He’s back…developer Robert Bisno will be begging once more, at Santa Ana’s Planning Commission, for approval of his request to build a completely unnecessary luxury condo tower next to his ill-fated City Place center.
Last time, Bisno’s public relations hack admitted to the Planning Commission that their tower would screw up traffic in north Santa Ana for the next thirty years, but that there was nothing to be done about that.
I know – don’t build it!
It’s not like there are a ton of people looking to buy overpriced luxury condos in Orange County’s most dangerous city…
Bisno recently got tossed out of San Pedro, where he was involved with another controversial development, and he walked out of Baldwin Park, after his proposal to use eminent domain to seize properties in their downtown area blew up in his face. He also recently put his overpriced home in Beverly Hills up for sale.
The Planning Commission meeting is set for this Monday, Jan. 12, at 5:30 p.m., at the Council Chambers, which are located at 22 Civic Center Plaza. Click here to read the meeting agenda.
Art, be sure to review the findings. CEQA requires that unmitigated impacts like traffic requires a finding that the project has overriding considerations (public benefit)and that these are clearly expressed. Also check to make sure the EIR has adequate consideration of cumulative impacts of past and contemplated growth.
Of course it could be that all this stuff was already addressed (or papered over) in an earlier “program level” EIR for this entire site. Under this scenario the project would be reviewed under the parameters laid out in the original EIR. Substantial change would require an amendment to the EIR and the necessary findings would still have to be made if the changes resulted in the unmitigated impact.
Bisno’s 31 story City Place tower, when combined with Mike Harrah’s One Broadway Plaza monstrosity, would guarantee snarled traffic in north central SA for decades.
#1 & #2 where then do you propose to house the wealthy campaign contributors of the future?
Bisno, will there be hellipads on the roofs?
#3 what wealthy campaign contributors of the future? Except for a miniscule few, I believe those days are long gone. The city clowncil and their host of gang/friends won’t support a three-time loser the next go around if there is one.
The City Place and One Broadway Plaza project are perfect examples of Claudia Alvarez’s “play to pay” modus operandi. She received nearly $100,000 from these two projects.
Yeah, yeah, this district attorney claims she didn’t do anything wrong, but that tune is very similar to Blago’s latest melody.
“Bisno, will there be hellipads on the roofs?”
There would have to be, otherwise the tenants would likely get robbed in SoCal’s crime capital…
Of course, there’d have to be tenants first. Even if we had a great economy, I could not envision rich people wanting to have a Santa Ana address. They stay in Newport.
#6 I know, BUT, the drug dealers are making lots of money and they don’t want them in Newport Beach so…. luxury condo’s in Santa Ana, I’m just sayin’ with a little security, a couple of drive-up windows, and we have a whole new image for Santa Ana (ok not that new).
No updates on this Art shocking! Sometimes I wonder what’s going on around here.
Em,
There is no conspiracy. I am out of town and started early today.
The tower passed 5-1. Patrick voted no. Mario abstained.
Now the Council wil decide the matter.
I could not be there as I was traveling.
Don’t be fooled by an ERI … there’s plenty of room to sidestep CEQA. Who did the city commission to do the ERI? That’s what you need to scruntize. The ERI is merely a feel good tool for the plebs.
The One Broadway Plaza project has a heliport as well. But the looming question is – – will this tower have a world class, 5-star restaurant?
I’d like to know why this project was yanked for the City Place EIR?????
Art said: “Now the Council will decide the matter.”
Right you are Art.
But if the you, or the other affected residents, want anything to say about it they had better get to the next Council meeting (early) on Feb. 2nd (no council meeting on Jan. 19th or 20th) and request to speak on this item – it will be on the consent agenda since the Planning Commission already approved it.
Thank you for the update Art!
First of All, Everyone Needs To relax With Stating that Santa Ana is So Dangerous!! I Mean Come On, Yeah it carries a bad rep because it’s a city in “The OC” As Some of you Would Say, An Having it that it is The “Bad Child” Compared To All Other Cities in The County, But Reality is That Crime Happens Anywhere and Everywhere!!, You Just Have To Be Aware of your surroundings…
Now, Santa Ana Does Have It’s Flaws of course, we all know that, But That doesn’t correspond to the whole city… You Have To Remember it is Orange County’s Biggest City With One of The Largest Land Areas (Compared To Anaheim & Irvine)….
Now Going Into The Topic of Building these Projects, In My Opinion First of All, The Area Where The Luxury Condo is Proposed to want to be built is NOT! and I Repeat Myself NOT A Bad Area of SANTA ANA. (Those of You That Claim To “Know This City” Should Know This) I mean Really There is No Trouble in That Area, At Least I Cant Remember Ever Hearing Something Drastic Happening in That North Part of Santa Ana (Besides an insedent outside the Mall)…
Anyway, I think With All These Major Projects Being Proposed To Be Built In The City, Would Actually Bring Some Life To It. I mean Really, Im Looking At These Actions More as a way to Re-Shape The Status of BEAUTIFUL SANTA ANA!! Why Cant We Just Support Change For The Better As Oppose To Always Treating Things As A Negative!!
I Honestly Think, Some of You Are Just Scared of This Place Because of What You Hear or What Not, Not Cause of Actual Experience… You Know I See A lot of Different Races in This Beautiful City (Hispanics,Whites,Asians, and those of Diverse Cultures, etc)(More in The Downtown Area of Course) and Honestly Whether They Are Here Just For Work, and many may not live in the city, I Feel Like Those People Are Here As an example of what the whole city can become… A DIVERSE ONE! And Yeah, Although This City For The Most Part is “The Hispanic Capitol” of Orange County That Shouldn’t Be Looked at as The Reason Why this City Cant Be Better… For Me That is Just Total IGNORANCE on Anyone’s Point of View… Me Being Hipanic (need less to say) I know that if anyone regardless your race, color, culture background, etc. does things with a positive Perspective and/or Over-View than that could be the ticket to “Better” things For Us Local “Santaneros”.
If other Cities in Orange County Are Doing Things With-in There City To Re-Shape and give out a Better Out-Look For Themselves (A Good Example: Anaheim, A Diverse City, But Still Has Crime Like Santa Ana… But Still Yet, People Support The Positive Proposals For That City Because of The Standards and How they want that “positive” perception to stick for that city) then I Say, Bring on All Positive Projects To SANTA ANA For it will Help Re-Shape and Give A New Outlook on This City. I Know Many Here Are Waiting For That… I’m One of Them. Plus Being The Heart of the County and Considered the DOWN-TOWN of it Should Want For Us “Santaneros” To Raise Up The Stakes and Live Up To The Standards and Represent The County Seat, How A County Seat, Should Be Represented!! LEADERSHIP!!!