There is a new blog in Santa Ana, started by a mother who has concerns about the proposed Renaissance Plan. Here is her description of her blog, which is called “Pimp my hood:”
This is a blog about a black mothers views on the Santa Ana Renaissance Specific Plan, and what it means for the future of her family living in the Logan Lacy Neighborhood. This blog is for people living in the Logan Lacy area and at the new Santiago Street Lofts to talk and chat about their feelings about the RSP plan.
The blog’s editor, who calls herself “Two Fisted Mama,” also included a brief bio about herself:
The good lord blessed me with 5 wonderful kids. They are my life and my strength and I don’t tolerate nobody messin with my kids. I am one two fisted mama bear that you dont wanna mess with! I’ve lived in Santa Ana all my life and I’ve seen it change from pretty good to bad to worse, and now that we finally got a plan to fix things some scared people wanna screw it all up. Well I say we got nowhere to go but up. Im tired of the crime. I’m tired of the drugs.This town is my home and I aint never leaving it- but that dont mean that I like what its become. I like nice things same as anybody. How come we cant have a nice downtown like that Orange Circle up there? Or that downtown fullerton? We’re more historic, been around longer, got more tax dollars to spend than any of those places. Why not build us a downtown like it says up there on that water tower? I say its time to PIMP THIS HOOD.
You can read the blogger’s full profile at this link.
Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging “Two Fisted Mama!”
The Orange Circle and downtown Fullerton didn’t build new downtowns, they revitalized old ones. A lot of careful planning went into improving those areas, and they mesh seamlessly with the rest of the city.
The Santa Ana plan calls for a lot of demolition and new construction of structures that are not consistent with, or complementary to, the existing architecture. It requires rezoning of areas, making existing businesses and, in some cases, residential to be non conforming, limiting their ability to improve and likely decreasing the value of the property.
The Renaissance area is not at all comparable to the Orange or Fullerton downtown areas.
Two fisted mama is right, Santa Ana should have a nice downtown. They could start by cleaning up grafitti, using code enforcement to make the existing buildings nicer, doing something about the homeless population, snd coming up with a plan for the entire area to blend with or complement the other parts of the city, instead of one carved out area.
The Renaissance plan is a mutated spot zoning process, a method decried by good planning advocates as poor public policy. It is another of the city’s “great white hope” mentality attempts to redefine Santa Ana, and pretend it will become a yuppie mecca.
While I agree that two fisted mama and the rest of the residents should have their slice of paradise, the Renaissance plan and “specific district” process is now too polluted by politics to be a trustworthy plan.
Art, thank youu for showcasing new blogs in Santa Ana. You were the first to take up the cause for positive change. I am so glad others are taking up their opionions and causes to the net as well.
Great job!
# 1 Great insight to the flaws in the RSP!
We all want a better Santa Ana ,but not if it runs out those who want to stay.
Nice MLK Day broma…no hay ni un negrito viviendo en Logan…jajaja..you had me going for a second with that Aunt Gemima foto..
#1 and #3. great commemts.
Vague, without specifics, with misleading comparisons to others cities similar upgrades.
Since your comments convey a lack of knowledge of the
Cook –
It really doesn’t matter how many times you’ve culled through the RSP. Here’s the deal, why is your head buried in the sand regarding the changing boundaries?
C’mon dude, when this plan was originally introduced at the charette, the mayor’s muffler shop and Sarmineto’s family dance hall were included in this plan.
What happened? What back room deals were negotiatged to alter the boundaries to exclude the mayor’s muffler shop and the dance hall?
Keep your eye on the ball and don’t get tangled up in what the mayor’s machine is churning out.
Cook-
I have read the plan, and that’s why I can factually state that there are problems with it.
You don’t like the comparisons to other downtowns? They weren’t mine, they were two fisted mamas. The facts (yes, they are facts) about how that redevelopment worked may not meet your minimal understanding of redevelopment, but those models are in no way comparable to the Renaissance plan.
I have done my research on the Renaissance project. I have a copy of the document if you need to read it. Trolling the city website doesn’t cut it.
Cook
I have attended 99.%% of all the meetings held since April 2006. I have notes & documents that clearly reflect the many, many examples of unethical behavior. You may know the document on the web,but you really haven’t a clue!
To #1,
What existing architecture? Even the nicest houses in the area are poor examples of the period… and they are in a gross state of disrepair and are practically falling down already. Which really doesn’t much matter considering that most of the areas where this new downtown would be built are empty lots or industrial complexes that should never have been allowed to exist in a residential zone in the first place.
It requires rezoning of areas, making existing businesses and, in some cases, residential to be non conforming… And your point is what? It’s being “rezoned” to fit what it should have been all along. Have you even considered what it is your actually arguing in favor of? I would love to see this neighborhood in ten years if the anti-RSP types have there way. Before you fight to maintain the status quo, you should spend some time in this neighborhood at night…
I dare you.
And this last bit had me rolling…
Decreasing the value of the property?
Are you retarded?
You cant honestly believe that.
#6 (changing boundaries), That is a problem. The mayor and ward #1 are within the 500 foot rule so neither should vote unless the
#9 “Decreasing the value of the property?”
Yes !! – property is more than bare land.
An idustrial BUILDING which has been rezoned to residential is of less value than an industrial BUILDING on industrial zoned land.
A rezones industrial building could be reduced to less than ZERO value – due to the cost of demolition of the building.
Mose
OK I gotcha.
I can see why you didn’t say it that way before. Its so funny how private interests of the right meet in the middle with socialist interests of the far left to keep a neighborhood poor. One side wants its labor pool and to maintain zoning that keeps the area worthless to residential interests, while the other side is just racist and territorial… What a twisted marriage…