The other big issue at last night’s Santa Ana Council Meeting was the outcry from members of the public regarding the ill-conceived Renaissance Plan. Here are the comments made by Mike Tardif, who is a businessman in the Renaissance Plan area:
I would like to address the council concerning the Renaissance Specific Plan.
One of the major modifications the plan, as currently drafted, would make is to rezone significant portions of industrial property to residential zone.
I am concerned that this rezoning aspect of the plan has not been well thought out and needs input from affected industrial property and business owners within the plan area. As well as residential neighborhoods which may be affected.
By rezoning from industrial to high rise residential the City is putting out a big sign saying – GO AWAY INDUSTRIAL – we do not care where your tax revenue producing sales and employees go !!
City staff has made statements that industrial property to be rezoned will be ?grandfathered? and will be ?legal nonconforming.? I believe that these terms are misleading.
These terms are not used in City code. According to SA municipal code the industrial properties will be classified as nonconforming.
This ?nonconforming? classification will place restrictions on how we my utilize and improve our industrial property and business operations. These are significant restrictions which will effect negatively effect industrial property values.
City staff has said that this rezoning will enhance property values. That may be true for unimproved vacant property. But that is not necessarily true for property with industrial improvements.
City staff said during a RSP presentation to a City commission that ?eminent domain? will not be used to obtain property within the plan. This is not an accurate statement. The plan does not eliminate the use of eminent domain.
What staff has said is that ?the plan does not contemplate the use of eminent domain.?
Well, I would not want to contemplate the use of eminent domain either, but the use of eminent domain remains a likely possibility concerning the RSP.
Industrial business and property owners have said that the threat of this rezoning plan being put into effect has already affected potential use of their industrial property and their property values.
And has deterred industrial tax revenue and employment providing by potential tenants.
As far as the rezoning aspect of the plan goes, I believe that it is over-reaching and has not been given consideration as to effect on property values, tax revenues and lost employment for Santa Ana residents.
We have been told that a meeting with the City and concerned industrial property and business owners, which has been pending for nearly 2 months has been delayed.
We have been told that the Planning Department and City Council members are working on putting a meeting together – to include industrial. We have not been given a time frame for this meeting to take place.
Thank you
Anaheim did not stifle the industrial businesses in the Platinum Triangle area in attempting to enact the city’s vision of high-rise condo towers (similar to Santa Ana’s vision for the RSP)
Why are Santa Ana’s planners and City Council so uncreative and anti-free market?
Anon #1 – lets remember that the county moved its operations out of there and industrial businesses will be moved out as hi-rises get built. please lets not be so naive. Just watch.
Anaheim is building in the stadium parking lot first. that alone will cause land prices up and force industrial out.
I encourage the affected businesses to seek an injunction against the city to stop the re-zone. This council is ignorant and doesn’t understand things like this enough to make good decisions for the City or it’s businesses or residents. Stop them.
The industrial properties in the Platinum Triangle did not have their zoning changed, like what the RSP is proposing in Santa Ana.
The mixed-use entitlements are an overlay over the pre-existing zoning.
If an industrial business leaves the Platinum Triangle area, it will be because of the free-market, not government force, like in Santa Ana.