6PM

In response to the catastrophic wildfires, please attend TONIGHT's Orange City Council Meeting to speak about our concerns around the fire danger presented by the Orange Heights development.  Building in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone puts people, pets, livestock and wildlife in harm's way.

WHEN/WHERE: Tuesday, February 11, 6PM @ 300 E Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92866.  Please try arrive 15 minutes early, so you can fill out a public comment card.  

KEY MESSAGES: Here are some key messages to assist everyone with their comments. 

• [Speak from your own experience, if you or someone you know was negatively impacted by any of the wildfires in OC, LA or other counties in SoCal.]
• We are deeply concerned that this development, which is in a “very high fire hazard severity zone,” has received sufficient approval to move forward, despite the fact that the environmental review of the project, which included evaluating fire risk, took place 19 years ago. The State of California recently updated its wildfire regulations for the wildland-urban interface. This project has not been analyzed under those new regulations, and it should be.
• In 2017, the Canyon Fire 2 burned 9,217 acres, from Anaheim Hills to Tustin, including Irvine Regional Park, the Orange Heights proposed development site and Peters Canyon Regional Park, destroying twenty five structures and damaging fifty five others.  More than 1,600 fire personnel, five air tankers, 13 helicopters and two water tenders responded. One firefighter was injured and airlifted to UCI Medical Center.  Four firefighters suffered minor injuries.  In total, about 16,570 were ordered to evacuate their homes in Anaheim, Orange, and Tustin but returned when the evacuation order was lifted on October 12. Suppression costs exceeded $13 million and property loss was estimated at nearly $39 million.
• In 2024, the Airport Fire burned 23,526 acres, damaged or destroyed 160 structures, and was contained on October 5, 2024.  The Airport fire, accidentally ignited by an Orange County work crew, has sparked about $400 million in liability claims from more than 100 people seeking an array of damages and reimbursement, down to one evacuee’s $3 purchase of peanut M&Ms at an Arco station.
• A recent lawsuit has helped to stall ground-breaking on this project, as the California Department of Fish and Wildlife evaluates the status of an important pollinator species, the Crotch’s bumble bee, that lives on the property. If the lawsuit is successful, the court could require CDFW to rescind the species “taking” permit until a further analysis is prepared. The City could join the lawsuit or send a letter of support.
• We have approached the Irvine Company regarding a potential conservation acquisition of the property.  There is a plethora of wildlife in the area. If the City is willing to weigh in to support the proposal to conserve the property, that would be helpful.
• The City should look at the permits it already issued to the Irvine Company to determine if any of them have expired. If so, the City could require a supplemental environmental impact report to update the wildfire impacts analysis before considering renewing or reconsidering the approval.
  In conclusion, this is a poorly conceived project that was approved many years ago. Regulations and the climate have both changed since that time. The dangers presented by the project are higher in the current moment, where it is hotter and drier and these areas are highly likely to burn in the coming years.  The risks are simply too great. 
• We still have an opportunity to get this right, to protect public safety and prevent the destruction of property. As representatives of this community, you can stand up and take action to stop this development from happening.

Please arrive a few minutes early to find parking and fill out a comment card to be submitted to the city clerk.  If possible, email me to confirm your participation in the meetings.  Comments can also be sent via email ccpubliccomment@cityoforange.org

Thank you!

Barefoot Joel Robinson
No Orange Heights (NOH)
714-798-4392 (text/voice from my laptop)
714-639-8480 (landline)
jrobinson@naturalist-for-you.org
 
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